Laura Lohr

Not Just an Alliteration

Disney’s New Jungle Book

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JungleBookPosterLast week, we got to see Disney’s New Jungle Book. I have to say that overall, I’m a skeptic about sequels and remakes of movies. It isn’t very often that my socks are knocked off for a remake of an animated classic. This movie, however, totally wowed me! I LOVED IT! First of all, the first rate cast was awesome! The CG animation was stunning! They really did a fantastic job breathing life into a classic movie, without taking away from the magic of the original!

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The fearless crew stand up to Shere Khan

The cast of Jungle Book includes top-notch talent, such as Christopher Walken as King Louie. In Walken fashion, he adds a likable, yet creepy element to his character. I love Bill Murray and have been a fan of his for many, many years. He makes a perfect, lovable Baloo. What a terrific choice for Baloo! Scarlett Johansson’s character Kaa the snake is more dark than I remember from the original, but makes for a twist that only compliments the new version. Ben Kingsley velvety voice makes the beloved Bagheera as magical as he was in the original film.

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The massive King Louie summons Mowgli.

I hadn’t realized before that the Jungle Book is based on the book by Rudyard Kipling. The movie is directed by Jon Favereau and he really takes the audience on an amazing jungle adventure! Everything about this movie is visually stunning and will keep you on the edge of your seat, even if you’ve seen the animated original. There’s enough plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing what’s going to happen next. I love that there are recognizable themes and characters in the movie, however, there is freshness in this movie that keeps it very contemporary. You’ll be singing along with the familiar songs from the original, including, “The Bear Necessities,” and “I Wanna Be Like You.” In my opinion, no remake of the Jungle Book would be complete without Baloo belting out, “The Bear Necessities.”

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Mowgli and Bagherra traveling to get Mowgli to safety, away from Shere Khan.
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Mowgli and Ka meet for the first time in the jungle

This movie does have some intense scenes and may not be appropriate for younger, more sensitive audiences. While there are no graphic scenes and without giving any spoilers away, there are some sad scenes. It was very appropriate for Allie, who is 10 years old. Mr. Bear, Allie, and I really enjoyed the movie and found it to be very suspenseful, charming, entertaining, and still honors the classic.

If you’re looking for a great family movie, this one aims to please!
Like THE JUNGLE BOOK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook

Follow THE JUNGLE BOOK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheJungleBook

Follow THE JUNGLE BOOK on Instagram: https://instagram.com/disneythejunglebook

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Follow THE JUNGLE BOOK on Google+: https://plus.google.com/112416455929607370682/posts

Visit Walt Disney Pictures on Tumblr: http://disneystudios.tumblr.com/

Follow Walt Disney Pictures on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyMovieTrailers

Visit the official THE JUNGLE BOOK website here: http://movies.disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016

 

THE JUNGLE BOOK opens in theaters everywhere in 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D on April 15th!

Star Wars The Force Awakens

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I have been so excited about the new Star Wars The Force Awakens! It has been far too long since the last Star Wars came out! When I found out I was going to be able to see the premiere before the movie hit the theaters, I was beside myself! Mr. Bear and Allie Kat were so very jealous, as I couldn’t bring a guest and the screening was TOP SECRET!

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I was so very curious about the new movie. I knew they were going to bring back some of the original cast and I was over the moon about that! Some of the previous Star Wars movies that introduced new characters, such as Attack of the Clones didn’t resonate with me as the original trilogy did.  I have to say that this was my favorite of the Star Wars series, since the Return of the Jedi in the 1980’s. This movie really brought out my inner-kid-excitement. What a delight it was!

There’s all the components of the perfect Star Wars story: there’s a love story, there’s good vs. evil, there’s witty rhetoric, there’s action, there’s suspense—Where’s Luke? Best of all, there’s Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, C3PO, Chewbacca, R2D2, Han Solo, AND THE MILLENNIUM FALCON! What more can you ask for? This movie hit all the marks for me. There was something that seemed so much more familiar with this movie than in the past few Star Wars movies. It felt like having a dinner, with all my favorite guests—-only with lots of fast-flying, stormtroopers, explosions, and gunfire.

