Moana

Disney have a tradition of putting out a kids movie every Boxing Day.  We have a tradition of seeing said movie the day after.  This year was the release of Moana starring The Rock as Maui, the demi god of Pacific Island/Maori legend.  We didn't really know that much about Moana before going and to be honest we weren't that excited about it either but tradition is traditionally something you keep so... nah it also looked like a fun way to fill in a holiday morning.
 
Well, we were very pleasantly surprised.  You might say that Disney has done it again!  And not since Frozen have I had so many short song snippets stuck in my head for so long.  "So shiny..."  But I think Moana is better that Frozen so don't let my mention of the F word put you off!

Moana tells the story of a young woman who, as daughter of the village chief, is destined to lead the next generation of her people however she yearns (like Belle before her) for something more.  For Moana that is to explore the great wide open [sea].  She discovers that in fact the sea has chosen her for a special mission to rescue the world from a coming darkness.  To do this she must enlist the help of Maui, a task much easier said than done.  I would say more but that would be a major plot spoiler!

Rating: We loved Moana!  Especially kid 2 who is the perfect age (4) for a Disney princess movie.  We now hear random lines and songs from the movie throughout the day and she dresses like Moana as much as possible.  Yep she has definitely moved on from Anna and Elsa.  Moana is a very strong and feisty gal but has a caring heart and is great role model for little girls everywhere.  The Pacific Island imagery is beautiful and moved me to tears, Hei Hei [the chicken] cracked us up and the songs help to tell the story which we always appreciate. "So shiny..."

Naughty bits: Moana is as clean as her world's oceans but there are some scary bits which would frighten younger kids so check the IMDB parents guide and know your kid's limits before you take them.  Our kid went a second time with her friend and was fine but her friend was not and had to leave a couple of times in tears.

Snacks: Coconut in all it's delicious forms, Bounty bar anyone?

Family In-quotes: "You're Welcome!"

Related Goodies:
The Maui legends compiled into one epic hardback book (every Kiwi kid needs this!)

Harry Potter: All the movies!

The children in our big kid's class at school have been discovering the magical world of Harry Potter this year and talking about it plenty.  Our kid is not the world's keenest reader so we decided to do things the fast way and get to know the world through film.  Over the Christmas holidays we had plenty of late nights available so we sat down every night for a week and watched the entire series together.


In case you have been held hostage by an obscure tribe for the past 20!! years and are unfamiliar with the Harry Potter saga, it tells the story of a young man who discovers he is a wizard and is whisked away from his ordinary life to a magical world where he attends wizard school, makes great friends and discovers an evil wizard that he must confront and defeat.  The world depends on it!


Rating:  We really enjoyed immersing ourselves in the Harry Potter universe; it truly is a magical place and we will definitely watch them again in a year or two.  There are wonderful themes of good vs. evil and friendship and love conquering all, even the glaring plot holes.  However the last book being split over two movies was a bit unnecessary and we did get a little bored in the second to last movie.

Naughty bits: There is some magical violence (killing/knocking out with spells) and a few kisses/teen romance but this is the tame stuff.  Harry Potter has some really creepy special effects and themes starting in the first film and things get darker and darker as the series goes on.  For this reason I would strongly recommend reading the parental advisory notes on IMDB and making sure your child is mature enough to handle them or you will be up for a few nights with crying and nightmares!!  For this reason we waited until our kid was at least double digits before even suggesting it and we described some of the creepy stuff to her to make sure she was OK.  She was; whew!

Snacks: Chocolate frogs (Freddo!)

Family In-quotes: "You're a wizard Harry"

Related Goodies:
J K Rowling Website
Warner Bros studio Tour (where it was filmed!)
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

2016 TV Overview

Shows we watched this year:

Clarence
Think Hey Arnold meets Adventure Time and you have a good idea of the genius that is Clarence.  This is one of Cartoon Network's triumphs and we desperately hope they give it a third season.  If you like fart jokes and remembering the weird stuff you got up to as a kid with your mates then you will enjoy Clarence.  BFF's unite!  

