Sick Day Movies

My twins are sick today so we are hosting our own mini Scooby Doo marathon.  Scooby Doo has the most movies they can agree on. 

If it was just my daughter, we’d be watching princess movies all day.  My son would rather spend the day watch movies like Cars and Speed Racer.

But that’s okay, because sick days are meant to snuggle under a blanket, curl up on the couch and watch that one or two movies that really seem to connect to you.

My husband loves to watch the Matrix trilogy when he’s sick.  It’s the only time he really gets to watch them uninterrupted.

My sick day movies are little less cohesive:  Eddie and the Cruisers, The Lost Boys and A Knight’s Tale.

I know that Eddie is a little off beat, probably why I like it.  But I love the music in the show.  The Lost Boys has been a favorite of my since I was a teen.  And I don’t even know why I like A Knight’s Tale, except maybe for the eye candy Heath Ledger.

Yeah, I know it’s a weird collection, but that’s what sick days are for – to bring out those movies that you don’t necessarily watch with family and friends.

What is your favorite sick day movie(s)?

What Movie is Your Soul Mate Deal Breaker?

Last night on the Season 4 premiere of How I Met Your Mother, we find out that a recently engaged Ted spent the entire summer mooning over his fiancé only to discover that he really doesn’t know anything about Stella.

How I Met Your Mother - Season 4 - "Do I Know You?" - Sarah Chalke as Stella and Josh Radnor as Ted. Courtesy Eric McCandless/Fox

He doesn’t know the color of her eyes, the foods she is allergic to, her favorite color and most importantly what she thinks of his favorite movie.

In Ted’s quest to determine if Stella really is the woman he can spend the rest of his life with, he stages a movie watching session to determine how she reacts to Star Wars, his all time favorite movie.

Hilarity ensues as he watches her watch the movie.  In the end, Stella hates the movie, but tells Ted she loves it and in an ahhhhh moment confesses to Marshall that she’s comfortable with pretending to like Star Wars for the rest of her life if it means she can be with Ted.

But the scene immediately generated a conversation in our household.  What movie is so important to you that your significant other must like it if you two are to spend the rest of your lives together?

My husband immediately agreed with the Star Wars choice and added his favorite John Wayne movie, The Searchers – both of which, fortunately, I happen to like.

Then after a moment, he decides that it really is a wonder that he married me because his deal breaker movie is The Christmas Story. 

I quickly explain – you know my marriage is on the line here – that I do like that movie.  I just don’t feel the need to watch it for 24 hours straight.

My deal breaker is a little harder to define.  I know right off that any chick flick is out when talking to a guy.  If I go with my sick day movie, the movie I fall back on when I need cheering up or time to zone out, then I’d have to say The Lost Boys.

My husband will never watch the movie as often as I do.  And I can’t call it his favorite, but at least he didn’t boo at it.

I guess the morale of the story is that you don’t have to share the same favorite movies, but you do have to at least be able tolerate each other’s favorites.

So then, what movie is a deal breaker for you if your significant other doesn’t like it?  (Please say I’m not causing any divorces or break ups by asking this!)

Trailer for Lost Boys Sequel Promises to Raise the Stakes

Sleep all day.  Party all night.  Never grow old. Never die.

Every child of the ‘80s knows this tag line.  It’s from the cult hit The Lost Boys – one of my favorite guilty pleasures.

For the last 20 years, I have enjoyed the tale of Sam Emerson (Corey Haim) partnering with Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander) Frog to save his brother Michael (Jason Patric) from becoming a vampire and joining the likes of David (Keifer Sutherland) and his bloodsucking friends.

So when I heard about a sequel last April, you’d think I would have been ecstatic.  But then I read that it was going to be a direct-to-DVD release and involve surfing vampires.

Since I can’t recall ever being impressed by a direct-to video sequel and the thought of surfing vampires (I thought they couldn’t be in the sun) seemed absurd, I put The Lost Boys 2:  The Tribe out of my mind.

That is until I saw the trailer for the new movie.

