One of My All-Time Favorite Bears, PADDINGTON, Is Coming to Theaters Christmas 2014! #PaddingtonMovie

Thank you to TWC for providing the #PaddingtonMovie assets to facilitate this post and for sending me a promotional item as a thank you for taking the time to share the PADDINGTON movie trailer with my readers.

I have such fond memories of reading the book and watching the animated film about PADDINGTON as a child.  Now I will have the chance to share the story of PADDINGTON, a bear with a true soul and an innocent charm, with my own children when this family movie comes to theaters on Christmas Day.  If you can believe it, this little bear celebrates his 56th birthday this week!

I am excited to be able to share the official PADDINGTON trailer with you.  If you are anything like our 7 year old son, you will be giggling with delight throughout most of the 2-1/2 minutes.  I might venture to describe this bear's character as being a more sophisticated Curious George.  Do you agree? . . .


From the same producer as HARRY POTTER, PADDINGTON the movie serves up an all-star cast, which includes Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi and Nicole Kidman!  This film is written and directed by the award-winning British comedy writer and director Paul King.

Be sure to visit www.thepaddingtonmovie.com between now and Christmas Day for new trailers and more PADDINGTON fun!

Happy 56th Birthday PADDINGTON Bear!

Rise of the Guardians (DVD) - Holiday Edition with Bonus Marching Elf

Thank you to M80 for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

If you are looking for an atypical holiday movie you can stop your search. Rise Of The Guardians is the one. Dreamworks did a fantastic job of creating a modern and exciting story involving many of our most beloved holiday characters.

At first I was skeptical (I always am regarding animated holiday movies), but after watching the first few minutes of Rise Of The Guardians I knew I was going to enjoy it. The movie is fresh and exciting, offering just the right balance of humor, suspense, and action.

Although the movie leans towards Christmas, it is not a Christmas movie. In fact, 5 of our most favorite yearly holiday and legendary characters, Santa Claus, the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Jack Frost are represented in the movie and we get to learn a great deal about them and their stories.

What makes the movie so clever, is the fact that our most beloved fantasy icons are portrayed in more fun and alternate ways . . . as heroes and protectors of all children. Santa with sleeve tattoos and swords? Check. The Easter Bunny as an action hero who fights with boomerangs? Check. Jack Frost as a fun-loving and adventure-seeking teenager? All there. Don't let my descriptions panic you, it was all done very well. Never in my life would I have been okay with Santa having “Naughty” and “Nice” tattooed down each arm while fighting shadow demons with broadswords, but I saw it….and LOVED IT.

I can really rave about this movie and go on and on, but so much that I want to say here would spoil it for you. The overall message is that Rise Of The Guardians is an out of left field story about characters we all think we know. Dreamworks did such a wonderful job of expanding upon their lore in ways that supremely entertain us, while keeping our images of them intact (mostly).

The kids loved this movie, my wife loved this movie, and I loved this movie. Between the 5 of us, there were countless moments of out-loud laughter throughout the movie. There are a few moments younger children may find scary but nothing that would prevent them from seeing it with mom or dad sitting beside them. Our six year old twins did just fine.  This DVD also has an hour of new bonus content following the movie.

Although not specifically a Christmas movie, Rise Of The Guardians - Holiday Edition would make an excellent family night movie for this holiday. It is always good to see Ole’ Saint Nick kicking some evil booty before Christmas!  The Holiday Edition packaging, which includes a wind-up marching elf, makes this DVD (also available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo) a perfect Holiday gift or stocking stuffer!  To learn more about this film, visit www.RiseOfTheGuardians.com.

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***Please Note: We cannot guarantee that the prize will be delivered by 12/24/13.*** This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

The Magic and Romance Return with Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID Diamond Edition Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack

Thank you to WDSHE for providing a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack for our contest prize and for also sending one to my family as a thank you for taking the time to participate in this campaign.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Do you remember the first magical romantic film you saw in the theaters?  Well, I do!  It was The Little Mermaid in 1989.  On October 1st, 2013, the Diamond Edition of this classic Disney animated film, which contains never-before-seen bonus features, will become available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download.  Although my daughter is familiar with Ariel the red-headed Disney Princess, I am anxious for her to get to know Ariel better.  After all, Ariel was the first of a long line of Disney Princesses who displayed strong will, courage, and a mind of her own.