Steven Universe
Steven Universe is a unique series.  A group of aliens sort of adopt a kid and they save the world together.  The world of S.U is as unusual as it's characters but it has a sweetness to it that we loved.  And more than one redemptive moment.







Rebels season 2 and 3
Last year I raved about Rebels season 1 and these seasons were just as good if not better.  Great storylines and characters and Rebels really captures that Star Wars magic.  Disney does it again!

Voltron
Netflix released an original series based on the old 80's series: Voltron.  It was a little hard to get into but after a couple of episodes we were hooked!  The characters get developed well and the story got really exciting by the end of the series; we had to stop ourselves bingeing and running out of episodes!  We are looking forward to season 2 this year.

Angie Tribeca
More suitable for big kids and adults this series took us back to the grand old days of Police Squad and Hot Shots.  Packed full of ridiculous gags and cheap puns it had us sniggering away for the whole evening.  You will either love it or hate it intensely.

Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse
We were recommended this by a cousin and we weren't sure to believe them.  A barbie series is actually good?  Another Netflix original series, Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse is a surreal experience.  You think it's going one way and then... huh?  We loved it all, but mostly Ken.

Sym-Biotic Titan
Sym-Biotic Titan was our retro TV watch this year.  Made in 2010 by the unpronounceable Genndy Tartakovsky (who also made Samurai Jack) it promised to be an epic TV series but was sadly cancelled after the first season leaving us fans hanging.  Huge robots, crazy aliens, epic battles and an intriguing storyline all made for amazing television but apparently that was not enough for the executives.  We will have to be content to re-watch season 1 every few years.

Terry Teo
Another surprise for us this year was the NZ produced Terry Teo series (available on TVNZ on demand website).  It's very kiwi but if you don't let that distract you the acting, production and humour are all on point and the twist on the classic comic book plot is really well done.  It was a little bit violent but older kids would love it.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Our new family Advent tradition is going to see the latest Star Wars movie.  This year we just managed to squeeze in a trip to the movies only a few days after Rogue One came out.  This was essential as it meant the Husband could relax and enjoy the internet again without worrying about spoilers!! We only took the big kid with us as The Force Awakens taught us that the new Star Wars movies can be a little darker and more suitable for adults and older kids.  

Rogue One tells the story of the rebels trying to get the plans for the Death Star.  It slots nicely into the Star Wars universe between Rebels and Episode 4 and we came out wanting to go home and start watching A New Hope [again] immediately.  We found the beginning a bit slow and maybe hard to follow for a kid but once things started heating up it got too exciting and by the end we were on the edge of our seats even though we kind of knew how it would end! 

The characters are really strong (especially the two main rebel leads) and the sidekick robot was hilarious!  Rogue One also has some nods to Star Wars icons/moments but they are far less obvious than The Force Awakens and don't break up the momentum so much.  The thing we did notice was that the "goodies" and "baddies" as kid two would say are less obvious; you know you should be rooting for the rebels but should you?  They seem kind of bad?  It was a very 2016 zeitgeist but great for discussion afterward and more realistic in my book.

Rating: We will definitely watch this again!  In fact as I write this the husband and big kid are off at the movies re-watching it.  We will add it to the movie marathons of episodes 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Naughty bits: This is the movie which put the "war" back in Star Wars.  Imagine Saving Private Ryan but in space; there is lots of war violence.  It's not gory or sinister but there is a high body count.  Coupled with the fact that the "goodies" do some bad things, its much more suited to older kids.

Snacks: Blue Milk!

Family In-quotes: "The captain says you're a friend. I will not kill you"

Related Goodies:

The Christmas Toy

Seeing as a new Star Wars movie is coming out at Christmas every year #RogueOne , does that make Star Wars Christmas movies now?  The debate that rages in our house every Advent is over whether a movie qualifies as a Christmas movie if it is simply set during this wonderful holiday season or must it be about Christmas to qualify?
 

