Movie review | Page 9 of 23

Pan is family-friendly action that defies expectations

We’re part of Fandango Family and were compensated or received product for this review-all thoughts are our own.

Movie: Pan

Rating: PG

Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes

Moviegoers: Dad 46, Jake, 6

Family movie faves: Inside Out, Finding Nemo and Shaun the Sheep.

Fave movies for grown-ups: Ong-Bak, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Fury Road. (These are my faves. My wife has no desire to see them, and our children will have to wait for years until they’re old enough to enjoy them. )

Review of Pan

What’s the story: Pan is the origin story of Peter Pan. It takes place in WWII Great Britain in the orphanage where Peter lives. However, at night the children are being snatched up by pirates and taken to Neverland. Once there the children are forced to mine for pixie dust, which is hidden in the rocks.

Black Beard rules Neverland but is under attack from a group of bandits in the woods.Through a series of events Peter realizes that he can fly and escapes from the pirates with Hook where they find the bandits. It’s here that Peter discovers his true identity, has adventures beyond his wildest imagination and meets the characters that are part of his life forever.

What parents may like about this movie: I’m a dad who has seen every incarnation of Peter Pan, all but one of them in theaters. And I think parents will like Pan because it is not predictable. This is even more of an accomplishment given that most parents know the rough storyline of Peter Pan. The boy who can fly, enemy of Captain Hook, friend of Tinker Bell and inspiration to adults trying to find their inner child everywhere. Pan is not a perfect film, but it is so much better than you’ve heard and one that is constantly entertaining, even for adults, on a ridiculously large scale. There are details in every shot that make it a treat to watch. Granted, Hugh Jackman’s hair was distracting at first, but once you understand why it’s there and see the man behind the mirror it’s all forgiven.

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The New Yoda Chronicles lovingly pokes the Force from all sides

Star Wars is such a massive cultural juggernaut that a little gentle poking and being made fun of is necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Star Wars, but I also enjoy other fun things. For instance, LEGO makes fabulous shows (and films) that skew pop culture in a family friendly way that respects the source material while creating something that is entirely unique. Star Wars The New Yoda Chronicles is out on DVD and brings all of the wit, charm and action that you expect from their brick-animated creations.

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Love & Mercy, a complex, engaging film about Brian Wilson

Love & Mercy is the story from Brian Wilson’s perspective about his life-specifically the time in the mid 60’s. They were ruling the pop charts with surf songs, but Wilson wanted and needed to do more creatively. The film also takes place in the mid 80’s, when Wilson was somewhat of a broken soul who hears voices and is under the strict control of a very domineering doctor Landry.

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Win a $100 gift card from Fandango! #FandangoFamily #BlogPopEvents

Hey, hey, we were compensated for this post. All thoughts are our own. We love some movies in this house and have seen some really great ones over the past couple of months. Shaun the Sheep is the best family film of the year for our money. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is our favorite PG-13 film and the best action movie this year (so far) is Mad Mad: Fury Road. Going to the movies is a way that our family has fun and really relaxes and Fandango makes going there easier. It eliminates the need to find a seat by purchasing in advance, which makes going out with the fam less stressful. This giveaway is for two (2) $100 gift cards to Fandango to two different people.

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We’re part of a group of bloggers involved in #BlogPopEvents, giving away LOTS of things for back to school. Just follow the hashtag or dig the widget to see all of them.

Shaun the Sheep is the best family film of the year #FandangoFamily

Wait, he must not have seen Inside Out, you’re saying to yourself. I did see that and loved every moment of it. However, the difference is that I expected to like that film, whereas my expectations for Shaun the Sheep were low. I am a big Shaun the Sheep fan; we’ve had the DVDs for years, have a couple picture books and relish the chance when we can watch it. Having said that, there were lulls in the feature length Wallace & Gromit movies and we really love those. Plus, even the television length Shaun the Sheep episodes had our mind wandering-and they’re only 12 minutes or so. For the film version of Shaun the Sheep Aardman nails it to the floor in their best movie, a classic stop animation masterpiece and something that the entire family can watch with everyone enjoying it.

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Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is perfect movie action fun #FandangoFamily

A film series almost 20 years old shouldn’t be getting markedly better is the convention wisdom. However, that is exactly what’s going on with Mission Impossible. The first one was OK, the second one was lame, the third was good, the fourth one was great and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a fabulous experience. It’s the best one in the series and is probably the most fun you’ll have at the movies this summer.

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Unexpected, packed with indie cred, but is slow and formulaic

Unexpected stars Colbie Smulders as a high school teacher who discovers that she’s pregnant. At the same time one of her students discovers that she is pregnant also. Unexpected is a pleasant film that tried hard to succeed, never does offend or is bad on any level, but is slow and packed with clichés.

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I Am Big Bird is a “must see” film on every level

Documentaries are something that I’m not usually a big fan of. Best case they’re engaging, worst case they’re pompous, too artsy and boring. However, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, while it is a documentary film, is so much more than what the genre implies. Take away the allure of Sesame Street, the puppet fascination behind Oscar the Grouch and the feel goods that you receive from Big Bird. Even if you know nothing about Sesame Street or for some reason, have ill feelings towards them this documentary will melt your heart.

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