Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

by Al Kessel
Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Alexander. All Alexander wanted was good day. You see, while his brother, sister, mother and father all enjoyed wonderful, successful and awesome days, young Alexander suffered from the curse of 'grumpy, bad days', well, most days. So, one day, on his birthday in fact, he made a secret wish...for his family to truly understand how he feels...how truly bad days and just make ya', Mr. Grumpy pants! And you know what? His special, magical wish was GRANTED! Only, a little too well, for you see, Alexander's family suffered the wrath of the TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY!!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is, without a doubt, one of the best live action Disney films we've seen in a long time. Back in October, 2014, we were honored to get an advanced screening of this fun family film (try saying THAT fast three times!), and when we were asked to write a review on the Blu-Ray/DVD release, we jumped at the chance! 

Based on the best selling 1972 children's book by Judith

The Original Bad Day

Viorst (who actually wrote the book about her own son), the movie of course varies a bit in the plot, but the basic premise remains. The story follows the exploits of Alexander as he experiences THE most terrible, horrible day of his young life (you know, his rival at school is having HIS birthday party on the same day as our hero - only a much BIGGER party; his friend decides to photo-shop Alexander's head on a bikini clad super model; oh, and he almost burns down the science classroom at school, that sort of day), and

Burning It Up In Science!

begins to wonder if bad things only happen to HIM. Because, his entire family seem to be having GREAT luck! Then, in the very early moments of his birthday, he decides to treat himself to a celebration cupcake, and a wish. A very special wish that he makes while everyone else is sleeping - for his whole family to have a bad day, just like him. And the next morning he realizes that sometimes, wishes DO come true as he witnesses his dad, his mom, his big brother and sister, and even his baby brother, all have the most terrible, horrible....well, you get the picture!

Steve Carell and Friend

With an all-star cast including Steve Carell (from T.V's The Office) as Ben Cooper, Jennifer Garner (from The Odd Life Of Timothy Green) as Kelly Cooper, Dylan Minnette (from Prisoners and T.V.s Lost) as Anthony Cooper, Kerris Dorsey (from Showtime's Ray Donovan) as Emily Cooper and Bella Thorne as Celia, Anthony's love interest, and of course, Australian actor Ed Oxenbould (from Paper Planes) as Alexander Cooper, this film has everything to make for an incredibly fun adventure! And if that's not enough, a lot of Australian Outback Party fun (including a crocodile, kangaroo and 'The Thunder From Down Under')! 

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is certainly a movie for the entire family. Disney's heartwarming comedy will have your entire family laughing out loud, repeatedly! 

Bonus Features Include:

(Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, Blu-Ray)

• Alexander...In Real Life
• Snappy Crocs & Punch Roos: The Australian Outback Party
• Walkabout: A Video Diary
• And the Delightful, Magnificent, Very Good Bloopers
• 'Hurricane' by the Vamps - Music Video

(DVD)

• Snappy Crocs & Punch Roos: The Australian Outback Party
• 'Hurricane' by the Vamps - Music Video

Rated PG for some minor violence and situations, running time approximately 81 minutes. 

We HIGHLY recommend seeing Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as soon as you can. In typical Disney fashion, this film really is a 'feel good movie' that you can share with everyone. On our scale of 1-5 Mickey's, we give Alexander a 5! Yep, it's THAT good. Really. It is. 

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY....MATE!

CRIKEY!! Today is Australia Day! And, in honor of this special day, and the February 10, 2015 release of Disney's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day on Blu-Ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere, we thought we'd share some Fun Facts about Alexander's favorite country:

• Australia is home to some of the world's deadliest animals - make sure to keep them locked up when they're visiting your home to avoid surprises!

• Male kangaroos are called boomers and can jump up to 25 feet in a single leap, making them hard to catch when they're loose in the neighborhood!

• Don't pick a fight with a kangaroo - one kick could send you across the yard!

• A didgeridoo is a native instrument and a great way to wake up your siblings!!!

About Disney's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day:

Disney’s heartwarming comedy will have your entire family laughing out loud. Based on the best-selling book, it follows the exploits of Alexander as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life and wonders if bad things only happen to him.  But he discovers he’s not alone when his dad (Steve Carell), mom (Jennifer Garner) and family live through their own terrible – and hilarious – day. It will tickle everyone’s funny bone, and warm their hearts as they discover how even on rotten days, families can grow closer. Starring Steve Carell (TV's The Office), Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life Of Timothy Green), Bella Thorne (Blended), Kerris Dorsey (Showtime's Ray Donovan) and Ed Oxenbould (Paper Planes) as Alexander. 

