Happy summer, friends! I’m sure you guys are just as thrilled for the summer as we are! After all that distance learning and pandemic teaching, I’m so excited to let loose and enjoy these carefree summer days.
Since most of our camps and activities for the summer have been canceled, we’ve been on the hunt for fun activities. Well, lucky us, we were invited to participate in Camp Warner Bros! With Camp Warner Bros, we’ll be doing various activities and checking out several Warner Bros movies and shows over the next few weeks.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be checking out LEGO DC, Steven Universe, We Bare Bears: The Movie and so much more. With each movie or show, we’ll be sharing a fun activity with you! I plan to share our shenanigans over on TikTok, so be on the look out over there!
Our first activity was a super fun tie die kit with our camp shirts. I love how they turned out—so much so, we did a TikTok to show them off! Be sure to follow along on the #CampWarnerBros hashtag.
When it comes to feel-good family movies there are quite a few recent releases that fit the bill. But when it comes to a coming of age story that shares the reality of sibling rivalry, the cost of fame and other not-so-glamorous topics, Fighting With My Family is a film that can’t be missed.
Based on the true story of WWE’s Paige’s rise to fame and her family’s plight to make their passion pay off, Fighting With My Family follows Paige, her brother Zak and their family’s highs and lows. Produced by Dwayne Johnson, the film is from Annapurna Pictures and has created quite the buzz, and for good reason.
After screening the film last week, together with a group of fellow bloggers, I participated in a press junket for Fighting With My Family. At the junket that was held at the Essex Hotel in NYC, we had the chance to interview some of the stars of the film including: Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Stephen Merchant and WWE Divas Champ, Paige.
Obviously, we all had so many questions about the story itself, so it was great to hear Paige’s perspective firsthand. When asked what it was like to go through so many hurdles and challenges and then experience success, Paige shared her thoughts on what it was like to view from this new lens.
It’s bizarre because at the time you don’t realize how many obstacles you’re going through until it is being told on the big screen and Stephen did such an amazing job trying to capture everything as accurate as possible.
But yeah, it’s like very bizarre and very surreal and then sometimes I have to sit back and she’s so good at what she does that I forget that she’s playing me and I forget that it’s my story.
But, yeah, every single one of the cast did an incredible job and it’s just thank you all every single one of you by the way. She gets to meet my mom today. I’m very excited.
Fighting With My Family isn’t just a movie about wrestling. In fact, when asked if the movie would translate for people who are not wrestling fans, the cast answered:
I don’t think people need to know all of wrestling to like the film because everyone has a family so I think it’s a film about families and wrestling could be pottery or you could swap out for anything.
Above all, Fighting with My Family is about relationships and how to triumph above all. This key messaging resonated with all of us in the room, and the cast validated these thoughts during the interview. Lena Headey, who plays Paige’s mom, admitted that she studied Julia.
Lena Headey: I mean we watched the documentary, I watched the documentary years ago and sort of fell in love with them because so completely honest and there’s no nonsense. I mean they all say how they feel, there is nothing whispered behind any doors and I think that their authenticity is why you fall in love with them. And I haven’t met Julia yet, I’m meeting her today. Hopefully, she’s pleased.
One of the key messages of the film for me was that life isn’t always going to be easy. It’s going to be hard and messy and unforgiving. When life throws you adversity and tough times, it’s not how you fall, but how you get back up and react. It’s all about moving forward.
And I think part of the message of the film is that nothing is easy whether it’s wrestling or anything else. Doors will be closed in your face, people will sometimes say no, sometimes you won’t fit in, sometimes you will be rejected and you just have to keep moving forward. You know you have to keep taking the punches and if you are passionate about it you just keep plowing on and eventually the doors will open and that is certainly true of all of us in our careers. I’m sure we could all have individual stories of the times where it didn’t pan out so. It’s hard sometimes to remember that and you could give up, you could get depressed but I think it’s all of us and I think certainly Paige’s story is that just keep moving forward.
I can’t say enough positive things about this film! As someone who grew up watching WWF as a kid, it was an absolute honor to screen and participate in this junket for Fighting With My Family. It’s a realistic coming of age film that’s so well written and surprisingly funny to boot!