Whatever side you fall on (feel free to comment below) The Christmas Toy can safely be considered a Christmas movie as it is not only set at Christmas but is about Christmas.  It is also about toys!  Which if you know anything about our family you will know us as the creators of the Toylympics .  Click on the link, share with your friends, subscribe to our channel etc.  OK plug over...  The Christmas Toy is a TV movie created by the legendary Jim Henson and is about a jealous toy who risks everything to remain the favourite toy but instead learns a good lesson about belonging and love. 

Rating: If you read a longer plot synopsis online and it sounds familiar to you, that's because it probably is.  It's the basic premise for Toy Story!  In our opinion Toy Story is a far superior film but it doesn't have puppets or song and dance numbers and that special Jim Henson something.  The kids were captured enough by the magic of the world he created but not enough that we will watch it again.  Let the debate rage again next year when we try to pick a Christmas movie.

Naughty bits: This is super clean and cute and suitable for all age children.  Nothing to see here.

Snacks: Milk and cookies!

Family In-quotes: "It's catnip! Just catnip!"

Related Goodies:
Click HERE to watch the Toylympics (suitable for all ages)
The Muppet Show

Who Am I?

Jackie Chan finally won an Oscar!  About time!!  I first discovered the legend that is Jackie Chan when my to-be-husband introduced me to his early work.  I was hooked and vowed to pass on this great filmography to my children.  Finally Friday night arrived, but which movie?  Onto IMDB's parent's guide to see which one was most appropriate.  Who Am I? fit the bill.

Jackie Chan plays a secret agent who loses his memory after a tragic accident.  He is rescued by a remote tribe before setting out to discover his true identity.  As he pieces together his past he discovers deadly secrets and a is helped by quirky journalist.  Who Am I?  delivers the classic Jackie Chan humour and legendary action sequences and some of the most outrageous stunt work you will ever see.
 
Rating: We will definitely watch this one again sometime.  Some of the acting is a bit odd due to the overdubbing (I think) but it adds to the charm rather than taking away.  If you enjoy action/comedies then this is a good introduction to the genre without worrying too much about violence/sex.

Naughty bits: There is a lot of fighting, a lot of fighting.  It is Kung Fu style and very little blood and guts but I would suggest older kids for this one (it is rated PG-13).  There is a gross dead body shot about 10mins into the film and if your kid is sensitive to that sort of thing (ours is) then be prepared for that and tell them to look away.  No romance to be found here either. 

Snacks: Coconut milk

Family In-quotes: "WHO AM I!"

Related Goodies:
For your older teenager: Rumble in the Bronx (more violent than Who Am I?)

Halloween Special - The Addams Family

We dressed up and went out early on Halloween weekend to a party organized by a local community group.  Due to the younger kids being bored/tired we came home earlier than expected and were able to squeeze in a movie with the older kid before bedtime.  The least scary Halloweenish movie we could think of was The Addams Family (based on the 1960's TV series).



The Addams Family tells the tale of an unconventional family who are preyed upon by a pair of con artists but ultimately triumph using the forces of family, love and sheer quirkiness.  I was not expecting the love story between the two protagonists, Morticia and Gomez Addams, to be so prominent in the movie but it was sweet (and rare) to see an onscreen married couple still in love after many years (and a couple of kids).  Our kid loved the craziness of their household and the randomness that ensued, lots of the time it was like living in Opposite Land!


Rating: The Addams Family is a little harder to follow than most movies aimed at a tween audience because not all the plot points are handed to the viewer on a plate but there is enough fun to keep everyone entertained throughout.  It was a little slow to get going but once we got into it we enjoyed it and we will watch it again in a year or two and also the sequel.

Naughty bits: We were wary about this movie for the scare factors but there were very few "jumpy" bits and although it's a bit creepy the atmosphere (music etc) tells the kids there is nothing to fear here.  There is a gory scene near the end featuring LOTS of fake blood but it is in the context of a play so we all knew it was not serious. And of course there are lots of Morticia and Gomez lovey dovey moments Blergh!

Snacks: Halloween candy

Family In-quotes: "Don't be a baby, I know what I'm doing"

Related Goodies:
The original TV series
Morticia Addams Makeup Tutorial
Story Pirates Podcast "Field Trip to Oppositeland"