Cars 2: Pixar Not Running Out of Gas After All

I love Pixar.

I really do! I think they are the most creative animation studio out there today. I love their interesting stories, and ESPECIALLY love that they have strong characters that don't fit the typical mold.

The crochety old guy in Up, everyone's favorite enviro robot Wall-E, etc.

But I had heard that Cars 2 was not one of Pixar's best, and I am not much of a Nascar fan, and not particularly fond of the original Cars movie (it's the idea of Cars populating the whole world that bothers me a bit, rather than existing in ours like the toys from Toy Story. I don't know why, but it just feels...weird). 

I am also...not a huge fan of "Mater". I imagine a lot of adults view Mater, as voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, in the same way that I do: as the Jar Jar Binks of the Cars universe.

Kids love him. Adults? Not so much.

So I did not go into this review with high expectations as I sat down to watch Cars 2 on Bluray.

But I am so happy to say that I actually LIKED Cars 2 ! I really did.

It has all the components I've come to expect from a winning Pixar film:

AMAZING Animation--The artistry of the animators captured me from the very first scene in the movie. The turbulent, rolling sea, for instance, is just beautifully done. The animation reminded me of when I first saw Finding Nemo, actually, and how REAL the water looked there. Except this time, it was more like an ocean of the Perfect Storm variety, a dangerous, unfriendly ocean. 

Definitely up to Pixar's standards. Lighting, scenery--it's all spectacular. I could watch this movie for its artistic quality alone (which is kind of a good thing, as Mater, never been my favorite character, does have WAY too big a role in the film).

Voice Talent:

Owen Wilson is back reprising his role as race car Lightning McQueen.

Rod “Torque” Redline--voiced by Bruce Campbell. He's the "greatest American spy in the world", who Mater is confused for (his part in the movie is actually pretty small).

Finn McMissile--Michael Caine! The car even has a David Niven-style English gentleman mustache painted on. Nice touch. His character is like the cool car secret agent James Bond drives, with all the bells and whistles, except that the cool car IS the secret agent.

Holly Shiftwell--Emily Mortimer (she has a lovely voice, but I've found her pretty forgettable in other roles, sorry to say). Rookie British agent under the tutelage of Finn McMissile.

Tater--Larry the Cable Guy. *sigh*

Sir Miles Axelrod--voiced by comedian Eddie Izzard. This is one of those neat factoids that I, as a language nerd, like (discovered on Wikipedia): his last name, a portmanteau of "axle" and "rod", is a reference to Mr. Izzard's stand-up routine about the invention of the wheel and axle.

Francesco Bernoulli--John Turturro, a talented comedic and dramatic actor who also starred, God knows why, in the Transformers movies as a Sector 7 agent, clearly has a lot of fun with this role. He's a single-seater, Formula 1 style race car (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One), with sexy "open wheels", whatever that means. These are much admired by the ladies.

Professor Zündapp--Respected German actor Thomas Kretschmann (Valkyrie, Eichmann), basically spoofing the villainous German role he has portrayed so well in the past.

Zündapp's henchman are Grem (voiced by Joe Mantegna) and Acer (voiced by Peter Jacobson), Gremlin and Pacer "Lemons"  that have a chip on their shoulder because the other cars never took them seriously. *sniffle*

I personally don't know a lot about various car makes, other than that Gremlins do indeed have a bad reputation as lemons (and that Italian cars are damned sexy).

Plot:

Okay, admittedly this is the weakest link in the big three. The plot for Cars 2 can best be summarized as what TV Tropes has dubbed "Mistaken for Spies". In this version, Mater plays the pivotal role of (I love this term) "Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass."

If you want the less abbreviated version, here it is:

Mater calls in to Sir Miles Axlerod's show to defend his friend, Lightning McQueen. Axlerod has supposedly created an alternative fuel that will make gasoline-powered cars obsolete, and when he and Bernoulli poke fun at gasoline-powered McQueen on-air, loyal Tater gets upset, and is in turn insulted. So Lightning McQueen takes up the challenge and agrees to join the Grand Prix (normally the purview of Formula 1 cars like Francesco Bernoulli) race, much to Tater's delight. 

