Flash (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a family movie in the most wonderful sense. So often, people use that phrase to mean "no swearing" or "no nudity", but so many "family" movies are just watered down nothingness, no story, no interesting characters...
This movie has spirit and heart. Lucas Black is an amazing young man, a wonderful young actor who carries the entire movie all by himself. After his grandmother's death, Conner (Black) decides to embark on a journey from Georgia to New York to meet his father's ship as it returns to port. He confronts danger and many of life's challenges along the way.
What I especially like about the movie is that it doesn't tiptoe around some hard issues. Conner deals with his grandmother's death all alone...he confronts an abusive adult with heart and bravery. I think this movie is wonderful because it shows a nice, good, brave kid who isn't unreal the way so many kids are in movies and on TV today. He's polite and smart and respectful and still super cool. Way to go Disney and Lucas Black.

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The idyllic life of Connor Strong (Lucas Black, SLING BLADE), his dad (Brian Kerwin), grandmother (award-winning actress Ellen Burstyn), and horse Flash changes overnight when financial pressures force Connor's father to leave home and find work. Connor is forced to sell Flash, and then is heartbroken to discover that the new owners are cruel to his beloved horse. Connor rescues Flash, and together, they set off cross country to search for Connor's father. In classic Disney tradition, the adventures they have along the way will forever touch the hearts of young and old alike.

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Dennis the Menace (Special Edition) (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Dennis the Menace", directed by Nick Castle, is based on the hit 60's sitcom, by the same title.
PLOT SUMMARY: Mason Gamble stars as Dennis Mitchell, a young kid who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. He doesn't MEAN to cause trouble...he just well, does. Walter Matthau stars as Dennis's grumpy next door neighbor, Mr. Wilson, who can't STAND Dennis. When Dennis's parents go away (Robert Stanton and Lea Thompson), Dennis must stay with the Wilsons, and Mr. Wilson is extremely unhappy about this. But when Dennis gets out of line, Mr. Wilson gets so angry that he yells at Dennis, which makes Dennis run away. That's when the real trouble begins...Dennis encounters an old neighborhood thief, Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd), who kidnaps Dennis, and soon Dennis learns that Switchblade Sam has stolen some items from the Wilsons' house (and others from his neighborhood), so it's up to Dennis to save the day.
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: I haven't seen this film in a long time, but I remember it well. The acting from the entire cast is great. The storyline is light-hearted and fun. Mason Gamble was a perfect choice for Dennis. The directing is wonderful, too.
From the looks of the DVD, there is going to be some great special features. The bonus features will include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a documentary on Dennis the Menace, a special "memories" document with Mason Gamble, a conversation with Walter Matthau, and another conversation with writer and producer, John Hughes. The DVD will also include trailers and a DVD-ROM game. The DVD will be available in wide screen format.
I highly recommend "Dennis the Menace".
Score:
89/100
B+

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Hank Ketcham's popular comic-strip kid comes to uproarious screen life in Dennis the Menace, from writer/producer John Hughes, the creative force behind the family mega-hits Home Alone and Beethoven. Young Mason Gamble is all-boy, all-menace, all-Dennis right down to his slingshot and dog, Ruff.DVD Features:Challenges:Dennis's Tin Can ChallengeDVD ROM Features:Garbage Contraption gameFeaturette:Behind-the-scenes featuretteInteractive MenusInterviews:Memories of a Menace, a 10th anniversary visit with Mason Gamble; conversations with Walter Matthau and John HughesScene AccessTV Special:Original network special "A Menace Named Dennis"Theatrical Trailer:Trailers of this and the sequel "Dennis the Menace Strikes Again"

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Those Magnificent Men Their Flying Machines (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an absolutely wonderful movie. I have watched it again and again. It seems to be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, yet it was a very good old fashioned, innocent, and more professional humor than most other comedies. I think it is a work of art and should be added to DVD format. Being that much of my family is German, Gert Fröbe was my favorite character. A funny and warm resemblance of the Prussian gentleman of the time. All the national characters were funny too. Terry Thomas was wonderful and gave me plenty of laughs. The Frenchmen and the Italian (Emilio) were great too. You will just feel naturally happier after you watch this movie. Don't even hesitate to buy it!

