With the holidays just around the corner, it is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Disney’s PLANES: FIRE AND RESCUE, now available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD. Disney Movies Anywhere is also available so you can watch PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE anywhere you go with the app. This sequel to the 2013 film Planes finds air racer Dusty in the world of aerial firefighters. He has to join up with some veteran firefighters to battle fires in Piston Peak National Park. Is Dusty up to the challenge of this dangerous task? The characters are voiced fabulously by Dane Cook, Stacey Keach, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen, Brad Garrett, Cedric the Entertainer, and Hal Holbrook just to name a few. Once again Disney has created a way the whole family can spend time together as they watch Dusty and the whole gang in this high-flying adventure. You will also love the Blu-Ray bonus features. Vitaminamulch:Air Spectacular is an exclusive short that is a hilarious chain of events. Welcome to Piston Peak is a vintage style travel advertisement for the area. Does anyone else think the Fusellodge hotel looks remarkably like Disney’s Grand Californian resort at Disneyland? I also liked when the narrator of the ad says to watch out for deer and there is a field of John Deere-style tractors grazing. Such a little detail makes a great joke. Finally, the coolest bonus in my opinion is Air Attack: Firefighters from the Sky. The director and producer take us behind-the-scenes to CAL-Fire, a real air attack base. They visited the location for their research, and we can how the animators took the real film footage and turned it into animation for PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE. There is even an interview with an actual Smoke Jumper firefighter. They really put their lives on the line when they go to work. If you love the world of CARS and the first PLANES film, then you must add PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE to your movie collection. You won’t be disappointed.
Archive for Disney DVD
MALEFICENT Blu-ray and DVD Review
So you think you know the real story of Sleeping Beauty? So you think Maleficent is the most evil of all Disney villains? Disney’s MALEFICENT, now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD will challenge what think you know and will open your eyes to new possibilities. Starring Angelina Jolie as Maleficent herself and Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora, MALEFICENT tells the story of Sleeping Beauty from a new perspective. Angelina Jolie is absolutely stunning as the evil “villain.” The transformation of Jolie into the iconic character is simply amazing. She is beautiful in even her darkest of moods. The story begins with Maleficent as a young girl flying freely through her world. As she gets older, she becomes an enemy of the king and must do what is necessary to protect the creatures of her realm. A betrayal leads her down the path of darkness and ultimately she curses the newborn Aurora with a sleeping spell on her 16th birthday. This fractured fairy tale will have you cheering for characters that might surprise you. When I watched the MALEFICENT with some 5th grade boys, one yelled out to me that “there is no way she can trust anyone anymore.” He was appalled at the circumstances that turned Maleficent into an evil sorceress. This fractured fairy tale is one that the whole family can enjoy together. It might even be fun to watch the Disney animated version of Sleeping Beauty along with the modern take of MALEFICENT. The ultimate lesson in comparing and contrasting a character. Along with the Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD, you can also take the movie anywhere with the DisneyMoviesAnywhere app.The bonus features include deleted scenes, a look at how Elle Fanning became Aurora, creating Maleficent for a new generation, the building of an epic battle scene, a fashion feature, and an exploration of the special effects. I could watch the behind the scenes bonus features all day long. I just love getting to see what goes into Disney movies–both animated and live action. Disney’s MALEFICENT is an adventure that will have you smiling, laughing, booing, cheering, and even crying by the end. Maleficent is a character that will never be looked at the same way again. It really has me wondering about the back-story of all the classic villains: Captain Hook, Ursula, the Queen of Hearts, Cruella de Vil, and even Jafar. Hmmm…..now those could be some interesting tales!
Disney Unveils “Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast”
DisneyToon Studios is pleased to announce that Ginnifer Goodwin (“Once Upon a Time”) will voice the character Fawn in the new Disney Fairies adventure, “Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast”.
“Fawn is a character who loves all animals unconditionally,” said director Steve Loter. “She will help any animal that needs her, but sometimes Fawn thinks too impulsively, when she should be thinking with her head, as well as her heart.”
Loter says there’s a lot of Goodwin in the character. “Fawn was inspired by my daughter and her unconditional love of animals,” he said. “But Ginnifer had a very strong hand in crafting the character. Her sense of fun and her wondrous view of the world gave Fawn direction. You can hear the smile in Ginnifer’s voice—this is a character that loves life and lives it to its fullest.”
Clip ~ Doc McStuffins: School of Medicine on DVD 9/9
We have a cute clip that might just clear those Monday blues in celebration of DOC McSTUFFINS: SCHOOL OF MEDICINE arriving on Disney DVD September 9th.
