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Movie and Entertainment News >> Television >> Kids Movies
Kids Movies News
Princess Tiana, the latest in a long and royal line of Disney Princesses, makes her big Blu-ray/DVD debut on this Tuesday, March 16. The Blu-ray combo pack also includes the DVD and digital copy. On the blu-ray disc, Princess Tiana takes center stage in the bonus features as well as the feature film. Animators and voice actors talk about the new princess and what distinguishes her from all the others.
Another featurette focal point on the Blu-ray is the art of hand-drawn animation. The special features aren't quite as voluminous and varied as on some other Disney releases (mainly the special editions, which makes sense); however, the features on The Princess and the Frog do give a fascinating glimpse into the art of hand-drawn animation. Our family especially enjoyed learning about "eccentric dance" and seeing how it was incorporated into the movie. It's about all of the little things you don't realize as you watch an animated movie, but that make the look and feel really rich and fun, that took animators so much thought, foresight, and creativity to do. The process is truly amazing, and the bonus features on this movie would be particularly interesting for kids who love art and drawing or are interested in the animation industry. We really need to keep the art form alive so that there is variety in the world of animated movies, so I am glad that Disney has committed to future hand-drawn films and that The Princess and the Frog has been a success for them.
(Photo © Disney. All rights reserved.)
The Princess and the Frog - The Art of Animation originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 22:36:14.
When I was a little girl, my family always had the same treat for family movie nights: a bowl of popcorn and M&M's. Yes, it's a tradition I've carried on with my own family -- we choose dark chocolate peanut M&M's to be healthier, ha, ha! -- and my kids love it. Seriously, the salty/sweet combo is perfection. My husband was converted instantly, and so have been many of our friends.
Popcorn is usually a staple for movie nights, and it can be a pretty healthy snack, too. Also, there are many fun variations on the popcorn theme. I have one friend who always brightens up movie night with home made colorful candied popcorn. Speaking of which, if a movie night is part of your weekend plans, you can even celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Green Popcorn. Choosing movie snacks that fit the theme of the movie is fun for kids as well. We'll be watching The Princess and the Frog for our next family movie night. Anyone know any good New Orleans inspired snacks?
What about your family? Do you have a movie night staple? What healthy treats have you found for movie night?
What's Your Favorite Family Movie Night Treat? originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 12:51:40.
Disney's Up did well last night, winning Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. Remarkably, the movie was also nominated for Best Picture, and while Up didn't win in that category, it's still only the second animated film to ever be nominated for the award -- the first being the 1991 Disney animated movie Beauty and the Beast.
Up was one of the most beloved films of 2009 because of the touching yet funny story the film tells and the amazing animation. The Pixar filmmakers are dedicated to giving their animated movies that extra touch through rich and authentic detail. In fact, one of the cool things about the making of Up, is that animators actually traveled all the way to the intersection of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana, where they sketched the jungle scenery and hiked the rugged terrain in order to make the animation feel as real as possible. But, while the animation quality is in many ways unmatched, they never let the storyline suffer. Up has got heart, and watching the movie leaves a lasting impression.
(Photo © Disney. All rights reserved.)
Up Wins 2 Oscars originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 08:29:17.
I really wanted to love this movie. Maybe I went in with expectations to high. Just the mere pairing of Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll's absurd fantasy land held so much potential. But there is nothing there beyond the pretty scenery. The story plays out as Alice wanders along her predictable path with nary a twist or turn, leaving nothing of interest to discuss after the movie is over.
Of course, as we've seen in the trailers, the movie looks fantastic, and the characters from the Alice in Wonderland story come to life in that dark yet whimsical Tim Burton style that draws audiences in. Kids who are old enough not to be frightened by perilous situations, mad characters and ferocious mythical creatures will likely enjoy the colorful and quirky adventure. The movie does contains several scenes that may be extremely frightening or unsettling to young children, though, so this is definitely one to preview if you have any concerns about your kids having future nightmares from Wonderland, or should I say, "Underland."
Did your family see Alice in Wonderland? If so, share your opinion using the "comments" link below...
(Photo © Disney. All rights reserved.)
Alice in Wonderland -- Not Exactly Wonderful originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 11:34:48.
The movie based on Maurice Sendak's most popular book for children, Where the Wild Things Are, hit store shelves this week on Blu-ray (combo pack) and DVD. The bonus features on the Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray allow viewers to get a lot more familiar with Sendak and Spike Jonze, director of the film. These are interesting guys, so that makes the bonus features interesting as well. Maurice Sendak doesn't tell your average, straight forward kiddie story in his books. His stories have depth, meaning and sophistication, yet they are still so accessible and loved by kids.
Also, Spike Jonze gives a similarly meaningful and raw perspective on Sendak's book -- not one that is accessible to small kids, unfortunately -- but one that is an insightful, emotional and thought provoking portrayal of childhood. Many of the shorts included in the bonus features involve Sendak and Jonze describing their intentions and experiences around making the movie version of the story, and it's pretty cool to get a glimpse of how their creative minds think. Also, the DVD includes a bonus short film based on Maurice Sendak's Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More to Life
On another Maurice Sendak note, while he did not write the famous Harold and the Purple Crayon stories, the buzz has begun to circulate on the net that he and Will Smith will be producing a movie version of Harold and the Purple Crayon. More to come on that interesting venture!
(Photo © Warner Bros.)
Maurice Sendak in the Movies originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 08:58:52.
