Movie Info:
Writer: Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley
Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Cast: Bill Nighy, Sam Rockwell, Will Arnett, Jon Favreau, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Kelli Garner, Penélope Cruz, Tyler Patrick Jones, Steve Buscemi, Piper Mackenzie Harris
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Video

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: July 24, 2009
DVD Release Date: December 15, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $

I knew, as soon as I saw the commercials for G-Force that it was going to be stupid. You see, Disney has a few different styles of animation. First, there is Pixar, with movies that are always excellent and instantly become animated classics. Then there are the cool animated features that Disney actually took quite a bit of time to make, like The Princess and the Frog. Then there are these CGI flicks that seem to be made just for the amusement of today’s children with very little substance to them. G-Force is one of those films.

Yes, I guess talking guinea pigs are kind of cute. Making them superheroes seems a little ridiculous and though the cast appears to be decent, not even Jon Favreau can save a movie about a bunch of crazy rodents. I was bored to tears while watching this movie…but, I admit it. The kids loved this mindless, crazy little film. Have no doubts, your little ones will love it, but sadly I don’t think that Walt Disney had this drivel in mind when he was building his animated empire.

The thing I always liked about Disney was how family oriented their movies were. A mom could enjoy a Disney flick just as much as her kids. Heck, Dad and the Grandparents often were able to get in on the action, and enjoyed the film, as well. In the last decade or so, Disney has moved away from strictly family-friendly affairs and made movies that appeal more to kids, but make Mom and Dad want to slit their wrists if they have to watch these movies more than once. This makes me sad.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: Anna McRoberts, Robert Vince
Director: Robert Vince
Cast: George Wendt, Christopher Lloyd, Danny Woodburn
Rating: G
Studio: Disney

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: November 24, 2009
DVD Release Date: November 24, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I might be a reviewer, but there are some movies that I just do not want to see. Some press releases get me nice and excited thinking about the great films that I will be able to review and others make me groan with the thought of upcoming boredom.

Santa Buddies was not one of the movies that I was excited to see. In fact, I only decided to review it because my nephew was dying to see it. He made me promise to get it for him, so I got it for review so that he could see it. I watched it with him and he liked it so much that I had to bring the DVD to his house, so that he could keep it and watch it with his friends. When he saw me walking out of the house with the case, he wanted to know where I was taking his DVD. He calmed down when he realized it was just the Blu-ray. If he had a Blu-ray player I would have let him keep it. Lord knows, I probably won’t get much use out of it unless he wants to watch it at my house.

When it comes to holiday movies this fails. There is nothing else to say about it. Santa Buddies is a movie that rides off of the success of a movie that came out a long time ago. That movie, Air Bud, was good, but it wasn’t good enough to spawn this many sequels. I mean seriously, what plans does Disney have in the future? Is this going to be a holiday tradition? Valentine’s Day spawns Cupid Buddies, Easter offers up Easter Buddies, and New Years Eve brings us Party Buddies?!?

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: The Brothers Grimm and various others
Director: David Hand
Cast: Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Roy Atwell, Eddie Collins, Pinto Colvig, Billy Gilbert, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw
Rating: G
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: February 4, 1938
DVD Release Date: October 6, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

I, like many other adults my age, have been able to take for granted the fact that Disney regularly makes decent animated features. When Snow White was being developed by Walt Disney and his company, the Disney company had never made a full length, animated, feature film. This was the first Disney feature, that has made way for many, other exceptional animated movies. Without Snow White we wouldn’t have had Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, The Fox and the Hound, and many, other classic Disney films that are a part of my (and probably your) Disney collection.

At the time it was released, Snow White was revolutionary. Most animated studios focused on cartoon shorts, so a full, animated feature was a lot more work, since animation was hand drawn at that time. You can see the care taken to make this film something spectacular. It’s a beautiful film that is even more enhanced by the HD capabilities today. Not to sound cliché, but the Blu-Ray presentation of this Disney classic is absolutely gorgeous.

It is hard to dispute the worth of a film like Snow White. The story had been around since the days of the Brothers Grimm, who first told the tale of the beautiful Snow White, her wicked stepmother, and the seven, friendly dwarfs. The Disney dwarfs have become a symbol of Walt Disney and the Disney Company. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy or the other dwarfs. Of course, this just adds to the timeless nature of the film, Disney’s legacy and our longstanding recognition of the characters within it.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Cast: James Earl Jones
Rating: G
Studio: Disney

Release Info:
Theatrical Release Date: April 22, 2009
DVD Release Date: September 1, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

Nature documentaries can be hit or miss. While the visual and audio qualities generally make them watchable some of them are seen as nothing more than snooze-worthy material. Planet Earth is a good example of that. I loved the series personally, but I know a lot of kids that couldn’t bother to be interested sitting through it. The problem is that it doesn’t have the quality needed to properly hold a child’s attention. Earth fixes that problem. Using the best and most exciting footage from the BBC’s Planet Earth, DisneyNature creates a documentary that is filled with life in all of its various forms.

