Busy Mom Reviews

River's End is the story of a young man, Clay, who feels out of place in his small town. When he causes his family distress by his angry acting out and destructive behavior, his grandfather steps in.

Grandfather Buster is a cowboy and the local sheriff, and, he gives Clay some consequences of his behavior, he can either go to court, or, take a survival trip down the Pecos River, kind of "tough love" style. Clay encounters both natural and man-made dangers on the exciting adventure.

Clay Watkins is played by Sam Huntington (“Fanboys,” “Superman Returns”), and, his grandfather is played by Barry Corbin (“Northern Exposure”). The cast also includes Caroline Goodall (“Schindler’s List”) as widow Sarah Watkins, Clay’s distraught mother; Charles Durning (“The Sting,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ”); and Clint Howard (“Cinderella Man,” “My Dog Skip”).

It's a great family movie, but, I think it would be best for older kids, perhaps teens, though my 10 year old was fine with it. It would be kind of intense for sensitive kids, as there is some violence, and, language (though in context).

The movie says a lot about overcoming obstacles, and, many parents could probably relate to teen rebellion.

I just hope I'm not one of them in a few years.

Peter Pan has been let out of Disney's vault and is back in action on DVD.

You know the story, but, I was sent this shiny new digitally restored (it really does look great) 2 disc edition for review, and, it comes with a games and activities, as well as extras, including an interview with Walt Disney "In Walt's Words: "Why I Made Peter Pan".

We love Peter Pan here at our house, and, this has made a great addition to our collection of Peter Pan and Disney movies.

Disney's Jump In Freestyle Edition comes out on DVD April 3rd!

In Jump In, Brooklyn teenager Izzy Daniels (Corbin Bleu of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL) is training to become a boxing champ, because it's his dad's dream. Yet, intrigued by the cool moves involved in Double Dutch, he agrees to help out his neighbor Mary (Keke Palmer) when she needs a fourth member on her jump rope team. Izzy quickly discovers that Double Dutch is more demanding and rewarding than he'd ever imagined, but when the entire school finds out about his newest sporting exploit, he's taunted into quitting.

There's great music, and, the Double Dutch jumping is amazing. I learned that the cast did nearly all their own jumping, it's really something to see. The DVD also has extras, such as, how to Double Dutch, and, the making of the movie.

Jump In is a good movie for the whole family as it emphasizes the importance of trying new things, believing in oneself, and rising above the limitations of stereotypes and peer pressure.

Nickelodeon's The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie is out on DVD on April 3. 2007.

The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie (has sound) is a “mockumentary” that follows a world-famous kids' rock band, the Naked Brothers, as they struggle with superstardom, love, friendship, a band break up, and adolescence.

It stars two real-life brothers, Nat and Alex Wolff, and is inspired by the real-life band they started in pre-school. The cameras follow Nat and Alex through their concerts, their rehearsals, and their private lives as they deal with the growing pains of having friends, having a band and having your friends in your band.

We love the Naked Brothers around here, it's a cute show. If you're as old as I am, you might be interested to know that they are the progeny of Polly Draper (Ellyn) of Thirtysomthing fame.

Because I Said So, starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo, Stephen Collins (“7th Heaven”), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!) and Gabriel Macht came out on DVD May 8th, in time for Mother's Day.

Diane Keaton stars as Daphne Wilder, a mother whose love knows no bounds or boundaries. She is the proud mom of three daughters: stable psychologist Maggie (Graham), sexy and irreverent Mae (Perabo) and insecure, adorable Milly ( Moore )—who, when it comes to men, is like psychotic flypaper.

In order to prevent her youngest from making the same mistakes she did, Daphne decides to set Milly up with the perfect man. Little does Milly know, however, that her mom placed an ad in the online personals to find him.

Comic mayhem unfolds as Daphne continues to do the wrong thing for the right reasons...all in the name of love. In a hilarious battle of strong wills, the mother-daughter dynamic is tested in all its fierce, wacky complexity. The girls help Daphne finally discover the truths and impossibilities of motherly love, all while trying to answer the questions: where does it begin and where should it end?

t's rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and, partial nudity.

