When I was a kid I used to love watching Rudolph, Santa, and Frosty. It really did seem fair that you had to wait all year and then they came on one time and one time only before disappearing for yet another year. I am happy to say that my children do not have to go through the wait year after year. Our holiday season friends have long been available either on VHS or DVD. Now they are finally available on Blu-ray!

As I said, these movies have long been my seasonal favorites. Even the “bonus” Frosty Returns is a welcome addition. Though this bonus is no where near the same level of writing at the other 3 shows, Frosty Returns is still a nice change from the standard Nickelodeon and Disney Channel fare. I would give the main 3 movies 5 stars each, and the bonus a 3 star.

I am giving this product 4 stars overall not due to the video, but due to the value offered. In reality I see very little difference between the Blu-ray version and the DVD version. Blu-ray is often hailed due to the bonus features that can be offered. However, there are none of these here. You pay for the shows, you are getting the shows. Move along, nothing else to see here.

If you have a Blu-ray player and haven’t already added these shows to your collection, you definitely should. Your children will love you all the more for it. However, if you already have all 4 shows I would hold out this a Blu-ray with these videos comes out that offers either more features or more of the holiday shows form this time period.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I went with a total of 3 moms and 9 kids to see this movie in the theater last month. Every single one of the 12 of us loved this film, it’s cute, heartwarming and a whole lot of fun. From the story of a father trying to know his son (and his son trying to know him) to the boy and beast learning mutual trust, it’s full of feel good moments for the adults. From the silly antics to the cheesy jokes, it was full of entertainment for the kiddos.

This is well worth a watch and a great movie to watch with your kids – you won’t be bored and the kids will think you’re the super cool parent that you are.

Me? I want my own dragon, darn it!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I took my 9-year-old to see this movie last month. He’s a huge Wimpy Kid fan (name a 9-year-old who isn’t, eh?) and was excited to go see it. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had read the books with him so I knew the story was cute, but changing it into a movie seemed a bit… odd.

The story itself is about a kid, Greg, who starts middle school and his mom gives him a diary (journal) to write about his experiences in. To say that Greg isn’t the most popular kid in school is an understatement. And then there’s this slice of cheese thing… oh, you just have to read the book/see the movie/whatever.

The actors all do a decent job, with the exception of Rodderick. I found his acting to be over-the-top, unbelievable and annoying. The plot follows the first book pretty well (meaning it doesn’t resemble my middle school at all, but hey, this is fiction). My son did proclaim the book to be better than the movie.

Overall, a must-see for your Wimpy Kid fan. Entertaining and stays true to the book.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Tom saw this when it came out and dragged me to it a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. The visuals in this movie are stunning. I think the ONLY way to see this particular movie is in 3D.

The problem, for me, is the plot. It’s been done before and is pretty predictable. It’s two hours and forty-five minutes that could have been easily an hour and twenty minutes. There are a few points that drag a bit, but it is pulled off by the visual effects.

I just don’t know that the plot can support a long movie like this without the beauty that 3D brought to the film.

Stunningly beautiful and for that, I give it 5 stars. But without the 3D, this would have been a 3 for being too long.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a chick flick. Make no mistake about it. If you are a man’s man who only watches football and things that blow up, run away screaming. Now. Okay then. This a cute little film where two ladies switch houses to get away from it all over the holidays. Of course, they fall in love, then there’s drama and… hey, it’s a chick flick.

The acting was very good (Kate Winslet is amazing), the filming was quite good as well. The twists and turns are a bit predictable, if I’m being honest, but again – it’s a chick flick.

It’s worth a watch ladies, when you have a night alone and want to curl up with a silly movie, a bowl of popcorn and your favorite soda.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I grabbed this for my kids to watch with their cousins while we were visiting family out of state for the holidays. I thought it would be a cute movie that would fit all ages (10-6). I was right! The kids loved it and talked about it off and on for several days afterwards with much laughter. That made it very special. My son told me that it was a lot like Home Alone.

Recently, I was able to watch it and… yes, it’s like Home alone – with a dog. As an adult, I thought it was just okay, but I’m rating it higher because the kids liked it so much and really, it’s about them, ya know?

This is good for people that are looking for a holiday film. It’s pretty mild, so it would be fine for something for the adults to watch with the kids and everyone enjoy it, it’s not too adult or too kid-oriented, so it fits the bill nicely.

Worth a watch, but a familiar storyline

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this movie. To be honest, I’d always found Julia Child’s old shows to be really annoying, but I also didn’t know anything about her life. I loved how they paralleled Julie’s life to Julia’s and the quirkiness of the film.

I also really liked that the men in their lives were cast in such a great light. Too often ‘chick flicks’ make the men out to either be the beasts or this insignificant character. I like that they were shown as strong, loving men who supported their wives and were actively interested in what they were doing (okay, and maybe thought they were crazy too). That was a nice change of pace and felt a little more realistic to me.

