Movie Reviews

Guest MOVIE REVIEW: The Bourne Legacy

22 August 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

A few weeks back, my husband had the opportunity to attend a screening of Universal Pictures The Bourne Legacy – here’s his review of the film:

The Bourne Legacy is a good movie, and good addition to the Bourne franchise. It can best be reviewed by breaking the movie down into…The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. WARNING: The Ugly contains spoilers.

The Good:
Tony and Dan Gilroy do a great job of working the story seamlessly into the previous Bourne trilogy of movies; fitting the story into the events of the third movie. Jeremy Renner and Ed Norton are amazing in their roles and really stand out in an amazing cast. Renner, in particular, is very believable as Aaron Cross and pulls off the roll with ease.

The Bad
Tony Gilroy directing was just…bad. In one of the opening scenes of the film, two people are talking in a small office. The camera, for some inexplicable reason, “helicopters” around them as they are talking, producing a motion sick feeling that will leaving you needing Dramamine. The rest of the movie is okay directorally until the climatic car chase at the end. This scene looks and feels like it was directed by my 4yo, with my 92yo grandfather working the camera. There is a lot of fast action, but the camera always seems to be zoomed in on a random car bumper, or unaware passenger.

The Ugly
I really liked the movie, and the storyline of a failed government project that is trying to swept under the carpet is riveting. However, toward the middle of the movie you realize that Aaron Cross doesn’t know he’s being hunted down, in fact all he is looking for is more “chems” (the government supplied drugs that make you stronger and faster). The movie proceeds with Aaron trying to save the life of a doctor in order to obtain more drugs, not realizing he is the one being hunted. Then the bomb drops…figuratively. It is revealed that Aaron is only looking for the “smart” drug because his iq test results on his entrance exams were pumped up by his recruiter, thus making him, in his pre-drug state, 12 iq points below normal…and he doesn’t want to go back to that. So basically the moral of Aaron’s crisis is, it’s not good to be…well…not smart. I felt not smart after realizing that was the guiding force behind the plot; he didn’t know he was trying to stay alive, he just didn’t want to be dumb.

All together, the movie was a great addition to the Bourne franchise and very fun to watch…it just won’t make you smarter. – J.F. DiMarzio

The Bourne Legacy opened in theatres August 10

REVIEW: The Odd Life of Timothy Green – A Heartwarming Instant Classic

5 August 2012 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

I was almost reluctant to attend a media screening of Disney’s The Odd Life of Timothy Green, simply because I knew it would be a tear-jerker. Since I cry at the drop of a hat (just watching or listening to other people’s kids at Walt Disney World makes me tear up all the time, in addition to, of course, my own), I knew I was in for it when the premise was a couple who dreamt up the perfect child and he appeared in the garden one night. That said, I still wanted to see exactly what happened and where the story took us.

The tale unfolds in fictional Stanleyville, the “Pencil Capital of the World.” Filmed in Georgia, the town represents “Anywhere, U.S.A.,” bringing us back to a simpler time and place. The couple, Jim and Cindy Green, played by Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner, work in the small town’s pencil factory and pencil museum respectively. They live in an adorable farmhouse, and seem to want for nothing – except for the fact that despite trying everything they could, they were unable to conceive a child they so desperately wanted. Cindy handles her grief by wanting to just move on and put the pain behind them, while Jim decides that they need to write down qualities that they’d want their dream child to have. They laugh and cry together as they create this perfect little person on paper, then put the papers in a box and bury it in the garden. That night a crazy storm arrives and with it, Timothy – an 11-ish year old boy who appears with leaves on his legs, wanting to call the Greens “Mom and Dad.”

Click to watch the trailer.Once the shock wears off and they realize that this is, in fact, the child they dreamed of, the real parenting begins. The film then brings us on a journey of life lessons, laughter, and heart, as we all fall in love with Timothy. Of course, Timothy Green is no ordinary child. In addition to the leaves, which his parents hide with socks, warning him that not everyone will understand, he also stands with arms raised when the sun shines, seeming to soak in its rays and be rejuvenated by them. In this way, I was reminded of the movie Powder, where someone so different arrived on the scene and everyone was able to learn from his differences. Timothy’s odd behavior attracts the attention of a girl who also feels different, and the two form a lovely relationship full of friendship, love and beauty.