Bridge to Terabithia is now on DVD!

Walt Disney Home Entertainment has released the faithful adaptation of Katherine Paterson’s Newbery Award-winning novel, Bridge to Terabithia, a heartwarming tale of kids who stumble upon the fantasy kingdom Terabithia, where they face the challenges of childhood and learn that friendship is life’s one true reward.

The fantasy-filled family drama stars AnnaSophia Robb (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The Reaping), Josh Hutcherson (RV, Zathura), Zoey Deschanel (Elf, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and Robert Patrick (We Are Marshall, ‘The Unit’ and of course, T2).

My kids love this, even Busy Boy, who's not a voracious reader loved the book, and, has watched this one several times.

Be warned, though, there are a couple of parts that might be too much for sensitive kids.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (The Friendship Edition) is out on DVD.

It collects the digitally remastered three classics that started the Pooh tradition with his freinds: “Honey Tree, “Blustery Day” (1969 Best Animated Short Film Academy Award® winner), and, Tigger’s first on-screen appearance in “Winnie the Pooh with Tigger, Too.”

There's also bonus material, both new and old for Winnie the Pooh fans of all ages.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (The Friendship Edition) is $29.99 and runs 74 minutes.

See a clip here!

NEW! Be sure to visit Miley Maniac.com!

Hannah Montana-Pop Star Profile was released on DVD by Walt Disney Home Entertainment this week!

Miley Cyrus even did a free concert in Los Angeles to celebrate, check out the pictures here.

We love Hannah Montana around here, and, were excited to get the DVD.

This four-episode story arc is the latest collection to release on DVD from the incredibly popular Disney Channel original series.

It also has bonus features: The Real Miley Cyrus, and, "Nobody’s Perfect" a concert performance of one of Hannah’s new songs, from the upcoming second season of the hit series.

See a clip here, and, get yours today for the Disney Channel and Hannah Montana fan in your life!

High School Musical, The Concert - Extreme Access Pass is now available on DVD!

The cast of High School Musical (minus Zac Efron) embarked on a North American tour in 2006-2007 to promote High School Musical, and, High School Musical 2 coming in August, 2007 (squee!).

It's not a stage version of the musical, but, they perform their musical numbers, and, the dancing that made them famous.

High School Musical: The Concert Extreme Access Pass DVD features multi-talented young stars (in alphabetical order)—Corbin Bleu (“Chad”), Monique Coleman (“Taylor”), Lucas Grabeel (“Ryan”), Vanessa Hudgens (“Gabriella”), and Ashley Tisdale (“Sharpay”) joined by the Emmy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Drew Seeley, who co-wrote the hit "Get'cha Head in the Game".

Wild Hogs will be released on DVD on August 14, 2007.

The star-studded cast of this hit comedy includes Tim Allen (“Doug”), John Travolta (“Woody”), Martin Lawrence (“Bobby”) and William H. Macy (“Dudley”) as four suburban couch jockeys who suffer from mid-life crises and take motorcycles to the American asphalt expecting nothing but fun and adventure. But being an easy rider isn’t so easy, especially after a chance encounter with the real-life Del Fuegos biker gang proves just how lame and tame the
Hogs really are.

It retails for $29.99 (US), and, includes bonus features:

Bonus Features include:

• Bikes, Brawls and Burning Bars: The Making of Wild Hogs

• Alternate Ending

• Deleted Scenes

• Audio Commentary

• How to Get Your Wife to Let You Buy a Motorcycle

• Outtakes

• Easter Egg

Loved this movie, it's hilarious!

The acclaimed family film, The Climb, was released on DVD August 21, 2007.

It stars John Hurt (Elelphant Man, Midnight Express), Gregory Smith (of Everwood), and, David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck). The winner of eight International Film Festival Awards, including the UNICEF Award in Berlin, The Climb has received stellar reviews including from Michael Wilmington, at the Chicago Tribune, who called The Climb "a jewel well-worth seeking out for its humanity, humor, and most of all, the brilliant hurting of John Hurt."

