The Unbeatables - Film Review

If you have kids who love football, The Unbeatables is the perfect film for them!  The Unbeatables tells the story of young Amadeo, a boy with a talent for table football who humiliates the local bully Flash, by beating him at the game.  Fast forward 10 years, and Flash is a soccer superstar (who bears a bit of a resemblance to Ronaldo!) who is hellbent on revenge and set to destroy their hometown and turn the area into a football stadium.  Amadeo may have been accomplished at table football, but he is not quite as accomplished in life and love and Flash's return challenges him to man up in an attempt to save the town, win the girl and discover his inner strength.

When Flash destroys Amadeo's beloved table football, it is Amadeo's tears that magically bring the footballers to life and they are ready to play for his honour.  It is the little lead footballers who steal the show with their witty dialogue and distinct personalities (similarities to real life football legends can't be ignored), as they help lead Amadeo and his team of misfit town folk as they take on the might of Flash in the ultimate football showdown.

The film was originally a massive hit in its home country Argentina.  Being a foreign film, the English dubbing sometimes doesn't quite fit and the dialogue can seem a little odd at times as the script tries to fit the lip synch, which annoyed Ian but didn't bother me or Freddy at all.  The voice talents of Rupert Grint, Anthony Head, Ralf Little and Rob Brydon more than made up for this issue. The Latin American setting with the English references sometimes jarred a little, but again it didn't bother me.  It's easy to suspend your belief and just enjoy the fun and adventure.

The Unbeatables climax is the big football match between Flash's team and Amadeo's team.  It is beautifully and inventively animated and the commentary is spot on. I loved the imagery of the townsfolk as they played for their town, which gave rise to some great visual humour! It is a very long scene with real time action that footie fans will love.  The result is not the predictable ending I expected and it raises some very valuable life lessons about what it means to really win.

The football centric storyline makes this DVD a great watch for young footie fans.  The adventures that Rico, Loco, Skip and the other table footballers get into adds some real magic and excitement into the mix.  The story is quite unique and overall it is an enjoyable, sporty, animated film with a difference.  However, if your kids aren't into football, this film probably won't interest them, Kizzy refused to watch it - but you can't please everyone!!

The Unbeatables is available on Blu-ray and DVD from 9^th February 2015, courtesy of Vertigo Films

The Nut Job - Film Review

The Nut Job is a beautifully animated film featuring the voice talents of Will, Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson and Katherine Heigl.  The plot hinges around Surly the Squirrel who after a series of events is blamed for destroying the animals' winter nut stash and finds himself banished from his group.  In the city, he discovers a new supply and plans a nut heist that runs concurrently to a real life bank heist masterminded by some pretty mean bank robbers.  Surly comes up with a plan to get the nuts and gets a motley crew together to pull off the job.  As the heists progress and things get more complicated, it is up to the animals to unite in order to foil the robbers, get the nuts and save the day.  Prepare for an action packed, fun filled adventure with funny and furry woodland critters!

There are some cute critters, lots of visual humour, some nut puns and a few fart related gags, which get the kids giggling. There is a beautiful rodentesque bromance, lots of tested friendships and some moral growth to add some depth to the plot progression.  With a corrupt raccoon who needs to learn a big life lesson, some gassy groundhogs and a self-serving squirrel who needs to discover his inner good guy, there are some interesting characters in this charmingly good-natured film.  

The animation is really lovely, with a comforting retro feel that harks back to the cartoon classics. The attention to detail is really good and there is a lot to look it in every scene. The use of music is effective and the animals dancing to Gangnam Style was a real high point for Freddy who jumped up to join in.  The end credits also featured this catchy tune along with a little cartoon Psy!  You can't help but smile.

The kids, Kizzy 12 and Freddy 5, enjoyed their Saturday afternoon showing of The Nut Job. Thankfully,we are not offended by toilet humour, slapstick scenes, explosions and cheap gags which are the mainstay of the comedy, so we all happily laughed along with the characters' antics.  There is a mass of kid appeal and a lovely underlying moral message in this fun filled and action packed  movie. This film appeals to both children and to the young at heart.

Some of the film seemed a little familiar with plot similarities to Over the Hedge and characters that seem to be influenced by Ratatouille's Remy and Ice Age's Scrat. But I found enough original and comic content to make this an enjoyable and amusing watch, with plenty of laughs, lots of action and some touching scenes.

The Nut Job is released on December 8th from Warner Home Video.  It is 86 minutes long and has a U certificate. It is available on DVD and Blu-ray and also in stunning Blu-ray 3D.

It will be a perfect stocking filler and is a great film for a festive family movie night.

I was sent a copy of the film to review and Tweeted my thoughts using #TheNutJobMovie.

Adventures in Zambezia

The all-new CG Animated Adventure featuring voices of

Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Samuel L. Jackson

Available on DVD and Digital Download Now

"Take to the skies and visit the awe‑inspiring Zambezia River Valley in Africa. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just released the high-flying and heart-warming family adventure ADVENTURES IN ZAMBEZIA on DVD and Digital Download.  This CG animated adventure about a young, high-spirited falcon that journeys to the famed bird city of Zambezia  features an all-star cast led by Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek) and Samuel L. Jackson (Django Unchained)."