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I feel in love with Rey, BB8, and Finn, three of the Star Wars series newest characters. Rey, is a tough scavenger, that unwittingly gets tangled up in the Resistance, simply by chance. It turns out that she’s quite a force to be reckoned with (See what I did there? Force. Uh em. Moving on).

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Finn flees the First Order, after leaving his post as a Storm Trooper and accidently joins the Resistance. BB8, the latest droid character in Star Wars will be sure to find a place in your heart. The trio joins the search for Luke Skywalker, whose location has been a mystery since starting a Jedi academy, where one of his Jedi apprentices betrays him.

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Is this the must see movie of 2015? 2016? I think so! I really enjoyed the movie. It was well-done and the while the movie raises still more questions than it answers questions, some surprises are revealed. There’s a lot more to this story and the ending does lay the framework for the next movie to come in the series, leaving you wanting much, much more Star Wars! Do they find Luke? Does the Resistance defeat the First Order? Will R2D2 come back? Will the Jedi’s have a revival?

Sorry, no spoilers here. You’ll have to see the movie for yourself! I can say that you won’t be disappointed!

Click here for Star Wars Activity Sheets for the kiddos!

Like STAR WARS on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StarWarsMovies

Follow STAR WARS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/starwars

Follow STAR WARS on Instagram: http://instagram.com/StarWarsMovies

Follow STAR WARS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/starwars

Visit the official STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS website: http://www.starwars.com/the-force-awakens/

 

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is now playing in theatres everywhere!

Are you going to see Star Wars during Christmas Break?

Have you seen it yet?

 

DisneyNature Monkey Kingdom: Review

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I was invited to see DisneyNature’s Monkey Kingdom at the local theater. All opinions are mine alone.

Back in August, we saw Island of Lemurs: Madagascar in the theater and I loved it! I love monkeys and find them so interesting! I also love the Disney Earth and Disney Nature series as well. So, when we were invited to see DisneyNature Monkey Kingdom, narrated by Tina Fey, we were there!

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The thing I loved the most about DisneyNature Monkey Kingdom, was that this wasn’t just a documentary, this was a love story. It was the story of the underdog, overcoming all odds and triumphing over the hierarchy within the animal kingdom. Our heroine, Maya, is a clever monkey, born into the lower ranks of a macaque monkey family in South Asia. When Maya gives birth to her son Kip, however, she doesn’t sit back and idly, she takes big risks to secure a better life for her newborn son. It’s a touching story that left me grabbing tissues.

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Monkey Kingdom has a great cast of characters and is quite an adventure! The macaque family lives at a place called, Castle Rock, which suits them just fine, until a neighboring family of monkeys takes over Castle Rock and leaves them no place to go. Maya and her mate, Kumar, spring into action and lead the family of monkeys on a laughable adventure that is sure to bring smiles.

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With nowhere to go, the macaque family move in to the nearby village to forge for food. The resourceful monkeys get into all kinds of mischief and meet all sorts of unlikely friends. The family puts their very entrenched hierarchical order aside and give Maya the opportunity to shine in unfamiliar surroundings. The macaque family, with Kumar and Maya in leading the charge, reclaim Castle Rock—improving Kumar and Maya’s social status within the family.

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You’ll find yourself cheering for Maya, as her she attempts to give Kip a better life. It really is a heartwarming story!

MONKEY KINGDOM is in theaters everywhere starting Friday, April 17th!

See MONKEY KINGDOM opening week (April 17-23) and Disneynature will make a donation in your honor toConservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats. Learn more at http://nature.disney.com/monkey-kingdom.

Connect with Monkey Kingdom
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Official Monkey Kingdom Website

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Disney’s Cinderella Movie Review

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CinderellaTitleWe were recently invited to a screening of Disney’s Cinderella before the movie came out. I’m not sure who was more excited about it, me or the kiddo. I had been itching to go see the movie since I first heard whispers that Cinderella would be coming out. I have to say, we weren’t disappointed.

I had some concerns about the characters. Would I love them? Would the prince be charming? Would they I fall in love with this Cinderella story the way I fell in love with the original animated version when I was a child? I hadn’t heard of Lily James, who played Cinderella and I couldn’t imagine the lovely Cate Blanchett being wretched enough to be an evil stepmother. Would I like it? Would THE MICE, my favorite characters of the Cinderella animated movie have a spot in this one? Would there be a fairy Godmother?

