Today, Disney is releasing this summer’s animated sequel Planes: Fire & Rescue on Blu-ray. A step up from the first one, this is a well intentioned film that provides harmless entertainment and even excitement for young audiences, and should prove a popular choice at home. We reviewed Planes: Fire & Rescue in theatres back on… Read More Blu-ray Release: Planes: Fire & Rescue
By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) There are many films to honour Halloween and Christmas, and now the November 2nd celebration of the Day of the Dead gets its own film in The Book of Life, a bright and vibrant piece of animation that authentically honours the Mexican tradition. The film opens with a… Read More Review: The Book of Life
Today, Disney is releasing their 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty on Blu-ray, as part of their Diamond Edition series. When Princess Aurora (Mary Costa) is cursed by the jealous Maleficent (Eleanor Audley), she is sent to live in the forest with three kind fairies, until her sixteenth birthday when it’s up to Prince Phillip (Bill… Read More Blu-ray Release: Sleeping Beauty
The Boxtrolls – An eOne Films Release http://www.theboxtrolls.com Release Date: September 26th, 2014 Rated PG for some scary scenes Running Time: 97 minutes Graham Annable (director) Anthony Stacchi (director) Irena Brignull (screenplay) Adam Pava (screenplay) Based on the novel Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow Dario Marianelli (music) Ben Kingsley as Archibald Snatcher (voice) Jared… Read More Five Views: The Boxtrolls
Today, Disney and Pixar are releasing last year’s TV special Toy Story of Terror! on Blu-ray. When the toys get stranded at a spooky roadside motel where Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) mysteriously goes missing, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Rex (Wallace Shawn) are forced to confront their fears and… Read More Blu-ray Release: Toy Story of Terror!
Planes: Fire & Rescue – A Walt Disney Pictures Release http://movies.disney.com/planes-fire-and-rescue Release Date: July 18th, 2014 Rated G for action and some peril Running time: 84 minutes Roberts Gannaway (dir.) Jeffrey M. Howard (characters) Mark Mancina (music) Dane Cook as Dusty Crophopper (voice) Ed Harris as Blade Ranger (voice) Julie Bowen as Lil’ Dipper (voice)… Read More Five Views: Planes: Fire & Rescue
Today, 20th Century Fox is releasing Rio 2 on Blu-ray & DVD. Continuing the charming adventures of Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway), this is a harmless and entertaining enough animated sequel that kids are going to love. We reviewed Rio 2 when the film was in theatres back in April, and our overall… Read More Blu-ray Release: Rio 2
Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, Mongrel Media is releasing Ernest & Celestine on all home entertainment platforms today, including iTunes. Celestine (Mackenzie Foy) is a lonely mouse living in the sewers where they fear the bears up above, and Ernest (Forest Whitaker) is a hungry bear in a town that is annoyed… Read More Digital Release: Ernest & Celestine
How To Train Your Dragon 2 – A 20th Century Fox Release https://www.howtotrainyourdragon.com Release Date: June 13th, 2014 Rated PG for some scary scenes and action Running time: 102 minutes Dean DeBlois (dir.) Dean DeBlois (writer) Based on the book series by Cressida Cowell John Powell (music) Jay Baruchel as Hiccup (voice) Cate Blanchett as… Read More Five Views: How To Train Your Dragon 2
Paramount is releasing a new edition of How To Train Your Dragon on Blu-ray today, before the sequel opens on June 13th. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is an innocent Viking who can’t bring himself to kill a dragon, much to the dismay of his father (Gerard Butler). But then he befriends Toothless, a lovable dragon who… Read More Blu-ray Release: How To Train Your Dragon
Rio 2 – A 20th Century Fox Release http://www.riomovies.com Release Date: April 11th, 2014 Rated G for cartoon action Running time: 101 minutes Carlos Saldanha (dir.) Jenny Bicks (screenplay) Yoni Brenner (screenplay) Carlos Kotkin (screenplay) John Powell (music) Jesse Eisenberg as Blu (voice) Anne Hathaway as Jewel (voice) Bruno Mars as Roberto (voice) Andy Garcia as… Read More Five Views: Rio 2
Released Dec. 3rd, 2013 Page count: 168 pages Size: 11.29″ x 9.37″ The Art of Frozen By Charles Solomon Foreword by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee Preface by John Lasseter Published by Chronicle Books Distributed by Raincoast (Canada http://www.raincoast.com/ http://www.chroniclebooks.com/ _______________________________________________ The Art of Frozen Book Review by Erin V. Under the dustjacket of The… Read More Book Review: The Art of Frozen
Released Oct. 2nd, 2013 Page count: 64 pages Size: 10″ x 7.6″ Disney’s Frozen – The Essential Guide Published by Dorling Kindersley Written by Barbara Bazaldua http://www.dk.com/ ____________________________________________ Frozen: The Essential Guide Review by Erin V. In Frozen – The Essential Guide, we get a brief introduction to all the main characters, sets, and… Read More Book Review: Frozen – The Essential Guide
Today, Disney is releasing their blockbuster hit Frozen on Blu-ray & DVD. The optimistic Anna (Kristen Bell) and her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel) grew up separated, with Elsa fearing the powers she has to create ice. But when their kingdom is cast into eternal winter, Elsa hides away on a mountain and Anna sets off… Read More Blu-ray Release: Frozen
Today, Disney is releasing The Jungle Book 2 for the first time on Blu-ray, a theatrical sequel that originally came out in 2003. When Mowgli (Haley Joel Osment) gets bored living in the “man village” with Shanti (Mae Whitman) and her family, Baloo (John Goodman) brings him back to the jungle, but Shere Khan (Tony… Read More Blu-ray Release: The Jungle Book 2
Today, Disney is releasing Winnie the Pooh: Springtime With Roo for the first time on Blu-ray. When Rabbit (Ken Sansom) gets overwhelmed and cancels Easter for Spring Cleaning Day, much to the disappointment of little Roo (Jimmy Bennet), it’s up to Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) and his friends to set things right in the… Read More Blu-ray Release: Winnie the Pooh: Springtime With Roo
Mr. Peabody & Sherman – A 20th Century Fox Release http://www.mrpeabodyandsherman.com Release Date: March 7th, 2014 Rated G for cartoon action Running time: 92 minutes Rob Minkoff (dir.) Craig Wright (screenplay) Based on the series by Jay Ward Danny Elfman (music) Ty Burrell as Mr. Peabody (voice) Max Charles as Sherman (voice) Ariel Winter as Penny… Read More Five Views: Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Last week, Wes Anderson’s animated classic Fantastic Mr. Fox was released on Blu-ray as part of the Criterion Collection. Based on the book by Roald Dahl, the 2009 film tells the story of the clever and suavely dressed Mr. Fox (George Clooney), who is facing a bit of an existential crisis while trying to outwit… Read More Criterion Release: Fantastic Mr. Fox
By John Corrado *** (out of 4) A few days before The Wind Rises premiered at TIFF, legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki announced that the film would be his last achievement as a director before retiring, which is unfortunate for a variety of reasons. This is a good film from a great filmmaker, an animated biopic with… Read More Review: The Wind Rises
Today, Disney Home Entertainment is releasing their 1967 classic The Jungle Book for the first time on Blu-ray, as part of the Diamond Edition series. Adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s classic story, the film follows Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman), a boy raised by animals who is taken under the wing of the loveable bear Baloo (Phil Harris).… Read More Blu-ray Release: The Jungle Book
The Joy of Movies 