Where The Wild Things Are

Who wouldn't want to watch this movie?

Wild Things is the swing and the miss. I attempted to watch this movie four times. Each time I got a little bit farther in… and fell asleep. Now, work had been stressful and I was exhausted, but I made it through the next cinematic adventure just fine, so what happened?

Where The Wild Things Are is one of my favorite children’s books. I’ve always loved the imaginative creatures that Max encounters and Maurice Sendak‘s breath-taking art work. So it was great to see these creatures come to life on screen… eventually.

They added a lot of angst to Max. From the book, I gathered that he was a brat. From the movie, he’s lashing out because his dad is … missing? And Mom has a new boyfriend that looks like kind of a sleeze. I get it, where are the Wild Things? Max imagines himself getting on a boat and landing in the land of the Wild Things. Finally!

The Wild Things start off promising. Smashing trees, throwing each other around… But then it’s as if Spike Jonze, the director, remembered that he’s an independent film director, so all the creatures started talking… and talking… … and talking.

I think the creatures are supposed to be personifications of Max’s psyche. They are an outward manifestation of all the issues of a child living in a broken home. It’s all very cathartic for him, but the audience languishes. When does the wild rumpus start? That’s what I’m here to see!

Breath-taking imagery just couldn't get me to sit through this one.

I enjoy great independent films. A lot of my favorites feature people sitting around talking. And, I don’t feel like you could carry a full-length feature with just smashing trees and flying around. I guess I just didn’t get who the targeted demographic should be, and that bugged me. Is this a kids’ movie? Or is it for young twenty-something independent film lovers with storytime nostalgia? I just don’t know who this movie is for!

My kid was bored and my wife and I are  just beyond being twenty-something (we’re now thirty-something), so the movie didn’t hit home for any of us. Swing-and-a-miss.

It got returned to the Redbox about half-watched after four attempts…

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Mr. Fox lacks the wonderful illustrations, but has the power of Roald Dahl's imagination behind it.

Fantastic Mr. Fox, however, sent it out of the park. Now, this film is rated PG and features characters that smoke, and, get this, ‘slang humor’. Honestly, I don’t want to spoil the fun of discovering the slang humor just by watching the film, but trust me, these animated animals are not going to say slang your kids shouldn’t hear.

I remember watching Mouse and the Motorcycle as a kid. I remember loving how the fur moved oddly (due to the animators no doubt inadvertently bumping it as they moved the characters around). It was the same wonder I would feel watching Claymation, and really watching the figures for fingerprints in the clay. It told me that someone made this! By hand!

My eyes popped out of my head watching this...

Fantastic Mr. Fox’s puppet-style stop-motion animation is a lot more cleaner and refined, but there is still that awe of knowing that these puppets were really made by someone! And they’re doing amazing things!

Add to that the direction perfection of Wes Anderson(Life Aquatic, Darjeeling Limited) and a stellar cast (George Clooney, Merryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Defoe, Owen Wilson, to name a few); and this has the makings of a great film!

Also independent, also based on a children’s book (this one written by Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach and Matilda), this one succeeds where Wild Things fell on it’s big monster face: it appeals to ALL audiences.

Lately I cringe when a movie claims to be ‘great for the whole family!’ because that generally means it’s intended for kids, made by folks who may or may not ‘get’ kids. I’ve said it before, but kids’ movies shouldn’t talk down to kids. You should be able to watch films with your kids without feeling like stabbing sharpened pencils in to your ears and gouging your eyes out with spoons. Just sayin’.

Mr. Fox is truly a film the entire family will love. I laughed at stuff my kid didn’t get, she laughed at stuff I didn’t think was all that funny. The smoking thing? It was old school Disney: only the bad guys smoke. And those bad guys are gross. No worries of the kid coming out of the movie thinking that smoking is cool.

AND something that’s been missing in a lot of movies: it’s quotable. I’ve been driving my family crazy quoting and referencing since we saw the movie. But it feels good. I don’t have to keep pulling up original Star Wars trilogy quotes, I have something new!

