Spirit is a franchise that is beloved by both kids and adults. This feisty and loving mustang will steal your heart. In this movie Spirit is paired with a fun-loving ten-year-old girl named Lucky Prescott (voiced by Isabela Merced) who was sent away by her father Jim (voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal) when she was a baby. Her mother was a horse-riding stunt performer. She was the best. Unfortunately a freak accident took her life so the baby was sent to the city to live with her aunt Cora (voiced by Julianne Moore) and grandfather. Lucky has been estranged from her dad but now, during a fateful summer, she and her aunt travel back to the small western town of Miradoro to spend time with him. Lucky will finally get to know her dad and maybe more about her mother.

On the train west Lucky sees a wild bunch of mustangs running in the grass. She has an instant connection to one in particular. This horse has a lot of spirit. Yep, you guessed it. She will team up with Spirit later in the story.

Her mother taught her to be fearless, even though she was only a baby when her mom died. It was ingrained in Lucky to be fearless and she never shies away from danger.

Lucky makes friends with two girls her age who are adept at horse riding. When they see a rancher brutalizing the newly caught horse, Spirit, they step in. Lucky is eager to learn to handle the horse and slowly they begin to trust each other. But when horse thieves take Spirit and his herd, Lucky, Abigail (voiced by Mckenna Grace), and Prudence (Marsai Martin) decide to rescue the horses and set them free. This new adventure is fraught with danger, but as her mom imparted on her, Lucky is fearless, and her friends follow suit.

There are plenty of bonus features on the Blu-ray and DVD including deleted and extended scenes. There is a fun behind the scenes look at the actors who voice the characters. Another feature looks at the story of Spirit Untamed. There are plenty of craft instructions like creating S’mores, that delicious campfire treat, creating a ukulele to enjoy along with songs, making hand shadows on the wall, sing-alongs, and a great feature on how to draw Spirit. In the film Lucky finds a zoetrope showing her mother’s acrobatic horse riding skills. Viewers can learn how to create their own zoetrope. There are plenty of how-tos included on the disc for hours for additional fun.

 

This is a great action adventure for the entire family. It’s an enjoyable story and the kids are so cute to watch, especially Abigail’s little brother Snips (voiced by Lucian Perez) who will do anything with his little donkey for a penny! It doesn’t take much to make this little tyke happy.

Spirit Untamed – The Move is rated PG for some action adventure. Also be aware the opening scene deals with the loss of Lucky’s mother, but she is too young to understand.

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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.

The Boxtrolls is an imaginative story from the creators of ParaNorman and Coraline. With those creators, you know the movie is going to be unique.

Boxtrolls are creatures that use boxes as clothes and get their names from the writing on the boxes. They live in a cavern underground and at night scavenge for items that humans have discarded. One man’s trash is another man’s – or Boxtroll’s – treasure. These critters are crafty and can create a lot with so little.

This group is raising a human baby they name Eggs (his box says “eggs” so that is how he got his name.) This little guy grows up as a Boxtroll and thinks he is one of them. Then, when he’s about 11 years old, things go badly for his “family.” Above ground the humans think the Boxtrolls are monsters and stole the baby. They think the Boxtrolls are evil and need to be exterminated.

The little town of Cheesebridge is above the cavern. The evil Boxtroll exterminator, Snatcher, wants to be among the good people of the town and makes a deal to eliminate all of the Boxtrolls.

Winnie is an interesting little girl. She’s the same age as Eggs and has led a privileged life. Her imagination is one for the books. She has some rather strange obsessions, which all revolve around Boxtrolls. She also wants some of her father’s attention, which he rarely gives to her. Winnie meets Eggs and they work together to convince everyone that Snatcher is an evil man.

What the story comes down to is that Eggs must save his Boxtroll friends and family, with a little help from Winnie. The messages in the film are many. In the end the audience learns the true story of little Eggs and how he came to live with the Boxtrolls.

This is a cute movie, but if you’re looking for something completely warm and fuzzy, this isn’t that. It is very imaginative and a sweet story, but there are some grim scenes.

The Blu-ray combo comes with a booklet about the film and the cast. There are additional never-before-seen features. Stop motion animation is very intricate and the creators show how it was done for this film. There area a lot of characters in this story. A look at the various people and Boxtrolls add insight into the film. There is a discussion about how the characters were designed and created in the first place. A full-length storyboard of the movie is a great lesson for fans of animation. A final bonus goes behind the scenes with the voice actors.

The Boxtrolls is rated PG for action, some peril, and mild rude humor.

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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.

That rascally rabbit is back. No, not that one! It’s Peter and his family and friends. Everyone returns for their second film, Peter Rabbit 2.

The story begins with the wedding of Bea (Rose Byrne) and Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson). The bunnies are all in attendance along with their other friends. Peter (voiced by James Corden) is the ring bearer. Peter, Flopsy (voiced by Margot Robbie), Mopsy (voiced by Elizabeth Debicki), Cotton-tail (Aimee Horne), and Benjamin (voiced by Colin Moody) are enjoying their life on the farm with their new and complete family. But Peter is still grieving over the death of his father and he feels like Thomas is always picking on him as well as blaming him for anything that goes wrong. Peter is a little rambunctious, but he is kind hearted.