The overall tone of the movie reminded me of classics like Big, a film which I love watching because of the feeling of “home” you get and the lessons the characters learn along the way. Timothy Green is no exception, leaving us fondly remembering childhoods and family, and giving us messages of hope and love. The performances within the film are wonderful as well, CJ Adams as Timothy is just captivating and will own your heart. We can all identify with the various characters portrayed, from annoying bosses to competitive siblings to parents we don’t want to emulate, making the film relateable to all.

There are some details I won’t give away here, but I can definitely see The Odd Life of Timothy Green becoming a family classic. We are left remembering what’s truly important in this life, and, parent or not, how we treat others becomes how we live our lives. I definitely recommend watching it with family and friends, and hugging when it’s all over.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green opens August 15 in theatres everywhere. You can “Like” The Odd Life of Timothy Green on Facebook or Follow The Odd Life of Timothy Green on Twitter.

Treasure Planet and Home on the Range Now on Blu-ray

15 July 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

I’m always thrilled when Disney releases more of its feature animated films on Blu-ray, because I know it means the best quality picture, and I usually get to introduce my children to a film they either hadn’t seen or have forgotten about. In this case, Treasure Planet was one of my oldest son’s favorites back when it came out. It was one of the first Disney films he wanted to watch on repeat daily. He just loved the characters and was at the perfect age to get attached to them. Home on the Range was actually one of my daughter’s favorites when it was released as well. She loved the yodeling scene and the horse, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. While neither movie may have received critical acclaim and they aren’t my personal favorites, they represent a part of Disney history and certainly, like my children, built fans with their release.

That said, both films look spectacular on Blu-ray. There are some scenes that seem to just be made for this technology and the backgrounds and colors are just fantastic. The Bonus Features for Home on the Range are: Audio Commentary; animated short “A Dairy Tale: The Three Little Pigs;” 4 Deleted Scenes; Music Video; Trailblazers: The Making-of “Home on the Range;” Art Review; YodelMentary; Joke Corral: Herd of Jokes. On Treasure Planet the Bonus Features are: Deleted Scenes; RLS Legacy: Virtual 3D Tour & Treasure Hunt; DisneyPedia: The Life of a Pirate Revealed; Visual Commentary and More!

If you are looking to complete your Disney film library, of course these are must-haves, I think Home on the Range is worth it for the yodeling scene alone and Treasure Planet for the amazing space special effects scenes. They are available July 10 on Blu-ray:

Add them to your collection today!

Pixar Short “La Luna” – A Heartwarming Tale Of Generations

18 June 2012 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Tin Toy the very first Pixar short I saw back in the early 1990’s when I’d attend animation festivals in Boston. I fell in love with their ability to pull you in to the story and tug at your heartstrings. Who else could show you a silly wind-up toy or a bunch of snow globes and you would suddenly feel for them and care about their situations? Since that first short film, Pixar has continued the tradition, obviously branching out into feature films but not leaving the short film medium behind. It’s wonderful to see how far they’ve come both as a company and the technology of animation itself.

With each new Disney/Pixar feature film, I anticipate the short which precedes it almost as much as the actual movie and La Luna was no exception after seeing this clip:

La Luna is visually stunning as well, a perfect appetizer for Brave, which is a feast for the eyes. There are no words spoken in La Luna, but none are needed as communication is achieved while spanning generation gaps. Just as Brave highlights the mother-daughter bond we so rarely see in Disney films, La Luna shines a light (pun intended I guess) on three generations of men: son, father, and grandfather. It is a wonderful commentary on letting children discover their own path, make their own choices, and reap the rewards of their own hard work. A simply beautiful tale, which yes, brought me to tears. (This may be because my own littlest son, Giovanni, looks so much like the little boy, Bambino, in the film, but I’d like to think it’s just that great of a short film!)

The musical score by Michael Giacchino is a perfect accompaniment, as usual. La Luna now holds my choice for best Pixar short. Directed by Enrico Casarosa and produced by Kevin Reher, La Luna appears before Brave, which opens everywhere this Friday, June 22. Enjoy!

Spoiler-Free REVIEW of Disney-Pixar’s #Brave-A Role Model is Born

15 June 2012 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Since first hearing about a fiery redheaded girl who could shoot a bow and arrow, I knew I would love this movie – Brave. Last year, we were treated to a preview at the D23 Expo in Anaheim and I’ve been waiting impatiently ever since to see the full film. The anticipation has been being built up through the various trailers, promotions in and out of the parks, merchandise, and of course, the Princess Merida character meet and greets opening on both coasts. With all of this hype, I did worry that perhaps I wouldn’t love it as much as I hoped. Those fears were soon put at ease with just the opening sequence.