Young Danny Himes was growing up in the 50's in Baltimore with a strong notion of bravery, especially since his father, Earl, was ridiculed for not being a war veteran, and, considered a coward.

Danny is obsessed with climbing the neighborhood TV tower to prove his bravery, with the help of his dying, grumpy, old engineer neighbor, Chuck Langer.

It's a great family movie, and, it stimulates discussion about, "What defines courage and honor?"

It's a good one for school aged kids, it might not hold the attention of the very young ones, but, we have really enjoyed it.

Check out the official site here.

Disney's The Jungle Book is being released on DVD October 2nd, 2007. We love The Jungle Book at our house, and, this edition doesn't disappoint!

From the press release:

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this Jumpin’ Jungle Classic Spectacular Restoration with Enhanced Picture and Sound On DVD October 2 For A Limited Time Only

On October 2nd, Walt Disney Home Entertainment will celebrate The Jungle Book’s 40th anniversary with the 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD. In addition to enhanced picture and sound, this jumpin’ jungle Disney classic was the last animated film Walt personally touched.

The Jungle Book 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD is overflowing with not only memorable characters like the wise panther Bagheera, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo, and the menacing tiger Shere Khan, but amazing special features that both new adventurers and seasoned explorers are sure to enjoy.

The all-new bonus features include a new member of The Jungle Book family, the long lost character created for the original film and discovered for the first time -Rocky, a near-sighted and short tempered, but hilarious rhinoceros.

“The Bare Necessities: The Making of The Jungle Book” featurette takes a look at Walt Disney’s contributions to his animated swan song and also examines how director Woolie Reitherman filled the legend’s shoes when putting the final touches on the production.

“Disney’s Kipling” examines Walt’s interpretation of the Rudyard Kipling’s “Mowgli Stories,” and a film commentary from original animators Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and director Woolie Reitherman is presented alongside commentary from current top animated filmmakers including Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”), Glen Keane (Disney’s “The Little Mermaid), and Andreas Deja (Disney’s “Beauty and The Beast,” and “The Lion King”).

In “Mowgli’s Return to the Jungle”, Bruce Reitherman, the voice of Mowgli and the son of Woolie, shares his memories of making the film and how the experiences influenced his current job as a wildlife filmmaker. The swinging jungle fun continues with an all-new suite of games: “Baloo’s Virtual Swingin’ Jungle Cruise,” and much, much more!

The Jungle Book: Platinum Edition DVD is available only for a limited time, with a suggested retail price of $29.99 in the U.S. ($36.99 in Canada ) before making the safari back into the vault.

Felix the Cat Golden Anniversary Edition: The Complete 1958-1959 Series is now available on DVD.

I used to watch this show when I was growing up, and, I had forgotten all about it until I received the DVD for review. Felix the Cat, the wonderful, wonderful cat...Poindexter, the Professor and more! Whenever he gets in a fix he reaches into his bag of tricks!

OK, I'll stop singing now. People my age (43) may find it more entertaining than kids today might, but, the simple story lines and animation are what makes Felix a classic.

Get your copy today!

Disney's Meet the Robinsons is available on DVD today, October 23, 2007!

Join a brilliant young inventor named Lewis as he sets off on a time-traveling journey to find the family he never knew. In the fantastical world of 2037, hip-hoppin frogs and dogs that wear glasses are as common as talking dinosaurs.

In an amazing twist, Lewis discovers that the fate of the future rests in his hands, but he can’t save it alone, he’ll need every bit of help he can get from the wonderfully wacky Robinson family, who help him learn to keep moving forward and never stop believing in himself.

Meet the Robinsons’ space age DVD bonus features include deleted scenes, “Keep Moving Forward: Inventions that Shaped the World”, Grammy Award winner Rob Thomas’s “Little Wonders” music video, “Kids of the Future” music video by the Jonas Brothers, “Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game”, “Inventing the Robinsons” and director Stephen Anderson’s audio commentary.