Do you remember Prince Eric, Sebastian, and Flounder?

How about King Triton. Ursula, and Scuttle?

To share the fond memories and the fun with the next generation of Little Mermaid fans, visit Disney Movies - The Little Mermaid, where you can find video clips, games, crafts, and more.  You can pre-order (prior to October 1st) or purchase THE LITTLE MERMAID Diamond Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack with Digital Copy on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and many other retailers where Disney movies are sold.

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This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

"The Way Way Back" . . . the Perfect Summer Vacation Movie (Coming to Theaters July 5th) #TheWayWayBack

Thank you to Fox Searchlight for providing this trailer and information to share with my readers and for sending me a promotional item as a thank you for taking the time to participate in this campaign.

Looking for the perfect summer film that's both funny, heartwarming, and family-friendly?  Take two minutes to watch this trailer of The Way Way Back, a coming of age film starring Steve Carell (The Office and Despicable Me 1 and 2), Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense and Little Miss Sunshine), Allison Janney (The West Wing), AnnaSophia Robb (The Carrie Diaries), Sam Rockwell (G-Force and Iron Man 2), Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live), Liam James (The Killing and Psych), Amanda Peet (The Good Wife), and Rob Corddry (Children's Hospital and Escape From Planet Earth).  This might be just the movie you're looking for!


More about this film . . .

"THE WAY, WAY BACK is the funny and poignant coming of age story of 14-year-old Duncan’s (Liam James) summer vacation with his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Having a rough time fitting in, the introverted Duncan finds an unexpected friend in gregarious Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the Water Wizz water park. Through his funny, clandestine friendship with Owen, Duncan slowly opens up to and begins to finally find his place in the world - all during a summer he will never forget."

To learn more about this film, visit The Way Way Back on Facebook and follow @TheWayWayBack and #TheWayWayBack on Twitter.  Also, look for an upcoming giveaway later this month for a Fox Searchlight movie prize pack, which includes a Visa gift card so the winner can see The Way Way Back on the big screen!

"Mirror Mirror" is a Great Stay-In Date Night Movie

My husband and I were not able to catch Mirror Mirror in the theaters this past Spring, but we were able to watch it on DVD last night with just the two of us.  Although the film is rated PG and is a family movie, our children, especially our 5-1/2 year old twins, are still too young for this type of content.  Our 8-1/2 year old son could have watched this film, but he would not have understood some of the very vague adult humor and would likely have found the kissing to be icky.

As adults, my husband and I both enjoyed the film.  He actually did not know what to expect from this movie and was very pleasantly surprised by it.  The film does take for granted that the viewer is already familiar with the story of Snow White.  The hour and 46-minute long story moves quickly.  It could have easily been twice as long if the writers had taken the time to explore every relationship fully, but the quick pace is part of what made this movie a good one.

Like many people, I wondered how well Julia Roberts could pull off playing the role of the evil Queen in a comedy.  I was actually impressed by her performance.  Lily Collins did well as the fair Snow White, but the audience does not begin to admire her character until she stands up to the Queen (who had used dark magic to seduce her father and to take over his kingdom) and begins her journey towards becoming Snow White the renegade.  The Prince (Armie Hammer's character) played a huge part in the comedic scenes, as does each of the seven dwarfs.  As for Nathan Lane (a.k.a. the Queen's executive bootlicker), he was brilliant as expected.  Both he and Mare Winningham, who played Baker Margaret, were wonderful in their supporting roles.

This film has lots of interesting twists and surprises and is 80% comedy, 15% romance, and 5% adventure.  If you have not seen it, I recommend that you do in order to find out how the poisonous apple, the Prince and Snow's first kiss, the seven dwarfs, and the enchanted mirror have been rewritten for the movie.  Although there was a surprise ending, we did guess what it was before it was revealed in the film.  Again, I do not think this film is for young children because there are a scenes when the characters are under attack, which may be frightening to them.  An older child would enjoy this film, but some of the satire and the innuendos would be lost on them.