Fighting With My Family is a heartwarming comedy based on the true story of WWE Superstar Paige. Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the competitive training program, she must leave her family and face this new, cut-throat world alone. Paige’s journey pushes her to dig deep, fight for her family, and ultimately prove to the world that what makes her different is the very thing that can make her a star.
Fighting With My Family is out in select theaters on February 14 and nationwide on February 22.
Full Disclosure: This junket was hosted by Annapurna Pictures. All opinions are my own. As always, thanks for supporting NKT.
In the works for seven years, The Greatest Showman, is the story that captures the essence of P.T. Barnum and his legacy as a showbusiness trailblazer. In what was one of the most engaging press junkets I’ve participated in yet, I was enchanted by the entire cast and creators behind this film. Though my review of the film is embargoed until tomorrow, I will say, however, that I have not stopped thinking about or singing The Greatest Showman.
Hugh Jackman and Following Your Passion
Larger than life, much like the character whom he portrays, Hugh Jackman was the first actor who arrived to our junket. Sharply dressed for the evening’s events, Jackman started off by telling the group how the journey to creating The Greatest Showman began seven years ago.
Jackman was approached by producers, Larry Mark and Bill Condon, to do an original movie musical. “And they had idea of P.T. Barnum, which I thought was perfect for a musical. I do think when you have a character who’s in the world of show biz, who’s larger than life, it lends itself to a musical.”
The face of the film, Jackman takes on what is, quite possibly, one of the roles of his lifetime. He showcased his vocal chops, strength as a dancer, range as an actor and solidified his role as a versatile entertainer while portraying the unstoppable P.T. Barnum.
He shared how his passion for dance and the stage has a parallel to one of the messages of the film:
“Actually owning up to the things that you love, the music that you like, the food you want to eat, who your friends are, the things you want to do whether it’s cool or not, that is where the joy of life is. And really should be your marker for your path. And I can speak, unfortunately from experience, of not always listening to that.
When I was 11, a teacher told me I had talent as an dancer. You should dance. I told my dad and he told me to go and get dance lessons. My brother overheard and said, “Ah, you sissy. You sissy.” And I was 10 or 11 at the time. And so, I didn’t do dancing. And then when I went to see 42nd Street with my dad and my brother, I was 18. And at interval, my brother came up to me and said, “I said something really stupid to you years ago. You belong on the stage and you should go and get dancing lessons.”
The Different Dimensions of Zac
Zac Efron, who most recently starred in comedies such as Neighbors, Neighbors 2 and Baywatch, rose to fame portraying Troy Bolton in Disney’s High School Musical series in 2006-2008. Efron secured his triple threat status in the revival of Hairspray in 2007.
During the junket for The Greatest Showman, Efron’s casual entrance shifted the tone for the interview. His laid back and warm demeanor was a contrast to the privileged, yet unhappy Phillip Carlyle. Efron was attracted to The Greatest Showman because it was a “merging of worlds”…that evokes a “modern sensibility and it’s about issues that mean a lot to us today.”
When asked if he was looking to star in a musical, Efron answered: I’m always looking “where can I find the next way to integrate music and that sort of song and dance side of me into my work and where will it be effective.”
“And in Hugh’s portrayal of P.T. Barnum, I felt like it would be effective. It could work through–Phillip could be a conduit to help show the magic of what P.T. Barnum did as a showman.
And really, what Hugh does as a person in real life, and I’m here at a standing testament to it, he’s, like, one of the best teachers and, like, showmen in the world, literally. He quite literally is the most versatile probably actor alive—.”
Truly a wise talent and a multi-dimensional actor, Efron’s portrayal of Carlyle is engaging and showcases his broad vocal range and dance capabilities. Truth be told, I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed Efron in The Greatest Showman. I not only adored his character’s trajectory, but felt that this role showcased his vocal talent and strength as a dancer.
Zendaya: Strong, Poised and Vocal
Zendaya is one of the young actors that I’ve been admiring from afar over the years. As a Disney loving family, we’ve probably watched every episode of Shake it Up and K.C. Undercover. The strong, sassy and diverse characters that she’s portrayed on Disney have helped her to catapult onto the big screen.
