DVD

The Woodcarver Movie plus Giveaway (3/27)

March 12, 2012 By Virginia 2 Comments

I want to tell you about a great movie we just reviewed as a family. As you know, we enjoy watching movies as a family. It has become, however, increasingly difficult to find movies that reflect our values and that I am comfortable with my 3yo and 4yo watching. We don’t cuss, so we don’t want to watch movies with cuss in them. We don’t do a whole lot of other stuff, and we don’t want to watch films with those things in there, either.

Needless to say, our viewing options are (self) limited. We know, however, that we can trust movies from Faith & Family Films. When we had the opportunity to review The Woodcarver, with John Ratzenberger, we readily accepted.

About the Movie:

“Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home, and his parents are on the verge of a divorce. He vandalizes the local church, to get back at his parents, and then has to repair the damage to the wreaked to avoid criminal charges. While working at the church, he meets Ernest (John Ratzenberger), the accomplished wood carver who created the intricate woodwork designs that Matthew had destroyed. After his wife’s death, Ernest became somewhat of a hermit. He reluctantly comes out of reclusion to help repair the church. Ernest and Matthew must now work together to preserve the church’s beautiful antiquity, and along the way, they also manage to restore their faith in God and in life.”

Our take on it:

The Woodcarver is a good clean film, free of profanity or provocative scenes. It is rated PG for thematic reasons, likely because of the way the father talks to (i.e. yells at) Matthew in the beginning of the film. Can we say dysfunctional? The acting, and cinematography, was solid. The message of the film was strong, and there were a few unexpected surprises. At one point, I was certain that Ernest was going to meet his wife again by the end of the movie. We really enjoyed watching the film together as a family.

The Woodcarver releases Tuesday, March 13th, and will be available on http://www.christiancinema.com and on Amazon.

Wwjd II: The Woodcarver

Price: $8.49

(20 customer reviews)

30 used & new available from $7.16

One lucky TBC reader will win The Woodcarver DVD for their own film collection.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: DVD, Movies, Review

Chugginton DVD- Brewster’s Little Helper (3/26)

March 10, 2012 By Virginia 46 Comments

Because Mister is a fan of all things train, plane, our automobile, I thought Chugginton’s latest DVD, Brewster’s Little Helper would be a great movie for him.

About the DVD- “Honk your horns for an all-new collection showcasing young trainee, Brewster, as he discovers responsibility and adventure in Chuggington. With six traintastic episodes, Zephie helps Brewster unexpectedly, cleans up a mess with Koko in the recycling yard, does a sign-reading exercise with his pal Wilson, and meets his hero Action Chugger! Together Brewster and his friends learn valuable lessons about friendship, patience, following instructions, and completing daily tasks. Join the trainees as they ride the rails of life in Brewster’s Little Helper!”

Since this is our first ever exposure to Chuggington, I crossed my fingers. No need to worry, though, because I definitely pegged this one correctly. Mister really likes the Chugginton DVD and requests to watch it often. I like the strong emphasis on being a good helper. Looks like we’ll be adding to our Chuggington selection!

The Chuggington- Brewster’s Little Helper DVD is available at retailers nationwide and on Amazon.

Chuggington: Brewster’s Little Helper

Price: $8.49

(3 customer reviews)

43 used & new available from $5.99

And now, one lucky TBC reader will win one of their own…a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

You may also be interested in these Chuggington products:

Chuggington: It’s Training Time

Price: $8.99

(2 customer reviews)

49 used & new available from $5.94

Chuggington Wooden Railway Beginner’s Set

Price: $26.22

(1 customer reviews)

17 used & new available from $20.75

Chuggington Die-Cast Fix And Go Repair Shed Playset

Price: $21.50

(4 customer reviews)

28 used & new available from $15.99

Filed Under: Entertainment, Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: chuggington, DVD, giveaway, Kids, Review

VeggieTales Robin Good DVD Giveaway (3/25)

March 9, 2012 By Virginia 62 Comments

You all know how much we enjoy VeggieTales around here. It should come as no surprise to you that we agreed to review the latest from this wonderfully fun line of movies.

Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men released on March 3. Let me tell you, if you enjoyed the story of Robin Hood growing up, you are going to enjoy this show!

About the show:
There’s no hurt too big for God! Robin Good sets out to fundraise from the rich and give to the poor in Bethlingham. But then the greedy Prince starts stealing hams from the townspeople. Donations are down, and Robin’s band of Not-So-Merry Men abandon him to start robbing. Robin is hurt. Can he overcome his hurt and show his friends what’s right? Can he help restore hope to the townspeople?