Any thoughts?

Since everyone saw these two before me, care to weigh in? Did I break your heart by not being able to sit through Wild Things? Was Mr. Fox the biggest turd you’ve ever seen? Let me know below…

I remember as a kid listening to Patrick Stewart narrate it from a cassette I found at the library. Of course, I saw the Disney version more times than I can count, and who can forget the use of the wolf’s theme in the holiday classic ‘A Christmas Story‘?

So I was surprised, as I went on a Netflix streaming video bender last night, that I discovered a new, unique retelling of the classic tale. Directed by Susie Templeton, this new vision of Peter and the Wolf is a stop-motion masterpiece. As you watch the film, you feel as if you are watching dolls created by a master craftsman come to life. It is easy to find yourself fully immersed within this beautiful universe.

While it remains true to the original incarnations by not utilizing any dialogue, it has some unique variations as well:

• The wolf is truly menacing, getting ahold of the duck, who does not survive. (I know, that was a spoiler, just thought I’d warn those with small children. If they are easily disturbed, you may wait until they’re a bit older.)
• The hunters are equally menacing, throwing Peter in to a garbage dumpster and threatening him with their rifle.
• The bird breaks his wing, and Peter gives him a balloon to help him fly.

I loved watching this. The ‘acting’ of the animated characters is captivating. You truly understand why Peter’s grandfather wants to keep Peter out of the forest. There is a scene with Peter and the duck ice skating on a pond that gives you the sense that you are skating along with them. It feels like the really good View-Master reels living and breathing in front of you.

This version of Peter and the Wolf won the 2008 Oscar for best animated short, and deserves all the honor that it has been given.

I leave you with a 30 second preview, and my highest possible recommendation. Enjoy!

And just for fun, here’s another vision of Peter and the Wolf by the beatboxing flutist, Greg Pattillo:

10. ‘The ORIGINAL Star Wars Trilogy‘ Help me out here and guide your kids through the Star Wars universe pre-Jar Jar Binks. Teach them that Luke didn’t see Hayden Christensen’s ghost in ‘Return of the Jedi’, but the crusty old white man that he unmasked. Please. I beg you.

9. ‘The Wizard Of Oz‘ You can’t argue with the classics, and with the newly released blu-ray and DVD, you can experience the magic again like you never have before.

8. ‘Wall-E‘ Every time I create a list of top family movies, I fight myself not to make it a list of Pixar films. Hence, the placement of ‘Wall-E’ at number 8. Wall-E is a wonderful cautionary tale told in the way that only a science fiction setting can pull off. While most animated sci-fi fall on their faces, (‘Titan A.E.’ and ‘Treasure Planet’) Wall-E delivers a gorgeously animated, solid tale.

7. ‘Labyrinth‘ At least in my home, Jim Henson’s tale of the trials of adolescence and the transition into adulthood has seen a revival with the manga series ‘Return To Labyrinth‘ from Tokyopop. Return to the film, and the whole family will tap their feet with the music and thrill to Sarah’s battle to save her baby brother from the Goblin King.

6. ‘Back To The Future‘ ‘Back To The Future’ is one of those 80′s movies that is infectious.  It is certainly dated, but kids of all ages can still get wrapped up in it. We own the entire trilogy on DVD, and I don’t know how many times I’ve caught the teenager watching it, and then act like someone else turned it on.

5. ‘Monsters, Inc.‘ ‘Monsters, Inc.’ held the top Pixar spot with me until ‘Up’ cut in line without so much as an ‘Excuse me.’ Being the father of two girls, Boo resonates with me more that a lot of animated characters. All the catastrophes she creates in the name of curiosity and fun are all too familiar. Mike Wazowski’s slapstick will keep the kids entertained, and Sulley will make you want to give him a big hug!

