Archive for the ‘DVD and Blu-Ray reviews’ Category

  • Watch this with your kids – James and the Giant Peach on Blu-Ray

    Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

    The James and the Giant Peach Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo was released on August 3rd, and the James And The Giant Peach Special Edition DVD is available for pre-order and will be released on September 14, 2010.

    Based on a book by Roald Dahl, who also wrote the books “Shrek” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “James and the Giant Peach” was made into a film in 1996 by Tim Burton (“Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Alice in Wonderland”). Burton, Denise Di Novi, and director Henry Selick combined a fascinating mix of live-action, stop-motion animation, and computer-generated special effects to create a an imaginative and fascinating world.

    James has this wonderful life with his parents, until they are killed (by a…stampeding rhino? that comes out of the clouds?), and he’s sent to live with his two spinster Aunts, who have to be the meanest characters ever created for Disney. They treat James like their slave, deprive him of food, belittle him, but James hangs on to a postcard his father had given him of New York City, where they were supposed to go to live.

    After a mysterious stranger gives him a bag of…crocodile tongues?…and James accidentally spills them, a peach tree begins to grow out of the ground in front of the house. A peach appears that begins to grow, and grow, until it falls off the tree. James crawls inside and finds talking bugs who set off with him on an adventure.  This is where the movie really picks up and becomes enjoyable,  as the peach bounces along and James and the bugs head for New York City.

    My word of caution about this movie is to be prepared for how dark  the beginning of the movie is.  Younger kids might be upset by the death of James’ parents, or by how cruel the Aunts are to him.  The animation is amazing, moving from live action to stop motion, and the talking bugs, voiced by Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfus, Jane Leeves and others, are delightful.  So once James gets into the peach, the movie becomes much more enjoyable for younger kids.

    If you’d like to buy either the Two-Disc Blu-ray Combo or the Special Edition DVD from Amazon.com, and want to help support Table for Five a little bit, please consider clicking the links at the top of the post to use my Amazon Affiliates code to make your purchase. If not, that’s okay too!  Look for James and the Giant Peach on Blu-ray now and on Special Edition DVD on September 14th.

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    4 Comments » Filed under: DVD and Blu-Ray reviews

  • Watch this with your kids-Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

    Friday, December 11th, 2009

    NightMuseumBDWhen the lights go off, the battle is on! Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian arrives in a Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD and a Digital Copy) and for a limited time only a “Monkey Mischief” double DVD on December 1 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. We received this on Blu-Ray from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for review, and it was as funny as I thought it would be! This is a terrific movie for families to watch together. If you didn’t see it, here’s the description:

    History is larger than life — and twice as funny — in this monumental comedy sequel. Ben Stiller (Meet The Parents, There’s Something About Mary) stars as Larry Daley, a former night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come alive after dark. But now Larry’s nocturnal friends are being retired to the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, luring him back for a hilarious, all-out battle against a cranky Egyptian Pharaoh who plans to take over the museum… and the world! From returning director Shawn Levy (Cheaper By The Dozen), the film also stars Amy Adams (Enchanted), Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting), Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers), Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”), Ricky Gervais (“The Office”), Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder) and Jonah Hill (Super Bad).

    Since I didn’t see it in the theater I don’t have anything to compare it with, but this movie absolutely pops on Blu-Ray. Considering that the majority of the story takes place indoors and at night, colors like bright yellows, reds, blues, and shiny golds are used to brighten up the scenes. The music is muted or non-existent during dialogue scenes, and then punched up to majestic thundering during action scenes.

    One of my favorite parts of this movie is how the paintings and photographs on display at the museum not only come to life, but actually become part of the plot. There’s a fantastic cameo by Jay Baruchel (“Tropic Thunder”) as a sailor from that famous photo of a sailor kissing a woman on V-J day in Times Square. If you own a Blu-Ray player, this movie is worth buying on Blu-Ray format.

    There are three options for this movie; the Blu-Ray/DVD combo, a two-disc DVD set, and the single disc. Info on all:

    Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
    The Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack includes a high definition version of the film with over an hour of mayhem, mischief and monumental magic of outrageously funny features – including an interactive museum scavenger hunt game, gag reel, 12 deleted scenes with an alternate ending, “Cherub Bootcamp,” “Phinding Pharaoh With Hank Azaria” featurettes – a Digital Copy and a standard DVD. The pack is available for the gift-giving price of $39.99 U.S. / $49.99 Canada. ($29.99 at Best Buy)

    Monkey Mischief
    The limited edition “Monkey Mischief” double DVD boasts a second disc including over 30 minutes of entertainment complimenting the bonus materials featured on the first disc, including cast and crew commentary, six deleted scenes with an alternate ending, a gag reel, and more. The holiday two-pack DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $34.98 U.S. / $45.98 Canada. (only $19.99 at Best Buy!)

    Single Disc
    The Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian single disc DVD has one hour of special feature laughs from favorite stars including commentary by cast and crew, featurettes, six deleted scenes with an alternate ending, and a gag reel for the suggested retail price of $29.98 U.S. / $43.48 Canada. ($19.99 at Best Buy)

    Pick up this movie for your own collection or as a terrific holiday gift!

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