films Archives - Rave & Review

Disney’s Coco opens in theaters today

Are you as excited about Disney-Pixar’s Coco as we are? This was a movie the kids and I have been waiting for, and I have to admit I was apprehensive that it was going to disappoint. We’ve been going to Seattle’s Day of the Dead festival for years so this was a subject we’ve talked … Read more

CARS 3 comes racing home on DVD and Blu-ray

For 6+ years, we’ve been mega fans of the Disney•Pixar’s CARS franchise. Our love started when my son became obsessed with all things that go and especially connected with CARS because of the fact that the films gave backstories and personalities to humanize cars, trucks, and other vehicles. After all of these years, we have … Read more

Disney’s Moana is now playing in theaters everywhere

My daughter has been trying to get me to take her to see Disney's Moana ever since she saw the Moana toys hit stores this summer. She was 100% positive that the movie had to be out if the toys were, and she tried her best to persuade me to take her. So, when the Seattle pre-release rolled around, I knew I had to make it work even with our busy holiday schedules.

In my mind I thought I was doing her a favor, but it was only minutes into the film when I realized that I was really glad I didn’t miss it. It had all the heart I’ve come to know with Disney films, all the laughter, and all the beautiful animation.

In short: you should definitely see it.

The movie is set in the Pacific Islands and the animation of the lush islands surrounded by turquoise water and coral reefs were simply gorgeous. Seeing the beautiful island scenery immediately took me back to the Cook Islands where my husband and I spent our honeymoon, and it was my first real introduction to the Polynesian culture and its mythology.

Embrace the magic with Pete’s Dragon – in theaters this week

When I think of my own childhood, I definitely wouldn’t describe it as magical. Sure, it was a good childhood, and I have some really awesome memories, but it was always rooted in reality. Since I was the fourth of five children, it meant that if the older siblings figured out something, I did to. I honestly never remember believing in Santa, in fairies {tooth or otherwise}, or anything else that would be described as magical, and I knew that there were some serious limitations to our finances that meant sometimes we went without.

In parenting my own children now, I’m experiencing the magic of childhood through them. And, I’m always surprised by how that magic really makes everything more fun. It’s not that I now believe in Santa or fairies or that I don’t worry about finances anymore, but there is something really amazing about watching the magic of childhood right in front of you, and it makes me long for that type of magic in my everyday life. So, when choosing films, TV shows, and books to read with my kids, I always struggle with the balance between reality and fantasy. I figure they have their whole lives to explore reality, so while they are young I am very much enjoying exploring fantasy with them in ways I never did as a child. But, because I’m an adult, over-the-top fantasy and make believe is hard to get into, so this means walking a fine line between the two worlds and finding things we can all enjoy together. Since my son is obsessed with dragons and both kids love magic and adventure, I knew they would be thrilled to see “Pete’s Dragon” at the Seattle media preview. But, even though I knew the kids would love it, I honestly wasn’t expecting that much from the film. Maybe this is because I was picturing a very cartoonish dragon based on the quick previews I had seen, and I was thinking it was going to be one of the movies that leaned too far toward fantasy for my liking.

Take in the wild and beautiful ride of Alice Through the Looking Glass

As you may know, I have a really big soft spot for Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Maybe it’s that I watched the animated version hundreds of times growing up or maybe it was that Lewis Carroll’s books were some of my absolute favorites, but I loved the curious {and couriouser} world of Alice. So, as soon as I heard that a sequel to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland {2010} was planned, I knew it would be one that we had to see.

But, then at Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, Suzanne Todd gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of James Bobin’s movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass. Hearing some of the backstory and all that went into bringing it to life made me even more excited to see the film. Knowing how much work went into each and every scene and how deliberate all the little details are made me so excited to see how it all came together on the big screen.

Scan your old slides and negatives easily with the Portable Digital Image Copier Deluxe

I have found the coolest new tool that every photographer of the 90s and early 2000s needs. Introducing the Portable Digital Slide and Film Converter from Hammacher Schlemmer that allows you to bring all those pictures you snapped on film into the digital era. If you know me, you know that I have been my family’s photographer since the nineties. This means that I got my start well before the digital age and I have a ton of pictures in boxes stored in random rooms and closets in my house… just in case.

Big Hero 6 is a big winner – pick up your copy today on DVD and Blu-ray

Are you as excited as we are about the release of Disney's Big Hero 6 on Blu-ray, Digital HD and DVD? We absolutely loved the movie in the theater and have been eagerly awaiting the day we could add it to our Disney collection. Folks, that day is today. Big Hero 6 is a heart-warming comedy adventure about the friendship that develops between a robotics prodigy, Hiro Hamada {Ryan Potter}, and an extraordinary robot, Baymax {Scott Adsit}. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, and produced by Roy Conli, the film takes place in the fictional San Fransokyo, where a diverse group of friends comes together to form a band of unlikely heroes.

Keep summer boredom away with a DVD collection from NCircle

by Susan, editor and reviewer

It's no lie that our family enjoys watching TV together. As a stay-at-home-mom of two active boys, we like to keep ourselves very busy with whatever we can; play-dates, walks to the park, gymnastics, tae kwon do, and even a living-room-destroying art project on occasion. Not to mention countless hours outside in the backyard dancing to our favorite songs. "Everything is AWESOME!!!" But on those days when we're pooped, it's nice to cuddle with my boys and watch some TV together. And it's pretty amazing to watch my two littles get completely wrapped up into the stories unfolding in front of them. With an education background, I often prefer shows that {not to insult a certain sea dwelling yellow sponge} teach something. And many of the shows NCircle puts out educate my kids!

Disney Planes: Fire and Rescue is in theaters now

On the morning of my son’s third birthday, he came running into our bedroom to wake us up. He wasn’t wondering about cake or parties or even presents, what he really wanted to know was when he could be a fire fighter. When I explained to him that he had to be grown up – not just merely older – to fight fires, his face fell. I felt so bad for the little guy that I promised him that we would get him a fire fighter outfit and make him a fire engine so he could play fire fighter all day long. It’s been 9 months since then and his obsession with fire fighters has only grown, so as soon as I heard about Disney Planes: Fire and Rescue coming to theaters this summer, I knew I had to take him. He already had a deep love for Dusty from the first Disney Planes movie, so I was anticipating he would fall hard for the new film as well.

As it turns out, he loved it even more than I ever imagined. All week long, the kids have been fighting their own pretend fires at home while playing Planes: Fire and Rescue and I couldn’t be happier.

BRAVE: A New Disney Princess

For months I have been dying to see the new DisneyPixar movie, Brave, and have been counting down the days until I could take my daughter to see the film. Of course, we were thrilled when we got a chance to see a 3D prescreening in Seattle last week, a few days before it was released in theaters.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock {or rather, away from screens of any kind}, you’ve probably seen the previews of the film a few hundred times. Likely, you’ve noticed the heroine’s striking red hair and signature bow and arrow, as well as the amazing animation DisneyPixar is known for.