The story is adorable, the movie is a lot of fun. Both actresses did an amazing job with the characters. I wanted to hug Julie and I totally wanted to have a cocktail with Julia.

Give it a watch… I think even my husband might enjoy this one!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Having been in a few different book clubs, this seems to be one of the “must reads” because I have read the book that this movie is based on a few times. Which, of course, means that I hated the movie. *laugh*

But that’s not exactly true. It was really good until the last 30 minutes or so when it completely jumped the shark. It changed the ending, obviously, but to me, it changed the message behind it. I was too shocked to get teary, I just kind of stared at the screen.

So, I’m not sure that I would recommend it. Read the book, skip the movie unless it’s on the $0.99 clearance.

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Product Description

SARA AND BRIAN FITZGERALD’S LIFE WITH THEIR YOUNG SON AND THEIR TWO-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, KATE, IS FOREVER ALTERED WHEN THEY LEARN THAT KATE HAS LEUKEMIA. THE PARENTS’ ONLY HOPE IS TO CONCEIVE ANOTHER CHILD, SPECIFICALLY INTENDED TO SAVE KATE’S LIFE.

When I watched this movie, I recognized many of the characters instantly. The down on his luck family man. The cop wanting to control the run away crime in his neighborhood. The teenager who turned to gangs to fit in and “be a man”. While many of these sound like they could be standard, cliche’ characters I think that each one goes well beyond what we have seen in other movies, however it may not be as well done as Crash was, in my opinion.

Imagine Cracktown as the worst, most run down place around where you live. Think about how hard it would be to get out once that became your home. I think that is the story that this movie delivers. How easy would it be to turn to drugs or crime as a way to escape, even temporarily?

I loved this movie. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is because the stories went by so fast. I could have done with out one of the stories so that the others could have been more fleshed out. Still, it was a great watch and I recommend it. (And no, I’m not a fan of the genre).

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Product Description

Based on the 1993 best-selling novel by Buddy Giovinazzo, LIFE IS HOT IN CRACKTOWN shows the gritty, hard realities of a neighborhood, as well as the struggling, proud people who attempt to survive. The intertwining stories come together in a powerful climax of love and salvation, showing that despite the obstacles of life in the inner-city, humanity and hope can still prevail.

What a fabulous movie. It had the easy humor to satisfy the kids and depth of story to satisfy the adults. The 3D was fantastic. Nothing jumped out or buzzed you, it was used to add true depth to the viewing of the film. I loved that the poignant moments of the film were done without voiceover, I think it didn’t need it. I admit to getting a little teary-eyed.

This is one of the biggest surprises for me. I had heard the movie was good and that the kids liked it and all that usual Disney Pixar stuff, but I really wasn’t expecting this to be as fun, thought-provoking or adventurous as it was. This is truly a gem of film-making.

This is a great film for children to learn a little about live, about following a dream, keeping a promise, making friends, and more. The entire theater erupted in laughter several times, while at other times, you could have heard a pin drop.

Someone said they thought this movie could be a shoe-in for movie of the year for 2009. I couldn’t agree more. It had it all.

Go see it.

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Amazon.com
At a time when too many animated films consist of anthropomorphized animals cracking sitcom one-liners and flatulence jokes, the warmth, originality, humor, and unflagging imagination of Up feel as welcome as rain in a desert. Carl Fredericksen (voice by Ed Asner) ranks among the most unlikely heroes in recent animation history. A 78- year-old curmudgeon, he enjoyed his modest life as a balloon seller because he shared it with his adventurous wife Ellie (Ellie Docter). But she died, leaving him with memories and the awareness that they never made their dream journey to Paradise Falls in South America. When well-meaning officials consign Carl to Shady Oaks Retirement Home, he rigs thousands of helium balloons to his house and floats to South America. The journey’s scarcely begun when he discovers a stowaway: Russell (Jordan Nagai), a chubby, maladroit Wilderness Explorer Scout who’s out to earn his Elderly Assistance Badge. In the tropical jungle, Carl and Russell find more than they bargained for: Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), a crazed explorer whose newsreels once inspired Carl and Ellie; Kevin, an exotic bird with a weakness for chocolate; and Dug (Bob Peterson), an endearingly dim golden retriever fitted with a voice box. More importantly, the travelers discover they need each other: Russell needs a (grand)father figure; Carl needs someone to enliven his life without Ellie. Together, they learn that sharing ice-cream cones and counting the passing cars can be more meaningful than feats of daring-do and distant horizons. Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc. ) and Bob Peterson direct the film with consummate skill and taste, allowing the poignant moments to unfold without dialogue to Michael Giacchnio’s vibrant score. Building on their work in The Incredibles and Ratatouille, the Pixar crew offers nuanced animation of the stylized characters. Even by Pixar’s elevated standards, Up is an exceptional film that will appeal of audiences of all ages. Rated PG for some peril and action. –Charles Solomon