Super Buddies To The Rescue!

Here they come to save the day!!!! Disney's beloved and "SUPER" adorable "Buddies" are back in an all new movie for the whole family! 

That's right citizen, Budderball, Mudbud, B-Dawg, Buddha and Rosebud are all back and this time, they're super-charged and out for fun! This time, our super cute pups discover mysterious rings that grant them each a unique super power, and unleash their amazing new talents in a race to the rescue when a shape shifting bully from another planet threatens Ear-Th (yep, you'll have to watch the movie to understand THAT one!). But before they can take down the baddie, they have to learn how to harness their new found powers from none other than...Captain Canine himself!!

Colin Hanks voices Captain Canine

Ok, so to be totally honest, this straight to Blu-Ray and DVD movie isn't something that everyone will enjoy, or even get! It IS marketed for the whole family, but truthfully, only the younglings will really appreciate it fully. That being said...I liked it. I thought it was way up there on the "cute meter", but then, I'm a sucker for talking puppies! As you'd expect in a Disney movie with talking animals, Super Buddies is chock full of one liners, puns and silliness and humans acting goofy!

Although, as I mentioned, this IS a children's film, the plot is kind of flimsy. Without giving too much away (remember, we're as spoiler free as can be), Budderball's owner, Bartleby Livingstone (played by Trey Loney), is a wanna be comic

Super Buddies

book writer. Seems he's been collecting this toy rings that come in Budderball's bag of kibble, and now he has the complete set! He's also a fan of the comic book, Captain Canine and Kid Courageous. Now, Captain Canine, according to the comic book, is actually a hero from outer space who launched power rings out of his spaceship to avoid the evil Drex, who wants to possess the rings and RULE THE UNIVERSE!!! 

Super Buddies ASSEMBLE!

And what would a Disney movie be without a message to deliver? Well...probably not a Disney movie but that's beside the point! Anyway, the moral of this story really isn't hard to find, but it is an important one for kids. Especially today, when it's tough to find a proper positive message to be had. The Buddies discover that although it is cool to have super powers, it's not the POWERS that make you super, or special...it's YOU. Just as you are. Now, this may sound cliche and a bit cornball, but it's a great message for children to hear. I and for one loved it!

John Ratzenberger as Grandpa

Of course, the action, one liners and silliness tend to be over the top but as I mentioned...for kids...not adults. Super Buddies, as are all the entries in Disney's Buddies franchise, is a cute, action packed and yes, even message driven movie that will appeal to just about anyone. Plus, Disney/Pixar favorite John Ratzenberger plays Bartleby's Grandpa, the incomparable Tim Conway plays the voice of Deputy Sniffer (a bloodhound) and Colin Hanks (son of Sheriff Woody!) plays the voice of Captain Canine!

Super Buddies in training!

Disney's Super Buddies is certainly a must own for anyone with children, or for anyone who likes a good talking dogs save the world movie! 

Available now on DVD+Digital copy for $29.99 SRP and 2-Disc Blu-Ray+DVD+Digital Copy Combo Pack for $36.99 SRP. Running time is about 88 minutes. 

Teen Beach Movie...Ride The Wave Dude!

My lovely wife Joyce decided to take this review on, and I've GOT to be honest with you, I'm glad she did. I did watch a few minutes of Teen Beach Movie with her, and well...let's just say I'm NOT a fan. What I saw made me very happy I was VERY busy! While I won't be "nasty", I will say that what I viewed kind of annoyed me and made me wonder WHAT Disney was thinking! But then, I'm sure this film wasn't made for people in my demographic! Enjoy Joyce's review - Al 

by Joyce Kessel
I wasn't sure  if I was going to enjoy the surf-rock retro beach movie but it was an ok flick,  although I think it is better suited for pre-teen and early teens. It was a bit of Grease and West Side Story combined into one movie. 

Disney Channel unleashed a retro beach party movie: Teen Beach Movie on July 19.

So, here’s a quick synopsis of the movie:

After McKenzie's (Maia Mitchell) mom passes away, she makes an agreement with her Grandpa (Barry Bostwick) and Aunt Antoinette (Suzanne Cryer) that she would spend her “important” high school years at a school of her Aunt’s choosing (which involves her leaving the Beach Town).  Although she doesn't want her endless summer to...well, end, she wants to make her late mom proud and make something of herself. She has yet to break the news to her boyfriend Brady (Ross Lynch) and while attempting to tell him her aunt arrives and breaks the news.

Washed Up In A Movie

As she prepares to head out to catch her flight she has to ride the wave one last time but an ominous storm is brewing. Although a HUGE storm is surging, she ignores the red flag alert, and paddles her surf board out to sea and is swept underwater by a monster wave all the while, Brady (Ross Lynch) attempts to rescue her. 

Of course, a dance number on the beach!

After a fade to black, the water is calm and Brady and MacKenzie urgently try to get to shore so she can catch her flight.  But...something is very odd... They are in her Grandpa and Brady's favorite musical movie, “Wet Side Story”. 

