Your Entertainment Ticket

Review by John Delia

The first film by Disney to have a female hero Mulan, comes to Blu-ray with the bonus of Mulan II in a 3 Disc set that includes the DVD versions.  The movie will transport your children to China where they can see some of their landscape while living the adventure.  Both stories show the courage and tenacity of young people who stand on their principles. Read more…

Review by John Delia

Disney has made available Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2 in a special 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack.  The two animated films are kid friendly and feature a very fun adventure that’s filled with good family values and an important lesson in life.  Brother Bear received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature in 2003. Read more…

By John Delia

Who could not like one of the cleverest animated movies ever made, Monsters, Inc.? Now available for the first time in a 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Disc 5-disc combo pack, the home entertainment possibilities are joyful.  The fun film with a whole lot of lovable monsters and not so lovable adversaries takes families on an adventure that’s wild, wacky and just plain adorable.  And to top it all off, Pixar/Disney has set the sequel date of June 21, 2013 for Monsters University and just so you won’t miss it have included a free movie admission inside the box. Read more…

One of the most beloved animated Disney film Peter Pan has been released to home video on Blu-ray for the first time.  The high flying antics of this adventure have been around since 1953, but never as sharp and clear as it was in theaters for your home entertainment system.  It’s not just for kids, especially if you still have that inner child wanting to relive your past. Available in a Diamond Edition 3 Disc combo pack, the movie can be viewed using your Blu-ray, DVD or on the go players.

The Darling family children are true believers in the tale of “Peter Pan”. In search of his shadow Peter visits the Darling residence one night with his friend Tinker Bell the feisty fairy.  When he finds his shadow and starts chasing it around the room he awakens Wendy Darling who welcomes Peter.   Wendy’s amazed by the adventurous Peter and follows him along with her brothers John and Michael to Never Land.   Read more…

A

FUN FANTASY

FILM

FOR KIDS

THE SECRET WORLD  OF ARRIETTY

Review by John Delia

A charming film from the makers of Ponyo and Academy Award winning movie Spirited Away called The Secret World of Arrietty is now available on 2 Disc Blu-ray Combo pack.  A creative story that mixes worlds bringing together an unlikely friendship plays delightfully to kids.  With a voice cast that includes Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett the heartwarming film is sure to make your all time library. Read more…

TWO

ADVENTURES

TWO

BLU-RAYS

THE LION KING 1 1/2 AND THE LION KING 2: SIMBA’S PRIDE

Two of The Lion King trilogy, The Lion King 1 ½ and The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride now on Blu-ray. The two animated films include some good special bonus features and with the Blu-ray format the picture on my home entertainment center screen is sharper and the colors more vibrant.

The story of The Lion King 1 ½ mainly involves Pumbaa and Timon, the wild and crazy warthog and Meercat that were the first to come upon Simba when he got lost in The Lion King.  In this animated motion picture we find the two fun loving characters romping through the jungle way before The Lion King starts.  We find out where the two came from, how they met and how they helped save the savanna on the Serengeti.  It’s a hilarious tale and one the kids will easly understand.

In The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride we find Simba’s first child being born and introduced to the animals much like in The Lion King.  But, finding out Simba and Nala had a girl and named her Kiara, well that’s a new story to tell. In her first outing as a cub she wanders off and enters a forbidden area of Scar’s daughter where she meets Kova a male cub her age that’s destined to become king of his pride.  Being that Kova is an outcast from Simba’s pride, his clan quickly shuns Kiara and she has to be saved by her father.  The film shifts to grown up Kiara who wants to hunt on her own. After much trepidation, Simba allows her to run into the Serengeti where a new story begins about revenge, rivalry and retribution.

The two stories are great companion pieces to the original and my all time favorite The Lion King.  Hand drawn and completely upgraded to the HD format, the two Blu-rays are very vibrant, clear and show strikingly on digital television screens.

The Lion King 1 ½ has upgrades of some familiar bonus features that were originally on the DVD that was released in 2004 plus an additional extra:

• Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari
• Deleted Scenes
• Timon: Behind The Legend
• Grazing in the Grass music video starring Raven
• “Before the Beginning: The Making of Lion King 1 ½”.

The cast of The Lion King 1 ½ includes Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Ernie Sabella plus Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller.

The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride’s bonus features include:

• Timon & Pumbaa’s Insectapedia
• One By One – an original animated short
• Timon & Pumbaa’s: Find Out Why
• Proud of Simba’s Pride
• “Love Will Find a Way” Music Video.