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Halloweentown High (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Halloweentown Trilogy is just as entertaining for adults as it is for children. I began to wonder if Disney would or could tie up the Halloween tales with a third and final installment. I can honestly say that once I got over the fact that the young cast had grown considerbly, I was happy to note that the storyline was just as entertaining as the others. Much praise goes to their writing team!! Disney has truly made modern classics out of these. The special affect of Grandma Aggie's bag turning into a crocodile is quite a computerized jump from the less sophisticated bag in the first movie. But all the movies seemed to have their own area of computerized magic.
It would be hard to choose favorites out of the three. They are all so wonderful, but if I had to: Halloweentown would be my favorite with Halloweentown High second and Kalabar's Revenge coming in a very close third. Nothing beats the excitement and sense of childhood adventure that could be experienced in the premier movie. But, Disney has out done themselves on giving each installment it's own unique storyline to capture the viewer's attention.
This is a nice clean trilogy with no gore or verbal language to worry about. I do not consider it one of those teeny bopper High School movies, since High School is just the setting not the true story line. I do wonder why Sophie's character was cut back more and not involved in the problem solving part of this movie as compared to others. (Maybe her schedule was not as open for her to come back?) The storyline did NOT suffer from this though. It was a joy to see the entire cast back together again. I am very happy to finally get a dvd set of these movies, since the only way I have watched them is taped off Disney. I will watch them a hundred more times!!!! I highly recommend this trilogy to families and school Halloween parties everywhere!

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Back to school's never been so cool or supernatural for Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), her grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds), and her family of witches in this latest chapter in the ever-popular series of HALLOWEENTOWN movies. When Marnie convinces the Halloweentown Council to send several teenagers to her high school in the mortal world, she even promises to give up her magic if any harm comes to them. But soon, Marnie and her new friends are in trouble and out of luck when the evil Knight Of The Iron Dagger appears. He's determined to destroy all things magical, and it's up to Marnie to save her high school, the human world, and her magic. For a bewitching good time, HALLOWEENTOWN HIGH is the perfect treat.

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Six Pack (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)The only objection I have heard to this movie, that was halfway objective, was that the attitude of the kids and language could be improved. Now I understand that judgement, but either you need to get eye surgery or or be realistic about your outlook. When I first saw this movie when it was released I fell in love with it. I'm no kid either, in fact I'm now 52. This movie is realistic and has some great acting and comedy. So if you're concerned about how it will affect kids, why don't you sit down and watch it with them. Everyone should have a laugh.

It is sad to me that funny family movies like this have not come out on DVD when there is so much junk that has come out on DVD. I don't know who is keeping this from coming out on DVD but I for one will buy it when it does. I went ahead and ordered this on VHS because there is no indication that it will be on DVD anytime soon.

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Kenny Rogers Is Back On Track With A Half-Pint Pit Crew That Can’t Be Beat!Kenny Rogers stars as Brewster Baker, a stock car driver chasing a comeback until a gang of expert thieves steals his new engine. But these are no ordinary car strippers: Brewster’s been boosted by a teenage orphan (Oscar® nominee Diane Lane of UNFAITHFUL) and her five car-crazy young brothers. The kids are on the run from a crooked Texas sheriff. Brewster needs a top team of fast mechanics. From small Southern speedways to the NASCAR Grand Nationals, can the most unlikely pit crew in racing history take Baker all the way to the checkered flag? Anthony Michael Hall (THE BREAKFAST CLUB, THE DEAD ZONE), Erin Gray (SILVER SPOONS), Barry Corbin (ONE TREE HILL) and Terry Kiser (WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S) co-star in this warm and funny family comedy featuring a hot soundtrack of country hits by Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, Merle Haggard and more.

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Love Comes Softly Series, Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought these for my wife and she loves them.... she watches them over and over.... and over again.... each Volume contains three DVD disk....
Volume 1 has the first 3 movies, Love Comes Softly, Love's Enduring Promise, and Love's Long Journey
Volume 2 has the last 3 movies, Love's Abiding Joy, Love's Unending Legacy, and Love's Unfolding Dream.
These are good family movies and just proves too that Hollywood doesn't need to have any sex or violence to make a very good five star movie.... Thank you Michael Landon Jr. for such a good job..... well done...
Oklahoma City

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Disc 1: Love Comes Softly WS Disc 2: Love Comes Soflty PS Disc 3: Love's Enduring Promise PS Disc 4: Love's Long Journey PS

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Buddies DVD 4-Pack (Air Buddies, Snow Buddies, Space Buddies, Santa Buddies) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this set for my daughter for christmas last year, she loves it, so do I.

