Don’t you love it when there are movies worth going to see at your local theaters that your entire family can watch? There were a few of them lately that we enjoyed enough to add to our DVD collection… and there are a few we are anxiously awaiting.
Here’s a quick snapshot and blurb about each one – in case you haven’t heard of them yet…
PLANES; FIRE & RESCUE
Movie notes from the PR team:
PLANES; FIRE & RESCUE is a new comedy-adventure about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world-famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire-and-rescue helicopter Blade Ranger (voice of Ed Harris) and his courageous team, including spirited air tanker Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter (voice of Wes Studi), ex-military transport Cabbie (voice of Captain Dale Dye) and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.
My notes:
Planes Fire & Rescue has a super message about putting people and relationships before personal gain. I loved how the characters took big risks to stand in the gap for their friends. Not just a cute animated movie, but a lesson in loyalty and honor.
I also loved the educational aspect of the movie for fire safety and what rescue teams/vehicles do. Of course, for a homeschool mom, you can’t beat educational + entertainment.
The big kids (teens):
A little predictable (after seeing the Cars movies), but cute, none-the-less.
The little kids (5 & under):
Could not stop talking about airplanes and fire (great safety talk opportunities) for weeks. Likely to beg for it at Walmart when it comes out on video!
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
Brief synopsis from online:
Dragons and Vikings have finally made peace, but when the villainous Drago plots a massive invasion, it’s up to Hiccup (voice of Jay Baruchel) and Toothless to save the day in this sequel from DreamWorks Animation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
My notes:
I’m “the unlucky one” who hasn’t been able to see it yet. Please do not ruin it for me. I’m a total Toothless geek (if there were one animal I could ask God to make when I get to heaven, it would be THAT BLACK NIGHT-FURY – just for me). I already know a bit of the plot myself; probably a little too much to enjoy the movie as I would have before the teens got to see it. I’m counting the days until it comes out on video… or maybe the local dollar theater!
The big kids (teens):
For a sequel (of any movie), it was stellar. It lived up to the expectations of the first movie and still had character development and new surprises. It was fun to see Hiccup grow into a mature teen (especially since they relate to that time in life – with my oldest being 17). It had a very emotional aspect with a healthy heaping of plot twists, delving deeper into Hiccup’s back-story. The dragons were amazing and the movie introduced a few new species. As someone who has read the books, the movies are a completely different story line and yet, this is one case where the movies are definitely BETTER. The movie left you with a feeling of satisfaction despite tragedy – a good ending to a story where a boy becomes a man and finds his true identity. My teens highly recommend it.
The little kids (5 & under):
According to the teens, the 5 & under set might be scared of the creepy villain in the show, but parents should be able to tell how their child might react. My older set is wanting to purchase the video and watch the movie in the comfort of our own home with their little brothers (and mama is totally on board with this).
Trailer (I’m sure I’m the last to see it with 13 MILLION YouTube views):
Another set of movies coming out that we are watching for (highly anticipating)…
DOLPHIN TALES
I can’t say enough about how much I love this movie and the true stories that inspired it. These dolphins are the bees knees. The actors on this movie are some of my favorites – including Morgan Freeman, who I named my own Morgan after. The homeschool-friendly theme in the movies is another brownie-point worth mentioning.
I’m hoping to be more involved in the social media spread for this flick in the future!
This movie is for ALL AGES (another plus).
Trailer:
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What do you think? Have you been anticipating these new films, too?
Have you seen the ones I listed above?
I just love a good clean flick with my organic popcorn.
We have been “voting” with our very limited dollars, so our attendance at the movie theatre has been limited due to content and income. We love all things Godzilla. But for more cerebral fare, we thought God is Not Dead was pretty good, we were impressed with Alone But Not Alone (produced by homeschoolers) and we loved Guardians of the Galaxy. Okay, the last one is not cerebral. I’m looking for Calvary, but it has not been released in my area yet.
We skipped How To Train Your Dragon in the theatre because of the director’s poor choices regarding a character entrusted with training children. We will catch it on Netflix later, for less $$, because we loved the first movie in the series, but not enough to support Hollywood’s gay agenda. We are greatly looking forward to The Giver this weekend!