Disney’s new live-action Dumbo is now in theatres, and my kids and I got to see an advance screening earlier this week.

Like many, I had seen the animated classic as a kid, remembering it as a sweet, magical film, especially the sad scene when Dumbo longs to be with his mother as she is locked in a train car for defending him (cue the tears!). So I was open to what the movie would be. I didn’t know whether to expect a recreation of the exact story or something different.

It was largely the same story but of course, with real-life changes. There was no talking mouse, but it’s just as kid-friendly as the original.

Directed by Tim Burton, Dumbo stars big names Danny Devito, Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, and Eva Green. Colin Farrell plays a former circus star, Holt Farrier, who returns from serving in World War 2 to his kids Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), and to the struggling circus he left, run by circus owner Max Medici. He then cares for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughing stock, until Dumbo shows that he can fly and the circus makes an incredible comeback.

Mary Poppins Returns, in theatres December 19th, starts with the song “(Underneath the) Lovely London Sky” sung by the talented Lin-Manuel Miranda, playing Jack, a lamplighter in Britain during the Great Depression. Then we are quickly introduced to the busy household of the grown-up Michael and Jane from the original 1964 Mary Poppins. Michael’s wife died a year earlier, so Jane is helping to raise the kids. Things are chaotic and unstable, and the adults are distracted by the possibility of losing the house because of some important documents that are lost. So Mary Poppins appears, played by Emily Blunt and ready to get to business attending to the kids. Spit spot!

The rest of the movie is quite the ride that bounces between reality and fantasy – as does the original – but with a lot more speed, distraction, and hyperactivity. There are so many visuals, so many effects, such busyness – it’s a fast-paced nostalgic ride on steroids.

I’m still recovering from my “high” seeing the new Mary Poppins Returns this week. I expected excitement and special effects galore, and I was certainly entertained, but I was also a bit exhausted.

First, Mary Poppins barely settles in before insisting on giving the kids a bath (can’t they get acquainted first?). But that turns out to be no bath but a fast but magical journey to an undersea world.

At another point, Mary, Jack and the kids travel to another world inside a china bowl, where Poppins and Jack do an impressive stage performance for a full audience of animated animals. This is where we hear songs with too many words like “A Cover Is Not the Book,” though the singing and dancing talents of Miranda and Blunt are quite impressive.  [Read more…]

The movie “RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET” is in theatres officially November 21! I got to see an advance screening with my kids and I honestly have to say – YOU HAVE TO SEE IT! My kids and I were laughing so hard throughout the movie. It was a fantastic mix of humor, adventure, and fun, and I especially loved how the movie portrayed how the Internet would look like if it were an actual place. It was so clever, and the jokes throughout were perfect.

Plus I have some FREE PRINTABLE COLORING PAGES AND ACTIVITY SHEETS for you! Seriously – this is the best collection of free printables I think Disney has ever come up with. Now that we’ve seen the movie, I know my kids will love these. [Read more…]