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BUDDIES 4 PACK - DVD Movie

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Flicka (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)The original Flicka is so much better this one doesn't even compare. The parents in this movie are too young for the kids or the kids are too old for the parents. In the original movie the boy was a 12 year child not an out of control teenage girl. Very Hollywood.

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Sixteen year old Katie McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) is a headstrong and determined teenager trying to find her way in life. Katie forms a bond with a wild horse she names Flicka. Despite pleas from her father (Tim McGraw) not to ride Flicka, Katy sets out t

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Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana Review

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(More customer reviews)In 2009, the Disney Channel featured a crossover trilogy featuring their top sitcoms "Wizards of Waverly Place", "The Suite Life" on Deck" and "Hannah Montana". Needless to say, this rare crossover was a big ratings winner for Disney as over 9.3 million viewers tuned into the crossover episodes. And now, all three episodes are featured on DVD with "Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana".
Here is a listing of the episodes featured on the DVD and brief summary of the episode:
* Wizards of Waverly Place - Episode 25: Part 1 - Cast-Away (To Another Show) - In this episode, Justin wins a contest for a teenage cruise to meet London Tipton. Excited about the contest and excited about meeting London, Justin's sister Alex and Max come along. But with Alex, due to her missing homework, she is expected to study on the ship so Alex comes up with an idea: To bring Harper along and have her pretend she's Alex, while she has fun with Bailey and uses the alias Ashley Olsen. Meanwhile, Max finds a rival on the cruise, Zach Martin. Meanwhile, Justin meets London but pretends he's a doctor. This episode features a crossover with the characters of "Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Suite Life on Deck".
* The Suite Life on Deck - Episode 21: Part 2 - Double Crossed - Hannah Montana is going to perform on the SS Tipton and Cody tries to impress Bailey by trying to get tickets (despite the concert being sold out). Meanwhile, someone turns Justin blue and Mr. Moseby thinks its Zack, while Justin thinks its his sister Alex. This episode features a crossover of characters from all three shows.
* Hannah Montana - Episode 19: Part 3 - Super(stitious) Girl - Miley, her father Robby Ray and Lilly are onboard the SS Tipton for her concert. But Miley has a setback when she loses her deceased mom's anklet and Miley doesn't think she could perform as Hannah Montana without it. Meanwhile back at home, Jackson, Oliver and Rico open a package meant for Robby. This episode features a crossover of "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life on Deck".
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana" is presented in Full Screen (1:33:1) and is presented in Dolby Digital Surround Sound. For the most part, picture quality is better than the broadcast. Everything was good, although a segment in the "Hannah Montana" episode during a scene which involved Jackson and friends, picture quality looked quite blurry. But for the most part, all three episodes look good on DVD. As for audio, audio is clear and understandable. Personally, I found it much more appealing to have the audio on my receiver set for stereo on all channels.
Subtitles are featured in English SDH and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana" comes with the following special features:
* Bonus Short: Justin's Award-Winning Essay - (3:33) Watch the essay video that got Justin and his siblings on the S.S. TIPTON Teen Cruise!
* It's A Suite Life Having Fun With Hannah & The Wizards - (5:42) Hilarious bloopers and backstage interviews with the stars!
* Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-Ray is Suite - (4:45) A featurette about Blu-ray and High Definition.
* Learn How to Take Your Favorite Movies on the Go - (1:03) A Featurette explaining what a Disney Digital Copy is.
JUDGMENT CALL:
For Disney Channel fans of the original sitcoms "Wizards of Waverly Place", "Suite Life on Deck" and "Hannah Montana", to see a crossover with the three shows is quite rare and exciting for the fans. Well, technically the only episode to feature characters from all three shows is in the second episode "Double Crossed" and for some reason, the cast of the "Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Hannah Montana" do not interact in any of the episodes. Nevertheless, the storylines do tie the characters of each show together.
For the most part, fans of the three-episode crossover can't find anything wrong with this release. For the most part, all episodes are quite entertaining, hilarious and family friendly. I watched the DVD along with my son who enjoyed the crossover when it first aired on television and was excited to see it all over again.
As for the crossover episodes, I did feel that Brenda Song's character London Tipton ("Suite Life on Deck") was a bit too uncaring and self-centered in the special crossover episodes, especially on the "Hannah Montana" crossover episode. But there were a good number of enjoyable scenes throughout the three episodes. I found it interesting to see Bailey and Alex hanging out, Justin and London on a date, Zack and Max square off against each other, Cody and Harper enjoying their intellectual side of each other and more. Also, for "Suite Life on Deck" fans who wanted to see Cody and Bailey grow closer, those fans get to see how it all happens.
The added bonus features on the DVD was a nice touch but I wish they were much longer but for the most part, fans of this special crossover will be entertained by them.
Overall, "Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana" was a fun, entertaining and hilarious DVD. Each crossover episode is fun for the entire family and for fans of each series series, overall this DVD release is quite solid. Definitely check it it out!