Space Age DVD Bonus Features Include:

* Deleted Scenes
* Arriving in the Future
* Meeting Carl
* Bowler Hat Guy’s Redemption
* Keep Moving Forward: Inventions that Shaped the World -Meet real life inventors and visionary thinkers (including Walt Disney, himself) who changed the world and our lives forever.
* Music Videos:
* “Little Wonders” Rob Thomas music video
* “Kids of the Future” Jonas Brothers music video
* Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game
* Inventing the Robinsons – Follow the development of the film from William Joyce’s original creations through the animation process and production.
* Audio Commentary by Director Stephen Anderson (with a special guest appearance)

The Blu-ray Disc® has even more features.

Get your copy of Meet the Robinsons for Christmas today!

From Academy Award®-winning director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and the amazing storytellers at Pixar Animation Studios (Finding Nemo, Cars) comes RATATOUILLE, this year’s most original comedy about one of the most unlikely friendship's imaginable.

A rat named Remy (Patton Oswalt) dares to dream the impossible dream of becoming a gourmet chef in a five-star French restaurant.

Undeterred by the obvious problem of trying to make it in the world's most rodent-phobic profession, not to mention his family's urgings to be satisfied with the usual trash-heap lifestyle, Remy's fantasies are filled with flambés and sautés.

When circumstances literally drop Remy into the Parisian restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett), Remy finds the one thing he needs, a friend to believe in him: the restaurant's shy, outcast garbage boy named Linguini (Lou Romano).

Remy and Linguini form the most improbable partnership that will turn Paris upside down, leading them both on an incredible journey of comical twists, emotional turns and the most unlikely of triumphs, which they could never have imagined without each other.

Ratatouille came out on DVD with exciting bonus features, on November 6, 2007, get yours today, it will make a great holiday gift!

2006’s holiday box office hit, Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, stars funnymen Tim Allen—reprising his role as Scott Calvin, a regular guy turned Kris Kringle—and Martin Short, portraying the icily calculating and sneaky Jack Frost is out on DVD on 2007!

This third installment of the successful Disney holiday family franchise pits Scott and Jack against one another in a battle for executive control over Christmas, resulting in a sack full of laughs and some Holiday magic.

Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause DVD bonus features include the all-new “Christmas Carol-Oke,” a Christmas caroling guide for the entire family, the “Greatest Time of Year” music video performed by teen pop singing sisters Aly & A.J., “The Making of The Santa Clause 3” featurette and a hysterical new blooper reel.

The Blu-ray High-Def bonus features include all of the DVD bonus features, plus Movie Showcase and the interactive feature “Deck The Halls: The Virtual Holiday Decorator,” which lets you customize your own virtual living room for the holidays.

I love the Santa Clause Movies, and, this one was a lot of fun, the kids loved it, too.

Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End is out on DVD today, December 4, 2007.

Just when he’s needed most, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), that witty and wily charmer of a pirate, is trapped on a sea of sand in Davy Jones’ Locker.

In an increasingly shaky alliance, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) begin a desperate quest to find and rescue him. Captain Jack’s the last of the nine Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court who must come together united in one last stand to preserve the freedom-loving pirates’ way of life.

From exotic Singapore, to World’s End and beyond, from Shipwreck Island , to a titanic battle, this adventure’s filled with over-the-edge action, irreverent humor and seafaring myth and magic. Everything has led to this twisting, turning, wild swashbuckling ride in this final chapter of the Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy.

Bonus features include bloopers, documentaries, behind the scenes and more.

Get your copy of Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End today, it's a great holiday gift!

(Looking for the iPod contest? It's here, but, hurry, it ends December 10, 2007)

I love those little movies that come on before the Pixar films, you know, the ones like the birds on the wire?

I was excited to see that Pixar now has them all on a DVD that came out on November 6, 2007.

Pixar Short Films Collection - Vol. 1 includes 13 movies, three of which are Academy Award® winners and five additional nominees .