The Greatest Showman is her second film, but you would’ve never known it by the way she takes on aerialist Anne Wheeler.
Zendaya says she was attracted to playing Anne because she is the natural leader of the so-called Oddities. “To me, Anne is very confident, very poised and very comfortable in her own skin.”
It’s important to note that the 20-year old Zendaya has used her platform to voice her stance on important issues such as equality, diversity and helping the less fortunate.
As a true fan of this rising star who embraces her responsibility as an influential person who also happens to be biracial, I was so disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to personally ask Zendaya a question. However, when a question came up about what the actors hope that young people would take away from the film, I loved what Zendaya had to say:
“As a millennial or someone that young people look to, it’s a lot of responsibility. And I try to take it that way. Some people like to look at it as a pressure and a negative thing, and I think it’s positive thing. It means 40 million people that I can positively affect, you know?
And I think that what I think my message is and what aligns with this movie is it’s not telling you to be a certain way, right? We’re not saying this is how you should be.
It’s saying we want you to be the best version of yourself.”
Undeterred by boundaries, Zendaya, quite literally, reached for the stars as aerialist Anne Wheeler. In their duet “Rewrite the Stars” Zendaya and Efron worked beautifully to harmonize vocally and physically. The duo complemented each other well and did their own stunts. Zendaya emphasized, “I think that was the cool part about it, is we kind of had the freedom to just kind of go for it and just have some fun.”
Pasek and Paul: Songwriting Masterminds
Though the film takes place in the 19th century, the design music and choreography helped to make this period piece into a relevant movie musical.
At the genesis of the film, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were up and coming songwriters. They had yet to hit it big when they signed on with The Greatest Showman. Pasek and Paul have since added quite a few more songs to their portfolio, not to mention an Academy Award and Golden Globe for “City of Stars” from La La Land and a Tony for the Best Original Score for Dear Evan Hansen.
The songwriting duo do not disappoint with the original music for The Greatest Showman. The musical features 10 original songs with varying tempos, but retain fluidity within the storyline. From the opening scene that introduces the anthem and title song, “The Greatest Show,” the lyrics help to unveil the story, where stacatto vocals articulate the grandeur, and the chorus leads to a transition and a melodic foreshadowing.
Since I’m one of the last people on Earth who has yet to see La La Land or Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman was my first experience to fully enjoy Pasek and Paul’s songwriting. Immediately downloading the soundtrack the night after screening the film and before our junket, I was hooked!Truly smitten by Pasek and Paul’s work in The Greatest Showman, I didn’t hesitate when it came to asking about their musical influences. The original music in The Greatest Showman is influenced by so many genres and artists. The song, “The Greatest Show” is the only song that they co-wrote with someone else; they wrote it with Ryan Lewis of Macklemore and Lewis fame. Director Michael Gracey insisted upon an anthem type feel, much like a Queen song, where the crowd would stomp and clap their hands to the beat.
Though all of the songs evoke their own style, it’s clear that they were influenced by many contemporary artists. Pasek and Paul said that influence in their original music came from artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Imagine Dragons, Billy Joel, among others.
Keala Settle’s Film Debut in The Greatest Showman
One of the many shining stars of the film, Keala Settle plays Lettie Lutz, also known as the bearded lady. Settle, who makes her film debut in The Greatest Showman is no stranger to the stage. Settle is an accomplished actor on Broadway, playing Becky in the stage musical “Waitress,” among other notable roles. One of the most important themes of The Greatest Showman is acceptance and inclusion despite your differences.
Settle, who revealed her fears about the role: “I was so petrified because this is my first major motion picture in a role that I didn’t know was going to be what it is. I had no idea. It changed over the course of how it was created as we were creating, you know, in rehearsals and stuff like that before we started initial photography. And the bigger that it got for me, the scarier that it got because I wanted to hide even more. And I am still, even sitting here in front of you, fighting that right now.”