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Climb on board for fun on the high seas as three of your favorite Disney Channel shows come together in WIZARDS ON DECK WITH HANNAH MONTANA -- on DVD for the first time ever! The S.S. TIPTON embarks on a triple-length comedy crossover event when Justin wins a Teen Cruise to Hawaii -- and a chance to meet London. Both Justin and Max do their best to win the heiress's affection, while Cody tries to win concert tickets for Bailey, and Alex accuses Zack of being a prankster. Between the kids' pranks (who turned Justin blue?!) and crazy schemes (Alex sneaks Harper on board to take her make-up science class?!), the excitement goes overboard when international superstar Hannah Montana checks in on her way to a sold-out concert in Hawaii. But when Miley Stewart loses her lucky charm anklet and her Hannah wig, are her days as the world's biggest pop star over forever? It's all here in WIZARDS ON DECK WITH HANNAH MONTANA with three times the fun and triple the laughs! Plus, this new full-length adventure includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, hilarious cast bloopers and more!

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Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie was a real surprise, our family has watched all theh Free Willy movies from the past and decided to give this one a try. Bindi Irwin is a very talented young lady and very believeable thorughout the movie. Beau Bridges is such a wonderful character actor and he plays the gruff grandfather very well. We througly enjoyed the movie and the friendship between two young children in the movie. Steve Irwin would be so proud of his little girl.

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The fun and adventure are back! Fans of the Free Willy series will cheer this exciting family film about a baby orca who needs a friend and a girl who finds the courage to help him. After young Kirra (Bindi Irwin) leaves her Australian home to summer with her grandfather (Beau Bridges) in South Africa, she soon discovers a baby orca stranded in the lagoon near her grandfather’s rundown seaside amusement park. She names the lonely whale Willy--and embarks on a great quest to lead the little guy back to his anxious pod before her grandfather's greedy rival turns Willy into a captive, moneymaking attraction at his slick theme park. A little girl, a little orca and big, big fun and adventure!

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The Sandlot 3 - Heading Home (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you enjoyed the Sandlot and Sandlot 2, you're sure to like Sandlot 3 - Heading Home. The original Sandlot was definitely a tough act to follow, and unless you were alive and kicking in the 1970's, younger viewers might not understand all the political references in Sandlot 2. The Sandlot 3 comes full circle and is a wonderful family movie. The characters are real and the story line is heartwarming. Get out the popcorn, gather your family together and get ready to enjoy The Sandlot 3 - Heading Home.

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Take the field with a new lineup of scrappy sandlot sluggers! Starring Luke Perry as a pampered pro athlete who rediscovers his love for the game, The Sandlot: Heading Home is a pulse-pounding and heartwarming tale about losing your ego, putting your friends first...and winning it all! Major league baseball superstar Tommy Santorelli (Perry) racks up great numbers at the plate, but his "me-first" attitude drags his team down. But Tommy gets a second chance when he's knocked unconscious by a pitch and wakes up as a 12-year-old on his childhood playing field...the sandlot! Now, with a greedy developer, Earl Needman, threatening to bulldoze the sandlot unless Tommy's ragtag friends can beat Needman's much-better team, Tommy must decide whether to put his own interests first by switching teams...or stay true to his friends by leading them to their greatest victory yet!

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Love Comes Softly (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this film on the Hallmark Channel, and TIVO'd it to watch: I have since watched it a few times and will buy the DVD when it's released! Based on a novel by Christian historical fiction writer Janette Oke, "Love Comes Softly," centers on Marty, a young woman who travels West with her husband. When tragedy strikes this newly married couple, grief-striken Marty must find a way to survive the harsh land that she is surrounded by.