As they make their way on shore, they see the “real” movie cast perform “Surf Crazy” and of course, Brady joins in the fun (since he DOES know ALL the moves) while MacKenzie (Mac) just wants to go home. After joining in on their musical number, they all run to the beachside restaurant Big Momma's and Brady and Mac introduce themselves to the surfer gang,  just before the biker gang shows up and start the “surf and turf war”. 

Surf And Turf War?

That evening, during a dance in Big Momma’s where Lela (Grace Phipps) who happens to be a biker,  is singing “Falling For Ya”, Mac and Brady argue about staying in the movie or trying to find a way out. Brady of course wants to stay, but Mac wants to go, and decides to investigate a way out on her own. However, they suddenly change the movie when the movie’s leading guy Tanner (Garrett Clayton), who happens to be a surfer, sees Mac and falls in love with her, and Brady catches Lela when she falls off stage - which was SUPPOSED to be done by Tanner. And since the surfer and biker don’t fall in love, the scripted surfer/biker feud doesn’t happen.  Not only does the turf war cease to exist but the bad guys trying to change weather patterns cannot be stopped.  

A Scene From Grease, err, Teen Beach Movie

Yep, I left a lot out of the synopsis, but that’s because we want you to experience the movie for yourself! Remember, limited spoilers here!


As with all Disney movies there IS a moral to the story. Tanner thinks everyone is good. Lela (the biker) wants to learn to surf and be a pro, while Tanner realized he wanted to be a biker, not a surfer. She taught him to ride, he taught her to surf.  Mac, throughout the movie tells Lela to be brave and pursue her dreams. By the end, she learns that she is not practicing what she preaches so decides to stand up to her aunt and tells her that will not be attending the high school her aunt picked out, but she will be staying with her Grandpa. Be true to yourself - moral for the day! 

"We Go Together Like..."

Some of the nit-pick things in Teen Beach Movie for me:

*There is a subplot involving a mad scientist and weather control that I felt did not really belong here. But I guess they had to find a way to get Mac and Brady in the movie. 

*The Mad scientist uses a candy thermometer to make his weather potion and a Buzz Lightyear astro blaster gun to stun them.   Hmmmm...

*As Mac and Brady " morph" into the movie she has a bit of an accent from time to time.

*This movie felt a LOT like Pleasantville to me. Very similar plot...well, sort of
    
Teen Beach Movie is now available on DVD which has a few bonus features including exclusive dance rehearsal footage and musical numbers. SRP $26.99 

A Monster...In Paris!

We often receive DVD's and Blu Rays for review that we really enjoy. Some that never really received much attention when they were released, but really have that special something that makes them instant classics. Then, there's A Monster In Paris. 

Ok, before I go much further let me preface this review by saying A Monster In Paris isn't a HORRIBLE movie, it's actually ok, but misses the mark for us as an animated adventure. 

Here's the story: Set in Paris, France during the 1910's, A Monster In Paris follows the adventures of Emile (an extremely shy projectionist voiced by Jay Harrington), his wacky inventor/delivery man and friend Raoul (voiced by Adam Goldberg). Now, Emile secretly adores Maud, a co-worker at the cinema but of course, is too shy to profess his love. One day, Raoul invites Emile to go on a delivery with him to the botanical gardens, but also the home of a plant "genius". As Raoul and Emile enter, they find the professor is in New York, however, left his monkey Charles (who seems to have a great vocabulary via flash cards) in charge, with specific instructions for Raoul - DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING. Of course, Raoul just can't help himself and finds a potion marked "Atomize-A-Tune" (which gives Charles a terrific operatic voice) and one marked "Super Fertilizer - Unstable". So, what does our wacky inventor do? Yep, he "experiments" with the super fertilizer by pouring it on a sunflower seed - which grows to an enormous size. While Raoul and Emile discuss the potential of such a wonderful potion, the sunflower topples over, crashing into the shelves housing the two potions creating an explosion. Everyone escapes the chaos unscathed, however, Emile catches footage via his movie camera, of a hideous monster!

Raoul and Emile

Now, if you've read any of our reviews you know we're not into spoilers, so that's all you're going to get out of me story wise! Suffice it to say,  the troublesome trio accidentally creates Franc, the product of a reaction between a common flea and the two potions mentioned earlier. What they fail to realize, however, is that this ‘monster’ is actually a soft-centered soul with an astounding talent for music.

 

"Franc" the Monster In Paris - With A Voice!

With the help of an enchanting nightclub singer Lucille, Franc becomes the talk of the town, just as stories of Paris’s newest monster attract the attention of the egotistical police commissioner, hell bent on securing a big prize to help his battle to become mayor. The unwitting trio and the singer must team up to protect Franc, a monster with more than a musical career to protect!

A Monster In Paris, as you may have guessed, is a straight to DVD/Blu Ray release and was originally produced in France, with French voice actors/singers, in 2011, then translated for English speaking audiences in 2013. Since we did not view the original version (and...we don't speak French), we're going to talk about the English version.