The entire cast is phenomenal in their own rite, Settle nailed her first film. Her song, “This is Me,” is a relatable ballad for anyone who’s ever felt different or had to overcome a hardship. Her performance is one of the most memorable moments of the film. She is one of the breakout stars of the film; “Look out because here I come…”
From the music, to talent of the ensemble cast to the choreography to the relevant and relatable themes, The Greatest Showman is undoubtedly a film like no other. The positive undertones and dreamer mentality make The Greatest Showman a fun film for people of all ages.
Though this film has been in the works for seven years, The Greatest Showman embraces so many important themes that are more relevant than ever: inclusion, diversity, dream big, among other topical issues.
When asked what was his biggest takeaway from the film, Jackman said it best:
“I love the message of this movie, of accepting ourselves for who we are and what we love and the things that really make us feel passionate and not worry about what anyone else thinks.”
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be enchanted by the magic of showbusiness. The Greatest Showman is in theaters December 20th.
This Christmas, dare to dream anything. The #GreatestShowman opens a world of imagination, in theaters December 20. TheGreatestShowmanTickets.com
“The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation. “The Greatest Showman” is directed by exciting new filmmaker, Michael Gracey, with songs by Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”) and starring Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman. Jackman is joined by Zac Efron, Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.
Genre: Musical
Directed By: Michael Gracey
Screenplay By: Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon
Story By: Jenny Bicks
Produced By: Laurence Mark, p.g.a, Peter Chernin, p.g.a, Jenno Topping, p.g.a
A mysterious and surreal tale that celebrates peculiarity and the power of friendship, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children hits theaters on September 30. The film, directed by the illustrious Tim Burton and based on the best selling novel by Ransom Riggs, left me enchanted and wanting more of this incredible story. It was a vivid portrayal of good vs. evil and how finding your true self is just as important as making and creating lifelong friends.
When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.
This week, I had the unique opportunity to participate in a few roundtables with Ransom Riggs, the bestselling author of Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Colleen Atwood, the costume designer for the film and several stars of the film.
I enjoyed hearing what Ransom Riggs had to say on what seeing his book created into a film by Tim Burton.
Well, it helps when the person changing it is a director you’ve looked up to for 25 years. So, you know, if it had been anyone else, I might have been more nervous. But, I think also, I went to grad film school and I’m a total film nerd, and I’ve written screenplays that no one is going to buy or anything like that.But I’ve dabbled enough to–I think to have a good perspective on how much work needs to be done and adaptation to make it a genuinely satisfying cinema experience that stands alone as a movie. So, I totally respect that. And, yes, I don’t watch the movie and go what about this? What about that? I just try and remove myself as the author and say, “Am I enjoying this as a movie?” And, yes, absolutely, I think it works so well.
Because the film was set in modern day and then went back in a time warp, the costumes helped depict the story in such an eloquent way. Colleen Atwood had a unique task to create timeless and elegant costumes for this unique cast.
On her inspiration behind Miss Peregine’s beautiful look for the film:
Well, the main thing that, that Eva Green [Miss Peregrine] and I talked about was having the costume sort of have some kind of quality that was birdlike without saying I’m a bird. So she has such an amazing shape. I mean she has an amazing physique so she lends herself to that sort of slim kind of goth middle and the kind of pointy shoulder. She was a little bit pointy as a character. So, we kind of did those instead of doing a puff sleeve we did the points on her sleeves. I didn’t really want to put her in a black costume. I really badly wanted it to not be black, and, and I found this amazing piece of navy blue, navy blue wool crepe which is what I ended up making the costume on. And, then I sponged into it a little bit with a little bit of green and some other colors, like how feathers reflect different colors. So, you really probably don’t see it in the film in the sense. It only just keeps it from being a really flat surface to photograph. It makes it more interesting photographically, and inside her shoulders there is a little inset. There’s a box pleat. There’s a feather that’s embroidered in a metallic and silk thread that sort of–I like how animals in nature sometimes they have a little piece of color or something that’s sort of bright that their own species catch but other people don’t catch, and then sort of that was my inspiration for that in her costume. And, I wanted to make her long – her things are all pointed kind of like feathers, and her jacket goes down in a little V in the back that, that kind of helps sell bird a little bit without being too aggressively birdlike.
