Tots 100 Film Club - Space Jam

Space Jam has always held a place of affection for my older girls (they even remember collecting free Space Jam toys from boxes of cereal many years ago) and they were quite excited to introduce an old favourite to their younger siblings. The little ones were particularly excited having recently discovered the host of Looney Tunes characters that star in it alongside the human actors, from watching the Big Faces box set. Judging by the amount of times they have already watched it and factoring in the amount of times they have asked to watch it, I have to assume that it was a hit with them.

The plot goes something along the lines of:  downtrodden aliens invade earth to bring Bugs Bunny et al  back to their planet to revive a failing theme park - Bugs challenges aliens to a game of basketball to win their freedom and enlists help of recently retired basketball hero Michael Jordan - lots of action - lots of fun - lots of classic 'cartoon moments'.

I'm sure that back in 1996 when it was first released,  Michael Jordan would have been more of a household name. None of my children had any idea who he was but obviously this did not spoil their viewing pleasure.

Generally, I am not a fan of films that mix real life with cartoon animation, finding it jarring to the senses. However, this was very well done and I was thoroughly amused by it.

HAPPY FEET TWO - a TOTS100 film blogger review

I do remember watching Happy Feet (which my mum claims is one of her favourite films) but don't remember much about it other than it was something to do with dancing penguins. I had intended to re-watch the original before sitting down to the sequel but time simply did not allow.

Happy Feet Two very definitely had dancing penguins!

Like many people, I was spellbound by the wonderful David Attenborough series Frozen Planet. In many ways, Happy Feet Two had the same effect on me. The animation was utterly spectacular from the vast frozen landscapes to the intricately detailed animal characters.

I found it quite amazing that while the penguins performed beautifully choreographed dance routines (including some very cool street dance moves) they still retained their essential penguin qualities - completely believable. The one possible exception to this was the main character from the original, Mumble, voiced by Elijah Wood, who I felt moved more like a meerkat than a penguin (but my kids assured me that this was to do with being dropped when he was an egg or some such thing). Mumble still had his baby feathers rather than the distinctive emperor penguin plumage but he was in an adult relationship and was father to a chick. This puzzled me but again my children had an explanation that was rooted in the earlier dropping incident. (I really wish I had had time to re watch that movie!)

Mumbles' chick, Erik,  deserves a few words in this review. I think he was supposed to be adorably cute. I think he was supposed to be inspirational in that he had to struggle to find his way in the world and triumph. In fact, I found him extremely annoying and when he had his prolonged solo singing moment to try and convince the Elephant seal to help his 'hero' of a father (persistent and resourceful, yes,  but I never really felt the heroism) to save the Emperor penguin population from certain death, I wanted to rip my own ears off.

There were some moments of absolute brilliance in this film but I did find myself at times wanting to fast forward. Both my littles ones fell asleep!

The underlying theme of the film is the effect of global warming on the polar ice caps. The collapse of a huge iceberg results in the Emperor penguin colony becoming trapped in an ice valley with no access to the sea for food. It is left to Mumble, Erik and various friends to overcome the odds and save the colony.

The best part of the film, for me, was the sub plot of Bill and Will the Krill, voiced by Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, who break free from the krill swarm to discover what lies beyond. The animators did a breathtaking job of depicting life in the swarm and life beyond from a krill perspective. My favourite quote of the movie, shortly before the big climax was when Bill asks Will why he thinks the penguins dance. Bill the Krill unexpectedly replies that it might provide "momentary release from the existential terror of existence"

My favourite, laugh out loud, jump off the sofa cheering moment was when the Elephant seals, animated to enhance their extraordinary power and bulk, mobilise to the tune of Rawhide. Genius.

This is not a film that would make it into my top ten must watch children's movies, which is a shame because it has a lot to commend it. Somehow,  it just didn't hang together to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts.

TOTS 100 Film Club - The Never Ending Story

"A boy who needs a friend finds a world that needs a hero in a land beyond imagination"

When I saw the title Never Ending Story appear on the Tots 100 Film Club list, I jumped at the chance to review it. At first, I wasn't sure if it was a re-make or a re-release of the 1984 original. I was actually a little relieved to find out it was a re-release. Although I don't doubt that a remake could drastically improve the rather dated special effects, I seriously doubt if the performances from the child actors involved could be bettered. The film does have a special charm that makes the viewer more forgiving of the fact that the animatronic mouth movements of some creatures completely fail to match the dialogue they are delivering.

As soon as the music for the title sequence started playing (featuring the vocal talents of the unforgettable [!?!] Kajagoogoo's Limahl) I was instantly transported back to the first time I watched this movie. I was slightly embarrassed when I worked out that I would have been 20 years old when it came out - I imagined that I had been much younger. I loved this film and it inspired me to read the book by Michael Ende on which it was based.  For me, the magic of the adventure was very much alive but I wondered what a new generation, brought up with sophisticated CGI effects rather than the Ray Harryhausen stop animation of my childhood, would think of it.

The film does have a slow start as we are introduced to the nerdy, bookish Bastion, struggling to come to terms with the death of his mother and trying to live up to the expectations of a father who places no value on the fantasy world of books that means so much to his son.

We witness the bullying that Bastion suffers at the hands of his peers and watch as he 'borrows' an unusual and possibly valuable book from the slightly mysterious proprietor of the old bookshop in which Bastion hides to escape his tormentors.