The color palette, the sweeping landscapes, and the music all set the stage for an epic tale. From the start, we are shown the importance of family and the strength of Merida’s family bond. That same bond later becomes conflict as Merida’s mother, Queen Elinor grooms her for her role as future queen and choosing a prince to marry. Merida, who grew up idolizing her father’s bravery and strength in battle, has other ideas about her future and her fate. As the previews tell us, Merida seeks to change her fate and be more than just a betrothed princess. The will-o-the-wisps come in to play and lead Merida to the ultimate choice. I won’t give anything away, but the results of her choice take us on an action-packed adventure.

Merida Will-o-the-Wisps — Merida meets a Wisp ©2012 Disney/Pixar

In addition to the breathtaking animation, we are treated to a rarity in a Disney film, a positive, yet still realistic mother-daughter relationship. Merida tries so hard to be her own person, in charge of her own life and make her own choices, but at the end of the day, she is still her mother’s daughter, and needs her. I loved that she still had that vulnerability and as a mother and a daughter myself, it was something I loved seeing on screen. I left the theater truly grateful for this portrayal of motherly love from Disney and Pixar. For so long, we saw evil stepmothers, no mother figure at all, or thin storylines that left us wanting more. We finally got a human, mother-daughter bond with Brave.

I would like to think the storyline, the amount of action, and gorgeous animation allows anyone to relate to Brave and Merida’s story, however my husband was not as big of a fan as I was. He did think it was beautiful, though. He actually didn’t like being emotionally manipulated by the storyline in Toy Story 3 either, so there’s that. Me, I’m a sap, and I fully own that. I cry if a kitten meows too sweetly, so of course I’m going to get emotional with the writing Pixar is famous for. That said, I don’t think Brave was too sappy, I don’t think it was manipulative with its plot, I think it was just perfect (is perfect too strong an accolade?).

Most importantly, as a mother of a tween daughter, Merida represents a strong, positive role model. She is stubborn and wants to get her way, but not in a whiny, annoying fashion, and she learns and grows from the challenges she faces. And perhaps best of all – she doesn’t settle for what’s expected of her lot in life. As parents, isn’t that what we all want for our children? To give them the comforts and tools they need to both be happy and make the best decisions they can? Disney and Pixar nailed that important lesson and I’m thrilled future generations now have Merida as a role model.

Brave bear cubs — These Bear Cubs stole the show for a bit, in a creepy, The Shining kind of way… ©2012 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

At the same time, Merida is a nontraditional princess, apart from her sapphire blue eyes. She has wild, unruly red hair, freckles, she hates wearing tight prissy dresses, and worrying about manners. In a time when little girls aspire to dress up in heels with full make-up and attempt perfection, Merida stands proudly for all the little girls that may look or act a little different, but are no less beautiful, inside and out. Again, I am grateful for these choices that Disney supported.

And for those with absolutely no interest in girls or princesses, there is quite a bit of action, dark and scary scenes and even violence. Brave was given a PG rating for a reason, so parents with small children be warned. I was concerned there would be too much emphasis on slap-stick humor with the clans vying for Merida’s hand and the trouble-making little triplet brothers, but it was just the right balance, especially with so many powerful action scenes mixed in.

Another wonderful part of its masterpiece was the lovely score and soundtrack. I will definitely be buying the Brave original soundtrack when it’s released on June 19. So beautiful. I whole-heartedly recommend Brave and think it is a powerful addition to the Disney-Pixar family of films. Brave opens June 22 in theaters everywhere. I cannot wait to see Brave again and know it will be my favorite for quite some time.

Disclaimer: I was provided free passes to see a screening of Brave with my family but as with all reviews, my opinions were my own and not affected.

GIVEAWAY – JOHN CARTER Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack [CLOSED]

12 June 2012 by Suzannah Otis 32 Comments

It’s no secret that I love John Carter. Now that John Carter is available on DVD and Blu-ray, there are even more cool things to discover about the movie and film-making process. Along with bonus footage, interviews, and bloopers, Disney’s Second Screen allows you to learn all sorts of behind-the-scenes secrets and facts. Check out the video below from director Andrew Stanton about how Second Screen works:

Here’s another video with commentary from Jon Favreau and others about the influence of John Carter over the years with the science fiction genre. The Edgar Rice Burrows classic series has been a passion of director Andrew Stanton for years, but he’s not alone in his love for this story.