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Yes, I loved them. Yes, the prince was charming! Yes, I fell in love with this Cinderella story all over again! Cate Blanchett made a perfectly evil stepmother. Lily James was a wonderful Cinderella! There was a fairy Godmother! There was magic! My favorite Gus Gus mouse was in the movie. All was right with the world!

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THE dress! Guaranteed to make any prince fall in love!

This Disney Cinderella provided a background story that made you fall in love with the Cinderella character. We learn more about Cinderella’s parents and how the stepmother and stepsisters come to have power over her.  On Cinderella’s mother’s deathbed, she gives Cinderella her best advice:

Have courage and be kind.

It was a beautifully done movie and the message really resonated with me. Despite the cruelty of her jealous and greedy stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella treats them with kindness—even when kindness doesn’t seem like the appropriate or natural response. Cinderella remains kind and takes courage from her mother’s dying words. It is this courage and kindness that eventually wins over the prince. There’s always room for more kindness in the world.

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A precious moment in the film, where Cinderella and the prince sneak away from the ball.

 

I really am a sucker for a good fairy tale and as in the animated version, it is your traditional tale of good vs. evil. We were cheering for Cinderella, while hoping for justice against the nasty stepmother and stepsisters. Would Cinderella be recognized at the ball?Have courage, Cinderella!

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The evil stepmother (Middle-Cate Blanchett) and Cinderella’s evil stepsisters, Drisella (Left-Sophie McShera) and Anastasia (Right-Holliday Grainger), doing their best to attract the prince’s attention.

While the fairy Godmother was a small part of the entire film, I love what Disney did to make the scenes with Cinderella’s quirky fairy Godmother magical! Of course, the coachmen, the horses, the coach, the dress, the GLASS SLIPPERS, all had a magical element that made it all fit with the traditional fairy tale, but with some very classic Disney twists.

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The glass slippers!

We loved, loved the Cinderella movie. It had all the traditional Disney Cinderella elements we’ve come to love and a little bit more!

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Opens in Theaters March 13, 2015

What was really super cute, was the Frozen Fever feature that played before the Disney Cinderella movie. If you love Olaf, Queen Elsa, and Princess Anna as much as we do, you’ll love Frozen Fever. We laughed and laughed. It was really cute. That Olaf!

Here’s the trailer for Frozen Fever:

Are you planning to see Cinderella? Who will you see it with?

Dusty Saves the Day! Planes: Fire and Rescue

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Last night, Allie and I got to see the advanced screening of Disney’s Planes: Fire and Rescue.  It was such a cute movie!  If you like Disney’s Planes, you’re going to love, Planes: Fire and Rescue!  Our favorite hero, Dusty is at it again.  This time, high-flyer Dusty Crophopper soars the skies, learning what true heroism is, rather than race around the world.

There’s a lot of good clean humor in this movie and it’s appropriate for children of all ages.  What I love, is that it’s also appropriate for adult audiences too!  Allie and I laughed through the whole movie.  She had some favorite lines that she repeated until bed time and even retold the scene for Mr. Bear.  It was a feel good movie that made for a PERFECT summer movie night.

Here’s a sneak preview:

As you can see from the clip, the animation is flawless! We saw it in 3D, so we got the full effect of the beautifully done computer graphics. The story takes place in Piston Peak National Park, inspired by Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks.  You can recognize much of the similarities in the film, if you’ve ever been to either (or both) parks. It’s stunning!

The story begins with the disparaging news that Dusty’s engine has sustained damage and may not ever race again.  After a catastrophe at the airport, Dusty discovers that he may have a second chance, when he joins an elite team of aerial firefighters. We loved the all-terrain team, called the Smoke Jumpers, Blade Ranger, Windlifter, Dipper and the whole crew. This film, about courage, second chances and overcoming obstacles definitely put a smile on our faces.

Smoky the Bear, National Parks, and the heroes from Disney’ PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE have teamed up to help your kids have fun with fire safety this summer. Download the Educational Activity Guide, by clicking on the image below:

 

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Who are you going to watch Planes: Fire and Rescue with this summer?

Disclaimer: We were permitted two free advance admissions to the Planes: Fire and Rescue movie. All honest opinions expressed are my own. We are Disney fans and thoroughly enjoyed this movie!

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