James Earl Jones narrates this tale that is enthralling enough for the whole family, whether you’re a fan of documentaries or not. Both kids and adults should enjoy this. Disney manages to find some of the most animated animals on the planet. The penguins are quite funny when they sled along their stomachs to reach their destination. Seeing the reaction of some of the animals to the annual flood and how little they like water is quite amusing, too. Of course, there is more here than just cute and fuzzy moments. It seems that Disney does the best they can to retain their G rating, but in a way that keeps things real.

Among the more noticeable, sadder moments you will see a polar bear lay down to die, after a trip through the ocean that leads him to starve to death (the melting ice due to global warming slows his ability to find food until its much too late) and an elephant attacked by a pride of lions. At one point you see one animal mount and feed off another. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t see blood and guts, but adults will get the meaning. Kids, depending on their age, will not understand exactly what happens in these moments, but they will probably ask some questions.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Writers: Daniel Berendsen, Michael Poryes
Director: Peter Chelsom
Cast: Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Mitchel Musso, Moises Arias, Lucas Till, Vanessa Williams, Margo Martindale, Peter Gunn, Melora Hardin, Jared Carter, Barry Bostwick
Rating: G
Studio: Disney

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 10, 2009
DVD Release Date: August 18, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I don’t understand the tween culture at all. Of course, that is likely the case because when I was a “tween” we weren’t called tweens. We were kids. In fact, we remained kids until we were teenagers. If we referred to ourselves as pre-teens or any other ridiculous adjective based on our age, our parents laughed at us. However, in the last decade the soccer mom’s have come out in full force and they encouraged these idiotic fads; like tween-dom.

Tweens (or between child and teenager) are a market group these days. They influence television, movies, and even music. Normally, I would say that this is fine. The problem is that these tweens have little to no taste in nine out of ten cases.

Hannah Montana is an excellent example of the lack of taste that these kids have when choosing celebrity entertainment. For those of you living under a rock Hannah Montana is a Disney Channel show about a pop star that is a normal girl to her friends and a rock star to the world. The best thing about her is that it shows how the world around her is truly moronic. I mean, after all, the difference between the country bumpkin and the music superstar is a wig. One is blonde (poorly so, at that) and the other is brunette. Otherwise, they look and sound alike. The show, which is supposedly a comedy, is about balancing the best of both worlds. If you think it sounds asinine or unworthy of being on television you’re right.

Billy Ray Cyrus fans would probably tell you that through his daughter’s show and career, he has managed to revive his “Achy Breaky” stint in stardom, too. All three fans are decidedly giddy I am sure. The rest of us are forced to deal with it by turning Disney whenever the horrid comedy comes on and by switching the radio station every time the screechy, annoying “Climb” hits the airwaves.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers: Matt Lopez, Mark Bomback
Director: Andy Fickman
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Everett Scott, Chris Marquette, Billy Brown, Garry Marshall, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Video

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 13, 2009
DVD Release Date: August 4, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99

Growing up, I loved the Witch Mountain movies. As cheesy as the effects were, the acting was great and the story was never boring. Disney went all out with these two movies, offering jobs to the likes of Christopher Lee, Bette Davis and even Donald Pleasence. I was born in the 80s, so I only saw these films in reruns on the Disney Channel or another, family friendly station. I had no idea how popular the movies were. As a kid, I thought I’d found this unknown treasure of film, the first time I saw Escape to Witch Mountain. Little did I know, the series would continue with a remake in the 90s and even a new interpretation.

I like Dwayne Johnson. He’s probably the best wrestler turned actor there is. He’s actually made a career for himself, and that is because he has realized the area where he shines the most is his comedic timing. That’s why Disney has a fondness for him. He’s a big, strong, muscled, funny man. You don’t expect guys like him to be funny. You expect them to be doofy, but this guy is actually really smart and creative.

When I heard Dwayne Johnson would be in the latest Witch Mountain film, I worried the movie wouldn’t do the other films justice. Luckily, this wasn’t a remake. There was already a dreadful, made for TV remake of Escape to Witch Mountain that aired in the 90s and starred Mad Men’s Peggy Olson. Despite giving the kids other names, this followed the original story almost perfectly, except it’s hard to replicate the chemistry between Ike and Kim, especially when it’s Peggy Olson with the kid who went on to star in a surfer show called Brink. Either way, I hoped Race to Witch Mountain would not suffer the same fate.

I was pleased with the fact that this story is original, delves into it’s own unique storyline, and reinterprets the entire idea of people coming from another planet. I also like how much work director, Andy Fickman, put into honoring and paying homage to the original films. From the Deranian reference to the obvious throwback to the original film’s Winnebago, he did a nice job of making fans of the old series comfortable in their knowledge of how much he respected these old Disney classics.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Movie Info:
Writer: Mark Frost
Director: Bill Paxton
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, Josh Flitter, Peter Firth, Peyton List, Elias Koteas, Len Cariou, Stephen Marcus, Max Kasch
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: September 30, 2005
DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

I am a huge sports fan, but not a huge fan of sports movies. There are sports movies I love and then there are sports movies that I can tolerate. When you mention the words golf and movie to me in the same sentence, I begin to get apprehensive. I don’t know why, but the idea of a stimulating golf movie is hard for me to imagine. I suppose it is because for it to be considered a golfing movie, the film has to spend a considerable amount of time showing golfing or filming on the course. I just don’t see a lot of riveting plots going on during a golf game.