If you haven’t yet seen the film, I urge you to run out and purchase the DVD or Blu-ray. It truly is a classic and my kids love it as well. Thanks to Disney, I’m also proud to be giving away a Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack of John Carter. I’m going to make it super easy to enter – simply leave a comment below sharing what you’re most looking forward to when you see John Carter – or, if you’ve already seen it, what you loved the most. That’s it! Giveaway closed.

[If you’d like to share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter, I’d love and appreciate it! Just let me know where you’ve shared it in a comment too so I can count that as an extra entry.]

Giveaway ends June 19, 2012 at 11:59pm EDT

REVIEW: Marvel’s The Avengers Lives Up to the Hype For Fans and Newbies

1 May 2012 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

I must confess, I am sort of a half-hearted comic book geek-girl. I never really got into superhero comics, but I certainly grew up reading others. My summers were filled with Archie and Jughead comics, peppered with Casper the Friendly Ghost and Donald Duck for good measure. I’ve also always enjoyed superhero movies, but never been obsessed with them as others have. The Batman series and the drama that always surrounded the new actors or directors caught my eye, but Iron Man is what really made me a fan. Robert Downey Jr. brought humanity and hilarity to that character and made the film accessible to all level of Marvel fans.

When I attended the D23 Expo last August and learned more about the Marvel history, along with pretty much the entire cast of The Avengers walking out on stage and giving us a preview of the movie (twice), my interest and excitement was piqued. Then, time got in the way and we really hadn’t seen any of the other Marvel films, aside from the first Iron Man. Knowing this screening was coming up, my husband and I went on an Avengers movie-watching spree and got caught up on the franchise. [We still have to see Hulk, but I feel like his story was the easiest to catch up on within The Avengers.]

If you need to catch up on the story behind The Avengers, here’s a featurette which will tell you more, including commentary from Joss Whedon and the actors.

In tweeting about our movie marathon, folks would reply with their favorite Avenger film, and in the case of my Avengers giveaway, everyone seems to have a different favorite character. After seeing almost all of the movies, I still cannot choose a favorite! I love Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr. and think his acerbic wit will always keep him close to my heart, but I also found myself really appreciating the story of Captain America and how his character as a man made him who he was, even before the shot of power he received. And then Thor, who doesn’t appreciate an arrogant heir apparent getting the lesson of humility and humanity (while being quite easy on the eyes at the same time)? So still, even after seeing Marvel’s The Avengers, I cannot choose a favorite character. And perhaps that is why The Avengers is such an amazing film. There truly is something for everyone, and if your favorite is in trouble, another Avenger will be there to help him (or her) out.

Marvel's The Avengers — Iron Man and Captain America are reluctant but eventual partners

All of my thoughts aside, I felt the best person to write this review was my husband, a true comic book geek and fan with very pronounced opinions on the subject. I will just add my own thoughts that I think Joss Whedon‘s writing is the true star. The banter and one-liners within the film are reminiscent of every show Whedon has written, and that is what has created such fanboys and girls who think he can do no wrong. I’m there with them now. I think he got it and the audience in our screening appreciated it, as did we. We learned so much more about S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers themselves and watching their alliance unfold before us was a treat. Loki is a great opponent and several times throughout the plot, just when I thought I knew what he was going to do, he surprised me. The ending battle when the Avengers had realized how powerful they were as a team, was full of non-stop action, laughs, and cheers. I left the film excited to see it again and anticipating the next Avengers installment. I cannot think of another superhero film that left me feeling that way. And now that I’ve said my piece, here are my husband, J.F. DiMarzio‘s more in-depth thoughts:

[Warning: some spoilers ahead!]

…

If you are a fan of Marvel’s Avengers you are going to have many reasons to love this movie. If you are not a fan of Marvel’s Avengers, there are still reasons why you are going to love this movie.

Avengers is the culmination of 5 movies worth of set up. The Hulk, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America were all the set up for this comic book nerd’s dream. Joss Whedon was the perfect pick to helm the single most important comic book movie to date. His use of humor fit in perfectly with the story. Fans of Firefly or Buffy will feel right at home with the wit of Joss Whedon (there is even a subtle nod to Firefly as Black Widow swears in Chinese under her breath).