Bea is beginning her illustrious career as a writer/illustrator of the Peter Rabbit books and has just signed with a publishing company headed by Nigel Basil-Jones (David Oyelowo). Everyone is excited about this new project however Basil-Jones wants to change the trajectory of the rabbits by sending them into space (in the books only!) and other places where they would not normally go. Bea is all for it, having gotten swept up in the excitement of having her books published. But Tom sees she is compromising herself and fears she will regret it.

In the meantime, Peter comes across Barnabas (Lennie James), an older rabbit who tells him he was friends with his departed and beloved father. Peter wants to spend more time with Barnabas, but he gets swept up in his new friend’s plan of wickedness and mayhem. And to make matters worse, Peter enlists his family and friends in Barnabas’ wicked plan.

Peter must decide whether he wants to be a sweet and loving member of the McGregor family and live a life of love and fun on the farm, or join his mischievous new friends, and Bea must decide whether fame and fortune is better than sticking with her morals and not compromising her integrity.

This story, unlike the first film from 2018, takes the characters away from the small town and into the city as well as around the world. It’s a larger canvass in which to tell this story and with a daring car chase among other events, Peter Rabbit 2 is an adventure like they have never had before.

There are several bonus features on the Blu-ray. First there is a look at the making of the film with the cast. This feature also looks at the sets created for the new story. A second bonus, “Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle’s Wee Little Kitchen” instructs viewers on how to make a miniature blueberry pie, and I do mean miniature. There are two features for DIY crafts. Viewers learn how to create their own Peter Rabbit bookmarks and also how to create their own terrarium using items in the home. Plus viewers get instruction on growing their own inside garden. There are quizzes and fun facts throughout the bonuses.

Peter Rabbit 2 is rated PG for some rude humor and action. This fun family film is available on DVD, Blu-ray and a 4K/Blu-ray combo pack with digital code.

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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.

The animated film Ape Star is about a unique family. It’s very unique.

Joanna is a sweet little girl who has spent her entire life in an orphanage. But when an evil politician threatens to tear down the orphanage to build an aqua park, her home and that of all the orphans is in jeopardy.

Then a car drives up and the occupant is there to adopt a child. Could this be her chance at a real family? Everyone is shocked when they discover the driver is a gorilla. Joanna is intrigued but like the others, a bit skeptical. She volunteers to be adopted in order to save the orphanage. But what happens to her is something she never expected. The ape is loving, caring, fun, and teaches her about life, books, and imagination. They bond almost instantly and become a family unto themselves.

Then the evil politician decides to change the location for his aqua park. Yep, you guessed it. He wants to build it in the junkyard, which is where Joanna and her new mom live. This sweet little girl just can’t get a break.

In order to secure the property, he threatens to take the girl away from the ape. Their love is too strong to let this happen.

Spoiler alert:

The cunning plan devised by the ape to keep them together is the salvation for Joanna. She loves her ape mom and her mom loves her.

There is one questionable aspect to the show that might be a bit worrisome to parents. The ape teaches this little eight-year-old girl to drive the car. And Joanna drives them around the town to the bookstore and all over. If this aspect is unnerving for parents, just remember this is a fantasy story. After all, a gorilla would never adopt a human child. Well, …

The love between the ape and the girl is strong. The gorilla teaches Joanna about the wonders of reading books and soon the girl is deeply entrenched in novels. They do, after all, run a kind of bookstore from their junkyard.

The story is about love and devotion. It is available on digital and VOD.

Ape Star is rated PG for mild thematic elements.

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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.

 

Julie Andrews stars as Millie Dillmount in the 1967 musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. This movie won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score by Elmer Bernstein.

Millie lives in a hotel for women run by Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie). Millie is a modern woman. She has cut her hair and wears the latest flapper clothes. She desperately wants to marry a rich man – or her boss Trevor Graydon (John Gavin).

Then Miss Dorothy Brown (Mary Tyler Moore) checks into the hotel. She is a little different than Millie. She is shy and a little afraid of living life to the fullest, ala Millie. Then they meet Jimmy Smith (James Fox) who falls for Millie, however Millie is still in love with her boss. Then Trevor meets Miss Dorothy and falls for her, to the dismay of Millie.

Now millionairess Muzzy Van Hossmere (Carol Channing) comes into the picture. Muzzy is full of life, which Millie greatly admires. Well, to sum things up, Millie loves Trevor who loves Dorothy. And Jimmy falls for Millie but how can he compete with her dashing boss? This is a madcap group of characters.

That is just a part of the story. There is a sinister underground white slavery group that lurks within their midst. This adds the danger and intrigue to the story.

The music is entertaining. Channing sings “Jazz Baby” and “Do it Again.” Andrews sings “Jimmy,” “Poor Butterfly,” “Baby Face,” and the title song. And they all get into the act with a new dance called “The Tapioca.”

If the white slavery aspect were not part of the story, this would be a film for everyone. It is rated G, however many parents might be a little put off by that one aspect. Otherwise, this is a fun, musical, and entertaining film that will have viewers humming along. It didn’t win an Academy Award for nothing!

The bonus features include the Roadshow Edition – Newly Restored in 4K by Universal Pictures.

Thoroughly Modern Millie is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.