The trailer looks like a second-generation of the first movie, complete with the Frog brothers to the rescue.  Sure the movie doesn’t look it’s going to score high in the originality category with blood being substituted for wine again and more vamps on motorcycles, but it still looks like a fun movie.

Besides the movie stars Autumn Reeser who I came to love as the chatty, but insecure Taylor Townsend that eventually wins the heart of Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) on The O.C.  I would enjoy seeing her again.

The Tribe picks up 21 years after its predecessor.  Feldman and Newlander reprise their roles as the Frog brothers, who have embraced their life as vampire slayers, becoming the leading authorities in their field (I’m not sure Buffy would agree).  In addition, word is that Haim will return as Sam, although he is not seen in the trailer. 

Recycled plot aside, the film links itself back to the original through character connections.

In the sequel, Sam’s niece and nephew lose their parents in a car accident.  Would that make Chris (Tad Hildenbrink) and Nicole (Reeser) Emerson Michael’s children?  I wonder if Star (Jami Getz) was their mom.

Needless to say, as orphans they are sent to live with their Aunt Jillian (Gabrielle Rose) in Luna Bay, another small seaside town.  I’m not sure who Jillian is – Sam’s wife or a maternal relative.  But either way, you can expect the brother-sister duo to run into an undead problem.

And who’s the big bad in this movie?  A vamp named Shane (Angus Sutherland, Keifer’s younger half-brother).  When Nicole falls under his spell, Chris turns to the Frog brothers for help.

Although the movie continues to be listed as direct-to-DVD, Feldman said in an interview with MTV that it hasn’t yet been decided whether it will be a theatrical or a DVD release.

If the movie does go to the theaters, although I think Feldman is just being optimistic, I’ll be shelling out my nine bucks.  I’m not really buying into the tag line “Raising the Stakes” and I know I’m probably in for a let down, but the thought of a Lost Boys franchise is so appealing.

The movie is currently scheduled for a July 2008 release.

So what do you think?  Is the movie worth seeing?

A Look at the new Speed Racer Trailers

I grew up around cars.  My father used to lull me to sleep as a child with a trip around the block in his dragster.  I spent many weekends during my youth at the racetrack.  So it’s no surprise I like television shows with great cars and, as a kid, liked a cartoon about a boy and his car – Speed Racer.

But in reality, I haven’t watched a Speed Racer cartoon in ages.  In fact, I’d forgotten all about the Mach 5 and Speed, Trixie and the gang until I heard that the Wachowski brothers, the duo behind the Matrix trilogy, were bringing the ‘60s Japanese anime to the big screen in a live action feature in May.

At the time, I was intrigued by the resurrection of a childhood favorite.  After seeing the two new international trailers just released, I am a lot more that intrigued.  I am eagerly anticipating the May 9 release date.

At let me tell you, from what I saw in the trailer, this movie isn’t the cartoon of my youth.  Wow!  If the trailers are any indication this movie is going to be action packed with a Mach 5 that will blow your mind.

And the characters are not stuck in the ‘60s either.  In fact, the Racer universe seems a bit futuristic and very colorful.

I’ve followed the casting news for the movie, but wasn’t sure how the actors where going to fill the shoes of the cartoon images.  Let’s just say, hats off to the casting and wardrobe because I was blown away the resemblances.

Emile Hirsh is perfect for the role of Speed, right down to the spit curl on his forehead.  Although Speed is a little older than I remember in the cartoon.  And Christina Ricci looked great as Speed’s loyal girlfriend, Trixie.

The Speed family is rounded out with John Goodman as Pops, Susan Sarandon as Ma and Paulie Litt as little brother Spittle.  Although we didn’t get to see him in the trailer Scott Porter will play Speed’s older brother, Rex and Kick Gurry will fill the shoes of the quirky mechanic, Sparky.

But we did get a look at Speed’s one-time nemesis, Matthew Fox as Racer X.  (Loyal fans of the series might have a question here.  But I don’t want to spoil the movie for newcomers, so let’s just say you’ve got to watch the movie to understand).