For those of you worried about content: this is a family-friendly film! There is no language that I can recall, no violence, and no adult themes. There is one scene where a man accidentally walks in on a woman taking a bath (nothing is shown), some squabbling between two people, and a woman preparing a live chicken for a meal, but other than that, I could not find anything objectionable.

This is a cute and family-friendly story, that promotes the themes of morality, love, honor, courage, faith, etc.

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Based on Janette Oke's best-selling book series, and directed by Michael Landon Jr., Loves Comes Softly is inspired story-telling for the whole family. Marty and Aaron Claridge (Katherine Heigl and Oliver Macready) travel west in search of new opportunity. But when tragedy strikes and Marty is suddenly widowed, the young woman must face the rugged terrain, bleak weather, and life among strangers-alone. That is until a handsome widower named Clark Davis ( Dale Midkiff) suggests a platonic "marriage of convenience" until Marty can return home. As the months pass, through, Marty and Clark discover an unexpected new love where there was once only loss.

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3 Ninjas Trilogy (3 Ninjas Kick Back / High Noon at Mega Mountain / Knuckle Up) Review

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(More customer reviews)This box set is in fact NOT the official 3 Ninjas Trilogy. The official order of the trilogy is as follows; 3 Ninjas (1992), 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (shot back to back with the first movie also in 1992 but not released until 1995), and 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994). This advertised box set includes the three sequels but not the original 3 Ninjas film. Read my separate reviews for each 3 Ninjas movie for more information. I hope this is helpful.

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3 NINJAS TRILOGY 3 DISC SET - DVD Movie

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Make the Yuletide Gay (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The college dorm's resident "out and proud" gay couple, Olaf ("Gunn") and Nathan, are going home to spend Christmas with their respective families, and those families couldn't be more different. Whereas "trust fund baby" Nathan's parents are rather cold, status-seeking yuppies, Olaf's parents are a couple of former hippies who start decorating their home for the holidays months before. When Nathan's parents stand him up to go on a holiday cruise, he decides to surprise Olaf by joining him at his parents, only to find out that his parents have no clue that he is gay. Nathan immediately tries to "butch it up" a bit, but is disappointed and hurt that Olaf is unable - more like unwilling - to introduce him as his boyfriend.
A sweet and engaging, though somewhat corny, story about honesty, self-acceptance and - ultimately - the meaning of love. Newcomer Keith Jordan does a first-rate job as the emotionally conflicted Olaf, and is surrounded by an excellent cast of veteran character actors, including Derek Long ("3-Day Weekend" and several other gay films) as Olaf's stoner dad, actress/voiceover artist Kelly Keaton as his jolly mother, Hallee Hirsh (who played Dr. Greene's daughter on "ER") as Olaf's supposed girlfriend Abby, Alison Arngrin (best know as Nellie Olsen on "Little House on the Prairie") as Abby's mom, Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher on "Star Trek: TNG") as Nathan's mom, and Adamo Ruggiero (Marco for five seasons on "Degrassi: The Next Generation") as Nathan. The direction and technical aspects seem flawless, and there are even a half dozen or so original songs on the soundtrack. DVD isn't rated, but would likely be PG; definitely a film you could (and should) share with your parents and younger siblings. Popular at several gay film festivals, and in a limited theatrical run, this just might become a timeless gay holiday classic. Watch out for the mistletoe over the doorway, and I give "Yuletide" a full five stars out of five.

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A whimsical gay romance with a heart of gold, Make the Yuletide Gay follows a young gay couple Nathan and Gunn as they face their first Christmas apart. Sweet-natured Gunn (Keith Jordan) has to go right back in the closet to survive the holidays with his wacky Wisconsin parents, and cutie-pie Nathan (Adamo Ruggerio, Degrassi: The Next Generation ) is preparing to spend another Christmas with his cold-hearted parents. When Nathan surprises everyone by turning up on Gunn s doorstep, the couple is hilariously forced to juggle a hetero charade with their gay reality. With its bright, witty dialogue and handsome cast, Yuletide is one holiday treat you ll want to savor many times over.

