Fabulous Family Christmas Films on DVD

I don't know about you but one of my favourite ways to get into the mood for Christmas and to start the countdown to the big day is to watch Christmas movies. This year we no longer have paid-for TV and thus we have lost all the Christmas film channels that so frequently got played last year. Thankfully we were sent a couple of family friendly films to start our long countdown to Christmas.

I sat down with my twin girls  (aged 6 years) and snuggled up for a good watch and we thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday afternoon -

12 Dogs of Christmas 2 (The great puppy rescue)

None of us had seen 12 Dogs of Christmas the original movie but this did not matter at all, we soon got into the plot and enjoyed ourselves. I'll be honest with you, if you are an adult this film is not going to knock your socks off, it is not a blockbuster cinema movie after all but it was nice and perfectly watch able and actually just perfect for a family afternoon snuggled up together.

As far as Miss M was concerned nothing can top this film, it contains everything she loves in life - teenage girls, dancing and dogs - perfect! I love the message of this type of film where people pull together to save the day, in this case the dogs.

I am sure this film will be watched many times by our girls and JJ (our 10 year old boy) also enjoyed it too. Have a peek and see what you think -



Run time: 102 minutes
Certificate: U
Starring: Danielle Churchran, Sean Patrick Flanery, Alli Simpson
Availabel to buy on Amazon for just £5.00 - a bargain!

Home & Alone for Christmas

The other movie we watched was a bit too madcap for me if I'm honest but it truly had the kids hooting with laughter and I heard the odd snort from my husband too. In the style of the Home Alone films (but not as good in my opinion) it is about a family who decide to reconnect by staying home together with no utilities or luxuries in their home for 3 days but it turns out that they have to fight a couple of bad guys a la Macaulay Culkin. Not a traditional Christmas movie but one that allowed me to sit down and sew for an hour whilst the family were all happy watching.



Run time: 98 minutes
Certificate: U
Starring: George Newbern, Megyn Price, Taylor Spreitler
Available to buy on Amazon for just £7.07

Disclosure: Both of these DVD's were sent to me for the purse of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review and Giveaway: Ben and Holly DVD, The Elf Games

Big congratulations to @joanna_kow, @WeeWillieWilkie and @Him_me_three you are the lucky winners of a Ben and Holly DVD each.  Please email or DM me your postal details and I'll pass these on to the PR.  Cheers Mich x

I have to confess that we all like Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom in this house, JJ might try and pretend that at age 8 he is too old but when it comes on Nick Jnr. you will find he plonks himself down and sits there quietly. Of course my girls are both still mesmerised by it at nearly 5 years, they both consider themselves to be Princesses like Holly after all.

As Miss M is such a live wire we have developed a routine where the girls sit on the sofa either side of me for a half hour cuddle before bed and Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom features most days in our slow-down time.

There are some kids TV programs that I really can not deal with but I have to confess that I do enjoy this and that is probably down to Nanny Plum, her humour is decidedly adult and whilst this sometimes gets me into trouble, like when Miss M called an old male driver a 'silly old fool' as that is what Nanny Plum calls the Wise Old Elf I do enjoy it. I always find the programes to be well written and engaging and I happen to prefer them to Peppa Pig which is by the same writers.

As my girls are such fans I have probably seen every episode made and could even perhaps act them out, so I was a little surprised to find that I had already seen all the episodes on this new DVD, which is due to be released on 14th May.  I mistakenly thought it would be new material rather than the episodes that had been shown on TV.  Don't get me wrong they are all good episodes and fully worth watching but this was just a disappointment to me.  Luckily it did not phase my girls as they are happy to watch the same thing more than once, repetition is good for learning after all.

This DVD contains the following episodes -
The Elf Games
Dinner Party
Cows
The Toy Robot
Big Bad Barry
King Thistle's Birthday
The Wand Factory
Daisy and Poppey's Pet
The Elf Rocket
Picnic on the Moon

You can pre-order a copy of this DVD on Amazon for £7.49 with free delivery.

Certificate - Universal

Would you like to win 1 of 3 copies?

To enter-

• Mandatory - Leave a comment and let me know how to contact you if you are the lucky winner.
• Optional - Tweet 'I'm in to #win 1 of 3 Ben and Holly DVD's with @MichelleTwinMum http://bit.ly/JV1TCk #giveaway #comp' and leave me a comment to say you have done so.

