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.

Radio Disney "Mars Needs Moms" iMax Event

On March 5th, my 7 year old son and I attended a Radio Disney Mars Needs Moms event at Jordan's Furniture in Reading, Massachusetts along with Miss Blondie of Good Golly Miss Blondie and her son.  Included in the event was a screening in the iMax 3D Theater, but first there was music, games, prizes, face painting, and more.  DJ Blake Kuhre did an excellent job keeping all the children entertained with trivia, fun games, and dancing.


Check out Miss Blondie's moves . . . 

In addition to the presence of Radio Disney, there were also some fun and educational activities hosted by the Cambridge Science Festival . . .

When it came time for the screening, we found out that the ceiling-to-floor iMax screen was too much for my son (who happened to also boycott the 3D glasses).  Luckily, Mars Needs Moms opens on Friday, March 11th.  I have already purchased tickets to go see the film (not in iMax or in 3D) this weekend, so you can look for my review of the movie next week.

Even though my son did not watch the film last weekend, the highlight of his week was hanging this ginormous Mars Needs Moms movie poster on the back of his bedroom door when we got home.  By then the whole trauma of the iMax theater was already forgotten.  Instead, he remembers making a new friend in Miss Blondie's son, seeing a real live radio DJ, and making a rocket out of some paper, tape, and a drinking straw.

Thank you to Walt Disney Studios PR for inviting us to this local event and for providing complimentary tickets to the screening, as well as refreshments and a goody bag for my son.

Review: Screening of Movie Tangled in Disney Digital 3D

Last week, I had the pleasure of taking my family to an advanced screening of the Disney film Tangled, an adaptation of the fairy tale Rapunzel, which is scheduled to hit theaters nationwide on November 24th in Disney Digital 3D. Without giving too much of the movie away, I would like to share some of my thoughts about this film with you.

My family consists of two adults, a nearly 7 year old boy, and nearly 4 year old boy/girl twins. To sum it up, the adults cannot stop raving about the film. The 6 year old thoroughly enjoyed it, but because the film did such a good job engaging him, he got a little teary-eyed 3 or 4 times during the viewing. Our 3 year son enjoyed certain aspects of the movie, such as action scenes and specific characters, but quite a bit of it went over his head. Our 3 year old daughter did not laugh or even crack a smile once. Of course, this is in part due to her personality and why we have nicknamed her Sitting Bull.

The reason why I think this film is more suited towards grade school-aged children up to adults is because there are many sophisticated concepts presented, such as Rapunzel's (voice by Mandy Moore) inner struggle and the concepts of Mother Gothel's (voice by Donna Murphy) selfishness, greed, and vengefulness, and Flynn Rider's (voice by Zachary Levi) selflessness. Another thing I would like to point out is that, if you are taking a child to see this film who has been emotionally abused, there is a character who blatantly represents a controlling emotionally abusive parent.

When trying to decide which of the Tangled characters is my favorite, it is difficult to choose one. There is such a wide array of characters, each making their own important contribution to this film. Ultimately, I would have to choose the horse Maximus. Yes, I have a soft spot for animals, but this one truly has a big heart and is loyal, brave, and a true hero.

For a quick introduction to Maximus, view the short video below . . .

I cannot forget to mention that the 3D animation was unbelievable, from small details like grass in the foreground to breathtaking moments like the floating lanterns pictured below. Our twins ultimately did not want to wear their 3D glasses. Luckily the film can be viewed with or without them.

Overall, I think this film would be enjoyable for anyone 4 years and up. It is rated PG because there is some cartoon violence. For this reason, I would recommend that, if your child cannot understand that hitting someone with a frying pan could truly cause a major injury in real life, then maybe he or she is not ready for this movie.

To learn more about this film or to find your local showtimes, visit Disney.com/Tangled. You can also find discussions about this movie by following Tangled on Facebook and Disney Animation on Twitter.

Thank you to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures for inviting my family to a complimentary advanced screening of this film on which I based this review.

Review: "Life As We Know It" is a Fun Date Night Movie

Last Saturday night, my husband and I attended a screening of the movie Life As We Know It, which opens nationwide on Friday, October 8th. I really wanted to see this film because I have been a big fan of Josh Duhamel since his days on All My Children. I had to practically drag my husband to the movie and I do not think he would have gone if I did not have passes for the screening. In the end, he was glad he went and had to admit that he enjoyed the movie very much.

Life As We Know It is a romantic comedy starring Josh Duhamel (Transformers) and Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) that achieved what many romantic comedies do not . . . it offers a male character that not only appeals to women, but also to the men in the audience. The character of Messer (Josh Duhamel) is a lady's man who somewhat lacks class, but is still well-liked. After one blind date gone wrong, Messer and Holly (Katherine Heigl) found themselves to be Godparents to their best friends' baby girl. Following a tragic car accident, these arch nemeses are promoted to co-guardians of the little girl Sophie, creating an instant family neither wanted. Both actors were well-casted, as were the supporting roles. Without the quirky neighbors and social worker, this film would not have been as much fun as it was.

Below is a trailer, which gives you a sample of what to expect from this film . . .

I think Life As We Know It makes an excellent date night movie. As an experienced parent, there is nothing more fun than watching first time parents discover the ups and downs of caring for an infant.

Thank you to Gofobo.com for providing passes to a screening of the movie reviewed in this article.