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Sky High (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Sky High" is one of those rare films these days that combines humor, action, and a solid plot that holds the attention of not just young kids and pre-teens, but older teens and parents as well. It stars Michael Angarano as Will Stronghold, son of the two greatest superheroes ever, the Commander and Jetstream. There are some pretty hefty expectations placed on the boy, not to mention the typical problems of teens like falling in and out of love, bullies, wanting to fit in and.....flame-throwing arch-enemies.
In all, Angarano does a solid job as Will. His parents are played with flair and wit by Kurt Russell and the beautiful Kelly Preston. Russell is an egotistical jerk, but in a superhero-type way. Preston is an all-around good mother, who loves her son even if he can't save the world if need be. Steven Strait plays Warren Peace, Will's arch-enemy and probably one of the best performers in the flick. Danielle Panabaker throws in a solid performance as the plant-loving Layla. The "sidekicks" that Will hangs out with also do a great job. They provide the majority of the humor in the film, especially Zack, whose power is glowing. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays the girl of Will's dreams.
A few surprise appearances in the film are Lynda Carter as Principal Powers, Bruce Campbell as the school's gym coach, Boomer, and Cloris Leachman as the school nurse. Former Kids In The Hall Dave Foley(Mr. Boy) and Kevin McDonald(Medula) turn in some light-hearted and rather funny performances as well. They make the film for the older crowd, especially Foley, who was once a sidekick and now teaches the school's future sidekicks.
Overall, the special effects are a little sketchy at times, but they are done in a light way that makes the audience very forgiving. The story moves along at a swift pace and my four year-old never grew restless. She loved watching the superheroes on the screen.
I'll admit that I picked up on who were the heroes and who were the villains rather quickly. Also, the story as a whole was rather predictable. However, since most superhero flicks these days aren't that kid-friendly, "Sky High" is more than deserving of the four stars I'm giving it. There is some violence, but no deaths. Also, the violence is done with some iffy effects, so younger viewers should be able to distinguish that the onscreen action isn't real. Language wasn't a factor in this film. In fact, I don't think there was any swearing in the film.
In short, if you want to take your entire family to a movie and bet that they will all enjoy it, "Sky High" is the ticket. It has plenty of laughs and action for the youngsters and the oldsters. Recommended to families with children of all ages. It's one of the few films you can bring the whole family to this summer without someone getting bored.

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A super adventure of heroic proportions, this crowd-pleasing hit from Walt Disney Pictures stars Hollywood favorites Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston! The son of legendary heroes Commander (Russell) and Jetstream (Preston), young Will Stronghold carries huge expectations as he enters a high-tech high school known for molding the heroes of tomorrow. With no apparent superpowers of his own, however, Will seems destined to grow up a mere sidekick. But as he discovers his true strengths, he'll also learn that it takes loyalty and teamwork to truly become a hero!

