I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the new movie, Planes this week.
If you liked Cars and Cars 2, this flick is for you.
Planes is about a crop-duster plane named Dusty who has never been far from the farm until he decides to compete in a race around the world.
All the best and fastest planes are racing and Dusty will have to train hard and fly higher than he ever has before. Did I mention that he is afraid of heights?
Take a look at the trailer below:
Planes flies into theatres today.
If you check it out, make sure to come back and let us know what you thought!
Editor’s note: today’s blog post is brought to us by OWL Assistant Editor (and movie fan), Kendra. Enjoy!
Hey there, blog readers! As you may or may not know about me, I love animated movies. So I was pretty pumped to go see Wreck-It Ralph last week. I’m also pretty excited to tell you about it since it’s a really fun movie.
For decades, Wreck-It Ralph has been the bad guy in his arcade game, overshadowed by the good guy, Fix-It Felix. Tired of being the one that everyone hates, Ralph wants to prove that he can be a lovable hero, too. So he sets off on a game-jumping journey across the arcade.
But battling Cy-Bugs and winning a medal in Hero’s Duty may not be as easy as he hoped. After all, Ralph is used to wrecking apartment buildings, not destroying aliens. Unfamiliar with the rules of the game in Hero’s Duty, Ralph ends up creating major chaos, putting everyone in the entire arcade in danger. Now with the fate of his new friends, including Vanellope Von Schweetz from the candy-coated go-kart game, Sugar Rush, at risk, Ralph may actually get the chance to step up and save the day. But can he really be a hero? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.
Here’s a sneak peek:
And here are a few thoughts about the movie:
1. It’s funny. I laughed out loud a lot while I was watching this movie. One of the funniest scenes involves a support group meeting for video game villains, like Ralph. Bowser, Pac-Man, and a whole crew of famous bad guys are there. It’s pretty hysterical. And there are lots of other hilarious moments in the movie.
2. It’s full of video game references. And you may not get all of them. But don’t worry, the movie is still really funny. So even if you don’t know exactly who all the video game characters are (because you weren’t born in the 1980’s or 90’s when some of the games were released), you’ll still be laughing at a lot of the jokes.
3. It’s sugary sweet. Or should I say, sugary Schweetz? Vanellope Von Schweetz and the game Sugar Rush are at the heart of this super-sweet story. The bubblegum-pink, candy-coated world is seriously the sweetest place you’ve ever seen (especially in 3-D), but the unlikely friendship that develops between Ralph and Vanellope is also cute as can be.
Overall, I liked this movie loads. It’s packed not only with funny scenes, but also action and adventure. And it looks awesome! Plus, it’s got a great message about friendship and happiness that we can all learn from. Really and truly, this movie’s got something for everyone.
What do you think? Let us know if you have plans to go see Wreck-It Ralph. It hits theatres today!
OWL Assistant Editor, Kendra Brown, is back with another movie review. Let’s hear what she has to say about The Odd Life of Timothy Green!
It’s been a summer full of superheroes, aliens, prehistoric pals, and wimpy kids. And now? A boy who grows out of the ground with leaves on his legs in The Odd Life of Timothy Green!
One stormy night in Stanleyville, Cindy and Jim Green dream up what their ideal child would be like. Writing down personality traits, including honest, artistic and musical, on pieces of paper, they place them all in a box and then bury it in their garden. Later that night, after a mysterious wind blows through their backyard, the couple wake up to find a real boy named Timothy on their doorstep. One of the first things Cindy and Jim notice about Timothy are the leaves growing on his ankles. But soon, Cindy and Jim, along with the entire town of Stanleyville, start to realize that’s not the only special thing about this boy.
Here are three thoughts about this movie:
1. It’s unique. The premise of the movie is definitely different. I mean, a boy who magically sprouts from the ground with leaves growing on his legs? There are lots of little touches throughout the movie that make it unique, and even magical, like Timothy’s special friendship with a girl named Joni. One of my favourite scenes is when Cindy follows Joni to find out what she and Timothy are up to. What she discovers is pretty amazing.
2. It’s touching. Timothy and Joni’s friendship isn’t the only part of the movie that will warm your heart. In fact, there are so many touching parts of the movie that you may want to keep a tissue handy (you know I did). Some of the scenes may be a bit too sappy for some, but you’ll probably still be rooting for Timothy during one particular soccer game.