We also had the chance to talk to several of the actors from the film. Varying in age and experience, these young actors were all so well spoken and so some thoughtful things to say about their work on the film. We interviewed Asa Butterfield (Jake), Ella Purnell (Emma), Lauren McCrostie (Olive) and Finlay MacMillan (Enoch).
On their key takeaway from being in the film, Asa Butterfield said:
You make a lot of good friends in a film, with every film you do, because you’re working so closely with people for a long amount of time. You get close, and you’ve made these friends, and you probably, hopefully, going to know for the rest of your life.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children in in theaters September 30. Be sure to catch this amazing film!
Starring: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O’Dowd, Ella Purnell, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett, Terence Stamp, with Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson Directed By: Tim Burton Rated PG-13
Full disclosure: I was invited by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporationto participate in this roundtable. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.
In the latest installment in the Ice Age franchise, Manny and crew are back for more fun in Ice Age: Collision Course. In the latest film, Manny (Ray Romano) and Ellie’s (Queen Latifah) daughter, Peaches (Keke Palmer) is approaching a new phase in life. Peaches, who is getting married, hopes to explore the world with her new husband, Julian—much to her parents’ chagrin.
Alongside of this new phase in life, the Earth is experiencing its own changes, where Manny and his friends must team up to make things right. Along the way, they meet eccentric characters, such as Shangri Llama, who follow a different path in life, making this adventure even more colorful.
Several weeks ago, I had the chance to screen Ice Age: Collision Course and interview Keke Palmer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, as well as the director Mike Thurmeier. This was such a fun junket at the Crosby Hotel, and an equally funny family film that I can’t wait for my kiddos to see.
I asked Keke and Jesse about their experience with exploring and roaming, and I loved what they had to say.
Traveling and roaming, exploration was a key component in this story, and it’s obviously a right of passage in many peoples’ lives. Have any of you taken any significant trips in your life that were, you know, life changing?
Keke said, “Significant trips? Probably when I was living in New York for the four months doing Broadway. That was the most significant change I could tell in myself because I’m so thankful that I used that time wisely because it really left me the opportunity to learn so much about myself. I used the opportunity of the discipline I had to have for Broadway to take time from my phone and to really sit with myself and discover more ways to meditate and do yoga. And that was a really cool time for me. Even though my mom was there, she really gave me my space, and she and I were transitioning into, you know, her seeing me also as an adult and respecting my boundaries. And that was a really cool time where I was able to see, “Wow, okay, you’re making a jump, sister.”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a wonderful anecdote about traveling too:
“I just got to go to Cuba, which was really, really interesting. And you sort of have to go with a purpose, which I love. It wasn’t a trip for the weak of heart. We went, and we brought Capezio dance shoes to a dance troupe out there, and they performed for us. And I was able to immerse myself in the artists that were in the culture there. And we weren’t just having mojitos and smoking cigars. You know, we really got to like experience and see the parts of the city that I think are, you know, not shown on Instagram and Yelp.”
Be sure to check out the brand new adventure in Ice Age: Collision Course, which is out in theaters on July 22.
Full disclosure: I was invited by 20th Century Fox to participate in this press junket. As always, all opinions are my own.
This one isn’t for the kids, but definitely for the parents who love music and for those that can relate to chasing dreams.
Rock dramas could easily populate a genre of its own. The new film, Ricki and the Flash starring Meryl Streep, is a unique story that seems to transcend genres and your typical rockstar story.
Directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Diablo Cody, Ricki and the Flash is a story about a musician who set out to chase dreams at the expense of her family and traditional path in life. Ricki Randazzo, the veteran rocker, played by Streep, is at her best on stage, alongside of her multi-faceted band, the Flash. When her adult daughter is facing a crisis back home in Indiana, she has a chance to redeem her role as mother and come to the rescue, when she, herself, could use a dose of the same support and rescuing.
In Ricki and he Flash, Meryl’s starring role has the potential to upstage this heartwarming story. Ricki’s relationship with her daughter, Julie, played by Mamie Gummer, is a modern mother-daughter relationship heightened by dysfunction and healing. Mamie and Meryl’s onscreen relationship catapulted their real-life mother-daughter chemistry, and further solidified Mamie’s rising star status. Man, does she play the angsty, bitchy victim well!