So, what makes this movie so great? This is going to be hard to answer with giving away some spoilers. Be forewarned.

Diehard comic book fans can relax, knowing that their beloved Avengers franchise was handled by someone who loves the characters and the story just as much as they do with the very opening scene. The first moments reveal a Skrull. Joss Whedon makes it clear he knows what he is doing, by using the Skrull as the major force of evil in the movie. The best part of using the Skrull is that he doesn’t even stop to introduce them. For the fans this means no boring backstories to sit through. Whedon unapologetically jumps right into the Avengers’ storyline letting the 5 previous movies provide all of the setup. The best part of this approach is that even if you do not know who the Skrull are, you do not feel left out; you quickly accept that this is “a bad guy” and you move on.

Where Whedon’s talents really shine are in how he incorporated each member of the Avengers’ abilities and was able to resolve the plot by giving each hero a specific goal to accomplish. If each goal is not achieved, the team fails. In this way, I cannot point to one Avenger and say “If it wasn’t for X they would have lost.” By doing this, much of the intra-team bickering and frailty that was present in the comics is intact in the film.

Going into the film, I was worried about three things; how would Captain America be handled in the present day, how would the 4th Hulk in as many films come across, and would we have to suffer through more painful Thor love story? Two and a half out of three isn’t bad at all.

Captain America feels totally out of place, as he should. You see that he is uncomfortable, and very much trying to find his way in a world that he is not familiar with. Some of the funniest gaffes of the movie come from this “fish out of water” scenario.

As for the Hulk, Mark Ruffalo does the best job he can playing a character that had already be messed up by three other actors. While this is by far the BEST adaptation of Hulk, it is Whedon’s treatment of Bruce Banner that is lacking. He is portrayed as almost savant-like and at one point even walks around wringing his hands à la Rainman. This is, in the grand scheme of the things, a very small complaint – and the only flaw I could find with the movie.

Finally there is no Thor love story. Rather, there is a very quick mention of Jane Foster as having been “moved to safety”.

So, how do you top a movie like this? The closing credits. Fans of the series know that little Easter eggs lay after the credits in the previous films, and the Avengers, by far, has the best one. If you do not want to have the secret spoiled, stop reading now.

THOR (Chris Hemsworth) (L) and CAPTAIN AMERICA (Chris Evans) (R) — Thor and Captain America prepare for battle

******

As a set up for, presumably, the next Avengers film, the credits end with the camera back on the Skrull. This time they are talking to a new character. Comic book fans will immediately recognize the figure and squeal with delight just as Thanos comes into frame. Does this mean that next Avengers movie will include the Infinity Gauntlet? Will we see Doctor Strange? Silver Surfer? Spiderman? What do you think?

…

In summary, as if you needed a reminder – go see Marvel’s The Avengers. You will not be disappointed. It is as close to a perfect action film as I’ve ever seen and supporting the franchise will equal more great sequels in the future. Avengers, assemble!

Tween Movie Must-Sees: Geek Charming and The Three Musketeers

26 March 2012 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

I love sharing movie reviews of films I love, such as Disney classics or newly released masterpieces. Sometimes there are a few that aren’t exactly Oscar-worthy, but are still fun DVDs to have in stock – especially if you have a tween or teen in the house and need to keep them and their friends entertained. Two such cases are the recent DVD releases of Geek Charming and The Three Musketeers. I thought I’d give you a quick review of each.

First let me say that I have a soft spot for all teen-angst/coming of age films, so I was actually excited to sit down and watch Geek Charming with my daughter. I also love the actress in the lead roll on Modern Family (Sarah Hyland), so I was looking forward to see her in a feature-length film. Geek Charming is the classic coming of age story of: girl has old friends, girl makes new popular friends, girl sees the error of her ways and it all works out in the end. Sort of a Clueless-meets-Mean Girls, with a Disney twist. My daughter loved it, I thought it was cute…if you have a tween girl, she’ll want it!

Check out a clip below:

Next up is The Three Musketeers. When I saw the trailers for this movie, I was super excited to see it. I’m a sucker for 17th century France, what can I say. I never did get around to seeing it in theatres, but was happy when the DVD arrived in the mail to review. When it did arrive, my daughter was the one who couldn’t wait, since it featured Logan Lerman from Percy Jackson. Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich didn’t hurt either. 😉

As predicted, she loved the film. I wasn’t really that impressed with the acting, but the special effects and costumes made it worth watching alone. You can tell by the ending of the film that they were probably hoping to capitalize off of this franchise into a series, but I’m not sure that the box office returns supported that hope. Either way, the two films together make for great must-watch films for a tween or teen sleepover or party and are great to have on hand for family-friendly viewing.