The list:
1. "THE ADVENTURES OF ANDRE AND WALLY B." (1984, Lucasfilm). After blue humanoid André is awakened in a forest by a pesky bee, he tries to escape. But the bee (named Wally B.) chases after him, and both characters run off screen. Finally, Wally reappears with a bent stinger.

2. "LUXO JR." (1986). When a large desklamp watches a smaller, younger desklamp play with a ball, he can't quite manage to do it himself.

3. "RED'S DREAM" (1987). Propped up in the corner of a bicycle store, Red the unicycle dreams about a better place.

4. "TIN TOY" (1988). When a wind-up one-man-band toy sees just how destructive a baby can be, he does everything he can to flee -- until the baby gets hurt.

5. "KNICK KNACK" (1989). A snowglobe snowman wants to join a party of other travel souvenirs in a hot party, but his glass dome gets in his way.

6. "GERI'S GAME" (1997). A man plays a game of chess against himself, 'becoming' each player by moving to the other side of the chessboard and taking his glasses on and off.

7. "FOR THE BIRDS" (2001). A group of small birds perched together on a telephone wire reject a larger, awkward-looking bird, and pay the price for it.

8. "MIKE'S NEW CAR" (2002). When Mike (from "Monsters Inc.") shows Sulley his new six-wheel drive car, everything that can go wrong does.

9. "BOUNDIN'" (2003). A shearing leaves a dancing sheep humiliated until a jackalope passes by and demonstrates that it's what's inside that counts.

10. "JACK-JACK ATTACK" (2005). Baby Jack-Jack is thought not to possess the superpowers of his siblings or parents (Mr. and Mrs. Parr of "The Incredibles") until an outsider is hired to watch him.

11. "ONE MAN BAND" (2006). Two one-man bands vie to win the attention of a young peasant girl.

12. "MATER AND THE GHOSTLIGHT" (2006). A mysterious blue light haunts the "Cars" town of Radiator Springs and its residents.

13. "LIFTED" (2007). A bumbling young alien student tests the patience of his instructor as he attempts to abduct an innocent farmer.

Pixar's Short Films Collection - Vol. 1 would make a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer, get yours today!

Mr. Bean's Holiday came out on DVD November 27th, 2007.

Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) can't believe his luck when he wins a camcorder and an all-expense-paid vacation to the French Riviera. But during his train journey to the south of France, he falls face first into a series of mishaps and fortunate coincidences, all of which are caught on camera and far-fetched enough to ensure his own makeshift entry into the Cannes Film Festival!

Wrongly thought to be both kidnapper and acclaimed filmmaker, he has some serious explaining to do after wreaking havoc across the French countryside and arriving at his vacation spot with a Romanian filmmaker's precocious son and an aspiring actress in tow. Will Bean be arrested by the gendarmes or end up winning the Palme d'Or?

It's based on a British television series, that, from what I understand wasn't aimed at kids. It's rated G, but, know there's a little bit of language, but, nothing outrageous.

It's funny, and, OK for the whole family, but, I think very young children might not "get it".

The DVD also has bonus features, and, hilarious deleted scenes.

Mr. Bean's Holiday would make a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer, get yours today!I

The Land Before Time: The Wisdom of Friends came out on DVD November, 27, 2007.

It's another in the series of the Land Before Time Adventures which I love, love, love.

The fun begins when Littlefoot and his friends try to guide two goofy and seemingly inept yellow-bellied dinos, Loofah and Doofah (voiced by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sandra Oh), back to their herd.

Along the way, Littlefoot realizes that their comically strange survival techniques demonstrate a different kind of 'wisdom’.

The DVD includes several cute bonus features:

· Yellow Bellies on the Loose! Collect enough berries so the Yellow Bellies will stay in a group. The Yellow Bellies are out of control. They just can’t seem to follow Littlefoot’s ‘wisdom’ to stay in a group. The only things that seem to gain their attention are their love of berries.