Terms and Conditions -

• The winner will be chosen at random
• Open to UK and Ireland residents only
• Giveaway closes at 12 noon on Thursday 24th May 2012
• The winner will be contacted within 5 working days of the competition closing
• The winner needs to contact me within a week of my announcing the winner or I will draw again
• The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative
• The DVD will be sent direct from the PR agency.

Disclaimer:  We received a review copy of this DVD for the purposes of the review. I was not instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Which Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Film do you rate?

After arriving home from our Easter break we were really pleased to be greeted by an Easter bundle from Warner Brothers.  The kids were very excited and immediately set about watching Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies, which I am told was fabulous but I have to be honest and say I did not sit through, it did its job and kept the kids happy for a while and that suits me.  I took solace in the Mini eggs that accompanied the films!

I do like it when I can feel sure that a DVD is age appropriate and I do not need to vet it first. I always feel happy with the Warner Brother U and PG cert films that I have been sent to watch and review, they is never anything too adult in them.

One thing I did sit down and watch was the 2005 Tim Burton directed film 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.  The remake of the classic 1971 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' is a film I have been avoiding since it came out as I just do not like Tim Burton films in general, they tend to be a bit too weird and black in humour for me.

Dh persuaded me to have a watch, saying I would not be disappointed and my 8 year old JJ kept trying to convince me it was the best film ever.  I watched and yes I enjoyed, it was far better than I might have imagined.  I cannot be swayed from the original though if I am honest.  I suppose 30 odd Christmas viewings have persuaded me that Gene Wilder is THE Willy Wonka, but no problem there as the original film was also in our bundle.

A couple of days later, all the family sat down again and this time we watched the original movie and the girls agreed with me that Umpa Loompas are supposed to orange!  To be honest whichever film you choose as a family, you won't be disappointed they are both classics that will appeal to adults and children alike.

So what about you, which film does it for you?


Disclaimer:  I was sent the Easter package from Warner Brothers for the purpose of this review.  I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

DVD Review: A Dolphins Tale

I was invited to a preview blogger event before A Dolphins Tale was released at the cinema and sadly I could not make it, so when Warner Bros. asked me if I would like to review it on DVD I nearly snapped their hand off.

The DVD arrived yesterday and what better to do on a very cold and bitter Saturday afternoon than to sit under the duvet with my little ladies and watch the movie. I proved to myself yet again that since becoming a mum I have turned into a blubbering wreck, this film and knowing that it is based on true events really moved me and I absolutely adored it.  I expected the film to be a big hit with JJ but due to his friends being here he has not even watched it yet, it was me and Miss E that it really touched.

I did not expect a 4 year old girl to be able to get so much of the film, but she was really engaged and enjoyed it and now keeps chatting about Winter the dolphin and her tail that died. The plot in a nutshell, is that Sawyer, an 11 year old boy who is struggling at school finds a hurt dolphin washed up on the beach and caught in a  crab trap. He starts to set the dolphin free and in those moments develops a special bond. When the dolphin is moved to the Clearwater marine hospital and named Winter, Sawyer breaks in to find her and ends up bunking off summer school so that he can spend time with Winter and nurse her back to health along with the staff at the hospital. He manages to engage a specialist to help build a prosthetic tail for Winter and organises a special event with his friend Hazel and her family so that Winter and the hospital can be saved.

This is a real feel good movie and one I would definitely recommend for great half-term viewing for kids of all ages. We will most definitely sit down and watch it again, with JJ this time. Take a look a the official trailer below and see if you fancy it too.
Dolphin Tale is out on DVD on 13th February 2012, it is available to pre-order on Amazon for the cost of £9.99 and Blu-ray is £14.99.

Run time - 108 minutes
Rating - U, suitable for all
Cast - There is  superb cast, including Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jnr and Kris Kristofferson



Disclaimer:  This is a review post

Review: The Polar Express DVD

I don't think I have quite accepted yet that Christmas is over! Whilst I am enjoying being back to normal and having the chaos cleared out of my house I still love to watch Christmas movies.

So I had a very enjoyable 96 minutes a couple of days ago in bed on my own, watching The Polar Express. I had not watched this film before so when I received it as part of a Christmas present bundle from Warner Bros. I was super pleased! It is a G for general viewing and I can imagine all five of us sitting down next year to watch it together in the run up to Christmas.