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (DVD + Digital Copy) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" marks the third CG animated film for 20th Century Fox via Fox's CGI division Blue Sky Studios and the third "Ice Age" film directed by Carlos Saldanha (also directed "Robots" and "Gone Nutty"). The film is co-directed by Mike Thurmeier ("Horton Hears a Who", "Robots", "Gone Nutty") and a story by Jason Carter Eaton and a screenplay by Pete Ackerman, Michael Berg (both worked on previous "Ice Age" films), Yoni Brenner and Mike Reiss ("The Simpsons", The Critic", "It's Garry Shandling's Show"). Music is composed by John Powell ("X-Men: The Last Stand", "United 93", "Kung Fu Panda").
Back in 2002, the original "Ice Age" film focused on the friendship between creatures Manny the woolly mammoth (voice over by Ray Romano, "Everybody Loves Raymond"), Sid the weird looking, not-so-bright and clumsy ground sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo, "ER", "Miracle at St. Anna", "Titan A.E.") and the saber-toothed tiger (aka smilodon) named Diego (voiced by Denis Leary, "Rescue Me"). Also, seen outside of the main core of the group is side-story featuring a squirrel known as Scrat who has a passion towards acorns.
With the first film focusing on the migration to avoid the Ice Age and the main character's friendship, the second film "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (2006) features the melting of the ice and focuses on Manny finding another woolly mammoth named Ellie (voice by Queen Latifah, "Mad Money", "Chicago").
This time around for the third film "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs", Ellie is now pregnant and is soon to give birth. Being the worried and concerned father, Manny is highly anticipating the birth of his child and each kick, he often accidentally tells the whole herd that Ellie is about to give birth.
Meanwhile, his friends are not in a better place. Diego is getting older and feels that he is not the agile fighter as he once was as he now gets dizzy and can't even chase after his prey like he once used to. So, Diego feels as if he has to leave home. Sid feels alone now that his best friend has other responsibilities. As for the nutty squirrel known as Scrat, upon discovering his beloved acorn, he becomes smitten with a female squirrel named Scratte who is also passionate for the acorn.
Manny creates a playground for his upcoming child and surprises Ellie with it. Meanwhile, Sid feeling that he has no one ends up falling through a hole and discovering three eggs. Wanting to be a parent himself, he brings the three eggs to the village. Because of the size, Manny tells Sid to return the eggs back to its mother but Sid of course has other plans. Not wanting to be alone, he ends up sleeping with the eggs and when hatched, three baby Tyrannosaurus Rex's come out and Sid becomes the designated "mother" for the three which he names Eggbert, Shelly and Yoko.
Excited about being a parent, he tries to introduce to his new children to his friends but instead brings the three to Manny's playground (which was supposed to be for Manny and Ellie's child). The kids of the village then join in on the fun and because of the Tyrannosaurus Rex's nature, they begin to roughhouse the children and end up swallowing a few of them. Also, in the process...the three young dinosaurs end up destroying the playground.
Manny and Ellie arrive to find the destruction and Manny is upset that Sid didn't listen to him and now the playground he built is destroyed. To make things worse, the true mother of the three baby Tyrannosaurus Rex now wants her children back and leads the huge dinosaur right into their village.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex ends up getting her children back but with Sid not willing to give up the children, he is taken as well by the dinosaur.
Now Manny, Ellie, Diego along with the two weasels Crash (voiced by Seann William Scott, "American Pie" films) and Eddie (Josh Peck, "Drake & Josh", "The Wackness") end up going after the dinosaur to find Sid and find themselves away from the ice and into a new land where there is no snow and dinosaurs exist. Not knowing how to survive around the dangerous dinosaurs, they run into a one-eyed weasel named Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg, "Hot Fuzz", "Sean of the Dead", "Star Trek") who knows his way around the area.
So, the group try to survive the dangerous dinosaurs, tough terrain but most importantly trying to be careful for the nastiest dinosaur of them all...Rudy.
"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" on Blu-ray comes with three discs. The original Blu-ray is accompanied with the movie on DVD and also a digital copy.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" looks absolutely gorgeous on Blu-ray. Presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1, AVC@36 MBPS), I'm always impressed to see how hair/fur continues to look better and better via CG and the sheer detail found in each character and its surroundings are much more evident now than ever. In fact, this is probably the most vibrant "Ice Age" film due to the fact that the film is taken outside of its ice habitat and into the land of the dinosaurs where there is a lot of lush plant life, sunlight, etc. Overall, CG animated fans will love the picture quality of this film. Sky Blue Studios did a fantastic job!
As for the audio, the film is presented in English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (also, Spanish, French and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital) and as fantastic as the picture quality was, the audio quality is just as magnificent. Talk about an immersive soundtrack, dinosaur growls all around you and how its utilized through the surround and rear surround channels are nicely done. Front and center channels feature the dialogue and the music which are crystal clear. Also, good use of LFE during the action sequences.
Both video and audio quality for "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur" receive high marks! Fans of the film will definitely enjoy this Blu-ray release.
As for subtitles, subtitles are provided in English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese and Mandarin.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" comes with the following special features:
* Audio commentary - A commentary featuring Director Carlos Saldanha, co-director Michael Thurmeier, producer Lori Forte, John C. Donkin and many more from the Bly Sky Studios crew. Entertaining commentary with some interesting tidbits of behind-the-scenes making of the film.
* Ice Age Storybook Maker - Using your remote, you can create a storybook for ages 1-5 (Bronze Age), 6-11 (Stone Age) and 12 and up (Ice Age).
* Evolution Expedition Featurette - (18:24) A tour through the George C. Page Museum at the Los Angeles LA Brea Discovery featuring Trevor Valle, Assistant Lab Supervisor. Introduction to the predators at the zoo and how they relate to the characters in the film.
* Buck: From Easel To Weasel Featurette - (7:12) The creation of Buck and how his character became to be. And the various designs to create his character and more.
* Unearthing the Lost World Featurette - (8:39) Behind-the-Scenes of "Ice Age". Interviews with cast and crew for "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs". The sketches, the character designs, 3D animation, the voice acting and more.
* Unfinished Deleted Scenes - (4:33) Featuring unfinished deleted scenes for "Mission" and "Headbutters". Although, the voice acting is heard, these are unfinished and are still in their B&W sketched out format with some animation.
* "Walk the Dinosaur" Music Video - (1:32) A short music video clip of the characters performing to the song "Walk the Dinosaur".
* Fox Movie Channel presents Making a Scene (Ice Age: The Meltdown) - (9:20) Behind-the-scenes on the making of "Ice Age: The Meltdown" featuring interviews with the crew.
* Fox Movie Channel presents In Character with John Leguizamo - (2:48) Interview with John Leguizamo about doing the voice of Sid the Sloth.
* Fox Movie Channel presents In Character with Ray Romano - (3:22) Interview with Ray Romano about doing the voice of Manny the Mammoth.
* Fox Movie Channel presents In Character with Queen Latifah - (3:06) Interview with Queen Latifah about doing the voice of Ellie the Mammoth.
* BD LIVE - Live Lookup as powered by iMDb - (5:24) Scenes from "The Third Man" left untranslated to show Holly Martin's confusion of the surroundings of postwar Vienna.
* The Scrat Pack - (2:22) Included are the following shorts: "Gone Nutty: Scrat's Missing Adventure" (4:44) and "No Time For Nuts" (6:50). Both shorts are CG animated.
* Scrat Featurettes
- The Sabre-Toothed Squirrel: Nature's Nutty Buddy (1:46) - A parody of nature films feat. Scrat.
- Scrat: From Head to Toe (Drawing Tutorial) (8:22) - Peter De Seve teaches you how to draw Scrat
- Scrat: Breaking Story -(1:50) A film-like featurette showing scientists discovering a million year old Ice Age animal known as Scrat.
- Scrat: News Report (2:28) - A continuation of the "Breaking Story" and featuring a news cast interview with the scientists about their discovery of Scrat and more.
- Falling For Scratte (8:29) - Crew talk about Scrat and why people love the character and why the creator's created Scratte.
DVD:
The accompanying DVD comes with the filmmaker's commentary featuring Director Carlos Saldanha, co-director Michael Thurmeier, producer Lori Forte, John C. Donkin and many more from the Bly Sky Studios crew. Entertaining commentary with some interesting tidbits of behind-the-scenes making of the film, trailers and a Marley meets Puppy Chow commercial.
JUDGMENT CALL:
I was actually quite pleased with "Ice Age: Dawn of...Read more›