You can purchase Mirror Mirror in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Download combo or on DVD from Amazon.com and most major movie retailers nationwide.


Thank you to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Fun Facebook Activity & Trailer from "Ice Age 4: Continental Drift" (Coming to Theaters July 13th)

The lovable characters from the Ice Age films are back in the sequel Ice Age: Continental Drift.  You can expect this family film to hit theaters on July 13th, right in the middle of summer vacation.  What better way to get a little break than to take the children to an air conditioned theater to enjoy a big tub of movie theater popcorn and the comedic talents of Ray Romano (voice of Manny), John Leguizamo (voice of Sid), Denis Leary (voice of Diego), Seann William Scott (voice of Crash), Josh Peck (voice of Eddie), Jennifer Lopez (voice of Shira), and Queen Latifah (voice of Ellie)?

Ready for some fun?  Watch the trailer below to familiarize yourself with some of the Ice Age 4 characters.  Then share this photo of the main characters on your Facebook wall and tag them with the names of your family and friends who remind you of each character's personality and/or appearance.




For even more fun, visit www.iceagemovie.com for free games, activities, and downloads.  Also, follow Ice Age on Facebook and on YouTube to see the latest Ice Age 4 trailers.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming Ice Age giveaway during the first week of July.  We'll be giving away some cool Ice Age gear and plus a Visa Gift Card so you can catch Ice Age: Continental Drift in theaters.

"The Three Stooges" Movie in Theaters Now

Claudia Puig of USA Today described The Three Stooges movie as "an unexpected treat, even for non-fans of the original trio's slapstick comedy."  This new take on an old classic opened in theaters on April 13th.

If you have not already, take a minute to view The Three Stooges trailer and then watch the latest clip from the film below . . .




This film, directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, is rate PG and tells the tale of how the trio came to be the men many of us have grown to know and love.  The all-star cast includes Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, Chris Diamantopoulos, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson, Sofia Vergara, Craig Bierko, Stephen Collins, and Larry David.  To learn more about The Three Stooges movie, visit www.threestooges.com, The Three Stooges on Facebook, and on Twitter.  You can also play games and upload a photo to "Get Stooged" on the official movie website.
Thank you to 20th Century Fox for providing a gift card for me to see this movie and for providing an additional gift card and a t-shirt for our contest prize.

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MIRROR MIRROR Comes to Theaters on March 30th

It is no small undertaking to rewrite a classic fairy tale, but the director, producers, cast, and crew of the upcoming film MIRROR MIRROR appear to have pulled it off.  By incorporating a cast, including Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, and Mare Winningham just to name a few, with captivating costumes and sets, the results appear to be a new, bright, and bold tale of Snow White.

By viewing the latest trailer below, you will see that there are enough familiar elements in the film so that one can easily recognize the story of Snow White.  On the same note, there are enough twists and surprises to make me think this film could be very interesting and entertaining.





There are three things that make me want to see this film.  The first two are Julia Roberts as the evil Queen and the elaborate costumes.  You can view more of the beautiful costume designs by visiting MIRROR MIRROR on Pinterest.

(Click any image to enlarge)

The third thing that draws me to this film is the concept of a Snow White who fights for what she believes in and does not wait to be rescued, proving that the "fairest one of all" does not need to be meek.

MIRROR MIRROR comes to theaters on March 30th, 2012.  To find a showing near you and for fun free activities, visit MirrorMirrorFilm.com.  You can also learn more about this film by visiting MIRROR MIRROR on Facebook.


Thank you to Relativity Media for providing the prizing for this contest and for providing an additional gift card to me as a thank you for participating in this campaign.