When a spirited, but naive young falcon named Kai  learns of Zambezia, the fabulous, bustling city of birds, he leaves his remote country home against the wishes of his father. But after his dad is captured by an evil lizard who plans to attack the city, Kai must learn the importance of teamwork in order to rescue his father, save his new feathered friends and help keep Zambezia free. 

The animation is beautiful with an 'old school' feel, with detailed and colourful bird characters and sweeping landscapes.  The message of the film is about honesty, trust, acceptance and the importance of coming together to overcome obstacles.  Kai learns what it means to become a part of a community in this avian coming of age animation, where he discovers the truth about his origins.  The exotic backdrop is vibrant and exciting, giving the perfect setting for this epic adventure.  There is suspense, peril, thrills and laughter as we follow our brave young hero as he takes on the villain of the piece!  It is an enjoyable film for all the family. 

Blu-ray & DVD Special Features Include

• Come Fly with Me music video by Jewels Jaselle and Benj Heard
• Four Kid Friendly Featurettes:

• Birds of a Feather
• An African Story
• The Tree City
• Technical Challenges

ADVENTURES IN ZAMBEZIA has a run time of approximately 79 minutes and is a certificate U.

We were sent a copy to review.

Win A Hotel Transylvania DVD and Book! - Closed

To celebrate the release of Hotel Transylvania on Blu-ray™ 3D, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 4^th, we’re giving away a DVD plus The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania book to 1 lucky winner. 

Out now from Titan Books, The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania features over 400 pieces of concept art, character sketches, storyboards and digital art, plus interviews with key filmmakers and crew. A spooky treat for the eyes! Visit www.titanbooks.com for more information!

All you have to do for your chance to win is leave me a comment below telling me who your favourite monster is.  Are you a fan of Frankenstein? Are you mad about Mummies? Personally, I love a good werewolf!!  Don't forget to leave an email address or Twitter id so I can contact you if you win.

For a second entry Tweet:

I've entered to win #HotelTransylvania on DVD with @wendymcd83 at http://tinyurl.com/auaxa69

Leave me a second comment to let me know you've done it.  Competition closes at 11.59pm on February 8th 2013. (Full T&C's below.)

If you’d like to win even more Hotel Transylvania goodies, check out the MONSTER ME Facebook competition  You could win a Micro Scooter for the kids by uploading a video of them doing monster impressions from the film, enter if you dare!

© 2012 Sony Pictures Animation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Terms and Conditions

UK only.  No automated or bulk entries permitted.  Maximum of two entries per entrant.  

 • The winners will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.

• Sony Pictures UK and Inside the Wendy House do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes.

• No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.

• Unless otherwise stated, the Competition is not open to employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s).

• This competition is a game promoted by Inside the Wendy House.  Inside the Wendy House’s decision is final in every situation and no correspondence will be entered into. Inside the Wendy House reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.

• Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.

• Prizes unclaimed after  10 days will be deemed to have been forfeited and Inside the Wendy House reserves the right to either offer the prize to the entrant whose name is next drawn at random.

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

The Winner is:  @rachcowling76  Congratulations!!  Please email your address details to me at :  wendy_mcd83@hotmail.co.uk and I'll forward them to the PR company for your prize to be sent out to you!!

So You Want To Be A Pirate!

Exclusively in Tesco stores, the DVD So You Want To Be A Pirate! is available to keep your little pirates entertained.  This all new short comes from Aardman and provides a swashbuckling stop-motion animated adventure with the Pirate Captain and his band of misfits.

Hugh Grant voices the dashing Pirate Captain and his crew are voiced by Ashley Jensen, Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson and Russell Tovey.  Together, with the Captain's trusted Dodo Polly, they give hilarious tips on how to become a seaworthy addition to the crew and help them in their madcap adventure to win the coveted Pirate of the Year award.  You can learn how to remember where you buried your treasure, the secrets of navigating winds, get an inside look at pirate recruiting and even cook a pirate’s recipe suggestion - doesn’t a giant squid with lemon and barnacles sound delicious?

 David Tennant and Brian Blessed also make guest appearances with their very distinctive vocal talents!

The DVD also boasts a treasure chest of extras with lots of child friendly activities for the kids to enjoy.

DVD Bonus Features Include:

• •        How To Animate Your Pirate
• •        How To Draw A Pirate
• •        Printable Colouring Pages
• •        How To Talk Like A Pirate – Words And Phrases From Your Favourite Characters

SO YOU WANT TO BE A PIRATE! is as an introduction to Aardman’s most ambitious stop-motion film to date  THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS, which is due for release on Blu-ray™  3D, Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital Download on September 10, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

So You Want To Be A Pirate! has a running time of 17 minutes and is a U certificate making it suitable for all the family.  It costs £5 exclusively from Tesco.

We were sent a copy of the DVD and it was great to get a taste of the Pirates ready for the release of the new Aardman movie.  We are big fans of Aardman and love their distinctive brand of animation.  The Pirates are a quirky and madcap bunch of characters that are very funny and entertaining.  We loved the TV Chat  Show style of the DVD, with the house band and guest stars adding to the fun.  Both children and adults will enjoy the brand of humour in this short and I for one am looking forward to seeing The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists when it is released next month.  

The added booty of the bonus features will provide hours of fun long after the short has been watched adding to the value of the DVD.  Budding pirates will definitely love joining in with the high seas fun!