Bonus Features:

• Alexander...In Real Life
• Snappy Crocs & Punch Roos: The Australian Outback Party
• Walkabout: A Video Diary
• And the Delightful, Magnificent, Very Good Bloopers
• Music Video - 'Hurricane' by the Vamps

Disney's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is rated PG and will be available everywhere on February 10, 2015! We went to the special pre-screening of this movie and believe us...it's an AWESOME movie! Be sure to pick up your copy as soon as it becomes available. You WON'T regret it!

G'Day Mates!

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green...

Disney's The Odd Life Of Timothy Green

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green has landed!

In 2010, Joyce and I attended the Disney D23 Expo at Disneyland. Probably the most popular panel was one that highlighted the many films Disney, Disney/Pixar and Marvel would be releasing in the months and years to come. One of these films was a live action family film by Disney starring Jennifer Gardner, Joel Edgerton and CJ Adams, called The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. We weren't shown many clips, but what we did see interested us a great deal, and at the time, we were very excited to see this film. As life would have it, when the movie was released in theaters, we didn't make it. 

But on December 4, 2012, Disney released The Odd Life Of Timothy Green on Blu-Ray and DVD, and we finally got a chance to see it. And we were not let down in the least. 

Of course by now, you all know that we're not about spoilers here. We firmly believe that YOU should be able to experience movies on your own, and really just want to give you OUR take on it. So, with that in mind....

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is really a story about what happens when life throws you a huge curve ball and sends you down a vastly different path than the one you imagined yourself taking. How would you react? That's the question facing Jim and Cindy Green, a very happily married couple who want nothing more than to have a family to share their incredible love with. Unfortunately, after many unsuccessful months of trying, they're given the terrible news that they will never have children. So they decide to take all the traits they envisioned for their child and bury them (literally), their way of dealing with their grief, and moving on. Then, one "stormy" night, something incredibly amazing happens: Timothy shows up on their doorstep. And the adventure begins!

Cindy, Timothy and Jim Green

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is a film that really touches the heart, on many levels. At it's core it's a family film, and by that I mean it's something that speaks to all of us. On some level we can all identify with the Greens, if not their exact situation, with something we each call our own. There of course is a definite message in this movie, as  you would expect from a Disney production. When things look darkest, that's when we should be at our best. Life deals many cards to us during our time on this planet. Sometimes we're dealt all aces, but most of the time, the hand we're dealt, well, stinks. But it's HOW we deal with that twist of fate that speaks volumes about us. That's what the Greens discover, with the help of Timothy. 

Calling any film "heartwarming", or "uplifting" is really kind of cliche but in all honesty, The Odd Life Of Timothy Green IS all of those touching cliches! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, more in fact than I thought I would. Oh, I knew I would like it, from the clips we saw, and how Jennifer Gardner spoke about it at the Expo. But I didn't expect to have this film leave me with the feeling that I COULD in fact watch it over and over. It's certainly a must have in the Disney library for sure. 

"Low Ridin'" with Cindy, Timothy and Jim Green

With an incredible cast that includes Jennifer Gardner ("13 Going On 30", "Arthur"), Joel Edgerton ("Warrior", "The Thing"), Dianne Wiest ("I Am Sam", "Parenthood"), CJ Adams ("Dan In Real Life"), and an all-star supporting cast, and directed by Peter Hedges, the man who brought us "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and "Dan In Real Life", Timothy Green is a beautifully acted and visually wonderful film. 

Joyce said that for her, this is a very heartwarming and family friendly movie, done in true Disney fashion. Although many of the situations in this film may be a bit beyond younger children, they'll still enjoy the magical characteristics of Timothy! With themes like love, heartache, bullying and enduring, there's something everyone can relate to in Timothy Green. A well acted and well written movie, although a bit unrealistic in some areas and very different than any Disney movie she's seen, Joyce said there are a lot of valuable take-aways. 

Now, although I like this movie a great deal, I must admit that I AM glad we never got around to seeing it in the theater. It's not really a "pay full price, plus $20 for popcorn" kind of film. It is a bit slow in some places, and I found myself thinking a few cuts here and there wouldn't have been bad. But it is certainly something I will watch over and over, snuggled up on the sofa with my best friend (and wife!) Joyce. In fact, we watched it over the Thanksgiving holiday and have decided to make it our annual Turkey Day Movie Tradition. On my as yet to be named rating scale of 1-5, I'm giving The Odd Life Of Timothy Green a 4, because it made me tear up! ~~ Al 



The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is now available on Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, HD Digital. Visit our Amazon Affiliate Store for your copy today! Tales From The Mouse House Amazon Store

DVD Extras -1