JAM Reviews Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky for Lionsgate/HIT Entertainment

Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky: HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate DVD
Review by JAM

Chugging down the tracks comes another DVD starring Thomas and his friends in Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky. Thomas shares another four episodes on this DVD starting with Creaky Cranky in which Cranky the Crane taunts Thomas about who is stronger and can carry the biggest load. In Tickled Pink, James new unfinished paint job leaves him feeling less than happy when he first heads to pick up children with his pink first coat. Steamy Soder gives Thomas the chance to run the steamworks which leads to issues as the power rises right to his head. And finally in Early Bird, Thomas takes the mail run for Percy but without asking for hints on how to do the job right, he finds he has bitten off more than he may be able to choo-choo.

JAMS Ink on Creaky Cranky

Excellent set of episodes for the parents of young kids who are in a little bit of a bossy and stubborn stage right now. Thomas is always a good watch for the boys and girls in the family as the lessons learned are not gender based, but good for any and all kids of young age. Driver Perkins is also an excellent addition in the DVDs, sharing real life lessons from a real life person when the episodes are set up to play through.

Bonus Features include a karaoke music video for “Sound Song”.

Episode List:
Creaky Cranky
Tickled Pink
Steamy Soder
Early Bird

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Our Family Wedding from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Our Family Wedding: DVD: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Marcus and Lucia are two young lovers on their way to marital bliss or so they think. You see, it’s their marriage, but when their parents get involved it becomes their parents’ wedding and their lives come crashing down right before their very eyes. Will love be enough or is the honeymoon over before the marriage has even began?

Marcus (Lance Gross) is an aspiring doctor out to change the world by joining Doctors Without Borders and heading out to Laos. Lucia (the amazing America Ferrera) is the young woman who has fallen in love with him, left law school to teach the underprivileged, and has kept secrets from her parents this whole time. Believing they have found their soulmates, they head out to LA to meet the parents and share the wonderful news. To say it does not go well would be an understatement.

Brad Boyd, Marcus’ dad (Forest Whitaker), is a single dad living the life of a 20 year old bachelor with the clubbing, the partying, and the nightly romances. Problem is he has a twenty something son looking for advice on life, relationships, and marriage. Oh yeah, and the way he meets Lucia’s father Miguel Ramirez (Carlos Mencia) leads to the start of the crazy festivities to come. Throw in Lucia’s mother Sonia (Diana Maria Riva), a stubborn and ornery sister Izzy (Anjelah N. Johnson), and Brad’s long time lifeline Angela (Regina King), add a couple of grandparents and friends and we have a recipe for disaster.

Race, family relationships, and physical happenings all threaten to derail the upcoming festivities, but you get the chance to see if love can cure all… Even family.

JAMS Ink on Our Family Wedding

The movie itself is a fairly enjoyable romp through the pre-wedding festivities of a happy couple, just amplified due to racial, familial, and relational obligations. America and Lance actual seem to make a good couple on the screen, definitely the highlight of the movie. They are dealing with issues every married couple faces during the preparation along with a number of issues that seemed to be specific to their relationship and families.

There in lie the issues with the movie. It was a fun loving enjoyable movie in the vein of Meet the Parents until the parents really got involved. Forest Whitaker is often an amazing actor, but playing the part of a middle-aged lothario made him come off as a wasted character that was exemplifying messed up black male stereotypes. It was especially annoying to see a son that exemplified positive role model type traits coming from a father that seemed to never see what he truly had before him. Carlos Mencia’s character is done so over the top that he never is likeable or even really understandable until the very end of the movie.

One of the other bright spots was Lucia’s sister Lizzy. The sharp tongued sister seemed to be underused even though she played in some important scenes to the movie. The end credits showed that Carlos’ character is going to have more fun when it comes to wedding time for her as the melding of cultures will continue.