The cast of The Lion King 2 includes: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Ernie Sabella, Neve Campbell, Jason Marsden, Andy Dick, Robert Guillaume, James Earl Jones and Moira Kelly.

The technical aspects and additional information include:

• RATING: Both films are rated G
• ASPECT RATIO: The Lion King 1 ½ – Blu-ray: 1.66: 1/1080p High Definition, DVD: 1.66:1/Widescreen. The Lion King 2 – Blu-ray: 1.78: 1/1080p High Definition, DVD: 1.78:1/Widescreen
• SOUND: Both films – Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish, 5.1 Dolby Digital, DVD: 5.1 Dolby Digital English, French and Spanish.
• LANGUAGES: Both films – English
• SUBTITLES: Both films – English SDH, French and Spanish
• Genres: Kids, Family, and Animated
• Running Times: The Lion King 1 ½ – 1 hr 16 min, The Lion King 2 – 1 hr 21 min
• Both are available in Blu-ray Combo Packs – sold separately and come with a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download
• Street Date: March 6, 2012
• Distributed by: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

FINAL ANALYSIS: Great companion pieces to The Lion King. Feature: The Lion King 1 ½ Feature (B) Bonus Extras (B), The Lion King 2 feature (A) Bonus Extra’s (B).   

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THE MIGHTY MACS

Cast: Carla Gugino, David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton and Ellen Burstyn

Directed by: Tim Chambers

MPAA Rating:  G

Genre: Sports, drama, true story

Running Time: 1 hr 42 min

Opening Date: October 21st, 2011 (Limited Release)

Distributed by: Freestyle Releasing

By John Delia

We have probably had a bevy of sports true story films over the years and in most all cases even if you know who won, they are all inspirational.  This is the case of The Mighty Macs, a small women’s parochial college so obscure, that I had never heard of it before seeing the film.  Well, would you believe they had a run at the title of the first Women’s National Collegiate Basketball Champion? 

Did they win? Well even if you know that point it’s a good film, but not knowing it becomes even better.  So don’t watch any trailers or go on line to find out or it may spoil the dramatic ending.

Rush (Gugino) and Sister Sunday ( Shelton) go over a play with the team

Cathy Rush (Carla Gugino) had just graduated from a major college and was looking for somewhere she could hang her hat in a basketball gym. Sending out letters she gets a meeting with Mother St. John (Ellen Burstyn) the head of a very small catholic college; her only reply. When she gets there she finds the place a mess, the original gym burned down and the auditorium now being used for a makeshift sports center.  She accepts the position and is handed one tattered basketball. With a very small salary, no coaching experience and no budget Cathy sets out to put a competitive team together to play within the school’s collegiate division.  When the impossible starts getting plausible, Cathy pushes for more help and support to keep her team going.

The Macs toss in the ball in a heated game

The Mighty Macs found my heart pounding wanting them to become winners and I was truly set up by the directing, acting and exciting storyline.  Although I felt that Carla Gugino was miscast in the role (too refined and not athletic looking for the part), she gives her all to the role. Working with almost nothing and girls with very little ability, her character drives the girls to games in a van and works them constantly while hoping for a miracle.

But what makes this movie work is the cast of inspiring young ladies, Marley Shelton as Sister Sunday and some excellent direction by Tim Chambers in his directorial debut.  Shelton does a great job as a nun turned rebel in order to help with the team. She brings sweetness to the role and slowly changes to a dynamo while being challenged by her desires to be holy. 

Chambers takes careful aim at making sure that his audience gets imbedded in the drama around the impossible circumstances before moving into the first losing game followed by others.  Building up the suspense with each proceeding game, it’s easy for a sports hound to get hooked, and I did. I even found myself silently rooting for the girls right up to the final buzzer.

1972 Mighty Macs Team Photo

Chamber’s biggest challenge however, comes with his choice of Gugino with her lack of athleticism looks and sweet personality in a role that just wasn’t made for her.  But, he does work around it by putting a lot of the focus on each of the girls, Marley Shelton and the amazing Ellen Burstyn.

The film is rated G and fits the mold of a family film.  The inspirational true story has a lot going for it showing that it doesn’t take a big college to complete your dream in life. Make sure you stay through the credits for some actual archive film footage of the original basketball team.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  A slam-dunk true story. (B)