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Studio Ghibli's "The Secret World of Arrietty" Would Make Mary Norton Proud

As someone who did read Mary Norton's The Borrowers book series as a child, I was extremely interested in seeing the Disney film The Secret World of Arrietty.  Although neither my husband nor myself are fans of anime in general, we both thought that the past Studio Ghibli films, Ponyo and Castle in the Sky, were very well done.  The whole family was very excited to have the chance to attend an advanced screening of this new Studio Ghibli production in Boston last weekend.

This film is about bravery, friendship, and dreams coming true.  It also brings up the subject of mortality, and more specifically, mortality in children.  This movie depicts the Borrowers to be as charming and endearing as I remember them to be from the books.  These tiny people, who call human beings "human beans" and use postage stamps as wall art, have successfully won over my children as well.  One thing that made this film a huge success is the magnifying of everyday noises, even the smallest.  The audience heard all these sounds as a Borrower would living in a human size world.


This clip explains what a Borrower is very simply . . .



Our heroine, the 14 year old Borrower named Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler of Disney Channel's Good Luck Charlie and Lemonade Mouth) had been taught to live in fear her whole life.  She eventually proved to her parents that there are exceptions to the rule, by befriending a 12 year old human boy named Shawn (voice by David Henrie of Wizards of Waverly Place) and eventually the cat, two beings she had been trained to avoid.

This film occurs all in a matter of days, which started with Arrietty's first borrowing . . . a rite of passage for any young Borrower.  Her overprotective mother Homily (voice by Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live) is always anxious, especially when her husband Pod (voice by Will Arnett of Arrested Development) is off borrowing.

My children's favorite parts of this film are the humorous ones, something not seen in all Studio Ghibli films.  It was interesting to hear the audience, the majority of which were adults, laughing out loud at both the subtle and obvious humor.  The rogue Borrower Spinner and the scene with our villain Hara the housekeeper (voice by comedienne Carol Burnett) and the crow made the top of our children's favorite things about the movie.  In the end, I am extremely pleased that the movie sparked enough interest for my 8 year old son to want to read The Borrowers book series.

We have covered the bravery and the friendship, but what about the realization of dreams?  Well, you will just have to watch the film to find out.  The Secret World of Arrietty opens in theaters today!  After you watch the film, I would love to know if you think there will be a sequel coming our way from Studio Ghibli.


My family attended an advanced screening of this film to facilitate this review.

Free Printables: "Mirror Mirror" Valentines Day Cards (Coming to theaters March 30th)

Have you experienced a fairy tale romance like that between Snow White and her Prince?  Well, here are 8 different Mirror Mirror themed printable Valentine's Day cards for you and your children to enjoy.  Simply click here to view all 8 cards.  After all, what better way is there to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a classic romantic fairy tale?

This retelling of the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is actually more modern-day than classic.  Lily Collins (of The Blind Side) plays a Snow White that actually fights back.  Even more interesting, Julia Roberts, who has always been known for her sweet smile, plays the evil Queen.


For a sneak peak, watch the Mirror Mirror trailer below . . . 




Other members of the cast are Armie Hammer (as Prince Alcott), Sean Bean (as the King), one of my favorite actors, Nathan Lane (as Brighton, the Queen's servant).  Personally this trailer has made me curious as to how wicked Julie Roberts can really be and how the seven dwarfs translates into a band of highway robbers.  To find out, look for Mirror Mirror in theaters starting March 30, 2012!

I received a gift card as a thank you for taking the time to participate in this campaign.

Holiday 2011: Dolphin Tale Arrives on Blu-ray/DVD on Dec. 20th

Dolphin Tale is the heartwarming true story of Winter, a dolphin who lost her tail due to fishermen. This story is an inspirational one, showing the bond between humans and animals, never giving up, and dealing with differences in people and animals. The main character, Sawyer, is an amazing child who believes in Winter when no one else does, and he is proven right.

We all absolutely loved this movie. From my 4 year old to my 33 year old husband, we were all touched by the moving story of Sawyer and Winter and got teary-eyed on more than one occasion. This movie is well-done, superbly acted, and a great family flick. Truly a feel-good story for families, this would make a great gift for anyone on your Christmas list.