I appreciate that VeggieTales tackled a lesson in handling hurt. It is not an easy lesson to teach our kids, but a necessary one. Check out this cool Robin Good guide for Handling Hurt…

My kid’s really enjoyed the latest installment of VeggieTales. As always, the animation is fantastic, colors are vibrant, and the movie is filled with good silly fun. Also featuring a short video “Lenny and His Lost Birthday.” The short video is HILARIOUS! You can watch it on the DVD and also here: http://www.veggietales.com/robingood

VeggieTales partners with World Vision to encourage families to sponsor a child. Just like Robin Good, you, too, can show someone that there’s no hurt too big for God and help them experience God’s love by providing necessities like clean water, nutritious food, healthcare, and education. Visit http://www.veggietales.com/worldvision

VeggieTales DVD’s are available on the official VeggieTales site, at retailers nationwide, and on Amazon.

Robin Good & His Not So Merry Men

Price: $11.99

(9 customer reviews)

49 used & new available from $7.97

And now, one lucky TBC reader will receive a VeggieTales movie of their own…

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: DVD, giveaway, VeggieTales

Fairy Dancing DVD Review plus Giveaway (3/21)

March 7, 2012 By Virginia 23 Comments

When I received the opportunity to review Fairy Dancing, the latest DVD from The Fairies, I was intrigued. My kids both enjoy dancing, so I thought it might be fun.

About Fairy Dancing… “From jazz to tap, tango to rock ‘n roll, bootskooting to ballet, the fairies discover so many different kinds of fan-fairy-tastic songs and dances. Featuring all of the Fairyland friends dancing, Fairy Dancing is full of beauty and friendship and a sprinkling of glitter and magic! It is priced at $6.99 suggested retail. Available at a retailer near you or www.NCircleEntertainment.com and on Amazon.

When the Fairy Dancing DVD arrived, I took it out to show the kids. Mister walked away, saying, “That one’s for Sister.”

I asked him why he thought that, and he said, “Mom, it’s all pink and gots fairies. That’s girl stuff.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and then explained to him that while the DVD was geared toward girls, he could still enjoy watching it, just like Sister enjoyed watching some of his “boy stuff.” I also told him that he could get some exercise by dancing with The Fairies and duplicating their moves.

When I mentioned exercise, he agreed to give the DVD a try. He loves to exercise. He was soon boot scooted right off the floor, though. Literally.

Sister whirled and twirled, and cut up some rug with The Fairies. And if you look closely, at the second photo, you can see Mister peering over the edge of the couch to watch her. It was quite comical, to see her spinning and trying to duplicate the steps. I would be lying if I said I didn’t laugh when she fell over after one too many spins.

Oh, her outfit? Didn’t you know that all cowgirl ballerinas wear boots with their tutu’s?

Since we received The Fairies- Fairy Dancing DVD, Sister has been a regular little dance star. She absolutely adores the DVD, and will actually wear her tutu and leotard now. I couldn’t get her to keep it on before she saw the little fairies with theirs on. Now I have a hard time peeling her out of it so I can keep it laundered. She’s even worn it to the grocery store, with a pair of jeans to cover her legs.

NCircle would like to send one lucky TBC reader a Fairy Dancing DVD for their own little ballerina.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: DVD, giveaway, ncircle, Review, the fairies

A Gruffalo Kind of Christmas

November 19, 2011 By Virginia 2 Comments

Ever felt like everyone was out to eat you? That’s exactly how the adorable little mouse in The Gruffalo felt. But, he was one smart mouse. He used his wit, and told all his predator’s that he is meeting a monster, a Gruffalo, which scares them all and they decide not to eat him. Mouse becomes increasinly confident, and he thinks there is nothing that can touch him. Then he rounds the corner and comes face-to-face with the terrible monster that he made up…

The Gruffalo DVD is based on the award winning book by Julia Donaldson. I had not read the book before we received the DVD for review. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of the book. After watching The Gruffalo, I can certainly understand why the book is award winning. It is quite possibly one of the cutest stories I have ever seen.

After watching the film, I picked up a copy of the book from our local library. I was really surprised to see that the movie followed the book to the letter.

The animation of The Gruffalo is seamless and beautiful. The colors are vibrant. The story is captivating and timeless. This is one of those stories that will long outlive the author that penned it.

Interestingly enough, the first time the kidlets watched it, Sister was afraid of the mouse. She has long since outgrown her fear of the mouse and loves this DVD. It is on her “go-to” list. Anytime it’s her turn to pick, this is one of the three or four that she pulls out of the cabinet.

The Gruffalo DVD is available at local retailers nationwide, at NCircle, and on Amazon.

If you are Christmas shopping, for your own child or someone else’s little one, I would definitely recommend The Gruffalo! Make it a Gruffalo Kind of Christmas!