At girlfriend Sally's request (I forgot to mention her in the voice talent, but her part in the movie is TINY), McQueen takes Mater along with him (and the gang from Radiator Springs, who serve as his race crew) to see the world on the Grand Prix racing circuit. 

After Mater embarrasses Lightning repeatedly in Japan and accidentally causes LIghtning to lose that leg of the race, Lightning McQueen lashes out against his best friend. Mater decides to quit the race and go home rather than cause any more trouble.

Instead, Mater is intercepted by experienced British agents Finn McMissile and his rookie field agent Holly Shiftwell, who enlist Mater's  help (though Mater at first thinks Sally wants to date him). The agents, due to a tracking device planted on Mater in a desperate situation (read: silly bathroom humor scene), mistakenly believe him to be Rod "Torque" Redline, the greatest spy in the world, and an American agent. Tater's "Aw, shucks," Average Joe routine and embarrassing antics are viewed as an ingenious disguise he chooses to assume in order to throw off enemy suspicion.

Spoilers (though you probably guessed this already): In the time-honored tradition, the rookie agent, Holly Shiftwell, and the Average Joe Mater, aided by a repentant Lightning McQueen, save the day after desperate circumstances bring out the best in them, earning them the respect they deserve as under-appreciated, diamond-in-the-rough good guys. 

Oh, and Mater gets the girl. ; )

Viv's take: I liked Cars 2, and I'm thrilled, because Pixar deserves the accolades. The movie is predictable, but the voice talent and animation more than make up for a rather tired plot. And, in the Cars 2 Bluray combo pack ($39.99), you get a digital copy for your computer AND the HD DVD as well!

Family Movie Night: "Who Is Simon Miller?"

This Saturday, August 6th, NBC is hosting Family Movie Night! Grab your kids, grab some popcorn, turn out the lights and tune in at 8 pm EST (7 pm CT) for "Who is Simon Miller?"
So what's this all about? P &G and Wal-Mart, as you may remember, have made a commitment to partner up and create more movies family-friendly movies on television. The idea is to get the whole gang together and share some quality time, watching a thought-provoking but appropriate-for-all-ages movie with your kids.

This month's movie focuses on Simon Miller, a geologist who suddenly vanishes one night, leaving his family (naturally) desperate to to find him. Simon's wife, Meredith, and his children, Sarah and Kevin, set out on a quest to discover the mystery behind his disappearance. But though his wife and children start out trying to piece together where Simon went, uncovering a cache of passports under a host of aliases leaves them instead wondering who he was. An international adventure to solve the puzzle spurs his family on as they race to find the missing husband and father and ask him, once and for all, "Who is Simon Miller?"

Here's what you need to know to share Family Movie Night with your own kids this weekend:

• Who Is Simon Miller? premieres this Saturday on NBC (8pm ET/7pm CT).
• Mom Central is also hosting a #FamilyMovie Twitter Party tomorrow, with giveaways!
• You can check out the Family Movie Night website here. 
• You can also "like" Family Movie Night here. 

I had a chance to preview "Who Is Simon Miller" on Monday, August 1st. While I watched the movie, I jotted down my own impressions, and used them to come up with some questions for my own kids about the film, the way the family in the movie was portrayed, and how realistic that portrayal really is.


I thought I'd share them with you.

Questions for Who Is Simon Miller?

1. What are your first impressions of the son and daughter in the film? How about the Mom? 

1. How do the kids in the movie help in the search?  At the beginning of the movie, I was frustrated myself, because I felt the daughter was just standing around looking confused and pretty, or manipulating Mom into letting her do what she wanted. The son seemed to have a variety of skills. Thankfully, the movie didn't perpetuate the "girls are pretty, boys do things" stereotype. 
2. How realistic are the kids' skills?  My sons are gifted gamers, but know nothing of hacking, and I'm great with puzzles but never learned to pick locks. And all of us have taken languages in high school and/or college. So, we had trouble accepting the daughter's proficiency with languages. I learned the hard way that 'knowing some French words' and "actually conversing with French people" are two different things. Oh, and my kids would be texting the whole time and taking a lot more pics!
3. How would you handle yourself if you were in the kids' place? I liked the kids' self-sufficiency in this movie. I know my kids would not fall to pieces emotionally, but even with all the travelling we've done, I think they'd feel anxious trying to get around town on their own. I also think the movie handled the emotional reactions well. 
4. (Okay, now the scary question) How do you think Mom/Dad would handle themselves in this kind of situation? Yeah, you'll have to fend this one for yourself!