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ICE AGE 3:DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS - Blu-Ray Movie

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Pokemon the First Movie - Mewtwo vs. Mew (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)My review is purely from a parent's perspective:
I have twoboys, 9 and almost 11. They love Pokemon. They loved Ninja Turtles,Power Rangers, Star Wars, etc. so you know they are prone to being led by commercialism. Pokemon encourages nurturing, caring, and ideals like honesty, acceptance, and forgiveness. The good trainers protect and care for Pokemon. The bad guys exploit them and put their own selfish motives ahead of the Pokemon. The middle-can-be-turned-around characters learn from their mistakes and are forgiven by the main characters. Even Jessie and James occasionally show remorse and are treated with compassion.
Do Pokemon battle? Yes. Unlike Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and Star Wars, however, a Pokemon doesn't have to be hurt or killed to be defeated. Their weapons are inner strengths that they are born with. And no trainer worth his salt lets his Pokemon get injured. It's not hard to take the lessons from Pokemon and apply them to the reality of the child.
It's like Beanie Babies -- I know they're making a fortune leading our kids around by the nose. But it's relatively benign and I watch every video with them to make sure nothing changes. On a long trip in the truck, I let them play the two CD's -- the music is actually very enjoyable for me (and I'm 46!) and contains no bad language.
And I liked Pikachu's Vacation film much better than the actual Pokemon movie... but my boys loved both!

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The adventure explodes into action with the debut of Mewtwo, a bio-engineered Pokemon created from the DNA of Mew, the rarest of all Pokemon. Determined to prove its superiority, Mewtwo lures Ash, Pikachu and others into a Pokemon match like none before. Mewtwo vs. Mew. Super-clones vs. Pokemon. It's the ultimate showdown ... with the very future of the world at stake! Also, includes the mini-movie Pikachu's Vacation and never-before-seen bonus footage!DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by M. Haigney & N. GrossfeldFeaturette:"Pikachu's Vacation" - 19:00 with chaptersMusic Video:"Don't Say You Love Me" by M2M (3:42)Other:Preview of "Pokemon: The Second Movie" (1:00) "Mewtwo's Origin" (2:17)

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