Here’s a clip with the lovely Milla Jovovich:

Both films are now available on DVD or Blu-Ray. Thank you to Disney, who provided me with DVDs to review.

It’s Actually Pretty Easy Being Green. Muppets DVD Review + Soundtrack Giveaway!

19 March 2012 by Suzannah Otis 26 Comments

I feel as though of all the DVD/Blu-ray reviews I do here on Zannaland, this one – The Muppets, is probably the most unnecessary of all. (I know, I’m a great promoter 😉 ) Everyone I’ve talked to or shown a photo of the dvd to, has said “Oh, we can’t wait to pick that up!” It’s not so hard being green, but it may be hard finding someone that didn’t love The Muppets in theatres and doesn’t plan on purchasing the dvd!

If you need to remember why you loved the movie so much, The Muppets have come up with another of their great spoof videos, this time taking on the epic Hunger Games film. Another masterpiece!

Still not convinced? I’ll go over some of the fun bonus features, if you still need any convincing. In fact, the Muppets themselves have commented on some of contents of the releases!

One of my favorites includes “The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think).” The release also includes the hilarious featurette “A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through,” which follows Jason Segel, Kermit, The Great Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and others as they get ready for the first day of production, and much more fun.

“Blu-ray is a great way to bring the Muppets into your home without having to worry about cleaning up after us,” said Kermit the Frog, commenting on the announcement. “And the behind-the-scenes extras are a revealing tell-all look at what it took to bring our movie to the big screen. It’s a must-see for fans of bloopers, flubs and slip-ups – which pretty much describes our act.”

Miss Piggy is equally thrilled at the movie’s Blu-ray release, “Now you can watch moi whenever you want! Ooh! Lucky vous!”

Additional fun-filled features on Disney’s “The Muppets” Blu-ray include a groundbreaking industry first — ‘Disney Intermission,’ a hilarious all-new feature that allows viewers to press Pause on their remote control and watch as the Muppets take over the screen and entertain until the movie resumes playing. We actually found that by accident and thought it was priceless. The release also includes “Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song,” an extended version of the rollicking rap song by villain Tex Richman (Academy Award winner Chris Cooper) who provides the hilarious backstory of why he hates the Muppets. Audio commentaries with screenwriter and star Jason Segel, director James Bobin and screenwriter Nicholas Stoller are also included.

So in short, what are you waiting for? Order now, go pick it up tomorrow, run, don’t walk to get your DVD or Blu-ray or Digital Download! We were sent a free copy of the Wocka Wocka Value Pack, which is what I recommend. It comes with the traditional DVD, the Blu-ray, Digital Download to upload it to your computer or iPad, and a code to download The Muppets soundtrack.

Since I already purchased the soundtrack when it came out, I’d love to pass this code on to a lucky reader here.

Here’s how to enter to win:

Comment below with your favorite Muppet character.

Extra Entries – tweet about the giveaway: “ I just entered to win The Muppets soundtrack download from @zannaland at Zannaland.com and you can too! bit.ly/yCMt7N ” (copy and paste this into your tweet)

LIKE Zannaland on facebook and comment on the facebook.com/zannaland wall with your favorite song from The Muppets.

Winner will be chosen at random on March 23 and will need to provide an email to be sent the download code. Good luck!

10 Things Parents Should Know About Disney’s John Carter

8 March 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

I was recently pointed to this article and thought it was a brilliantly written breakdown about the film, for parents and any adult wondering about the film. While I discuss my thoughts on John Carter here, this article gives a Q&A style top ten for those hesitant to see the movie:

10 Things Parents Should Know About Disney’s John Carter

By Tony Sims (original article here at Wired.com’s GeekDad column)

I recently had the tremendous privilege to see an advanced screening of Disney’s John Carter. I know there have been many mixed signals in the media lately concerning this movie. I hope that the answers to these questions help our readers make a more informed decision for themselves.