4. The ‘Shrek’ Trilogy The first ’Shrek’ is still, I believe, the best animated film Dreamworks has produced. It’s commentary on what Walt Disney has done to fairy tales is priceless. Sadly, by the third installment, Shrek lost a lot of his bite…

3. ‘The Princess Bride‘ OK, fine. I’m a fan of the 80′s movies. You got me. What can I say? The family movies of today, especially fantasy movies, lack a certain organic, heart-felt spark. ’The Princess Bride’ has heart in spades. It doesn’t date itself, except for that opening shot of ‘Hardball’ for the Commodore 64, that makes me chuckle every time. But you can fall in love with Wesley and Buttercup’s tale of woe and eventual triumph over and over again. ‘Anybody want a peanut?’

2. ‘The Iron Giant‘ For a long time, ‘The Iron Giant’ held the place in my heart reserved for best animated movie ever. I had often lamented the fact that Warner Bros. has so many resources at their disposal, but every blue moon when they did produce a theatrical animated film, it was crap. (I’m lookin’ at you, ‘Quest For Camelot’.) But along came ‘The Iron Giant’, and suddenly, I thought Warner Bros. was a force to be reckoned with. Sadly, box office ticket sales didn’t agree with me, and it seems that Warner Bros. has reduced it’s animation department to T.V. and direct-to-video efforts. Try to watch ‘The Iron Giant’ without tearing up as the lovable giant emulates Superman, I dare you! ‘The Iron Giant’ was directed by Brad Bird, the same director that brought us ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Ratatouille’, if that helps to entice you!

1. ‘Up‘ I’ve said before that Disney/Pixar’s ‘Up’ changed my life. That is why it made it to the #1 spot in this top adult-friendly kids’ movie countdown. ‘Up’ has all the emotional resonance that adults crave, as well as the animated action/adventure, wacky talking animals and imaginative animated scenarios that kids crave. If you watch one animated movie on repeat, make it ‘Up’.

So, while I’m not a fantastic cook, and can’t give you pointers on getting your turkey just right this Thanksgiving (I now get the pre-made kind that comes already spiced and in a bag, just stick it in the oven. They turn out great!) I can attempt to entertain you. I hope these cinematic adventures help!

I personally have had a few movie moments like that. Some of those were in animated films. But I don’t think any of them affected me quite like Disney/Pixar’s ‘Up‘.

I’ve been a Pixar fan since practically the beginning of the studio, when I saw their short ‘Luxo, Jr.‘ in a presentation called ‘Beyond the Mind’s Eye‘ on PBS. My first post on this blog was ‘Wall-E Restored My Faith In Pixar‘. Needless to say I was excited about ‘Up’, I just didn’t realize how excited I should be.

‘Up’ is a film presented in 3D. I was not fortunate enough to see the 3D version, but I was amazed at the fact that the 3D bit almost seemed like an after thought. What the creators were concerned with here was, I’m not kidding, story. In my review of ‘Wall-E’ I marveled at how much story Pixar could convey with no dialogue. ‘Up’ has many moments where it is the faces of the characters, a clever camera angle, the music, that moves the story. And the story is very adult.

Stop right there!

Let me clarify something that has bothered me my entire life: the definition of ‘adult’ in animation. Here in the U.S., animation is seen as kid’s stuff. People that enjoy animation act like it’s because they’re still carefree. Like they’re more in tune with their inner child. But animated films can and should be for adults as well. This is something that I believe Pixar has flirted with and finally mastered with ‘Up’.

The film deals with a widower who, through life’s many complications, was not able to fulfill his beloved wife’s greatest dream. After her death he decides it’s time to honor her memory and her dream.

As heavy as that sounds, this film is hilarious. It has just the right mix of humor and seriousness, action and moments of serenity, to make you feel that you are living this life along with the characters.

This movie changed my life. It opened my eyes to parts of my life I’m not necessarily proud of. It made me realize that some of the day-to-day tasks pale in importance to those around us, especially those close to us.

Carl wasn't afraid to achieve a dream, Now, neither am I.