It really is a very magical film. The animation is amazing and so different to many other animated films that have been released in recent years but in a beautifully mystical way.  I cannot even start to explain how much the film captivates you and draws you in, making you want to watch it the whole way through. An animated Tom Hanks is the conductor on board the Polar Express, which is a magical train that rides to the North Pole each Christmas Eve loaded with children. The four central children characters are excellent with their own very prominent and unique personalities and you watch them grow and change as they take this roller-coaster journey.

If you don't believe in the magic of Christmas before this film you certainly will afterwards.  I will happily recommend this as a family movie which will appeal to the adults just as much as the children (maybe even more so!). This is not your typical Christmas feel good film full of humour and pranks but that for me was a welcome change.

Amazon have some great deals on The Polar Express now and there is even a 3D version on Blu-ray too, which you could buy for £14.99.

Enjoy!


Disclosure:  This is a review post.

Review: Marley and Me, The Puppy Years

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours ironing, something which is OK but not the most interesting thing I can think of doing.  To make it more bearable I normally watch something good on TV, so when my kids asked if we could put Marley and Me, The Puppy Years DVD on I happily said yes.  A nice family, easy viewing movie was just what I needed.

The film did not dissapoint.  I had enjoyed the original Marley and Me movie and whilst this film did not actually fit in with the story line from the original film it was in the same vein and had the same beautiful labradors. We are a family with a penchant for Labs and I think this certainly helped us to enjoy this film. it is what it is, very easy viewing, a lot of fun and nothing too taxing. Marley talks this time and you get an insight into what the animals are thinking, just a bit of fun.

This storyline sees Marley as a young puppy in Vancover, looked after by his dogsitter Bodi Grogan, played by Travis Turner (Supernatural, Fairly Legal), who is staying with his grandfather Fred.   Bodi has always wanted a dog of his own and during the summer, to prove to his mum that he is ready for the responsibility, he enters Marley in the "Ultimate Puppy Championship," along with the neighbour’s Labrador puppies Fuchsia and Moose.  

After weeks of mayhem, training and hard work, Marley and his team the “Ragga Rascals” are ready for the competition. They come up against strong competitors when they face the other puppy teams; a group of pugs, a gang of Australian cattle dogs and the intimidating trio of miniature Doberman pinschers. I'll let you watch the movie to find out the ending but needless to say as a family certificate U it is  good one! Here is a quick clip to give you a taster.

Marley and Me, the Puppy Years was relaeased on 14th November 2011 and I believe it will make a great Christmas gift. The RRP for the DVD is £14.99 but it is available on Amazon right now from £9.00. It is also available as a Blu-ray for RRP £19.99. Both DVD an Blu-ray have additional features.


Disclosure:  I was provided with this DVD for the purposes of this review.  I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Tom & Jerry do The Wizard of Oz! Really? Review

Don't you just love Tom and Jerry?  I know I do, they take me right back to my childhood, along with the roadrunner, the kind of programmes I watched as I grew up in the seventies and thanks to my dh my kids are familiar with these old slapstick kind of cartoons.  Luckily they love them too, must have inherited our sense of humour.

When I was asked if I would like to review Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz, I said yes straight away as I knew my kids would enjoy it and they did, loads.  This DVD has been on so many times in the last couple of weeks it is untrue.

All the important parts of the original Wizard of Oz story are still there and the cartoon Dorothy really reminds me of the original one and those sparkly red shoes, yes I want some, as do Misses M and E too!

“In this captivating story, Tom and Jerry are twisted up into a powerful tornado, soar over the rainbow and down the yellow brick road, where they encounter some of the legendary story’s most cherished characters including Dorothy, her little dog Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, the Wizard and many others. The cat and mouse team go paw to paw against a legion of flying monkeys and set out on a dangerous quest to storm the Wicked Witch’s castle in a heroic attempt to return Dorothy and Toto safely back to Kansas, because after all, there is no place like home! This exciting new story is full of heartwarming and hilarious moments, and beautiful songs, including the memorable, Over the Rainbow.”

Dh commented to me that the art and animation was really good for a made for DVD movie and who am I to argue? Overall I think this is a great movie, it is retailing at £4.99 and you can't argue with that price. With a certificate of U and a run time of about 45 minutes it hits the nail right on the head.

Released on 19th September 2011, you can buy your own copy now on Amazon for an amazing £3.69.

Top Family Score 5/5

Disclaimer:  We received this DVD free of charge for the purposes of this review.  I was not instructed what to write and I remain honest.