Despicable Me

An old school Adams Family style villain. Adorable yellow minions. Three orphaned girls. A recipe for world domination. Mix them together and what do you get? One terrific film.

"Despicable Me" is one of those rare films that is both funny and sweet. It has humor for the adults without ever becoming inappropriate for children. I simply loved it.

The story centers around Gru (voiced brilliantly by Steve Carell) and his attempt to stay relevant in the super criminal world. He fixates on shrinking the moon and stealing it. He employs his group of minions to build a rocket to send him into space as he plots to steal a shrinking machine from a young, up and coming super villain. Vector, played by Jason Segal, is the young villain in an orange track suit with a sweet tooth. Upon discovering this weakness for cookies, he adopts three orphaned girls to get beyond Vector's extensive home defense system.

He brings the three precocious girls home to his lair. Now it is not too hard to figure out that the supervillain's heart is going to melt for these cutoes. And melt it does. So sweetly.

Both children enjoyed it. My mother enjoyed. I enjoyed it. In short, it was enjoyed by all.

It is a definite "Step Out". Go. Enjoy.

Overall:

Age Appropriateness (School Age): :

Under 5:

Child Attention Span: :


Adult Enjoyment: :

Percy Jackson on DVD

For my full review, please go here for the theatrical release. Here's the overview for the DVD release:

Overall:


Age Appropriateness (Over 6):


Child Attention Span (Over 6):


Adult Enjoyment:

I gave it a "Step Out" (with a few noted reservations) and for DVD, I give it a "Settle In".

Toy Story 3

This is one of the rare cases wherein I, the parent, enjoyed the film more than my kiddos. To start, Pixar has done it again! These guys can't seem to hit a false note. The film definitely lives up to the legacy of the previous two and absolutely worth a trip to the theater.

That said, it is scary for younger children. If I had it to do again, I would not take my three year old. Andy's (and our) favorite toys are endangered multiple times but more disturbing for my youngest, there is a very menacing teddy bear in the mix. Even my son (age six) seemed a little overwhelmed by this one. But in the end, he was fully in love with the film and ready to buy everything Toy Story 3 he could get his hands on (thanks a lot, Disney Pixar!)

Nobody beats Pixar in animation. And they really create wonderful stories that live up to the visual beauty. This one is a poignant look at growing up and the choices we make -- what we take with us and what we leave behind. Trust me if you are a parent, you'll want to bring a tissue or two.

Overall, it is a definite, "Step Out" for school age kids and up. For the younger one, I'd say wait for the DVD.

Overall:


Age Appropriateness (School Age):

Under 5:

Child Attention Span:

Adult Enjoyment: