Disney's WINNIE THE POOH, now on DVD

100 Acre Wood Still Magical

Parents and grandparents of toddlers and preschoolers can rejoice in the return of that silly old bear, Winnie the Pooh. Actually, kids from 1 to 99 can enjoy this one. All of our old favorites are in the 100 Acre Wood with Pooh: Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore and, of course, Christopher Robin. Several songs are featured in the movie, including originals performed by Zooey Deschanel.

Narrated by John Cleese, the exceptionally creative movie takes place within the pages of a “Winnie the Pooh” book, which sometimes finds the characters crashing through or climbing up text. At one point the narrator notes, “He was so distracted that he didn’t notice he was walking onto the next paragraph.”

There are several adventures included in the script, which was inspired by 5 stories from author A.A. Milne’s books. One entails Owl misreading a note from Christopher Robin. Instead of telling the others that Christopher Robin will be ‘back soon,’ Owl tells the friends that he has been kidnapped by a scary creature named ‘Backson.' This misunderstanding leads to a particularly funny scene, involving Piglet as the only hope for rescuing the others from a pit. The verbal confusion would make Abbott and Costello very proud.

Disney’s hand-drawn animation is superb, the characters lovable and the music catchy. At 63 minutes, this is a perfect movie for little ones, and is a wonderful reminder for parents and grandparents to revisit or introduce children to a Winnie the Pooh book.

Special Features:

“Winnie the Pooh and His Story Too” (Blu-ray™)

Sing Along With the Movie (Blu-ray™)

Deleted Scenes (3 for DVD, 5 for Blu-ray™)

“The Ballad of Nessie” Theatrical Short (DVD and Blu-Ray™)

Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: “Pooh’s Balloon” Short (DVD and Blu-Ray™)

Bottom-line: A traditional, slower paced, fun film that should charm the socks off children and adults alike.

Written by Tyna S. Cline and Sarah Adamson © November 29, 2011

"The Incredibles" Photo Credit: Disney Studios

Disney Pixar’s “The Incredibles” now on Blu-ray™ and DVD

“The Incredibles” is an animated Disney Pixar film that has just been released on DVD and Blu-ray. It’s quality family entertainment, that’s geared toward both parents and school age children. When the film debuted in 2004 it was a huge box office hit. The storyline relates to everyone and the end result is that of exemplary family viewing.

The Incredible family is unique to say the least, as they are a family of superheroes. Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) who was once adored by millions as a superhero is now going through somewhat of a midlife crisis. People began to resent superheroes for various reasons. This caused many superheroes to go underground, with a little help from the "Superhero Relocation Program." Once in the program, a new life is offered and in return, a promise is made to never act as a superhero again.

At first, Mr. Incredible and his wife, Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter) lived happily as Bob and Helen Parr. Their children, speedy Dash (voiced by Spencer Fox); shy, shrinking Violet (voiced by Sarah Vowell); and baby Jack-Jack were distraction enough to forget about their past lives. Unfortunately, the daily office grind began to wane on Mr. Incredible. He now yearns for the old days when he and his friend, Frozone (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson), would listen to the police scanner, rush to the scene of a crime and unexpectedly ‘save the day.’ Brad Bird is the film's director and his vision has resulted in a unique animated family film that is actually cool to watch even as an adult with no kids. The action scenes and overall story make this a winner with all ages. A classic in its own right, “The Incredibles” will be around for years to come.

Special Edition "TRON: The Original Classic" on DVD/Blu-ray™,

Disney’s “TRON: The Original Classic Special Edition” (Blu-ray™, DVD, Digital Download & On-Demand)

This classic groundbreaking technological film (1982) was made before computers were standard in households. Entertaining and enjoyable to view, the film gives viewers the history of the TRON series and is a nice family edition to your DVD collection.

"TRON: Legacy" now available on DVD

Disney’s “TRON: Legacy” DVD Review

“TRON: Legacy”, rated PG, is a science fiction sequel to the 1982 film in which Jeff Bridges stars as Kevin Flynn, an arcade owner who’s abducted into the world of a computer program and forced to participate in gladiatorial type video games.