The Greatest Game Ever Played is a true story about one of the greatest games (if not the greatest) played in golf history. In 1913, a nobody won the US Open against numerous American challengers and a couple of British men that were shoe-ins to win. They didn’t win though. A 20 year old kid that lived across from the course won. Golf was his passion and he played like a pro, even if he wasn’t at the time. His dedication allowed him to win and decades later they decided to make a movie about his story.

The major downfall to a movie like this is that you automatically know what is going to happen. You see Ouimet working as a caddy as a child. You see how important golf is to him. From that point on, knowing that this is his story, you can surmise that no matter what happens, he will win that final game and it will be amazing. Of course, as far as downfalls go it’s not so bad.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: Eric Guggenheim
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Cast: Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Noah Emmerich, Sean McCann, Kenneth Welsh, Eddie Cahill, Patrick O’Brien Demsey, Michael Mantenuto, Nathan West, Kenneth Mitchell, Eric Peter-Kaiser, Bobby Hanson
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Video

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: February 6, 2004
DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

Miracle was released in 2004 and I am sure I heard something about it at that time, but I effectively managed to block it out. In fact, when they told me I would be receiving this for review, I didn’t even know what this movie was about. I skimmed through the synopsis and waited for it to arrive, assuming that the movie would help me learn all that I needed to know.

I had read enough to learn that the movie was a true story about hockey, though if I hadn’t read anything I could have guessed that by the hockey players on the front of the Blu-ray cover. Being from Michigan, and a die hard Red Wings fan, it’s safe to say that hockey is near and dear to my heart. Still, I don’t watch too many movies about hockey. I don’t even watch that many movies where people ice skate. The only hockey movies that even comes to mind are Mighty Ducks and Youngblood. Though I am sure I have seen more.

Miracle is a true story about a virtually unknown group of college kids that make up the US Olympic hockey team. In a time when America needed it the most, these boys pulled together and dug deep enough to find a way to be winners. The story is filled with that feel good feeling, but it’s got a good amount of drama packed in with it, too.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers: Scott Frank, Don Roos
Director: David Frankel
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Kathleen Turner, Alan Arkin, Ann Dowd, Nathan Gamble, Haley Bennett, Clarke Peters
Rating: PG
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: December 25, 2008
DVD Release Date: March 31, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99

I have a lot of biases against watching the type of movie I thought Marley & Me was. I don’t like Jennifer Aniston. By proxy, I’m not fond of the movies she is in. I don’t like the feel-good family style movies. I don’t usually like movies about pets because, in general, they are way too corny to be fun. I am not a huge fan of comedies, and this movie looks like a comedy, at least from the trailers.

I was surprised by how good Marley & Me is. Yes, this is somewhat of a feel good movie, but rather than being cheesy and filled with kumbayas, this movie taps into the human emotion. Your emotions run the gamut as you watch Marley & Me. There is happiness, joy, amusement, sadness, humor, slight annoyance, and resolution. As you watch <em>Marley & Me</em>, it’s common to feel these emotions right along with the characters.

The actors are fairly good. Jennifer Aniston is okay in her role. I’m not in love with her portrayal, but she didn’t ruin the movie. Marley and all the various dogs that play him really steal the show. The dog makes the movie, and even though that’s true, this is so much more than a pet movie. It’s a commentary on life, family, and what we make of our successes (and/or failures). Owen Wilson is the human lead of this movie and he has the right mix of comedy and drama, which is needed to play the role he plays. He was pretty much perfectly cast.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Movie Info:
Writers: Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams
Directors: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Cast: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Greg Germann, Diedrich Bader, Nick Swardson
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Video

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 21, 2008
DVD Release Date: March 24, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $26.99

I hadn’t heard much about the movie Bolt prior to its release on Blu-ray and standard DVD. I guess that’s because I don’t watch the Disney Channel all that much. All I knew about this movie was that it was an animated film about a dog who thought he was a superhero, for real, and that Miley Cyrus voiced one of the characters for the movie. That’s the jist of what I knew, anyway.

I don’t like Miley Cyrus. I think she’s a poor excuse for an actress. Her singing leaves a lot to be desired. I don’t see the appeal in her stupid humor show, Hannah Montana. I can’t comprehend why my four year old nephew likes the show. So, needless to say, I didn’t know what part Miley had in this and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to finding out.

Come to find out, her part is pretty small. She was tolerable merely because she had so little screen time. The majority of the film focuses on John Travolta’s character, Bolt. He can easily carry this movie, and does so in a way that makes it wholly enjoyable. The story for Bolt is engaging, fun, family friendly, and has enough adult humor in it to make it worthwhile to watch for everyone in the family.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.