In the movie, Speed is going to team with Racer X to win the Crucible, a dangerous cross-country race that took the life of Rex.  But Speed has to do more than avenge his brother; he must defeat the rich and powerful Royalton (Roger Allam) who is behind the fixing of races and the plan to stop Speed at all costs.

This summer is going to be a very popular summer at the theater.

Are you looking forward to the Speed Racer movie?

Footage of New X-Files Movie Leaked

The new X-Files movie, due in theaters on July 25, might not have a title yet, but a teaser of footage from the movie was shown to fans this past weekend at WonderCon in San Francisco.

Here’s a look at the footage.

Even after watching the teaser several times, I’m no closer to guessing what the plot will be of the X-Files sequel.  And apparently Chris Carter provided no revelations in his interview with SciFi Wire.

Instead he reiterated that the film is a stand alone story that will not pick up where the last movie let off.  From the teaser, we know that Billy Connolly has joined the cast as a guy with really long hair and that Amanda Peet is an FBI agent who according to Carter has “gone missing.”

Carter does added that the movie will reflect the passage of time.  Apparently Fox Mulder (David Duchovany) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) have changed since when last saw them in 2002.

“The truth is, after all that time, Mulder and Scully were different people, and we were different people, so the ‘X-File’ we came up with five years ago is still the X-File in the movie, but their personal lives – the state of their relationship, all those things – have changed over time, and that was kind of interesting,” Producer/Writer Frank Spotnitz said.

I’m glad to see that Carter and Spotnitz are acknowledging the passing of time. 

While I’ve been monitoring the progress of the movie, I haven’t really been excited about it yet.  Six years is a long time to have been without X-Files.

But after watching the teaser, I’m ready to break out the DVD of the last movie and rent some of the series.  The countdown to July has begun.

Trailer for ‘Kingdom of Crystal Skull’ says Indiana Jones is Back!

The trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has me counting down the days until its release.

On May 22, the adventure will continue when Harrison Ford reprises his title role and teams up with Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Wiliams (Mutt?  Really?) in search of what else, the Crystal Skull.

What is the Crystal Skull?  Your guess is as good as mine.  But according to Wikipedia, as models of the human skull made entirely of quartz, crystal skulls are believed by some to have supernatural powers, including healing.  

While the trailer gives us little insight into the plot of the movie, it is no less exciting.  I, for one, am looking forward to seeing Jones swing back into action (literally if you watch the trailer) regardless of the specific plot.  After all, I haven’t been disappointed by Indiana Jones to date.

Also returning for the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise is Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, Jones’ squeeze from the first movie. 

Joining the cast is Cate Blanchett as Agent Irina Spalko.  Could she be a love interest for LaBeouf or a force to be reckoned with?  Also making an appearance is John Hurt as Abner Ravenwood.  Isn’t that Marion’s dead dad? 

Missing from the film are Jones’s dad Henry (Sean Connery) and curator Dr. Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott), according to imdb.com.  Let’s hope the additions can make of for these absences because Henry and Brody will be missed.

Although the parentage of LaBeouf’s character is still being debated (a Variety article says yes, a Vanity Fair article says no), you have to wonder if the name Mutt is a reference to Indy being named after a dog.

I just recently rewatched the trilogy with my aunt who had never seen the movies.  The Last Crusade remains my favorite film.  But after seeing the trailer, I have hopes of Crystal Skull.  May can’t get here soon enough.

New Talent or Seasoned Performers: A Closer Look at the ‘American Idol’ Top 12 Men

I’m fairly new to the American Idol fad, so forgive me if I get a few things wrong. I thought the purpose of American Idol was to find untapped talent. But looking at the line up of the Top 12 men I’m not seeing a lot of freshness.

Since the end of the auditions Ryan has touted this season’s crop as “the best it’s ever been.” With the amount of experience among this dozen men alone, it’s no wonder.

Of the Top 12, at least four of them have already made an album and another four have logged serious time performing on a stage. And one contender has done both.