I feel like it’s New Year’s all over again. I’m redesigning some of those resolutions. Chief among them to make every effort I can to be a central part of my family’s lives. I will cherish them every moment I have them. I will do everything in my power to make sure that they do not take a back seat to blogging, or career, or any other interest that will crop up.

I’ve had a re-awakening. And a silly ‘kids’ movie’ is responsible.

I highly recommend ‘Up’. Even if it doesn’t give you a great spiritual renewal, I’ll dare you to find something not to like!

The Once and Future Face of Trek!

At the time of starting this writing, I have been out of the sneak peek showing of Star Trek for about, oh, forty minutes or so. The film officially opens Friday. If I may offer a piece of advice. Go. Now! Or should I say, boldly go! If you are not a Trek fan, you will love this film. If you are a lifetime Trek fan who bleeds green, you will not be disappointed. Before I go on to spoil the whole thing, let me reverse heading and try to make this captain’s log pertain to the subject at hand:

Check out the other guys who participate in Fatherhood Friday at dad-blogs.com!

I will now take a cue from Apok, who’s post on Dad Blogs, ‘TV Hates All Dads‘ has inspired me to highlight MY favorite TV father, who happens to also be my favorite Star Trek captain: Commander (and later Captain) Benjamin Sisko of the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine.

Commander Sisko took command of a space station that had been previously a Cardassian outpost in Bajoran space. The Bajorans had just overthrown their Cardassian overlords and the new provisional government invited the Federation in to help keep the peace with their still fuming Cardassian neighbors. The Bajorans appointed Kira Nerys as the first officer on DS9 under Sisko’s command. Nerys had been a freedom fighter during Cardassian rule, and didn’t take too kindly to the Federation’s presence in the government of the planet she had fought so hard to free. Naturally, Sisko and Nerys didn’t get along too well at first. Add to that the fact that the Cardassians ransacked the station on their way out, rendering nearly all systems useless, and you begin to see the challenges the young Commander Sisko faced at his new post.

Gul Dukat: one of the main Cardassians that gave Sisko a hard time...

On top of all of that, Sisko had another challenge. Sisko dealt with something no other Star Trek captain we had seen thus far on television had: a son, Jake.

Between handling Quark’s shenanigans and dealing with Cardassians. When the Founders started making their presence felt and the Dominion War was in full swing, Benjamin Sisko always made time for his son.

In that dreary space station where they virtually had to build a society from the ground up, Sisko made sure that Jake had everything, including attention, that he could possibly need.

When Jake was stubborn, Sisko was firm. When Jake got in to trouble, Sisko would bail him out, if that was the appropriate action. Sisko could be Jake’s friend, but he could also be a mentor and disciplinarian. Sisko and Jake had a relationship that I make every effort each day to achieve with my own kids.

Don’t worry, I know what I sound like. Yes I am a nerd, and yes I am saying that one of my role models is a fictional character who lives in space and hangs out with a chick that has a slug in her belly. I understand your scoffs.

But.

If art imitates life, than I feel that we create art in order to tell us something about ourselves that we can’t find any other way to express. Some may disagree that a science fiction television series could possibly be considered art. With them I couldn’t disagree more. In science fiction, we can step outside ourselves and see things a little more clearly. That guy with the big ears and sharp teeth that spends his life in the pursuit of riches? On Star Trek, we’d call him a Ferengi, but I bet you know someone that fits that description. The green-blooded pointy eared guy that never smiles? We would call him a Vulcan, but I bet you’ve met someone who seems so completely out of touch, so callous, that you wonder if he has any feelings at all. The big guy with the wrinkly forehead that solves all his problems with his fists, and then brags about it? We call that a Klingon, but I bet you know someone (or are someone) just like that!

Maybe, you see these attributes or weaknesses in yourself, and seeing them played out on screen in such a dramatic, magnified manor, has made you stop and think and rebuild the type of person you truly want to be.

Ben and Jake share a father-son moment.