In the 2010 film, Jeff Bridges reprises his role as Kevin Flynn, 20 years in the future. He also stars as the villain Clu (an acronym for Codified Likeness Utility). Clu’s face is digitally enhanced to look like a 20 year old Jeff Bridges. He’s a more advanced incarnation of Kevin's original hacking program of the same name. He has designed Clu to act as an exact duplicate of himself within the Grid.

Garrett Helund stars as Sam Flynn, the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn and majority owner of the ENCOM Corporation. While investigating his father's disappearance, Sam is transported onto the Grid himself. The story centers on Sam who, once inside The Grid, tries to fight his way out while attempting to rescue his father.

Disney's "Tangled" on BlueRay and DVD

This Rapunzel Won’t Let You Down

“Tangled,” the revamping of the classic tale Rapunzel, is the 50th full-length animated feature to be added to the Disney’s library. It’s also the first one available on 3D Blu-ray™. With music by Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast” 1991), “Tangled” features enchanting songs and music throughout. Featuring Mandy Moore (“American Dreamz” 2005) and Zachary Levi (NBC’s “Chuck”) as the voices of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, respectively, the age old tale is given a new and delightful twist, as is so often the case with a Disney animated film.

The dashing and arrogant Flynn, who will surely be the subject of many cartoon crushes, meets his match in Rapunzel, the heroine who wields a frying pan like no other since Granny of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” The animation throughout is a treat, and there are many funny and memorable moments to behold. Even though there is “slap stick” violence (there is, after all, a frying pan), this is a truly entertaining movie that can be enjoyed by the entire family, no matter the age.

Disney's "Bambi" now on BluRay and DVD

Disney’s “Bambi” gets a Re-Vamp with Plenty of Family Videos and Games

This classic beautifully illustrated and oh so charming 1942 cartoon begins with the birth of a baby deer named Bambi. Birds are chirping, while a soft melody serenades the viewer. All the forest animals are scampering to see the “Prince of the Forest,” known as Bambi. The small deer is introduced to his new friends, a playful rabbit named Thumper and a very shy skunk named Flower. Bambi wobbles through the woods discovering new delights along the way. With the help of Friend Owl, he learns life lessons at every turn. Bambi’s mother also teaches him the way of the forest and the meadow.

This timeless story is now available for family viewing with many extra features, including games and interactive activities for the family.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse now on DVD

Total Eclipse of the Heart for Bella

I am pleased to write that “Eclipse” is both entertaining and amusing, even if you are not a die-hard fan, of which, I am not. The advantage I do have in reviewing these films is that I clearly remember what it’s like to be a doe-eyed teen girl. Twilight filmmakers are well aware of their target audience and no holds are barred in this one.

Overall, “Eclipse” has a heightened romanticized look and feel compared to its predecessors. The action sequences are also taken to another level. The actors, Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob) have enhanced their roles and give credible performances. Recently, Stewart and Pattinson have appeared in other films (The Runaways and Remember Me). Both actors gave very different renderings than their Twilight characters. Stewart is developing as a notable actor and Pattinson is not far behind. Their roles in the Twilight films are melodramatic as with the rest of the cast. That’s what makes the films endearing and comical in my view. The scripts are filled with over-the-top drama and these characters are expected to act and react with extreme emotions.

"Secretariat" Production Still Photo: Photo Credit Disney Studios

Disney’s “Secretariat” now available on DVD is The Perfect Family Film for All

“Secretariat” is the heartwarming story about an amazing racehorse and its owner, Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), who believed in the horse’s uncanny athletic abilities not only to compete, but also to win. Many of us are familiar with the race horse, Secretariat, who in 1973 won the Triple Crown in horse racing, by winning the three major races: The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness and The Belmont Stakes. This is an unusual occurrence for any horse, as the odds are highly stacked. Upon viewing the race again, I had chills as memories of that famous day returned.