Charles The Monkey

As I said at the beginning, this wasn't a horrible movie, but not something I'd watch again. The basic plot is of course predicable, but entertaining. You have the shy hero, the wacky does nothing right side-kick, the beautiful damsel in distress (well, actually TWO in this movie), the monster who's actually a big misunderstood gentle giant, the evil "good guy" who's hunting the monster and of course, the aid to the evil "good guy" who eventually sees the light. The "feel" of this animated movie is truly Persian and the music is heavily influenced by that as well. The tunes, although not Disney worthy, are kind of catchy but quickly become annoying. The movie (and the DVD case) really promote the fact that Sean Lennon (son of the famous Beatle John Lennon) appears in this movie, but the truth is only in song...and only 2 or 3 at that. Could have been any singer truthfully. The voice acting was ok, nothing to "write home" about, and the animation reminded me of an art school project. Not great, but not terrible. 

Lucile

I can see that this movie would appeal to some, especially the younger viewers, but honestly, not something I'd even put on my top 25 list. The music didn't have that something special to keep you humming it all day, and to be honest, it was more grown up than child type music. 

As we always say, don't take our word as canon, watch it for yourself. Currently available from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with EuropaCorp, A Monster In Paris is available on DVD, and on a two-disc Blu-Ray 3D Combo Pack. The movie runs about an hour and 27 minutes, and SRP is $24.97 for the Blu-Ray Combo Pack (which does come with a digital copy by the way) and the DVD for $14.97.

If you do watch A Monster In Paris, let us know what YOU think...peace out --- Al 

Happiest Blog On Earth...Wreck It Ralph

"I'm Gonna Wreck It!" ~~ Wreck-It Ralph

It really takes a lot for me to go out to a movie. They cost a lot more than they used to and BOY, if you want popcorn and a soda...well, prepare to sell a vital organ! But, every now and then, a movie comes along that really catches my attention. And at the D23 Expo in August, 2011, just such a movie did just that. 

When Joyce and I visited the Expo last year, one of the panels we enjoyed was the Inside The Walt Disney Studio panel. In this unbelievably incredible event, representatives from Disney talked about many of their upcoming movies, many of which were completed and just awaiting release. We were also shown a clip of an animated movie that wasn't completed at the time, some of the rendering was "glitchy", and some of the animation kind of flat. But, what we saw really grabbed us. The story line felt familiar. Not in the, Oh I've seen THIS plot before, way, but in more of a, familiar surroundings sort of way. Comfortable. That movie of course was Wreck It Ralph. Familiar because this film is set in the imaginative world of arcade games! A world I was completely immersed in during my youth...and unfortunately for Joyce, still am to this day!

Wreck It Ralph, as you may have guessed, brings to life the world of video games, where, after the arcade closes for the day, "Game Central Station" comes alive with characters from our favorite video games, including cameos from Sonic The Hedgehog, Q-Bert and more. Ralph is the villain in 30 year old (but still fairly popular) arcade game called Fix It Felix. It's Ralph's job to wreck the apartment building the good citizens all live in, and of course, it's up to Felix to repair all Ralph's damage with his magic hammer. For 30 long years, Ralph has lived in Felix's shadow. Every night after the arcade closes, the good citizens celebrate Felix's heroism, while poor Ralph is banished to his rubble-pile home. Then, for the 30th anniversary of Fix It Felix, Ralph sees that the citizens have thrown a huge party for Felix, complete with CAKE, but have neglected to include Ralph - without whom there would be NO game. As Ralph attempts to crash the party, he's informed that he's the bad guy, only the bad guy and will be nothing more. Of course, this does not sit well with our hero...err, I mean villain. 

So, Ralph decides he's tired of playing the role of bad-guy and takes matters into his own hands and sets out to prove everyone wrong. And that's where things get interesting! Now, I'd go into deeper detail, but I'd rather YOU go see this movie yourselves. Besides...no spoilers here!

Wreck It Ralph is without doubt one of the best movies we've seen in a long time. The animation is fantastic and the 3D version is amazing. As is usual, Disney paid so much attention to detail in this film that you almost forget it's animation - until Ralph knocks down a building! This film appeals to all ages really, and it's truly appropriate for everyone. The story is terrific, but beyond that, there is a touching and heartwarming message. See, Ralph is frustrated with his "lot in life", of not being appreciated. So he sets out to find the one thing that he feels will make others view him in a better light, but what he ends up finding is much, much more. As silly as it may sound, this movie actually has a deep personal and social meaning for me. In life, we tend to type-cast those around us as WE feel they are, not as they ARE. Just because someone plays the role of villain in life does not necessarily make them a villain. We all must look past what we see on the surface and look INSIDE of others, if we truly want to know them. What's that old saying..."Judge not lest YE be judged...". 

Wreck It Ralph offers a great escape from the real world, if only for a short time (something Disney is absolutely perfect at giving us). Yet it also serves up some valuable lessons, not just for the young ones but for adults as well. Without realizing we've just been schooled, Disney has created a great portal to teach everyone the value of others, to look past what we see, and see others as they are deep down. And when a movie can make me feel good about learning something, AND entertain me...well, full endorsement from me!  And you thought it was just another cute cartoon!  I highly recommend Disney's Wreck It Ralph to everyone. If I had a movie rating scale, of, oh, say 1-5 "Disneyland E-Tickets", I'd give Wreck It Ralph 5!  ~~ Al