The much advertised DreamWorks Animation film How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters March 26, 2010 (conventional 3D theaters and IMAX 3D) . Prior to the movie coming out, we are reading the book with our girls, and it is not a girly kind of book. In fact, after reading the first few chapters, I asked my kids if they thought a boy or a girl wrote the book, and they responded with a resounding, "Boy!"
Much to their surprise, the author is actually Cressida Cowell, mother of two girls and one boy. Upon finding this out, my 4-year-old proceeded to draw a picture of what dear Cressida must look like -- an ogreish woman with viking clothes on. Well, at least it is good for my girls to see that a woman can describe colors as "boogie beige" or "poopy brown" if she wants too, and while they groan and giggle at some of the names and phrases in the book, they are having a great time reading. I also like that amid all of the silliness and grody humor, the author throws in little snippets about the difference between fear and cowardice, or the idea that ignorance can be useful in some situations.
We have had some great discussions about the book so far, which is surprising considering the content, and we can't wait to see the movie. Is anyone else reading How to Train Your Dragon before the movie comes out? If so, share your thoughts using the "comments" link below, and if not, there's plenty of time to get to it before March 26!
Photo © DreamWorks Animation, LLC. All rights reserved.
How to Train Your Dragon: Pre-Movie Book Discussion originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 22:58:05.
Hayao Miyazaki fans of the world will rejoice this Tuesday with the release of Ponyo, which hit theaters August 2009, on DVD and Blu-ray, along with three other special Edition Miyazaki films on DVD: Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro.
For those unfamiliar with Miyazaki, he is a Japanese filmmaker famous for the intriguing stories he tells through captivatingly beautiful animation. His work is culturally somewhat unfamiliar to Americans, and therefore some love his films and others, not so much. I will admit that, while I appreciated the beauty and uniqueness of the first two Miyazaki films I saw, I was not a huge fan. The storylines were too strange and didn't feel meaningful to me.
Ponyo, however, is a different story. Like Miyazaki's other films, the story is a bit strange and the animation is beautiful. The meaning is more obvious, but what I love about it is the way it speaks to children. I have never been to a showing of a movie where I heard more squeals of laughter and delighted giggling from really little kids as I did at Ponyo.
The main characters are five, and they take viewers along with them on a grand adventure that, to young kids, is amazing. Some children may be afraid during various moments of peril that occur, however. Most of the danger comes from violent weather and waves, but there are also some characters who seem creepy until later in the story when things make more sense. Funny moments come from both the childlike qualities of the characters and the interesting way that some translated lines and scenes come across.
(Photo © WDSHE)Disney Celebrates Hayao Miyazaki originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 12:12:22.
For any of you interested in animation, this is pretty cool. Sesame Workshop is partnering with Aniboom, the world's first virtual animation studio, for the Fourth Annual Aniboom Animation Awards. The "Aniboom Awards 4 Sesame Street" contest is open to animators of all levels around the world, and cash prizes will be awarded to category winners. Of course, the Grand Prize winner's animation will actually appear on Sesame Street during the 41st season, which begins airing later this year. According to Sesame, this will be the first time the show has participated in a world-wide competition for content in its 40 year history, and it's also the first time the Animboom Awards have focused on children's animation.
Here are the details from Sesame Workshop: The awards will showcase animation that is appropriate for pre-school age children in 5 different categories: School Readiness Skills, Pro-Social, re-make of the Sesame Street classic animation "Pinball Number Count," Anything Goes "The Sky is the Limit", and Community Favorite (to be determined by a voting tool on the Aniboom website). Each category will have one finalist (all but Community Favorite to be determined by Sesame Workshop), and a Grand Prize winner will be chosen among the finalists by a panel of celebrity judges. For a list of rules and animation guidelines for the competition, visit the Animboom website.
Sesame Street Animation Contest originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 07:54:14.
As for the 5-year-old watching the news, I think the story goes to show that TV can be a force for good in kids lives when used appropriately. We can't all be in Haiti, but we can get a look at what is going on, and we can be inspired to do something about it. I assume that Alexander watches the news with his parents, and judging by their level of involvement and support, they probably talk as a family about the things they watch.
In our house, we chose to show our kids a few pictures of Haiti from the internet instead of allowing them to watch news coverage. We try to talk to them about world events and important news, but some things are just more disturbing than I want them to have to deal with right now. Every kid is different, so parents have to decide when the news is appropriate TV viewing for their children. What about your family? When do you allow your kids to start watching the news?
5-Year-Old Boy Sells Lemonade for Haiti originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Sunday, February 21st, 2010 at 09:15:56.
Movie and television star Kevin James has been tapped to host Nickelodeon's 23rd Annual Kids' Choice Awards, the program that gives kids a chance to vote for their favorites in several entertainment categories, including the new category "Cutest Couple." Beginning February 25, kids can vote online at Nick.com or through the Nick mobile website and a KCA iPhone app. The slim-filled and star-studded awards show will air live from UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, March 27 (8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT).
The Kids Choice Awards have become a pretty big deal for kids, with last years' show boasting almost 8 million total viewers according to Nick. A performance by The Pussycat Dolls, among other things, irked a few parents last year, but I doubt that will effect this years' ratings. Kids are very up on what's going on in entertainment these days, and judging from nominees like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Twilight Saga: New Moon for "Favorite Movie," their preferences are pretty mature. I would love to see Nick put out some stats on the ages of voting kids, not that they could get anything reliable (kids could always lie about their ages when they vote), but it would still be interesting.
2010 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards originally appeared on About.com Kids Movies / TV on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 10:43:24.