So, if I tell you that I model some of my parenting style after a television space station captain, you better believe I know exactly what I’m saying, and I am confident that I know what I’m doing.

I think.

Thus concludes my geeked out Fatherhood Friday post, I promise I will be as close to normal as I get next week!

The sisters relate to each other...

As a Daddy Blogger, I find myself in a unique situation: I have a 15 year old step-daughter and a two year old daughter. I feel that this gives me a different perspective. I came into Kat’s life when she was four years old, so I missed the diapers and the slow development of her language skills. I’ve watched her grow up and marveled at her dreams and the decisions that she’s made. Even though I’ve had those eleven years of being a Daddy, with Calli it feels like I’m a brand new Daddy. Now I get the diapers and laugh at the way she reasons out words. Bunnies are ‘hoppies’ for instance. Doggies are ‘goggies’. With a new baby boy on the way in August, that’ll be a whole new world, as now I’m so used to girls, what do I do?

Which brings me back to the big bad teenager. As she grows older, our tastes and opinions are starting to spread further and further apart. When kids are young, they generally like what you like, so it’s easy to relate. As they get older, they gain more opportunities to explore the world without you there. I think Kat read all the Twilight books before I knew it was such a big deal. I just watched the movie and still don’t get it.

When Kat was young, she was in to super hero comics. Powerpuff Girls ran supreme, but she also enjoyed Batman and Superman. Our tastes were similar. I discovered Ranma 1/2 and brought home the anime (Japanese animation). It was all over. Kat is still a veracious comic reader, but now it’s pretty much strictly manga (Japanese comics). I enjoy manga too, but a different ‘flavor’ than her.

Kat's taste in Manga generally looks like this...

We both still love Science Fiction (we can totally agree on ‘Firefly‘ forever!), I’m toying with the idea of driving down the mountain for Starfest this weekend, snowstorm from heck permitting, and I decided to ask Kat if she wants to go.

“That depends. Is it that science fiction that you like?”

I laughed. “The science fiction that I like? What do you mean by that?”

“Well, like, I don’t want to say Ray Bradbury, but I don’t like Ray Bradbury that much…”

You could probably hear the audible cracking of my heart…

“…but, you know, those books you like.”

I laughed again. “Well, let’s see. The guests you’ll probably care about are Brent Spiner, you know, Data on Next Gen? And…”

My taste in Manga. See what I mean?

She stopped me right there, as I predicted. “If Data’s there, I’m going!”

So I guess I can still relate a little, after all! Now if the weather can go easy on us, hopefully we’ll see Data together tomorrow!

*On a personal note, as if this post hasn’t revealed how much of a geek I am already, I have volunteered to teach a class on creating comics at my local public library. My credentials basically consist of the librarians noticed I was in there every other day checking out graphic novels with a different character on my t-shirt every time. The kids are very interested in Manga, so I’ve enlisted Kat’s help. She promised to just kick back and laugh at me. I hope she’s kidding!  I know that somehow I’ve attracted a couple of comics professionals to this blog, so any friendly advice would be greatly appreciated!

The Dragon Hunters crew look for the 'World Gobbler' as their planet crumbles around them.

It seems that it’s always on the weekend that I post about children’s entertainment. That’s probably because that’s when we generally watch movies!

Last night’s selection was ‘Dragon Hunters‘, a French computer generated feature film originally titled ‘Chasseurs De Dragons’.

Before I talk about the film itself, there is a kind of mystique around this one. (At least for me.) I picked this one up as a Wal-Mart exclusive two-pack that came with a Dragon Hunters comic book. The price tag was only $9.96 and my store only recieved ten. (I just checked, it’s not available on Wal-Mart’s website either!) I had never heard of it before, but as I’m constantly looking for DVDs that the two year old can play over and over without the grown up types pulling their hair out, I couldn’t resist the interesting cover and low price tag. What can I say, I’m a consumer!  ;)