Only three hopefuls appear to truly be untouched gems – Danny Noriega, Garrett Haley and Chikezie Eze. And with the competitive edge their opponents have I don’t see these three lasting long.

Here’s a little closer look at the experience of the Top 12.

David Archuleta

Before this 17-year-old auditioned in San Diego, he made his Idol debut singing for Season 1 hopefuls. Then in 2003 at the age of 12, this Utah native won the Star Search Junior Singer competition. You can check out his performance in this video.

Colton Berry

Although we’ve seen very little of this Virginian in the first two phases of Idol, Colton is no stranger to performing.  Not only has this 18-year-old been active in local theater, he’s performed in France four years ago at the French-American Gospel Music Workshop Exchange. In 2005, Colton competed, but did not win, on Showtime at the Apollo when the tour visited Charlottesville.

Robbie Carrico

Before auditioning in Miami, Robbie used to open for Britney Spears as a member of Boyz-N-Girlz, a pop band that got its break singing in a House of Blues in Orlando and went onto record two albums.  The 26-year-old went on to record three more albums with the alternative band Missing Picket.  Robbie must inherit his musical talents from his cousin, the legendary Patsy Cline.

Jason Castro

While Jason Catro might not have produced an album, the 20-year-old Texas is no stranger to singing in front of a crowd. You can catch a video of him performing live at The Prophet Bar.  As a drummer for the rock band Keeping Lions, Jason has opened for Cheyenne Kimball and starred in her self-titled MTV reality series.  Although I couldn’t find any albums by the band, its My Space page lists Secret Weapon Management as its record label.

David Cook

This Oklahoma-native had two albums with the rock band Axium under his belt before he headed to Omaha to audition for Idol. Here’s a video of the band’s performance.  Last year, David released his first solo album, ”Analog Heart.”

Chikezie Eze

As far as I can tell, this Californian’s biggest claim to fame is that he tried out for Idol last year and didn’t make it. It’ll be interesting to see how far the 22-year-old makes it this year.

Garrett Haley

This 17-year-old Ohioan remains a mystery. We know very little about him outside his San Diego audition and his Hollywood time.

David Hernadez

Although David might not have an album of his own, he’s been hanging out with Latin singer Jacob Madrid in New York. Here’s a video of the pair singing at rehearsal in New York. I’m not sure what they are rehearsing, maybe songs for Madrid’s debut album in which case David might be singing backup on this album.

Michael Johns

Before his San Diego audition, this Aussie performed with two bands – The Rising and Film – under the name Michael Lee.  While I couldn’t find an album produced by either band, Michel lists Dingo Lane as his record label on his MySpace page.

Luke Menard

Although we didn’t get to see much of this Crawfordsville, Indiana native (my hometown by the way) during the first two phases of Idol, he’s been getting plenty of stage time as a member of the a cappella group Chapter 6.  Not only has Luke toured nationally with the group, but together they have release four albums – two in college and two professionally – and have a handful of awards.

Danny Noriega

I can’t find much else in singing experience for this 18-year-old. In addition to his try out in San Diego, Danny also auditioned, but didn’t make it, last year.

Jason Yeager

Although he auditioned in Dallas, Jason has been spending his time in Branson, Missouri where he logged in some time at Country Tonite and as a back up singer for Shoji Tabuchi.

Now take a look at the Top 12 Women and their experience.

Review: Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is Simple Fun

I took the twins to see Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium this weekend, after all it’s the only G-rated movie out this season.  It was a nice simple family-friendly movie.

The store itself is the real star.  The kind of toy store we all wished for as kids, the emporium is alive with magic that delights children of all ages.  I think my favorite thing in the store was the Big Book.  You just asked the book for what you wanted and if the store had it, it would appear.  If only I could have one of those books to organize my house, life would be so much easier.  The magical door was pretty cool too.  Turn the dial to select which room you wanted and it would be there when you opened the door.  What a cool way to expand your house when space is an issue? 

But if the store is alive then it has feelings too.  And we see those feelings come out when the store loses its owner.

