Being a family of five, we operate on a tight budget and yet still look for ways to have fun. We’ve found that the perfect way to spend quality time together and not break the bank for us is Family Movie Night. We do this fairly often and the recipe is simple: pop some popcorn, pile under blankets on the couch and pop in a movie. We recently had the chance to watch two different movies, both of which were well received by my sometimes picky brood of girls
Genre: Family, Animated
Cast: William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal), Yolande Moreau (Amélie)
Director: Jérôme Deschamps, Pascal Hérold
Studio: Phase 4 Films (USA), LLC
Synopsis: A young farmer’s son inherits a strange talking cat with magical boots. With his cunning wit, Puss helps him win the heart of the Princess while battling devious suitors that are after the throne
Our Thoughts:
First, we watched The True Story of Puss ‘N Boots from Phase 4 Films. Immediately recognizable, William Shatner stars as the voice of Puss as we’re taken along on a journey that shows the young viewer that accomplishing your dreams is possible, no matter who you are. Based on the famous Puss ‘N Boots character by Charles Perreault, The True Story of Puss ‘N Boots is a tale of a young farmer’s son who inherits a strange talking cat with magical boots. With his humor, craft and wit, Puss helps the farmer’s son win the heart of the Princess while battling sometimes ill-mannered suitors that are only after the throne. I myself enjoyed the music in the movie, which was peppered with short scores from various operas. All in all, the girls found it to be very enjoyable, and only my three-year-old was a bit dubious of the slightly menacing ogre in the film. The Real Story of Puss ‘N Boot is rated G, is 79 minutes long and also includes special features of an exclusive interview with William Shatner, a slide show and the movie trailer. The DVD is available for $19.99, and the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack retails for $24.99.
Genre: Family Animated
Cast: Jane Seymour, Jason Alexander
Director: Rinat Gazizov
Studio: Phase 4 Films (USA), LLC
Synopsis: Join Dr. Dolittle’s nephew, John, when he is called to Dolittle Island to rescue the animals from King Ramsey and his army of gorillas.
Our Thoughts:
We watched another entertaining film from Phase 4 Films, The Voyages of Young Doctor Dolittle. My husband and I were excited that the voices of actors and actresses we know and like are part of the film: Jane Seymour, Jason Alexander, Tim Curry and Tom Kenny of SpongeBob SquarePants fame all have a role. My six-year-old is an animal lover to the core, so she was thrilled with the movie’s plot, which stars John Dolittle, an animal lover like his uncle, Dr. Dolittle. John finds out that there are animals in danger, so he jumps into his uncle’s submarine to see how he can be of help. When he arrives at Dolittle Island, he learns that is has been taken over by the sinister Ramsey the Ram and his army of gorillas. With help from some friends that he makes, John comes to the rescue and ultimately saves the island. The girls really enjoyed the animation in this one, and the plot was simple enough that they followed and thoroughly enjoyed it, cheering when John overtakes Ramsey the Ram. The Voyages of Young Dr. Dolittle is rated G, is 80 minutes long and includes a downloadable activity sheet, a slide show and trailer on the DVD, which is available for $24.99.
There are so many good, quality films for children out there, and these three are just a few. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we did in your own Family Movie night soon!
~Jessica