I recommend this movie as long as you are not expecting comic perfection. It does have its spots where it is truly funny and its spots where it truly is not, but overall America Ferrera and Lance Gross save it before it goes too far. So take a look if you get the chance.

EXTRAS

Blu-ray and DVD Special Features:
● Deleted Scenes
○ Lucia and Miguel Toss the Ball
○ The Families Meet Gusto; the Families Walk and Talk Outside of Gusto’s on the Street
○ Marcus Asks Angela to Stand in for His Mother
○ Angela’s House – The Morning After
○ Brad is Pouring His Heart Out on the Radio
○ The Director’s Cut Ending
● Extended Scenes
○ Police Station – Sonia and Miguel Discuss Lucia and Marcus
○ Angela Discovers Tipsy #1
● “Til Dads Do Us Part” featurette
● Gag Reel

Deleted scenes and gag reels are always fun to see visions of the movie that did not come to fruition and outtakes that keep the set light and laughing. The deleted scenes do give some more insight into the characters, but I don’t know if they are really missed in the end.

Our Family Wedding from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment makes it way down the aisles of your closest stores on July 13, 2010.

OUR FAMILY WEDDING
Street Date: July 13, 2010
Screen Format: Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (BD) / English 5.1 Dolby Digital (DVD)
Subtitles English, Spanish & French (BD/DVD)
U.S. Rating: PG-13
Total Run Time: 103 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes


Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Despicable Me for HollywoodTeenZine - In Theaters Now!

JAM and HollywoodTeenZine's reporter in training Natalia checked out Despicable Me and shared their thoughts on the movie. Check out the written word or the cutest reporter's video here at http://hollywoodteenzine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1256&Itemid=45

Despicable Me stars the vocal talents of Steve Carell, Julie Andrews, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Jason Segal, and more. Check it out in theaters today!

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Despicable Me Soundtrack for HollywoodTeenZine

“I’m having a bad, bad day, it’s about time that I get my way, steamrollin’ whatever I see. Hoh, despicable me” Pharrell – Despicable Me

New movie time means new soundtrack time and if you need some music to listen to while you plot to steal the moon, I have the CD for you. JAM had the chance to check out the soundtrack from the summer's coolest animated movie starring the vocal talents of Steve Carell, Julie Andrews, Miranda Cosgrove, and more. Check out the full review at http://hollywoodteenzine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1261&Itemid=50

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition - Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition on Blu-Ray: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Much like a good wine, some movies only get better with time. Predator from 1987 is one such movie that was tepidly reviewed during its release, yet hailed as one of the best action films of all time nowadays. In preparation for the second sequel Predators, Fox has rereleased the original on Blu-ray in the Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition with an all-new digital restoration of the film and an all-new documentary “Evolution of the Species: Hunters of Extreme Perfection”.

Sent on a rescue mission in the country of Guatemala, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Major Alan “Dutch” Schaeffer, the leader of a group of commandos who include a who’s who of muscle bound action stars from 1987 including CIA officer George Dillon (Carl Weathers), Blain Cooper (Jesse Ventura), and Billy Sole (Sonny Landham). Each of these actors paled in comparison to the 7’2 1/2” Kevin Peter Hall that played the Predator himself (and a helicopter pilot at the end). This commando team is sent into the jungle, recruited by the CIA for a rescue mission only to find out they have really been sent in for vengeance. A previous extraction team had been killed and gutted, and the CIA believed it was the work of Guatemalan rebels only to find something worse. The team is stalked and hunted through the jungle by an otherworldly force and slowly taken one at a time until the final confrontation. Who will win between man and alien?

JAMS Ink on Predator

Ahhhhhhnuld!!! One of the major films to establish Arnold as the go-to guy in action films was Predator, which came in a five year period which included Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, Red Sonja, Commando, Raw Deal, Predator, and The Running Man. It is funny to look back at this 1987 movie and see two big buff action stars, who also shared time in The Running Man, becoming state governors recently, Arnold and Jesse Ventura. It was also interesting to see a villain who towered over Arnold as Kevin Peter Hall was about a foot taller and an imposing site in the Predator armor.