· Yellow Belly Challenge: Help the Yellow Bellies find their way home in this fun interactive game! Loofah, Doofah and Foobie are eager to know what the right wisdom is for each of their dilemmas to help guide them home. Help steer the Yellow Bellies in the right direction all the way back to Berry Valley .

· "The Hidden Canyon " – An exclusive episode from the hit “Land Before Time” TV series

· Sing-a-longs including the “Yellow Belly Bounce,” “How Do You Know”

· Printable Coloring Pages

Be sure to check out The Land Before Time: The Wisdom of Friends for the young movie viewer in your life for the holidays.

The Disney classic, 101 Dalmatians returned to DVD on March 3rd, 2008, and, it's been brilliantly restored with enhanced picture and sound and comes loaded with never-before-seen bonus material!

This all-new two-disc Platinum Edition is a must-own for fans big and small, featuring beloved characters Pongo, Perdita, and their 99 puppies, as well as one of Disney’s most deliciously evil villains of all time – Cruella De Vil (ranked on American Film Institute’s Best Villains of All Time List).

Go ahead, sing it, you know you want to: Cruella DeVil, Cruella De Vil, if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will...

There's also an all-new interactive ”Virtual Dalmatian” game with over 101 possibilities to adopt, train and care for your very own virtual puppy, deleted songs, behind-the-scenes featurettes, an in-depth look at the personal correspondence between Walt Disney and Dodie Smith, (author of the book The Hundred and One Dalmatians), and much more.

But, hurry, it's only available for a limited time!

101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition would make a great addition to anyone's Easter basket, get yours today!

The classic Brothers Grimm tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in high-definition Blu-ray for the first time ever on October 6!

The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition includes a Blu-ray disc and a DVD in one package! You can enjoy the incredible high definition experience of Blu-ray at home, and use the DVD in the kids' room, in the car, or on your computer.

Blu-ray is a great option to make your favorite movies look great! It's a step up from DVD, and though it requires a special player, Blu-ray is up to 6 times the picture resolution of standard DVD and 7.1 channels of high-definition audio, which means your videos practically come to life.

Also, Blu-ray players play your favorite DVDs (so you can continue to enjoy your current DVDs) and Blu-ray discs can play on Sony Playstation 3 players as well. Blu-ray discs also include immersive activity with games and special features

The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition's special features include:

- An all-new music video of "Someday My Prince Will Come"
- Disneyview - fills in the black bars on the sides of the screen with beautiful artwork
- Disney Family Plan – games for everyone to enjoy
- Backstage Disney – See Disney's Hyperion Studios, where Snow White was made, learn about making an animated movie and see some short vintage Disney films.
- Classic Bonus features include: Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride Game, Karoke Sing A Long, and more

This review is in conjunction with One 2 One Network. No compensation other than the product sample as described above was received for this post.

Walmart and P&G's newest Family Movie Night movie, Field of Vision, premiers Saturday, June 11, 2011 8pm ET on NBC.

Field of Vision stars Faith Ford, Tony Oller, Joseph Adler, Alyssa Shafer, and Philip Casnoff, and it's the story of Sinclair High School's star quarterback, Tyler McFarland, who is faced with doing the right thing even though it could mean costing the school the state championship.

Through some footage captured by his sister's mysterious old video camera, he learns that his teammates have been bullying Cory Walker, a new transfer student living with a foster family since his mother died. Tyler is faced with turning his friends in, knowing they may get kicked off the team.

The old camera also reveals some clues about Cory's past, and Tyler's sister Lucy sets out to convince her family to help him find the answers when they initially think she's imagined the clues.

I got a sneak peek of the movie, and I really enjoyed it. The whole family will enjoy the plot and the sports scenes as well as the element of mystery. The bullying theme is great for discussion and is realistic rather than hokey and could be a great way to launch a discussion with school-aged kids.

It's appropriate for all ages, but very young children could be a little bothered by a bullying scene or two. It's nothing outrageous, but worth noting for small ones sensitive to conflict.

Don't forget to check out the Family Movie Night Facebook page for more information!

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.