1. What’s it all about?

The author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, wrote the John Carter series of sci-fi/adventure stories about 100 years ago. Burroughs was also the author of Tarzan and many other stories. The main character, John Carter, is transported to the planet Mars. On Mars, he discovers he has superior physical abilities, such as the ability to leap 100 yards and unmatched physical strength. He eventually wins the respect of the local population of alien creatures know as the Tharks. He also becomes involved in assisting the human-like royalty of Mars against the uprising of a group who seeks to strip-mine the planet. If any of these concepts sound familiar – that is because much of our superhero fantasy and science-fiction over the past century has been created from ideas borrowed from Burroughs’ classics.

2. Will I like it?

Yes. If you are reading this site, most likely yes. If you like Star Wars or any other action sci-fi, then yes. You can really tell this movie was created with the passion that only a lifelong fan of this series could devote. Andrew Stanton, the writer/director, was actually working on this film’s screenplay while WALL-E was still in production (before a studio even signed on to do the project).

3. Will my kids like it?

If they are like you and you agree to the above, then yes. I plan on taking my 7-year-old son this weekend and I believe he will love it. It has something for everyone. Take your daughters to see this. It has amazing, strong female characters. In fact, many times they are the ones to fight the battles. Everyone will love Woola by the way – you’ll see.

4. How faithful is it to the books?

Disclaimer – I have not read the books in over 20 years. Even though many sites state that this movie is based on The Princess of Mars, actually it uses elements from Burroughs’ first three books in the series. This way, the audience gets to see the best parts of a third of the series, including more alien life and epic battles. One main difference between the books and movie is how he is transported to Mars; but fans of the book most likely won’t be disappointed with this change.

5. When’s the best time for a bathroom break?

At exactly 1 hour and 5 minutes in there are a few minutes of dialogue you could miss. When the heroes stop for a breather after the halfway point battle – head to the latrine.

6. How are the special effects?

Fantastic. What else could you expect from a movie that was created by Andrew Stanton? The man is behind WALL-E, Toy Story (1, 2 & 3), Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, and Monsters, Inc. Not to mention (if you believe the press buzz going around), this movie had a budget of nearly a billion dollars. The imagery is simple breath-taking.

7. What about the 3D?

This is probably one of the only movies where I would say that seeing it in 3D is worth it. Stanton made this movie to use 3D effects just to give the movie depth. This means that there are no “gimmicks” that use the 3D to overwhelm the viewer with “jumping out of the screen” surprises. Also this movie is filmed in primarily desert type regions, so the subtle darkening effect that 3D glasses tend to have on movies is not as noticeable. That being said, seeing it in 2D would not diminish the quality of the movie either.

8. It is rated PG-13. How PG-13 is it?

This was one of my primary concerns. I have younger children, so I wanted to see if this would be a movie I could introduce them to. Here’s the skinny: there is a lot of violence. The majority of the bloodshed is greenish alien blood, so some parents might find it easier to stomach with their children than others. Most of the fighting is sword play, so keep that in mind also. Hardly any foul language is spoken and there are no real intimate moments that need young eyes covered. [SPOILER ALERT, BUT IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TAKING YOUNG CHILDREN] The one real moment I had concern about occurs in a flashback sequence where you briefly see the clothed remains of his dead wife and child. This is the one event that is a bit disturbing on anyone’s eyes – young or old. This scene takes place during an onslaught of a fight scene. If you want to cover younger eyes, here it is – when the Thark army is taking on John Carter by himself, he goes into a sort of battle rage. When you see this scene, he will flashback to images of his Virginia home which was burned to the ground, he will go back to the fight, the next flashback is that image – after that it is done. [END SPOILER]

Your mileage may vary on this. I will be taking my 7-year-old to see it, but he has also seen the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy (does that make me a bad dad?). If he can handle the battle of Helm’s Deep, then he can definitely handle this.

9. It is a Disney movie. Why can I not find any John Carter toys in the stores?

Disney decided with this movie not to license mass market toys. I know, this is a strange decision; after all, they produced Pirates of the Caribbean toys! Well, that has a good bit to do with it also. The other non-animated toy lines which have been produced in the past have never been big hits except with the collectors. With that in mind, Disney is only going to license John Carter to higher-end collectibles manufacturers. If the movie proves to be huge and the sequels get their green lights, then maybe we will see the mass market open up.

10. Will I want to see it again?

Yes – and you will hope that it does well enough to merit the two sequels that Andrew Stanton already has written and is ready to produce. You will probably want to go ahead and pre-order it on Blu-ray as well.

John Carter opens in theatres nationwide tomorrow, March 9. Go see it and see what all the buzz is about!