I’ve always liked the sci-fi aspect of Predator with an alien race basically scouting or hunting on our planet. Not something I would really want to happen, but fun to watch on the screen. The costume has become an iconic look, with t-shirts, comics, figures and movies tied in with the Aliens race as well. And everything could have been WAY different if the original plan of Jean-Claude Van Damme as the Predator had happened. A ninja type Predator may have been interesting, but so much smaller in stature. In my opinion, they made the right choice.

EXTRAS

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition Blu-ray Special Features:
• ALL-NEW Digital Restoration of Predator
• ALL-NEW Sneak Peak at Predators
• ALL-NEW “Evolution of the Species: Hunters of Extreme Perfection” Featurette
• Feature-Length Audio Commentary by John McTiernan
• Text Commentary by Historian Eric Lichtensfeld
• “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It” Making-Of Documentary
• “Inside The Predator” Documentary
• Special Effects Featurettes
• Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
• Short Takes
• Theatrical Trailers
• Photo Galleries
• Predator Profile

A two disk DVD previous release had nearly all of the extras included on this release, including the deleted scenes, making of documentary, and the special featurettes, but there are a few brand new additions to this release. A sneak peek at Predators, a new digital rendering of the Predator movie, and a featurette discussing the evolution of the species which is a cool discussion about the first movie with people involved in Predator and the soon to be arriving Predators, including the director Robert Rodriguez.

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition Blu-ray from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment stalks its way onto shelves on June 29, 2010 and it is definitely recommended for any fans of the original movie as the digital transition is extremely well done compared to the first release. Make sure to grab a copy before it disappears into the foliage.

PREDATOR: ULTIMATE HUNTER EDITION BLU-RAY
Street Date: June 29, 2010
Screen Format: Widescreen – 1.85:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 4.0 Dolby Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby
Digital and French 5.1 DTS
Subtitles: English/French/Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 108 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Let's Grow: Safety First from Lionsgate/HIT Entertainment

Let’s Grow: Safety First: DVD Edition
Review by JAM

A big thank you to HollywoodTeenZine’s junior reporter Natalia for helping us with this video review for Let’s Grow: Safety First from HIT Entertainment and Lionsgate.

As Natalia said, this DVD is about keeping us safe. Water safety, speed and buddy systems, and other safety issues are discussed by our friends Barney, Thomas, Bob, Kipper, and Fireman Sam, as well as our Sprout hosts of Let’s Grow, Sean and Chica. Check out the DVD synopsis provided by Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.

DVD SYNOPSIS
The fun of learning continues in Let's Grow: Safety First - an all-new, safety-themed compilation starring Barney, Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Kipper - hosted by Sean and Chica from Sprout®, the 24-hour preschool channel. These heartwarming stories will inspire and entertain, while demonstrating valuable life lessons and important safety tips along the way. So grab your helmet, look both ways, buckle-up and get ready to learn that safety comes first!

On the DVD are the following episodes:

Episode List:
Barney – Home Safe Home
Bob the Builder – Slow Down Scrambler
Thomas & Friends – Thomas and the Runaway Car
Fireman Sam – High Jinx
Kipper – Skates

Bonus Episode:
Angelina the Ballerina – Angelina and the Broken Fiddle

This was a fun and important compilation DVD that taught safety with our main characters providing it during their stories. The Fireman Sam was especially interesting since it looked to be an early episode from the design of the characters and the environment. Overall, JAM highly recommends Let’s Grow: Safety First for you and your young children. Check it out when it comes out on June 29th, 2010 at a store near you.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at www.jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Hot Tub Time Machine - Blu-Ray & Digital Copy from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Hot Tub Time Machine: Blu-Ray/Digital Copy: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Back to the 80s we go when the hair was big, the clothes were bright colored, and life seemed so much better. Well, it seemed so much better at least for these three guys; Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Lou (Rob Corddry). A failed relationship, a cheating wife, and a party guy trying to end it all brings these three friends together for one last hurrah at the place where their life had so much more meaning to them in the 80s, the Kodiak Valley Ski Resort. Joined by Adam’s video game obsessed nephew Jacob (Clark Duke), they reach the summit only to realize that much like their glory days in the past, everything has now changed. Cue in a crazy party full of drinks, hot tubs, and male bonding and the world changes as they knew it.