As I watched the film, I was pleasantly surprised. ‘Dragon Hunters’ is a lot of fun! The film takes place on a world where the land masses float in the air, and many are connected by bridges. The fantastic landscapes lead you to the fantastic creatures! None of the dragons are all that typical, but unfortunately, the characters are. As with basically any fantasy story you find, this one is about an unlikely band of heroes: Zoe(Mary Matilyn Mouser)- a girl who believes that the tales of heroic knights in the fairy tales are true, Lian-Chu(voiced by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker)- the large brute who really wants to be a knight, Gwizdo(Rob Paulsen, voice of too many cartoon characters to site here, but does Yakko Warner mean anything to you?)-a regular con-man who is Lian-Chu’s friend and, um, agent? boss?, and Hector- Lian-Chu and Gwizdo’s rabbit-esque pet dragon. (For a great review of this film, see Scott Mendelson‘s review on the Huffington Post, ‘Review: Dragon Hunters(2008)’)

After watching the film, I decided to Google the thing. Apparently this movie is based on a cartoon series tha was very short-lived. At least in the United States. According to Wikipedia, it had a run of just a few weeks on Cartoon Network, and was available until June 2007 on Cartoon Network Video.

If the show was anything like the film, it’s a shame that this didn’t catch on here in the states. It’s an imaginative universe that it could be easy to lose one’s self in.

What is it about Americans? It seems that anything outside of our comfort zone we reject. The popularity of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller overseas and it’s lackluster performance here is another example of this. Good, imaginative storytelling gets thrown out the window as we clamber over eachother to see the next Saw or remake of Friday the 13th. *sigh*.

Oh well, at least this stuff is out there somewhere. You just have to look a little harder to find it. If you can find ‘Dragon Hunters’, I would highly recommend it! (Hint: you can find them at good ol’ Amazon)

I give Dragon Hunters 3 1/2 gummy bears!

Beauty and the Beast

Cover of Beauty and the Beast

There’s no getting around Disney‘s classic, so we might as well get it out of the way. I remember when Beauty and the Beast was first released, TV Guide ran an article that said something like, “A Sexy Disney Cartoon?!” While this one probably won’t get your blood pumping in that way, it’s hard not to get that flutter in your chest and a tear in your eye during the ballroom scene.

Somewhere In Time

Cover via Amazon

The reason this one makes the cut is because it’s a fun romantic tale with a sci-fi twist. There’s not as much swashbuckling action as the kids might like, but it’s a good romantic film without overblown sex or horrible language. Christopher Reeve plays a playwright who uses self-hypnosis to go back in time and find the woman he’s only ever seen in a vintage portrait that hangs in a hotel.

Don’t want to go out to rent it? You can stream it online for free at hulu.com.

The Little Mermaid

Cover via Amazon

I know, there are a lot of Disney flicks that could make this list. Honorable mentions could go to Lady and the Tramp, Hercules, and Aladdin. But not the Princess flicks where she just waits around for her stiff Prince to come around. (Sorry, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. You’re out!) I digress.

The Little Mermaid, however, does make the cut because it’s Ariel that wins Eric. Not too much of that going on in the animated world! Plus, it’s good to have that reminder as a parent that these kids are really just on loan. You can’t keep them forever, so you’ve got to treasure them while you can!

Enchanted

Cover via Amazon

I swear, last Disney entry! Guys, stick with me. This one surprised me. I can’t put my finger on it, but I like this one. Maybe it was the music by Alan Menken. (Note the other Disney flicks on the list: Yep, Menken music MAKES the film.) Maybe it was the irreverence without being too derogatory. Maybe I just miss the classic hand-drawn style that much. At any rate, Enchanted is a charming little flick that you can watch with your little princesses and not feel like jumping out of the window.

The Princess Bride

Can anyone really argue with me on this one? Really, who doesn’t like this swashbuckling tale of true love? Bet you already have this one memorized. It’s never too late to clog your kids’ brains with this stuff as well. “Anybody want a peanut?”