The emporium is owned by the eccentric Mr. Magorium, delightfully portrayed by Dustin Hoffman.  A self-proclaimed toy impresario, magic aficionado and avid shoe wearer, Magorium, at the ripe old age of 243, has lived a full life.  And now that he has worn through his last pair of his favorite shoes, Magorium has decided it’s time for him to go. 

He wants to leave the emporium to Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman).  Mahoney loves the emporium and has managed it for years embracing the magic that it holds.  But believing in magic is not Mahoney’s problem.  Mahoney lacks faith in herself.  Faith she needs to complete her first composition.  Once a child musical phenomenon, Mahoney hasn’t yet lived up to her potential.

But Magorium has plenty of faith in Mahoney to take over the store.  But first his must get the store’s paperwork in order so he hires Henry Weston (Jason Bateman), an accountant to settle his affairs.  As unconventional as they come, Mr. Magorium refers to Henry as mutant since his definition of accountant is a counting mutant.  Unbothered by this nickname, Henry is all business.  He has no time for pretend or anything else associated with the store except its paperwork.

And then there’s the hat collector.  Eric Applebaum (Zach Mills) is nine years old.  He has very few friends and spends all his spare time at the emporium.  But this kid is a believer, a true whiz with the toys and the only one who truly seems to “get” Mr. Magorium.

Now when Mahony and the emporium find out about Magorium’s plans, neither are willing to accept his decision gracefully.

I truly enjoyed the movie, but was not wowed by it.  And when the emporium goes gray, the twins lost interest quickly.   The story itself flows well at that point, but there just wasn’t much here to capture the little ones attention.

The story itself seems a little confused as to who it is really about — the enigmatic Magorium, the timid Mahoney, the non-believer Henry or the delightful Eric.  Personally, I was expecting more about Eric’s story since he seems to be Magorium’s true prodigy, even a younger version of Magorium himself. 

Overall, Mr. Magorium’s is a nice sweet simple tale.  Nothing spectacular, but a cute movie nonetheless.  If you go in with these expectations, you’ll be fine.

At the end one twin was applauding and was was ready to go so I’d say they gave it one thumb up and one thumb down.

Preview of 2007 Family-Friendly Holiday Season Movies

With the Writer’s Guild of America on strike and all our favorite television shows going dark, the place to be this holiday season for a little entertainment is the theater.   The holiday season on the big screen is fairing up pretty nicely as an option for family outings to include not only some holiday-themed movies, but some other fun family films.

Again, like this summer, I am surprised to only find one G-rated movie.  Even the chipmunks got a PG rating this year.  The list of family films this season includes only 1 1/2 animated films.  I counted Disney’s unique offering, Enchanted, as half since it’s half animation and half live action.

Without further delay, here’s a rundown by release date:

Bee Movie
In this animated feature, Barry Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) decides he can’t be like his best friend Adam Flyman (Matthew Broderick) and settle for a typical life in the hive making honey.  But when he set out to discover the rest of the world, he had no idea what an adventure it would be.  Along the way, Barry makes a few new friends, including Mooseblood (Chris Rock), a mosquito headed to Alaska, and a human named Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellweger).  But with adventure comes mishap and Barry and Vanessa find themselves racing against time to saved the flowers.  For a full review, click here.

Rated PG for mild suggestion humor and a brief depiction of humor.  View Trailer at www.beemovie.com.  Release Date:  Currently in theaters. 

Fred Claus
Every family has its black sheep.  In the Claus family, it’s Fred (Vince Vaughn), Nicholas’s (Paul Giamatti) older brother.  When Fred’s shady dealings finally land him in jail, Santa steps in to bail his brother out, offering him a job in his toy workshop.  Can this sheep change the color of is wool?  Or will Fred’s antics jeopardize not only his relationship with Nicholas, but the whole Christmas holiday? Kathy Bates stars as Mother Clause and Rachel Weisz is Wanda.

Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor.  View Trailer at fredclaus.warnerbros.com.  Release Date:  Currently in theaters.

