The animated musical Vivo is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital. It’s filled with emotions, love, and a lot of music.

Lin-Manuel Miranda voices Vivo, a little kinkajou who is the devoted companion of Andres. Every day they entertain people in the plaza in Havana. Their music is a treat for everyone. Then Andres is invited to Miami to sing with his former musical partner Marta Sandoval, the woman he loved but never admitted his feelings to her. Having written a love song specifically for her, he planned on singing it to her in Miami. But when tragedy strikes, Vivo decides to take the song to Miami on his behalf. It would be the final thing he can do for his beloved owner.

During the memorial service ten-year-old Gabi and her mom meet Vivo. They have traveled to Havana from Key West to pay their respects to her uncle. Gabi is a young girl who has her own ideas about life. She moves to the beat of her own drum and definitely is not conventional. That’s putting it mildly.

Vivo sneaks into Gabi’s suitcase and soon he is in Florida to deliver the song to Marta (voiced by Gloria Estefan). But how is this little fellow going to get from Key West to Miami, and in time for Marta’s final concert? That’s where little Gabi comes in. She adores Vivo and upon discovering the reason he came to Florida, she vows to help him deliver the music.

Their exploits begins and they are off on an adventure that will have them maneuvering through the everglades, confronting dangerous animals, and making new friends.

The story is definitely emotional. Little Vivo misses his beloved Andres. And Gabi is an unusual little girl who is a character that unleashes a lot of whimsy as she travels to her own music and defies convention. She is brave, loving, and adorable, even with her purple hair.

The film is filled with music. Every few minutes a new song is unleashed, adding to the enjoyment of this delightful story. The moral of the story – “Love lives forever in your heart” – is touching.

So, you might be wondering what exactly is a kinkajou. Well, although it looks like a little monkey, it is actually a mammal from the rainforest closely related to raccoons. And yes, there are plush versions of little Vivo, complete his little hat and there are also plush Gabi dolls as well.

Vivo is rated PG for some thematic elements and mild action.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.

“To infinity and beyond.” Buzz Lightyear’s iconic phrase has been part of our lexicon for decades. We all know about Buzz, Woody, and all the toys from Toy Story, but there is more. In 1995 a little boy named Andy got a Buzz Lightyear action doll. This doll was from his favorite movie of the year. And Lightyear is that very movie. Lightyear is the movie Andy fell in love with and from which the action doll was created. So, in actuality, the animated character in this movie is not the Buzz we have known for decades. It is the character on which the doll was modeled.

Tim Allen who voiced the Buzz doll all these years is not the voice of the animated movie character in the film. Chris Evans voices this character.

So what is this movie that captured the heart and imagination of little Andy? It’s a sci-fi adventure starring space ranger Lightyear. Buzz and his friend and fellow space ranger Hawthorne are on a dangerous mission and soon they and the rest of their crew on their spaceship are marooned on an unforgiving planet. If Buzz can only find a way to get off the planet they can all return home.

The planet is run by ruthless robots and deadly plants. But Buzz’ fuel source is something he needs to concoct, and something the robots also need. But why would they need that? (No spoiler here.)

The thing is, whenever Buzz tries out a new fuel concoction and attempts to achieve hyperspeed – which is necessary for them to return home – he takes off from the planet and is away for four minutes. But those four minutes are in his time. In actuality he is gone for years so whenever he returns he has not aged but everyone else has.

So, this is the story of the Buzz Lightyear that Andy enjoyed watching on the big screen. It’s a fun sci-fi story that will appeal to youngsters as they learn about being a Space Ranger and especially learn an important lesson about needing help from others. While Buzz was always eager and indeed insistent to do things himself, he finally learned that working with others can be the answer to solving problems.

The robot cat named SOX is a character that will entertain viewers and undoubtedly become a toy asked for by kids this season.

Lightyear is rated PG for action/peril.  It is now available on Digital and Movies Anywhere.  When it hits the shelves on September 13, 2022, there will be plenty of bonus features on the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD including 7 deleted scenes and three featurettes looking at the Johnson Space Center, the actors, and the toys and models created for the film.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.

The hit period drama The Gilded Age captured the hearts and attention of HBO viewers. The entire first season is now available on a 3-disc DVD set. The bonus features take fans into the story and the history, making this set even more interesting and enjoyable.

There are featurettes going inside each of the nine episodes, which is a great way to learn about the storylines as they progress. For a synopsis of the entire season, these featurettes round out the whole of the stories, but don’t stop there. First watch the episodes and then the bonus features summing them up.

The series takes place in the early 1880s in New York, just after the Civil War. Two groups of people are “slugging it out,” as creator Julian Fellows explains. At the heart of the show is the fight between old money and new money. The old established families in NYC must now deal with the newcomers who have made their fortunes following the war. As America rebuilt there were plenty of businesses that shot up and these new millionaires were eager to join the ranks of the upper echelon in NYC.

Cynthia Nixon explains about her “spinster” character Ada that she is eager for change whereas her sister Agnes is afraid of it. Christine Baranski who plays Agnes says her character cannot stand the new ostentatious people. Agnes is a strong woman who comes off as hard, yet deep down she has good intentions. Taissa Farmiga plays Gladys who according to the actor, “has a rebellious nature” and craves independence yet is mired in the society of the time.

Morgan Spector plays George and describes him as a fist in a velvet glove.” Blake Ritson (Oscar) jokes that the most challenging part for him was keeping his mustache the same for the entire season. His character has a hunger for the high life. And Thomas Cocquerel (Tom) says his character comes from no money and must find a way to fit into this high society.

The scenes are like paintings. The attention to detail is amazing. There is a set tour of the Russell mansion by Carrie Coon (Bertha) who shows and explains just how grand the era was. The great mansions in Newport, Rhode Island inspired the houses. Most of the furniture and designs on the sets are reupholstered antiques and historical reproductions. A lot of research went into the details of the sets and it shows.

Another interesting feature looks at the black elite of the time. This is an eye-opening look at the history around the time just after the war.

As with all historical dramas, the costumes play a big part in the series, and the actors were just as awed by them as the viewers. As they say, the “costumes are a character”. They are exquisite. Another interesting feature looks at how they created the sets and built a street in NYC. By combining pieces of actual New York with a back lot and plenty of CG, it all comes together seamlessly in this ornate and lavish period drama.

The show is all about the confluence of old money and new money and Baranski says it is “an education into a certain period of American history.”

Fans of this well-loved series can now own the entire first season along with all these amazing and enlightening bonus features. Season two is on the horizon.

The Gilded Age is rated TV-MA, for mature audiences for strong language and uncomfortable topics.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.