Ricki’s boyfriend, Greg, played by the ruggedly charming, Rick Springfield, lifts the love storyline at the best possible moments. Kevin Kline played a conservative secondary character as Ricki’s ex-husband. The talented Andra McDonald was nice to see in the film, but I thought her character was underutilized.
The strengths of this film are the relationships, the live music and the raw emotion. When all three catalysts are in full force, expect all the feelings. All of them.
As Ricki, we see Meryl as we’ve never seen her before. She’s passionate about her music and doesn’t apologize for chasing her dream to be a rockstar. At one point of the film, while on stage, she starts a diatribe about why women are punished for putting careers first. We knew she was talented, but she takes her musical chops to the next level. She learned to play the guitar for the film and shows her rockstar status in various scenes. Of all the songs played, “Cold One” is undoubtedly the most unforgettable. This song catapults different meanings with every time it’s played, with the last scene making it all come full circle.
If you’ve ever chased a dream, wanted to chase a dream or had a dysfunctional relationship, Ricki and the Flash will resonate with you. The relationships portrayed by Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer and Rick Springfield make this film worth seeing and believing in second chances.
On that note, I had a cool opportunity to sit in on a blogger junket with three of the main characters of Ricki and the Flash. As expected, Meryl was gracious, Mamie was cool and reflective, but quite honestly, Rick stole the show for many of us who grew up listening to him.
I have a short video to share of his impromptu serenade! Several people asked the predictable questions about Meryl working with Mamie, and what it was like for Meryl to play live for the movie. (It was great to work together; and it was fun to rock out with Rick and the band!)
The one question I asked had to do with music for the film and how music affects them.
“The music and lyrics throughout Ricki and the Flash complemented the storyline and evoked so much emotion between Ricki and Julie and Ricki and Greg. Do any of you have songs or lyrics that could be a part of your life’s soundtrack?
Mamie Gummer answered that she spent many years listening to powerful female musicians such as Sarah McClaughlan, Fiona Apple and attending Lillith Fair—the type of music that speaks to your emotions.
As a college kid of the 90s, I can totally relate to this language and music choice!
Ricki and the Flash is now in theaters and is rated PG-13.
Everyone’s favorite hilarious little yellow characters are front and center in Universal Pictures’ Minions. As the leads in their namesake animated feature, the Minions are up to some shenanigans and life before Gru.
Minions explores life for the yellow fellows and their hunt for their leader. When collaborations with leaders like Napoleon, Dracula and dinosaurs ultimately fail, the Minions decide to tap some of their best, er, most willing guys—Kevin, Stuart and Bob—set off on a hunt for their true leader.
Several series of events lead the trio to their chance encounter with an evil family who help them get down to the Villain Con in Orlando.
Their search leads them to Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock) and then becoming her evil henchmen. Kevin, Stuart and Bob are tasked with taking the British crown, which then leads to them becoming royalty and making Scarlett feel threatened. Because the Minions are loyal, they grant Scarlet the monarchy and things get a little crazy to say the least. Kevin, Stuart and Bob beckon the rest of their crew to England and must save the World in the process.
Despite the evil brouhahas and constant scheming, Minions is a story about friendship, loyalty and courage. In their first foray as the lead, the Minions are able to endure their brand of comedy and nonsensical scenarios, without uttering a complete intelligible sentence, thanks to the supporting cast and silly storyline. Sandra Bullock’s Scarlett Overkill added a feisty flavor to the mix, as did Jon Hamm as Her Overkill. We learn to love the Minions’ imperfections even more than we already do, and Kevin, Stuart and Bob
My Minion-obsessed 3-year-old sat through the entirety of the 1 hour 44 min runtime, and could’ve watched it several times over. I thought it could’ve been a little shorter, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Overall, Minions is a fun family flick, and one that’s sure to be a hit with the littlest guys, as well as the adults.
In Dreamworks’ new animated film, “Home”, two unlikely characters cross paths and work together to overcome alienation while learning to embrace imperfections.