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
What throws a worse tantrum than a toddler who has lost his favorite toy?  A toy store that has lost its favorite owner.  Mr. Magoriums’ Wonderl Emporium is a delightfully magic place or at least it was until its 245-year-old owner Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) leaves the store to his timid manager Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman).  Together with the help of the doubtful accountant Henry (Jason Bateman) and a nine-year-old (Zach Mills), Molly must find the magic to keep the store alive.  For a full review, click here.

Rated G.  View the trailer at www.magorium.com.  Release Date:  November 16

August Rush
This drama follows the young and musically talented August Rush (Freddie Highmore) on his search to find his parents — Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a Irish singer and guitarist, and Loyla Novacek (Keri Russell), a privileged cellist with an overprotective father (William Sadler).  Drawn together by their love of music, Louis and Loyla had shared one magical night together in New York 12 years ago, but due to an unfortunate turn of event the two were separated from each other and August.  Living on the street and under the protection of the Wizard (Robin Williams), August is determined to find his parents through his music.  Terrence Howard stars as social worker Richard Jeffries. 

Rated PG for thematic elements, mild violence and language.  View the trailer at augustrushmovie.warnerbros.com.  Release Date:  November 21.

Christmas in Wonderland
Patrick Swayze stars in the comedy as Wayne Saunders, a father who moves his three kids from to LA to Edmonton, where the kids think they’ll die of boredom.  But they are in for the adventure of a lifetime when they head to West Edmonton Mall for some Christmas shopping, but find a bag of counterfeit money instead.

Rated PG for rude humor.  View the trailer at christmasinwonderland.com.  Release date:  November 21

Enchanted
What happens when a fairytale comes true — or in Enchanted‘s case, comes alive?  We find out when the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) pushes an animated Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) down a well and she winds up in modern day New York in living color.  Will the gritty streets of New York change Giselle’s romantic look on life?  Will Giselle trade her storybook prince, Edward (James Marsden), for a real life romance with Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a handsome lawyer?

Rated PG for scary images and mild innuendo.  View the trailer at enchantedmovie.com.  Release date:  November 21

The Golden Compass
Based on Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy, this fantasy follows Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards), a rebellious orphan, on her quest through a parallel word full of shape-shifting creatures and witches to find her best friend, Roger (Ben Walker), who has been kidnapped by the government for experiments.  But with the coming war, Lyra might be destined to save more than her friend — her world and all the parallel worlds connected to it.  Daniel Craig stars as her explorer uncle, Lord Asriel, and Nicole Kidman is his colleague, Mrs. Coulter.

Not Yet Rated.  View the trailer a www.goldencompassmovie.com.  Release date:  December 7

The Perfect Holiday
Narrated by Queen Latifah, this sweet little tale is about Emily (Khail Bryant), the youngest of three children, whose only Christmas wish is for her single mom, Nancy (Gabrielle Union), to be happy.  So she asks Santa for the one thing she overhears her mom wish for — a nice normal man.  Benjamin (Morris Chestnut), an aspiring songwriter working as the mall Santa, is more than happy to fulfill this Christmas wish.

Rated PG for brief language and some suggestive humor.  View the trailer at www.theperfectholidaymovie.com.  Release date:  December 12

Alvin and the Chipmunks
A live action/CGI version of the 1980s cartoon about how songwriter David Seville (Jason Lee) turns three chipmunks — Alvin, Simon and Theodore — into pop stars while the trio turns David’s house and life upside down.  Fun fact: the Chipmunks were named after Liberty Records executives — Alvin Bennett, Simon Waronker, and Theodore Keep.

Rated PG for rude humor.  View the trailer at www.alvinandthechipmunksmovie.com.  Release date:  December 14

National Treasure:  Book of Secrets
A highly anticipated sequel to the 2004 hit, Book of Secrets promises even more intrigue and action as Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) sets out to defend his family name when a missing page from John Wilkes Booth’s diary reappears and implicates Ben’s great-great-great grandfather in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  Look for more mysteries and puzzles as Ben and his crew travel to Paris and London before returning to the states.  Jon Voight reprises his role as Ben’s father, Patrick.  Also returning is Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase, Ben’s love interest from the first movie.