Disney Heats Up at Walmart After Being Shut-Out at Amazon
About a week ago Amazon.com Inc. removed the pre-ordering option for several DVD releases of popular movies from The Walt Disney Co.
Disneynature BEARS Blu-ray and DVD Review
Disneynature has done it again with the amazing film BEARS. As we have come to expect with Disneynature films, BEARS allows the audience to have an up-close interaction with wildlife that the average person would never see in their daily lives. The movie begins with mother bear Sky emerging from winter hibernation with cubs, Amber and Scout. The Alaskan scenery is simply breathtaking as we walk down the mountain with the family and learn what it takes to survive. Finding food is critical, but this task is not easy as there are other bears to contend with as well as a wolf who has an interest in the cubs. Viewers will learn what it means to go “mama bear” on anyone who might be a threat. With some bears weighing 1000 pounds and standing at 10 feet tall, it is absolutely crazy to think that the filmmakers were actually in close proximity. As I learned in the bonus features, the bears are to be respected, but not feared. Too many times movies and television show them as ferocious beasts on the attack. The crew was with the bears for 2 years, and there was never an incident with them. Learning about these animals and why the habitat needs to be protected is why Disneynature films are so important. I cannot wait to show this movie to my 5th grade science classes when we study animals and the environment. I can add this to my collection that includes Oceans, Chimpanzee, African Cats, and Earth. Being able to see the world and the animals we must protect is so much better for my inner city students than just reading about it in a textbook. I also always point out all of the careers that they could have when we watch the credits. Maybe one of them could be a wildlife photographer or a director. I know one little girl who will be the world’s greatest meerkat protector. Disneynature’s BEARS on blu-ray and DVD is a wonderful film for all ages. I look forward to Earth Day 2015 and the release of Monkey Kingdom. The more Disneynature can teach us about the Earth, the more likely that future generations will be able to enjoy majestic animals that roam the world.
Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast out 8/5
“Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast” will be available on Disney DVD August 5th, 2014 features a special appearance by Snow White plus four additional episodes and a free enchanted mirror!
The wicked fairy, Miss Nettle, disguises herself as a powerful sorceress and attempts to steal Sofia’s magical amulet. With the help of Snow White—Sofia must learn to trust her instincts and speak up when she suspects someone is not who or what they say they are.
Watch Disney’s ‘The Pirate Fairy’: Legacy Featurette
From the world of “Peter Pan” comes “The Pirate Fairy,” a swashbuckling new adventure about Zarina (voice of Christina Hendricks), a smart and ambitious dust-keeper fairy who’s captivated by Blue Pixie Dust and its endless possibilities. When Zarina’s wild ideas get her into trouble, she flees Pixie Hollow and joins forces with the scheming pirates of Skull Rock, who make her captain of their ship. Tinker Bell (voice of Mae Whitman) and her friends must embark on an epic adventure to find Zarina, and together they go sword-to-sword with the band of pirates led by a cabin boy named James (voice of Tom Hiddleston), who’ll soon be known as Captain Hook himself. With laughter, heart, magic and thrills, “The Pirate Fairy” sets sail April 1, 2014.
Video: Tom Hiddleston Sings as a Pirate in ‘The Pirate Fairy’
Disney’s The Pirate Fairy comes to Blu-ray and Digital 4/1! Pre-order: http://di.sn/pQE
Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies are off on their next adventure! Disneytoon Studios’ “The Pirate Fairy” is the story of dust-keeper fairy Zarina (voice of Christina Hendricks) and young pirate James (voice of Tom Hiddleston). Directed by Peggy Holmes (“Secret of the Wings”), the film is available to own Spring 2014.
When a misunderstood dust-keeper fairy named Zarina steals Pixie Hollow’s all-important Blue Pixie Dust and flies away to join forces with the pirates of Skull Rock, Tinker Bell and her fairy friends must embark on the adventure of a lifetime to return it to its rightful place. However, in the midst of their pursuit of Zarina, Tink’s world is turned upside down. She and her friends find that their respective talents have been switched and they have to race against time to retrieve the Blue Pixie Dust and return home to save Pixie Hollow. With comedy, heart and epic thrills for the whole family, “The Pirate Fairy” sets sail Spring 2014.
Disney’s The Pirate Fairy Sneak Peak
In anticipation of Disney’s The Pirate Fairy releasing on Blu-ray Combo Pack on April 1, we’re excited to share an Extended Sneak Peek of the new film below. The Pirate Fairy features the voices of Christina Hendricks and Tom Hiddleston and an original song by Natasha Bedingfield.