Wall-E

Cover via Amazon

I covered this one in a previous post, ‘Wall-E Fully Restored My Faith In Pixar’. I got so caught up with the history of Pixar in that post, that I failed to mention the love story between Wall-E and Eve. That romance is the driving force of the movie. The fact that you are sucked in to that romance with little dialogue between two robots is fantastic. Highest possible recommendation!

Note: Even though it is owned and operated by Disney, I don’t consider Pixar movies to be in the same league as typical Disney films, seeing how Pixar pushed the envelope and broke the mold of how animation is done. Not just technically, but story-wise. Pixar did away with the notion that anything animated had to be a musical. With very few exceptios, this wasn’t seen in American animation. My blog. My prerogative.

Ever After

Looks like the fairy tales are winning in the romance department! Ever After is a fun reinvention of the different incarnations of the Cinderella stories. The damsel doesn’t find herself in so much distress in this one, however! (Can you tell I enjoy a strong female character? I guess with two daughters I want them to know they can take care of themselves!) Definitely worth a look or reviewing. Whichever the case may be!

Shrek

Cover via Amazon

An animated film that’s not in any way connected to Disney! (On the business side anyway. Well, at least for now. See ‘Disney Inks Distribution Deal With DreamWorks’) There’s no denying the heart contained within the original Shrek film. With a cast consisting of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow, is there really any room for argument?

Ladyhawke

Cover of Ladyhawke

Despite the silly Andrew Powell score, this film is a classic that will have you measuring the depths of your love! Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer are two star-crossed lovers who are cursed to spend an eternity next to each other, yet far away. She turns in to a hawk during the day. He is a wolf at night. During the agonizing moments as the sun sets and rises, they glimpse each other as they transform, but can never be truly together until the curse is broken.

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

You won’t have to send the kids out of the room for this one, but they may or may not sit through it. (Oddly enough, my two year old will!) It’s my wife’s favorite version of this story, so I’m including it for her. (Happy Valentine’s Day, Babe!) She’s read the novel and sat through countless variations on film, so I’ll trust her to be an expert. Coming from a guy that finds something else to do when she puts on the BBC productions of Jane Austen’s novels, I can tell you that I did enjoy this movie. It’s a close second to Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensability as far as film versions of Jane Austen novels go.

Whew! There you have it: my two cents on what romantic films the entire family can enjoy. I’m about to burn my popcorn, so I better run. See you in cyberspace!

So on this lazy Sunday, I am introducing a semi-regular feature for the weekend: Adult-friendly Kid’s Movies. What I mean by that is these will be flicks that your kids might watch over and over, and won’t send you running out of the room screaming when they do!

The film we watched recently that I thought could qualfiy was ‘The City of Ember’.

Based on the book by Jeanne Duprau, ‘Ember’ tells the story of a post-apocalyptic human civilization who has moved themselves underground in an attempt to save the human race.

At first blush, this seems like a fairly typical, watered-down-for-kids science fiction adventure, but there’s something else below the surface. Bill Murray’s somewhat bumbling and clueless Mayor character is funny and seeing these people have become complacent with the way they live when surely something could be better is a commentary on today’s political attitude among many Americans.

I felt this movie was a little slow, but once it got going it was fun and, more importantly, well-recieved by the kiddos!

I’d say this movie deserves a rating of 3 out of 5 gummi bears.

‘Wanted’ has all the cool looking CGI action we’ve come to expect in this post-Matrix cinematic world. The plot isn’t terribly unique. James McAvoy’s character is a meek mild-mannered accountant who discovers that he’s inherited extraordinary gifts from the father he never knew. Pretty typical.

Where this movie excels, however is in the telling of the story. We find out that the main character is a nobody when he Google‘s himself and sees ‘no results found.’ That really gave me a giggle, and is just one example of how this unoriginal story is told in a creative way.

It’s getting increasingly difficult to find substance in films like this, but ‘Wanted’ delivers!

Make it a point to see ‘Wanted’. It’s well worth your time!