Bastion takes refuge in a dusty attic at school when he realises that he has arrived late for a maths test. Here he opens the "The Never Ending Story" book with great reverence. As the story contained within its pages unfolds,  he becomes increasingly involved and has to make some important decisions that will change him forever.

The narrative switches between the story of a quest to save the land of Fantasia from the all consuming Nothing, and the reality of Bastion (and indeed the viewer)  becoming ever more entwined  in what we now understand is the never ending story. It is a device that works very well in keeping the plot moving at a fast pace.


Atreyu, the courageous boy warrior from the Plains People who is entrusted with the mission to save Fantasia from the Nothing is played by Noah Hathaway. His charismatic performance is key to the success of the film so I was intrigued to find out what he went on to do in the intervening years. He did have a few film appearances credited to him but is now tattooed and makes and sells customised motorcycles!

I was slightly concerned that 3 year old Addy would find Gmork, the evil wolf sent to make sure that Atreyu failed in his task, terrifying. She didn't! Her favourite character was Artax, Atreyu's horse and faithful friend. Have your hankies ready for the scene in the Swamp of Despair.

Seventeen year old Taylor commented on how good the soundtrack is and I agree with her.

For me, one of the great pleasures in this film is the rich cast of minor characters. There is a particularly wonderful scene in the Ivory Tower, home to the Childlike Empress of Fantasia. Representatives of many races have gathered to seek advice from the Empress about how to defeat the Nothing. It is a visual feast - look out for the giant fish people!

Charis joined us halfway through the movie, having just returned from seeing Hunger Games at the cinema. She couldn't help but compare this movie, somewhat unfavourably, to the current big budget box office hit. However, I think it is testament to the appeal of The Never Ending Story that she sat and watched it to the end with us.

Despite the special effects not living up to those that we have now become accustomed to,  through the power of great storytelling, I believe that The Never Ending Story will find an appreciative new audience. We thoroughly enjoyed it and my eldest daughter has already asked to borrow it!

Addy's comment when the closing credits rolled was a puzzled "Why has it ended? It's the Never Ending Story." That took a bit of explaining.

Reasons to be Cheerful

I have a very big  Reason  to be Cheerful today - a headache of epic proportions that has plagued me for nearly two weeks has finally released its brutal grip on my brain. Waking up this morning without the need to reach straight for the Paracetamol was an absolute joy. I feel like I can actually start living again rather than just struggling to get by.

Another positive is that my little Addy is back at nursery today having been off with chicken pox. It broke my heart to see her beautiful milky white skin ravaged with angry blemishes but she is on the mend and 'chicken spots' and 'calamotion' are now part of her life experience and vocabulary.

Despite the health issues that have dominated the past fortnight, there have been plenty of good things going on.

ONE

My daughter Ivy celebrated her 21st birthday. This had to involve cupcakes, decorated to her specifications. There were the 'worms in mud' variety that tested my conquered phobia of the wiggly dirt dwellers and vast quantities of brightly coloured butter icing.

I am so proud of the beautiful young woman my little girl has become.

TWO

More celebrations followed when daughter, Taylor, passed her driving test.

The ability to drive is such an important step towards independence. I do feel as a parent it is my responsibility to facilitate the acquisition of the skill. This has meant paying out a lot of money in lessons (although I do expect a fair contribution from the learner too) and making time for driving practise.

I let Taylor down badly back before Christmas when she took her first driving test and failed. The practise sessions had been neglected and she was simply unprepared. We were not going to make that mistake twice. Taylor learned from failure and I realised how easy it is to let important things slip when you are juggling the needs of six offspring and a husband... and with a home to manage.

Becoming a qualified driver has given a confidence boost to Taylor as well as allowing me to pass another important milestone on my parenting journey.

THREE

The Aldi hamper of treats that I won at the TOTS100 Christmas Party finally arrived. I had all but given up on it so it was a lovely surprise when it was delivered. Among other goodies were two bottles of wine that I will definitely be enjoying now the Headache from Hell has departed!

ENTER HERE for the chance to win one of 5 sets of Crazy Soap (closes 31/03/12)

A Giant Outdoor Play Pen!

As my mum is always reminding me, my garden is not safe for small children. I have not one but two drowning hazards (or as I like to call them, my fishponds).

There are benefits to my water features. I can teach the children to respect the dangers and how to be behave responsibly. There is an amazing amount of wildlife that is attracted and can be enjoyed. And of course,  feeding the fish is something the children love to do.

So far, the only person to have ever fallen in is my husband on a particularly memorable bonfire night as he was carrying our fireworks a safe distance from where the spectators would be, ready to set them off later. The first thing I knew about it was I saw a 6'5'' dark figure hurriedly tearing his clothes off and shivering outside the conservatory. It did neither him or the fireworks any good - but that is another story!

The simple fact is though, my mum is right. My garden is not safe for small children.

It was with this in mind that we decided to build a fully enclosed decked area with access from the conservatory so that the little ones could play in the fresh air with minimal supervision whenever they wanted to. It was quite a mission turning our plans into reality with my husband doing all the work himself (with a few willing volunteers)  to keep the cost as low as possible. 

What we ended up with was a space that can be enjoyed by all the family but is essentially a giant outdoor playpen. We added a sandpit, trampoline, inflatable sofa, various outdoor toys, the occasional large cardboard box and fairy lights so the fun could continue after the sun had set. All it needed was the active imagination of a three year old for it to become an outdoor paradise. From "jumping on a moooon!" to Human Hoopla, the adventure never ends!

This is my entry to the Tots 100 Outdoor Adventure Blog Hop.