Enjoy "Who is Simon Miller?" on Saturday night. And feel free to come back and comment to let me know what you and your family thought of the movie!


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.

How to Train Your Dragon (the movie)

Tomorrow morning at 10 AM, special screenings of the new Dreamworks animated movie, How to Train Your Dragon will be running in select theaters. Check your local listings to see if the movie is running at 10 AM in your area.

If you are a very special snowflake, and live near one of the theaters listed to the left, you can get breakfast with your tickets!

Also, the first 20 to buy tickets for each venue listed here will receive a special How to Train Your Dragon prize pack!








Get Tickets to How to Train Your Dragon Online!Visit the Official How to Train Your Dragon Site

Kitty! Boo!

I'm so pleased to remind you all that Disney's Monsters, Inc. is now available on Blu-ray!

That's right, Monsters, Inc. is out on Blu-ray today for the first time, in a special 4-disc combo set that includes a digital version for your computer and LOTS of extras!



Here's what you'll find on your Blu-ray edition of Monsters, Inc.:

Filmmakers Round Table--filmmakers reflect on the making of the film.
Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Japan--Go behind the scenes for the new attraction in Disneyland Tokyo.

Audio Commentary on the movie.
For the Birds Short--the 2001 Academy Award Winner for best short that preceded the film in theaters.
Mike's New Car Short--Nominated in 2002 for best short film.

And more! There's games based on the movie, banished concepts (ideas the filmmakers decided not to use), and a Pixar Fun Factory Tour.

This combo set is just LOADED!

And of course, there's the original movie itself.

Even though the boys are teens now, we all agree that Monsters, Inc. is one of those movies that appeals to all ages. The movie is so kid-friendly and fun that you can watch it over and over.

The story of Sully (voiced by John Goodman) and his friend Mike (the hilarious Billy Crystal), monsters who make their living by being "scary" and yet are most frightened of all by a little girl they call Boo--well, it flips around kids' views of scary monsters in much the same way I remember Sesame Street doing when I was a kid.

Viv's take: Monsters, Inc. is a must-see movie for any kid who has ever wondered about that dark shape in his closet or imagined a monster hidden under the bed.

I received a copy of the 4-disc Blu-ray combo pack of Monsters, Inc. for this review.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on DVD Today!

I LOVED the first Ice Age movie. Ruthless Diego, silly Sid and morose Manny made an eclectic but loveable herd.

The second movie, though, left me a bit meh on the franchise. I am not too keen on Ellie, despite the fact that Queen Latifah rocks. An elephant that thinks she is an opossum is a little too much for me. I like Manny. I want him to end up with someone loveable but not completely loony.

But the third movie, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, is every bit as good as the original. In fact, Robert Ebert gave it 3 1/2 stars, and says it is, "The best of the three films...pure invention."

First, Ellie is a bit more practical and down-to-earth in this movie, because she is expecting a little mammoth. So she doesn't seem so loony. Diego is trying to get back his edgy, bachelor side. Morose Manny has become an anxious Dad-to-be. And Ellie's possum 'brothers', while still wild and weird, are nowhere near as crazy as the newest characters.

Who, incidentally, are fabulous. First, there're three baby T-rexes looked after by Sid, who finds them as eggs and begins nesting in a bizarre parody of Ellie and Manny. The baby T-rexes do not play nice with the other kids.

They eat them instead.

And even my cool, we-don't-do-animation-any-more teens, who came to the theat to see the film with me after a little wheedling because they are fond of Diego found themselves loving Buck.

Who is Buck? He's sorta an Indiana Jones/Crocodile Dundee mashup who has been living in the dinosaur world just a little too long.

And he's undoubtedly certifiably crazy.