When the free-spirited tween, Tip, voiced by Rihanna, finds herself isolated and alone as the eccentric aliens, Boov, colonize Earth, she ventures out with her cat to search for her mom. As the Boov settle into their new digs, the quirky and often misunderstood, Oh, voiced by Jim Parsons, finds himself in another unfortunate scenario when he mistakenly sends a party invitation to everyone in his contact list—including their evil enemy, Gorg. When the cluelessly arrogant Boovian leader Captain Smek, voiced by comic legend Steve Martin, finds out that Oh made another mistake that might cost them their new home, ultimately, Oh is banished.
At the press junket a few weeks ago, I enjoyed listening to Rihanna, Parsons and Martin as they charmed a room full of bloggers and journalists.
To my surprise, Rihanna was hilarious and self-deprecating; at one point, I totally felt as though we could potentially be BFFs. When a fellow blogger asked Rihanna about how important it was for Tip to resonate with her own character and traits, I appreciated her candor:
“I think it was both important to me and DreamWorks Animation for this to be as realistic as possible. We wanted little girls to feel empowered, little girls of any size, shape, color, race. It didn’t matter. We wanted girls to just feel strong and brave and empowered and beautiful and like they can do anything. And they can take charge of their life or their situation no matter what.”
Hopefully, girls and boys will appreciate and be influenced by Tip’s fearlessness and determination to rise above adversity.
In person, Parsons was just as charming as I’d envisioned. When asked what his takeaways were from “Home,” Parsons appreciated several of Oh’s strengths.
“Oh has his own selection of them too, this optimism and eagerness and friendliness and hopefulness, that I don’t carry with me as in abundance and as much of the time as he does. And there’s not a good reason for–I mean, life gets in the way.”
Parsons provided charm and awkward likability to the outcasted Oh, while Rihanna gave Tip a sassy, yet vulnerable persona. As recognizable entertainers who stepped out of their usual realm, providing voiceovers for Home was a new frontier for both Rihanna and Jim Parsons.
It was Martin’s brand of grandiose comedy that made Captain Smek’s arrogance and cowardice believable, yet strangely likable. Martin, of course, could effortlessly entertain the room with a single sentence. As for Martin’s takeaway from the film:
“I’m vowing to be more animated. That’s true.”
Jennifer Lopez voiced Tip’s mom and lent her vocals for one of the songs in Home. With nods to popular lyrics and a unique soundtrack, the music was just as fun as the story itself.
“Home” unearths a number of themes, but one message that will hit home for kids and families is that camaraderie and friendship sometimes evolve when you least expect it. Despite their differences, when Tip and Oh reluctantly partner up to overcome adversity, they realize they have just as many similarities as they have differences.
As their adventure unfolds, they learn about their own personal strengths and acceptance for things out of their control. As Tip and Oh bond and travel to search for family and safety, ultimately, they find friendship and compassion. Dreamworks’ “Home” is yet another fulfilling family film that explores into multiple thought-provoking themes while maintaining a fun and relatable storyline for kids.
Overall, this is a fun film for families, but the story may be too big for littler audiences. For those who might not understand complex story lines or who can’t sit through an hour film, I wouldn’t recommend seeing Home in the theaters. At times, I felt that the dialogue was abrupt and borderline questionable. I found myself instinctively thinking a few times “we don’t say that,” as if my 7 year old was watching next to me. Toward the end, in one of the turnkey scenes, grief and loss is a brief topic. So, if your child is uneasy about loss and darker concepts such as evil, I’d give a second thought before watching “Home.”
From Tip and Oh’s light-hearted coming of age story, we learn that the idea of “home” transcends its literal meaning of a place or a thing. “Home” playfully depicts home as a feeling of contentment and a personal destination where love, life, family, friends converge. Home arrives in theaters on March 27.
Full disclosure: I was invited to participate in this press junket, but did not receive compensation. As always, opinions on NKT are my own.
The Penguins of Madagascar are back, and this time, they’re stars of their own movie. Produced by Dreamworks and distributed by 20th Century Fox, Penguins of Madagascar is a fast-paced and funny story about four penguin friends.