Dolphin Tale becomes available on Blu-ray and DVD December 20, 2011.


Thank you to Warner Bros. for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

"Game of Your Life" is the Perfect Family Movie Night Choice for Gamers (Dec. 2nd at 8pm EST on NBC)

The newest Family Movie Night film from Walmart and P&G, Game of Your Life, does an excellent job of engaging the general population of tweens, teens, adults.  This movie is centered around gaming, a pastime enjoyed by people of all ages.

There are three concepts in this movie that makes it successful in speaking to today's youth.  The first is that geeks are cool!  In fact, there are several references made in the film that only a true geek would understand and appreciate fully.  The second is the idea of an elite gaming academic program in college.  What hardcore gamer has not dreamed of going to school for game design and then ultimately being paid to create the same games he or she loves to play?  The third concept that many young people can relate to is the pressure of having to contribute financially to help their family in today's struggling economy.

Two important themes introduced in this film that will open opportunities for discussion with your children are plagiarism and what it really means to be on a team.  It is a common misconception that the team members who perform better are more important than the others.  This film shows this to be untrue, but rather every team member is important to the success of the whole team.  Other themes are having to experience the loss of a parent and the inner struggle of deciding when it is acceptable to break the rules.




As an adult, I found this movie to be very entertaining.  I never found myself to be bored or to be looking at the clock.  I would recommend it for anyone from middle school age to adult.

You can catch the premiere of Game of Your Life on NBC this Friday (Dec. 2nd) at 8pm ET/7pm CT.  Visit FamilyMovieNight.com and Family Movie Night on Facebook to learn more about this and past Family Movie Night films.


I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Giveaway: Disney's Tangled Family Prize Bundle [CLOSED]

On November 24th, Disney's Tangled will be opening in theaters nationwide in digital 3D. I am looking forward to attending a screening with my family the week prior to the film's release. Look for my review before the opening day. Not to worry . . . I promise I will not be giving any of the plot away.

Based on the trailer, this film appears to promise quite a bit of adventure and humor. These are two ingredients that are almost always guaranteed to make a film engaging to my family . . . children and adults alike. I am also looking forward to meeting Rapunzel. She seems to be strong, intelligent, and courageous, all things a Disney heroine of today should be.

Please take a moment to view the trailer of Disney's Tangled . . .

I cannot wait to report back to you about the story of how Flynn and Rapunzel meet and the adventures they share together!

To learn more about this film, visit Disney.com/Tangled, Tangled on Facebook, and Disney Animation on Twitter.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a Tangled Family Prize Pack containing the following . . .

• a purple Tangled youth or adult t-shirt (S, M, L, or XL)
• a brown Tangled youth or adult t-shirt (S, M, L, or XL)
• a green Tangled youth or adult t-shirt (S, M, L, or XL)
• 3 packs of Tangled Silly Bandz (each containing 4 character bracelets)

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Click on the Tangled characters to read about each one. Then leave a comment telling me one thing you learned about the character of your choice. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Disney's Tangled. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow Disney Animation on Twitter and/or "Like" Tangled on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Celebrity Guest Stars Join Handy Manny on Playhouse Disney (7pm on 3/20)

On Saturday, March 20th Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Lance Bass will be joining Handy Manny on prime time for the new special "Handy Manny Big Race". This feature has previously been seen on DVD only. Since we are all huge Handy Manny fans in our house and have two boys that are obsessed with anything to do with fast cars, I guess I know where we'll be this Saturday evening.

If you are not familiar with Handy Manny, he is the ultimate role model for preschoolers. He is always respectful and caring to others and is ready to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Look for "Handy Manny Big Race" this Saturday, March 20th at 7pm EST on Playhouse Disney!

Click on this link to view the trailer for "Handy Manny Big Race".

To learn more about this Playhouse Disney favorite, you can visit Handy Manny on Playhouse Disney's website and Handy Manny on Facebook. Also, check out Handy Manny's online game called "Manny's Pit Stop Shop" with your preschooler on PlayhouseDisney.com .

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Playhouse Disney. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.