Why this all works, well, I just have to throw my hands up in the air because I have no idea, but it is utterly outstanding.

And as if that wasn't enough, Scrat is back!

The cute, terminally unlucky squirrel and his eternal quest for that elusive nut even features into the main film, rather than just a short at the beginning.

I watched the video of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs again last night, as I got a preview copy, and even though I had seen it in the theater already, I really enjoyed it. I was especially impressed, all over again, with the animation. It looked as good on my television as it did in the theater.

Oh, and there are lots of extras on the video versions! You can get a two-pack DVD set, and the second disk is full of cute Scrat shorts, musical extras, commentary and games.

The three-pack Bluray set also includes a third, digital copy of the movie.

In my opinion, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a must-buy for your video library.

I received a preview copy of the DVD (two disk set) to aid me in my review in time for today, its official street release date.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I've just spent a delightful afternoon watching Confessions of a Shopaholic--which is out on DVD today, so if you haven't purchased your copy yet or added it to your Netflix queue now is the time to do it!

Naturally, the flick is filled with fabulous fashions. Of course, I can't possibly afford to buy runway fashions, let alone fit into most of them, and where I'd wear them is anybody's guess, but I still enjoyed seeing all the colors and the styles.

I have to say that I'm a bit of a geek at heart, though--one of my favorite things in the entire movie, other than the iconic green scarf, was this adorable all pink Macbook! Can you imagine having your own signature color like that?

I also have some special tidbits for you, and I'm so excited to share them!

You know how, sometimes, you can get a little feeling of how the film was put together from the extras on the DVD?

Well, I'm thrilled to be able to share with you some fun facts from the movie that I thought you might enjoy right now! You should still watch the movie yourself, though. It's really fun!

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC

• The film shot inside of some of the most exclusive stores and boutiques in New York, including Barneys New York flagship store on Madison Avenue, Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue, Scoop and Catherine Malandrino in the Meat Packing District, Alessi (upscale housewares) in Soho, and Kleinfeld (elaborate bridal shop) in Chelsea.
• The film also shot inside some of the most historic buildings in the city, including legendary British architect Lord Norman Foster's Hearst Tower (the only film to ever be allowed to shoot there) on 57th Street and 8th Avenue; 45 Rockefeller Center (the building that features the statue of Atlas holding up the world at its entrance); the Grand Salon inside of the 1931 Jumeirah Essex House hotel on Central Park South; inside and out of St. James Church (1884) on Madison Avenue between 71st and 72nd Streets; inside of the Beaux Arts and Art Nouveau styled Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank Building (1908-12) on Chambers Street in the Wall Street district; utilizing the exterior of St. Anthony of Padua on Sullivan Street at the intersection of Greenwich Village, Tribeca and Soho, founded in 1866.
• The production spent two all-nighters dressing the beautiful atrium of Henri Bendel with a Midsummer Night's Dream themed design, as well as the aviator-themed window displays. They also created window displays for the Hearst Tower with faux stores by Valentino, Anna Sui, Catherine Malandrino and Alberto Ferretti. Excited New Yorkers thought that actual stores had opened on the ground level of the Tower and were sorely disappointed to discover that they were only for the movie.
• Across the street from St. James Church, windows were re-dressed in actual Yves St. Laurent, Asprey and Sonia Rykiel stores for the film's climax.
• In the film, costume designer Patricia Field selected clothing and accessories to adorn Isla Fisher's Becky Bloomwood, including Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen, Miu Miu, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Christian Dior, Todd Oldham, Gucci and Matthew Williamson, among others.
• To create a lavish display in Henri Bendel's six-story atrium, as well as window decorations, production designer Kristi Zea and supervising art director Paul Kelly had to bring in a full complement of their department to pull an all-nighter with military precision, as they only had enough time between the store closing its doors to the public and reopening them again in the morning to pull off the impossible. Mission was accomplished, with legions of New Yorkers admiring the results before the cameras began rolling later that day.
• Filming in New York City gave the filmmakers access to the pool of local actors perhaps better known for their work in the theatre than on film, including Christine Ebersole (Tony Award winner as Best Actress in a Musical for "Grey Gardens"), LaChanze (Tony Award winner as Best Actress in a Musical for "The Color Purple") and Kaitlin Hopkins (star of the upcoming touring company of "Dirty Dancing: The Musical").
• Ed Helms of "The Office" is seen only on videotape in the movie as self-help money management guru Garrett E. Barton.
• A bank loan officer is portrayed by Jonathan Tisch, Loews Hotel Chairman and CEO; and in a publishing reception scene filmed in Chicago, another banker is played by Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune Magazine.
• Robert Stanton, who plays ruthless debt collector Derek Smeath, drew upon the only other job he ever had besides actor: a skip tracer for a student loan company, finding people who had defaulted on their debts. Stanton admits that he wasn't good at harassing people, since he would always burst out in laughter instead.