Rated PG for some violence and action.  View the trailer at nationaltreasure.com.  Release date:  December 21

The Water Horse:  Legend of the Deep
Discover the magical beginning of one of Scotland’s most famous legends when a young boy discovers a very unique egg, one that takes him on an enchanted journey when it hatches into a water horse.  Walden Media, the company that brought you the Chronicles of Narnia, promises another fantastical tale.

Rated PG for action/peril, mild language and brief smoking.  View the trailer at thewaterhorse.com.  Release date:  December 25

Well I think I can find several good options to fill the lulls in my holiday shopping schedule.  Hope you find one or two you enjoy too.  See you in the concession lines!

Review: The Buzz on Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie

Does Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie live up to the buzz that he and NBC have been generating for what seems like months?  This Queen Bee decided to leave the hive and take my little bees to their first premiere to see just how sweet Bee Movie really was?

Fresh out of college, Barry Benson (Seinfeld) has the whole world in front of him, or at least a single job making honey in his hive.  But unlike his best buddy Adam Flyman (Matthew Broderick), Barry is unwilling to settle for a life of honey production.  When Barry sets out on an adventure to discover the rest of the world, he meets Mooseblood (Chris Rock), a mosquito heading to Alaska, and ends up befriending a human.  Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellweger), a New York florist, becomes an unlikely companion sharing her passion for nature with Barry.  Together the pair must rescue the world’s flowers.

The Bee Movie brings life in the hive alive.  Who knew a bee’s life could be so much like a human’s — cars, parents, school, jobs?    The movie starts with Barry leaving the hive for the first time on what is literally a high flying adventuring.  The animation during the opening sequence is so great you get a bee’s-eye view soaring through the air with Barry and the Pollen Jocks (What can I say?  Every society has its class structure.)

My two-year-old twins were especially delighted during this first third of the movie.  I heard little cries of “weeeee” from my son as he stalled with a handful of popcorn midway to his mouth to watch Barry’s adventure in the big city.

My daughter was just as mesmerized as she peeked through her fingers covering her eyes exclaiming during on of Barry’s less majestic moments of flight “Mommy, he fall.  No Look.” (translated: Mommy, he’s going to fall.  I can’t look.)

Things slow down a bit during the middle of the movie as Barry sets his plan to change the world in motion.   This portion of the movie is filled with an array of star cameos and one-liners that resulted in laughs disproportionally from the adults (don’t worry; nothing inappropriate for the kids).

At this point the twins each moved to a parent’s lap and concentrated on their twizzlers.  Although not nearly as captivated as in the beginning of the movie, to my delight, my little ones were still buzzing with interest.  It takes a lot to keep a toddler’s interest for 90 minutes.

After Barry learns the consequences of his success at changing the world, the story gains momentum as Barry and Vanessa set out to save the day with a little help from his friends (the advantage of living in a hive — lots of friends). 

As a big fan of the Disney animation, I’m used to being hit over the head with the morale lesson.  But I’m not sure what the lesson was from this film.  My two guesses — be careful what you wish for or take care of the environment.

Either way, I did learn one new fact about bees that I didn’t know — they can’t fly in the rain.

Overall, a good tale, nicely done.  For me, Patrick Warburton, the only other Seinfeld alum (Putty) in the movie stole the show as the narcissistic Ken, Vanessa’s boyfriend who is edged out of her life by Barry.  And although his screen time is minimal, Chris Rock was hilarious as the blood-sucking Mooseblood.

I have to admit that I’m not a huge Jerry Seinfeld fan.  If I hadn’t been given free tickets, I probably would not have gone to see this movie and that would’ve been a shame.  I highly recommend the movie especially if you have little ones.  This movie will definitely be added to our collection when it comes out on DVD.

The twins’ verdict?  Two thumbs up.