3. It may not be for you. Especially if you’re more into action, adventure, or comedy. This movie has some fun and funny moments, for sure, but it also has plenty of emotional scenes and life lessons. I think it’s a good one to go see with the family.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I just wish it had less tears and more laughs because, well, I love to laugh!
The Odd Life of Timothy Greenopens in theatres today. Do you think you and your family will go see it?
Kendra will be back on Friday to tell us about another new movie, ParaNorman, which hits theatres this weekend, so make sure you come back to read that review, too!
Imagine being as small as mouse! So small that you could scamper through the walls of your home, and explore the tiniest of spaces. For the people called “The Borrowers” in The Secret World of Arrietty, this is a reality.
When thirteen-year-old Shawn gets sick, he goes to stay with his aunt Jessica in the house his mother grew up in. That’s where he meets tiny little Arrietty. She and her family are smaller than mice. They hide from Shawn, and his family, and secretly live in the walls of Aunt Jessica’s house.
Shawn and Arrietty form a fast friendship, despite their difference in size. However, when Aunt Jessica’s housekeeper finds out about Arrietty’s family, things become dangerous for the group of petit people.
Here some observations about the movie:
1) It looks amazing!The animation is fantastic, every frame looks like a painting.
2) It sounds amazing, too! Arrietty and the other Borrowers are tiny, so when they pick up small objects, they actually sound big! Pins sound like heavy iron rods scraping across a cement floor. Pretty cool!
3) If you’re scared of heights, you will get dizzy from watching this film. There is a scene in the movie where Arrietty stands on the ledge of a kitchen buffet and looks down. The animation is so good that you really feel like you are there with her  so be warned if you’re afraid of heights!
4) There is some sad stuff. Shawn is dealing with a heart problem that is very serious. In the movie Arrietty and Shawn talk about death and being scared.
This is a beautiful film that celebrates the power of friendship. The movie opens in theatres today. If you’re looking for a great movie to see for Family Day weekend, this is it! Are you planning on seeing the movie? Leave a comment below!
Remember January and February, you guys? Remember how there were almost no movies at all released for kids in either month? Well, those times are long gone. We’re officially back into “Kid Movie Season”! Last week we talked about Rango, we’ll be talking about Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules in a couple weeks, and today we get to talk about Mars Needs Moms. I got a chance to see the new Disney flick earlier this week, and I’m here to share some thoughts.
The movie centres around Milo. He’s a pretty average kid with average problems — he doesn’t like eating his broccoli, taking out the trash… or, really, taking any orders at all. Especially not from his mom. But all that changes when Martians swoop in on a spaceship to kidnap her so that they can use her to teach robots how to raise young Martians. (Sound weird? Well, it kind of is! Also: young Martians are born right from the ground, so they don’t have moms of their own.)
Anyway, Milo sneaks onto the spaceship to get his mom back, but accomplishing that feat will be anything but easy — especially after they all take off for Mars. He’ll need a little luck and a lot of help from some new friends. But that’s all I’ll say!
Here are a few observations about the movie:
1) It’s techno-rific. Not only does this film feature tons of cool Martian gadgets (such as headset translators, handheld projectors, etc.), but it was made using motion-capture technology. You may remember this tech from such films as Polar Express and Disney’s A Christmas Carol. As I said in my review of A Christmas Carol way back when, “motion capture is the process of recording live movement and turning it into digital images. Like this.”
2) It’s not like Mars Needs Moms, the book. I’m not sure if you guys know the picture book this movie is based on, but if you do, don’t go to the theatre expecting a faithful adaptation. Pretty much everything that happens after Milo hits Mars is completely different. But, as we’ve seen with such wonderful flicks as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and How to Train Your Dragon, that’s not always a bad thing. Which brings me to…
3) It’s thrilling. That’s not really something you can say about the source material, but it’s absolutely true for the movie. Chase scenes, scenes of imminent peril, falling, flying, swinging from crazy techno-ropes… it’s all here. Note: if you have a fear of heights, maybe avoid seeing this in 3-D. (And definitely avoid seeing it in IMAX 3-D.) A lot of this movie takes place underground. Way underground.
Overall, I think this movie will satisfy fans looking for a sci-fi good time (or should I say “a sci-fine time”?). It’s got a lot of action, a few laughs, and some good messages (ie. be grateful for your parents!).
If you see this movie, come back here and let me know what you thought in the comments.