• Sophie Kinsella was on the "Confessions of a Shopaholic" set nearly every day as associate producer, consulting and watching her beloved creation of Rebecca Bloomwood come to life. Not so coincidentally considering the massive international sales of the "Shopaholic" novels, Kinsella was often approached by excited fans on New York, Connecticut and Miami locations as if she were more of a movie star than an author.

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC is on Blu-ray and DVD beginning today, June 23rd!

Beethoven's Big Break

Set to release on DVD the day after Christmas, the big mutt that's charmed dog lovers since he first hit the screen returns in Beethoven's Big Break, a new offering available exclusively on DVD from Universal Studios.

This charming flick is delightfully engaging. Animal lover though I am, I was surprised to find myself buying into it completely, and really enjoying the movie from start to finish.

Starring comedian Jonathan Silverman as stressed-out single Dad Eddie, working in Hollywood as an animal handler, Moises Arias (Rico on “Hannah Montana”) as his son Billy, and Daytime Emmy® winner Jennifer Finnigan (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) as a sweet, befuddled script writer on the new animal film who's thrown together with the duo through a series of unlikely events, Beethoven's Big Break also features the music of popular musical artists your kids will love, like the Jonas Brothers, Rhianna, High City Miles and Everlife.

The rambunctious romp sports a supporting cast parents will recognize from other favorite features, too--Rhea Perlman (“Cheers”), Joey Fatone (“Dancing with the Stars,” ‘N Sync), Stephen Tobolowsky (“Heroes”), Oscar Nunez (“The Office”), Eddie Griffin (Undercover Brother) and Cesar Millan (“The Dog Whisperer”) in his feature film debut.

But honestly? My favorite supporting member is the newly-introduced (but sure to to become a mega-star after his debut) Pete The Lizard. Love that lizard.

And don't even get me started on the plus-one-million cuteness factor of Beethoven's puppy co-stars, pictured to the right.

The plot of Beethoven's Big Break is simple: Although animal handler Eddie (Silverman) works with lots of creatures, he has a strict NO PETS ALLOWED policy at home (which is a little counter-intuitive until we learn a secret from his past that Explains All).

Well, as I'm sure you can guess, that policy doesn't last. Though Eddie resists letting his son Billy keep adorable stray dog Beethoven and his family of puppies (who could resist these puppies?!), when the star of the animal film Eddie is working on goes missing, Beethoven jumps in with all four big paws, and Eddie is forced to accept him AND his puppies into their home ( I like the moment when his son, Billy, in a smooth maneuver, points out that Beethoven is a single dad just like Eddie. Nice move!).

Naturally, through his typically rambunctious antics and larger-than-life personality, Beethoven not only crashes into Hollywood but into Eddie’s heart as well.

Beethoven's Big Break is full of more of that over-the-top physical humor kids love, and of course Beethoven is just plain lovable as the shaggy mutt that charms a single Dad.

Featuring lots of great bonus materials, like deleted scenes and a gag reel over ten minutes long that makes me appreciate Silverman's improv (and his co-stars' patience) all the more, Beethoven's Big Break, available exclusively on DVD December 26th, is priced at just $29.98.

Here's a cute clip from the movie that shows how Beethoven gets his name:



Cool Mom tip: Kids can visit kids.yahoo.com/Beethoven for a FREE coloring page of Beethoven and those adorable puppies to download, print and color at home!