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Disney’s New Beauty and the Beast is Visually Breathtaking But Feels Forced (Review) #BeOurGuest

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I attended an advance screening of Disney’s new Beauty and the Beast with my 9-year-old. The movie was breathtaking; you don’t want to miss a moment! With impressive, over-the-top visuals consuming the film from beginning to end, it’s an outing worth it just for the chills you’ll feel throughout.

The movie dependably tells the tale as old as time that many of us parents remember seeing as a kid when the animated classic came out in 1991. In fact, it felt like the movie was speaking more to me than my daughter – as every familiar song and scene seemed amped up to say “You know this part, so we’re going to max out the effects and throw in a few twists and surprises.”

But the movie lacked the silly playfulness that my daughter liked in the animated original. Basically, it was Beauty and the Beast, but for grown-ups. [Read more…]

MONSTER TRUCKS Movie Personalized Book Giveaway

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I still am thinking about how much my family and I enjoyed the new movie in theaters – MONSTER TRUCKS. It captivated all of us, including my daughter. It was different yet full of action and great special effects. If you haven’t seen it yet with the kids, I suggest you do, especially if you have a little truck lover! [Read more…]

Monster Trucks Movie Review, Clips & Free Activity Sheets

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My family and I got to see the new Monster Trucks movie last week…it’s in theatres on Friday, January 13th and we all recommend it!

Monster Trucks is about a high school senior named Tripp who builds a Monster Truck from parts of scrapped cars. After an accident at a nearby oil-drilling site, Tripp  meets a strange but intelligent creature who becomes his new ally and friend.

Though the story is more fantasy than reality, our whole family enjoyed it for the great special effects and action. It has something for everyone and for the odd story that it was (a teenager uses a bizarre, squid-like creature as an engine for his truck?), it was actually better than I expected. To enjoy it, you have to go along for the ride (no pun intended). [Read more…]

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a Visual Spectacle (My Review!)

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“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is the first-ever Star Wars standalone film, and it hits theaters this Friday, December 16th!

I attended an early screening of the movie this week, and I think all ages will enjoy this film. I call it “Star Wars 3.5” for two reasons – because not only do we give it 3.5 out of 4 stars, but additionally, in the sequence of Star Wars movies, it fits in right between episodes 3 and 4.

Kids and Teens!

Hey, kids and teens, this movie has a ton of action and excitement like the other Star Wars movies you love. It’s a little more serious than most of the others (like last year’s quirkier “The Force Awakens”), but has plenty of scenes that will wow you and make you laugh.

READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW AT TWINCITIESKIDSCLUB.COM!

 

Like STAR WARS on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StarWarsMovies

Follow STAR WARS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/starwars

Follow STAR WARS on Instagram: http://instagram.com/StarWarsMovies

Follow STAR WARS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/starwars

Visit the official ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY website: http://www.starwars.com/films/rogue-one

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY arrives in theaters everywhere this Friday, December 16th in 3D, Real D 3D and IMAX 3D!

Disney’s MOANA is Adventurous & Heartwarming

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Moana. It’s the new Disney animated hit of the season in theatres now, and my kids’ new favorite movie. Last week my kids and I went to an advanced screening and since then, my kids have been talking about it constantly (and of course, asking for Moana toys for Christmas!).

Here’s the synopsis:

Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity. 

Moana is about family, strength, and like many movies lately, GIRL POWER. It’s heartwarming and exciting, with some cute, funny moments. Our favorite character was HeiHei, a not-so-intelligent rooster who ends up joining Moana on her journey.   [Read more…]

The Magic is Back – Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

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Yesterday I had the indescribable, humbling experience of sitting in a quiet theater to see a special advance screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 3 days before its release. I sat with fellow media personalities and representatives – from newspaper reporters and journalists to familiar faces we all know from TV and radio (like Jason and Alexis!). We all had to agree not to post any spoilers or anything about this movie screening, plus we had to wait to post our reviews until a specific date (today for online reviews). It was hard to not go all giddy on Facebook about being one of only a handful of people to see the movie before the official release…but I controlled myself. Until now, that is.

And now I get to tell you about how awesome this movie is.

Don’t worry – you won’t get any spoilers from me. I won’t ruin the movie for you (I know some fellow die-hard Star Wars fans who won’t talk to me ever again if I did). But I will say this – Incredible. Magical. Familiar. And GIRL POWER.

I went in not knowing really anything about the movie or who was in it – other than the famous trio, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, who return as themselves, aged yet robust in their original character roles.

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Of the six previous Star Wars movies, my favorites, like for many, are the original three…episodes 4, 5 & 6, which now lead us into the new Star Wars movie, episode 7. I enjoyed when they updated the original three with the vastly improved computer technology and brought back to the big screen in the late 1990s, and I was entertained when episodes 1, 2 and 3 were released.

Continued…

Read my full review on the Twin Cities Kids Club site here!

My Review of Big Hero 6 – Disney’s New Animated Movie

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Hilarious! Way better than I expected.

That’s what I thought as my kids and I left the theater this week after a special pre-screening of Disney’s NEW animated movie, Big Hero 6.

Big Hero 6 is released in theatres today – Friday, November 7th. The action-comedy adventure takes place in a fictional, technologically-advanced city called San Fransokyo. It’s about how a 13-year-old robotics prodigy named Hero, a friendly robot named Baymax, and Hero’s closest “geek” companions become self-made superheroes to fight a villain.

I didn’t know what to expect other than great Disney animation, but I honestly was blown away by the movie. We saw it in 3-D which made it much more visually stunning and exciting. My kids were also captivated the whole length of the movie and enjoyed it more than they expected. [Read more…]

Disney Planes: Fire & Rescue 3D Movie Review

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Disney’s new movie, Planes: Fire & Rescue is now in theatres in 3D!

I was fortunate to be invited to a prescreening of the new Planes: Fire & Rescue movie in 3D this week before it was officially released. My kids and I enjoyed the movie and I’m excited to be able to finally share my review!

In “Planes: Fire & Rescue,” world-famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) returns from the first Planes movie, now facing engine damage and a new life as an aerial firefighter. [Read more…]