Much like in any time-traveling movie, episode, or book, they are reminded that anything they do may affect the future. Needless to say things get messed up, yet seem to often have a way of correcting themselves. Each of them tries to better their situation, often leading to same or worse results and especially affecting Jacob who shouldn’t be there anyway. Only time will tell if they make the right decisions and make it back to a world they want to live in.

Also starring 80s icons Chevy Chase (SNL, Caddyshack), Crispin Glover (Back to the Future trilogy), and William Zabka (one of the best movie villains ever in the Karate Kid), Hot Tub Time Machine takes you on a fun romp through the past that wasn’t as good as you remember and not as bad as it could have been.

JAMS Ink on Hot Tub Time Machine

I am going to be honest. I could have lived with a little less of the language in the movie. The movie itself was a fun escape from reality filled with guys that should never have had the opportunity to change the past but struggled with the responsibilities while there. And it was fun to see a small clique of friends be able to come together and relive their good times, in fact it makes me want to make a few phone calls soon. But I just think having to have so much swearing just seemed to take something away from the movie for me. Just JAM’s honest opinion.

John Cusack is such a cool actor in the majority of his movies. Even as a down on his luck guy, he just comes off as someone that you could hang out with. Heck, even as a assassin for in Gross Pointe Blank he seemed really fun. Plus, I just realized that his love interests in the movies are some really awesome women. Kate Beckinsale in Serendipity, Rachel Weisz in Runaway Jury, Minnie Driver in Gross Pointe Blank, Catherine Zeta Jones and Julia Roberts in America’s Sweethearts, and now Lizzy Caplan in Hot Tub Time Machine.

Don’t know the name Lizzy Caplan? She was on one of this reviewers favorite “chick clique” shows called Related (yes, this review is written by a man, but the show still rocked). It was a well done family dramedy that was a lot of fun to watch and starred Lizzy, Jennifer Esposito, Kiele Sanchez, and Laura Breckenbridge as four sisters trying to make their way through life, and I thought it was really good. Unfortunately I guess the ratings did not agree. If you ever get the chance to see an episode though, I would recommend it.

EXTRAS

Blu-ray Special Features:
Disc One:
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer
• Theatrical Promotional Spots
o Production: Acting Like Idiots
o Chevy Chase: The Nicest Guy in Hollywood
o Totally Radical Outfits: Dayna Pink
o Crispin Glover: One Armed Bellhop
Disc Two:
• Digital Copy of unrated version of Hot Tub Time Machine

DVD Special Features
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

Digital copies rock! It gave me the chance to watch the movie on my free time before I was able again to watch the Blu-Ray at home. Of course, watching the Blu-Ray gave me the chance to check out the deleted scenes, some of which definitely belonged on the floor. The good ones included a crazy scene with Chevy Chase when the guys are about to go back and a scene in which Lou discusses Nick’s package as he prepares to complete a lost bet. It is not something I would normally want to watch, but I was dying laughing at it. Also included are some theatrical spots describing the movie which are worth your time to check out as well.

Hot Tub Time Machine: Blu-ray& Digital Copy from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment bubbles onto shelves on June 29, 2010. Check it out for a good time, 80s style! Make sure to grab a copy before drains away.

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
Street Date: June 29, 2010
Screen Format: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital (BD)
English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital (DVD)
Subtitles English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French (BD/DVD)
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 98 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.