Penguins of Madagascar, which hits theaters on Wednesday, November 26, sheds light into the backstory of the funny foursome: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. The spinoff to the Madagascar franchise, the Penguins’ adventure follows their pursuits in preventing the peculiar Dr. Octavius Brine from taking over the world.
Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private must work together with North Wind undercover agents while keeping their character in tact and eating as much Cheezy Dibbles along the way. Above all pursuits, Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private embrace their brotherhood and prove the importance of loyalty.
Famous names lend their voices to this fun film: John Malkovich is Dave, Ken Jeong is hilarious as Short Fuse and Benedict Cumberbatch is Classified the gray wolf. Like other Dreamwork films, the humor in Penguins is witty and smart, relevant for the parental audience, but still silly and fun for the kid contingent. With all the action, adventure and fun, Penguins has all the elements for fantastic family film and impeccably-timed for the holidays.
In honor of the Penguins Movie, we were invited to a press junket in the City. Together with several other bloggers’ families, we enjoyed the day at the Bronx Zoo, where we toured the Madagascar exhibit and watched a private feeding of Magellanic Penguins and were treated to breakfast and lunch courtesy of Residence Inn.
After our day at the Bronx Zoo and following our screening of the Penguins of Madagascar, we were hosted at the new Central Park Residence Inn. Residence Inn and the Penguins have a partnership promoting the family travel experience, and we were quite fortunate to experience this partnership firsthand.
Overlooking Central Park from a few blocks away, the Residence Inn is a convenient midtown location that’s close to a myriad of NYC tourist destinations. The decor is modern and sleek, the complimentary breakfast is expansive and the rooms are cozy and comfortable; the Residence Inn is ideal for families who seek a midtown hotel with ample amenities.
My kids were in amazement of the unbelievable views of the city from our room at the Residence Inn. As if watching the Penguins movie before anyone else wasn’t cool enough, getting to stay in a really cool hotel overlooking Central Park was certainly a highlight of the weekend.
Check out Penguins of Madagascar on Wednesday, November 26!
Check it
Residence Inn announced a promotion in line with their partnership with the Penguins of Madagascar release. Contestants can enter the Penguins Picture Mission contest on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram by reenacting their favorite “Penguins of Madagascar” pose with the hashtag #PenguinsMissionPromo between now and December 7. Contestants can enter up to six times, once per week. Each image will be generated into an online photo gallery, giving fans a chance to check out the competition.
The grand prize includes round trip airfare to Tampa for four, a three-night stay at the Residence Inn Tampa Downtown, four tickets to see “Madagascar Live! Operation Vacation” at Busch Gardens Tampa, two-day admission tickets for four at Busch Gardens Tampa, and more. Every week for six weeks, participants will also be entered to win prizes including a package of Madagascar DVDs and a $150 Residence Inn gift card.
Full disclosure: my family was hosted at the Bronx Zoo, Residence Inn and to a screening of the Penguins of Madagascar, with thanks to DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox. A big thank you to Big Honcho Media and the studios for hosting my family on such a lovely event.
The wait is finally over: everyone’s favorite Vikings and Dragons are back in theaters today! Hiccup and Toothless are back for more in the second chapter of Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon 2.
It’s been five years after Hiccup and Toothless have united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk, something that seemed unthinkable many years back. As Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races, Hiccup and Toothless are exploring new worlds.
The pair stumble upon a secret cave which is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and reveals a mysterious Dragon Rider. Hiccup and Toothless are thrust into another battle to protect peace, and ultimately stand up for what they believe, while reinforcing that together as a team, they influence the future of both men and dragons.
It sounds like HTTYD2 is full of action, stellar graphics and strong bonds between people and animal companions—the making of a fun family flick.
We have a date to watch the movie as a family tomorrow and can’t wait! In honor of the release of Dreamwork’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, I’m giving away a fun prize pack for you and your family to watch the movie, too!
Giveaway
$25 Visa gift card to see the film
HTTYD2 pencil topper set and drawstring bag
To enter: tell me your family’s favorite character from HTTYD! Please comment below.
