Family Film Night - #TheCroods Pre Release Review

As you know we love our movie nights, Any excuse to crack open the popcorn, snuggle together on the sofa and enjoy a family film!

This weekend we were very lucky to have been sent a copy of The Croods on DVD before it's release date of 9th December 2013, yes that's today!

Although we never got a chance to see this when it was out at the cinema, I've heard very good things about this movie that comes from the makers of both Shrek and Madagascar, so we were looking forward to watching!

On Friday evening we were all feeling under the weather so what better way to cheer us up than have a move night? As a U rated film the Croods is suitable for all ages so the four of us snuggled up together and got ready to watch...

As the movie begins we are introduced to The Croods by the central character Eep, a rebellious teen cave-girl who is fed up of her family in the Stone Age and the strict rules her father Grug lays down. They start out with the whole family packed into a small dark cave. As well as Eep and her father, this includes Mum Ugga, brother Thunk, baby Sandy and their elderly Gran.

We follow this quirky family as the the world around them changes forever and they have to learn to change the way they live in order to survive.

They are helped on this journey by their new friend 'Guy' (voiced by by Ryan Reynolds) and his rather dramatic pet sloth 'Belt' who show the Croods that the life they were used to was (in the words of Eep)...'not living, just not dying'.

The film was full of fun slapstick moments that had our whole family laughing along and both my three year old and six year old were captivated by the colourful characters and their adventures as they searched for a wonderous place called tomorrow. As well as Guy and Belt, the family encounter an exciting array of animals on their journey from the Macawnivore to Piranhakeets.

It was warming to see the development and evolution of the characters throughout the film, especially to see the Cave-man father, Grug change from living in fear of the unknown to embracing new ideas, even coming up with a few of his own, my favourite of which was the 'hug' ( which rhymed with Grug of course! )

The overwhelming message of the movie was hope and it was portrayed in a way that appealed to all ages, from my 3 year old Elizabeth who clapped with excitement, to my 29 year old self who wiped a few tears from my eyes along the way.

The father-daughter relationship between Eep (played by Emma Stone) and Grug (played by Nicolas Cage), echoed that of many families and certainly pulled some heartstrings with me.

This is a fun and lighthearted family movie that will make a great Christmas gift and can be purchased from today for just £10 on DVD or £15 on Blu-Ray, it one that I'm sure our family will be watching time and time again!


Mumsnet and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment kindly sent us a copy of The Croods on DVD for review before its release on DVD and Blu-Ray on 9th December 2013. All opinions are our own.

Win Jack the Giant Slayer on Blu-ray

Jack the Giant Slayer is now out on Blu-ray and DVD! 

Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing Jack (Nicholas Hoult), into the battle of this life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom and its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend... and gets the chance to become a legend himself! Directed by Brian Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) Starring: Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge!), and Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones).

You can celebrate the release with the Jack The Giant Slayer Blog App! Try it below...

You have the power! Control the moving GIFs and power the action in the movie with a swipe of your mouse! The Giant Soundboard lets you compose your own mashup of sounds from Jack The Giant Slayer, which your kids will enjoy for hours! Test your bravery and take the How Brave Are You? QUIZ to see if you’re as brave as our hero Jack.

Thanks to the lovely folks at Warner Bros I'm pleased to be able to offer one of my lucky readers the chance to win their very own copy of Jack the Giant Slayer on Blu-ray. To enter simply follow the rafflecopter instructions below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LEGO Legends of Chima 4D Movie experience at LDC Manchester

As you now our family love LEGO so it follows that one of our favourite days out is to LEGOland Discovery Centre at the Trafford Centre! You can click here to read my previous posts about our fun filled days out there.

One of our favourite attractions at the Centre is the 4D cinema! It a great sensory experience for all ages!

A few weeks ago we were invited to a special preview of the new Legends of Chima 4D movie at LEGOland discovery centre. Ben was very excited as he had seen the new Chima toys in shops and on TV adverts and was eager to find out more about the characters.

The 4D movie experience involves wearing 3D glasses and having extra sensory experiences such as wind and water! Ben loves all of this and as he had been before he knew what was coming so wanted to sit right near the front so we would get wet!! I wasn't so thrilled with this idea so we compromised and agreed on the second row...

The movie itself was just over 10 minutes, which was an ideal length to entertain older children but not cause younger ones to lose interest. We were given a great introduction to the new characters with a tour of the their lands and few exciting twists that had Ben sitting forward in his seat and gasping! The story. although short was really engaging and Ben was talking about the stolen CHI and 'baddy' Crocodiles and 'goody' Lions all the way home!

We will be visiting the Discovery Centre again this weekend with Blogs Up North and Ben is really looking forward to seeing the movie again!

Sammy's Great Escape - An Underwater Adventure!

'Under the Sea' is Ben's current topic at school and he absolutely loves it! At the moment he is constantly talking about fish, sharks and turtles so he was very excited to watch the trailer for Sammy's Great Escape the new underwater adventure movie coming to cinemas on 15th February, just in time for half term!

Sammy and Ray, leatherback turtles and friends forever, are enjoying an atoll’s water and sand, shepherding new hatchlings Ricky and Ella out to sea. Suddenly, a poacher swoops in and ships them off to be part of a spectacular aquarium show for tourists in Dubai. The kingpin of the place, Big D the seahorse, enlists them in his plans for a great escape. But with their new friends Jimbo the bug-eyed blob fish, Lulu the snippy lobster and a whole family of penguins, Sammy and Ray hatch breakout plans of their own. That is when little Ricky and Ella arrive, determined to break in to rescue them. After a series of thrilling adventures and narrow escapes, our heroes head south to meet up with Shelly, Sammy’s first and only love.

You can watch the trailer below....

Guess How Much I Love You on DVD - win a copy!

It's one of the most loved children's books of recent years and a definite favourite in our house, and now, 'Guess How Much I Love You?' is coming to life on DVD in a series of charming adventures just in time for Christmas!  

Fans of the heartwarming tale can now follow the adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare and all his friends in a series of beautifully animated adventures which was released on November 5th.

With eight adorable episodes, the DVD is the first time that the characters drawn by Anita Jeram will appear on screen. As well as the Nut Brown Hares, fans will meet other countryside creatures including Little White Owl and Little Field Mouse. The episodes follow the friends, fun and the life lessons they learn along the way. 

Based on the children’s classic book that has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and that delights generation after generation, the DVD is an ideal stocking filler for your little ones this Christmas.

 Popular with both parents and teachers worldwide,Guess How Much I Love You  teaches children of as young as two years old the meaning of love and affection for those closest to them and allows them to learn how to put how they feel into words.

Episodes include ‘Blossoms’ where we see the changes in the seasons and Little Nutbrown Hare’s memory of a magnificent cherry tree he saw when he was younger. He sets off on an adventure to find it. Will the blossoms floating downstream give them a clue as to a shorter way home? In the episode ‘What Sound Does the Moon Make?’ both Nutbrown Hares are having trouble sleeping. As they lay quietly in a pile of leaves they listen to the sounds of the night…swish, hoot, wobble, nibble, croak and splash! They go on a journey to discover what’s making the interesting night noises, but will they work out what sound the moon makes?

Other episodes include ‘Bedtime Story,’ ‘It’s Okay,’ ‘Can you Touch the Stars?’, ‘Four Seasons,’ ‘You for a Day’ and ‘Big Like You.’

If you're looking for a cute DVD to watch while snuggling up on the couch with your family this winter then this is sure to warm your hearts. 

So how would you like to win a copy? We have two  of these lovely DVD's to giveaway, just follow the instructions below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway