Bug Hunting to celebrate the release of Miniscule in Vue cinemas

This half term, Vue cinemas are showing Minuscule - Valley of the Lost Ants, courtesy of Lionsgate Films. Using amazing CGI animation combined with real life backdrops, Minuscule transports families deep into the undergrowth to share an adventure where the tiniest minibeasts are the stars of the show.

Fighting over a box of sugar cubes from a discarded picnic, two tribes of ants, red and black, go head to head in an action packed battle that threatens the very safety of the black ants' nest. A brave little heroic ladybird finds himself caught up in the fighting, and has to use his ingenuity to save the day. Take a look at the trailer, it looks like it's going to be a great family movie with brilliant visual effects and lots of humour!

        


To celebrate the release of the creepy crawly animated adventure Minuscule in cinemas on May 27th 2016, we have been given some bug related goodies to get us acquainted with the stars on the show in our own back garden. We received a Bug Safari kit, a My Living World educational toy from Interplay.

The Bug Safari allows children to learn about and explore nature on their own doorstep. There is such a variety of mini-beasts in the garden for children to discover. From the teeny tiny ants to the colourful spotted ladybirds, the bugs of Minuscule can be caught and studied and then safely released using the tongs, tweezers, brush, field lens and viewing pot. Children can get up close to the wonderful world of bugs, nurturing a love and appreciation of wildlife and nature.

My own little budding entomologist Freddy has really enjoyed learning about bugs and searching for them in the garden. Using the booklet that came with the Bug Safari set, he has found out where to find insects and has discovered some fascinating facts about the species. The majority of his finds so far have been slugs and ants, and he has avoided catching spiders because they scare him! Freddy is hoping to find a butterfly so he can look at its wings through his field lens.

The Bug Safari has been a great introduction to the world of bugs and has peaked Freddy's interest in minibeasts in time for the release of Minuscule.

Check out the timings at your local Vue Cinema from May 27th for some family half term fun.

Cupid Dog Film Review

Cupid Dog is a new DVD from Lionsgate due for release on February 4th.  The story centres around Gabe the matchmaking mutt, who comes up with a plan to get his newly single owner Eric a girlfriend to stop him from moving to London for his job.  Unhappy at the prospect of six months in quarantine with big scary dogs, Gabe will stop at nothing to get journalist Eric together with pretty neighbour Sara. Inspired by a TV dating show, Gabe sets the wheels of romance in motion. The plan goes awry however, when Sara suspects that Eric is using her when he finds out about her big secret.  Their future happiness rests in the paws of Gabe, the pup with a gift for love.

This film is a light hearted romantic comedy for families that focuses around the dog who causes trouble and chaos despite his best intentions.  Kids will be charmed by the talking dog but the film doesn't quite match up to the charm of the little pooch Gabe. The dog monopolises the camera time meaning that you don't really get to connect with the human characters, which could have added an extra dimension to the story.  Consequently, the relationship between Sara and Eric has no real depth and the dialogue between them is superficial.  

However, the message of the film and Eric's dawning realisation that relationships are more important than his job is quite heartwarming. There are some funny moments as Eric finds himself on dates he hasn't organised and being thanked for flowers he has never sent  Anyone would be questioning their own sanity, or be thinking that the woman in question was a dangerous and delusional stalker!

Overall it is an amusing canine romp, with a few laughs and a cute mutt which will make you smile. Yes it's cheesy, yes it's implausible...but it's a bit of lightweight fun.

With Valentine's Day approaching this DVD could be a nice gift for a loved one who has a liking for frothy talking-dog-movies.  Just add some wine and chocolates and 'Puppy Love' just might be on the cards! 

DVD technical details:

o   Number of discs: 1

o   £9.99

o   Certificate: U (UK) 

o   Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

o   Running time: 87 minutes approx

o   Copyright: ©2013 Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK. All Rights Reserved.

Daddy, I'm A Zombie

Dixie is an angsty, rebellious teenager who is unhappy with her life. She is a misunderstood Goth who feels that the whole world is against her. She wants to be different, but doesn't realise just how different she is about to become!  One night during a storm, something happens that sees Dixie transformed into a zombie!

Finding herself in a strange new world, Dixie accompanied by her new friends Vitriol, the wise zombie sage, Isis, a highly superstitious Egyptian mummy princess, and Gonner, a pirate cabin boy, Dixie must now travel across the land of Azoth and defeat the evil zombie witch, Nubulosa, to find her way home!

Nubulosa is seeking a mystical item which will open a portal between the world of the living and the dead allowing her to invade the living world with her zombie armies.  Will Dixie and her zombie friends save the day and will she get a second chance at life?

Kizzy, who is 10, really enjoyed this film.  It is quite dark, but older kids love that sort of thing!  The animation is really quirky and there is a lot of humour in this film.  Kizzy loved the ending which is quite heartwarming!  It will be a great movie for Halloween!

UK Cert: PG
Run Time: 79 minutes
Price: £6.99

Avaialble to buy now at good retailers such as Amazon.co.uk.

A Dog's Christmas Miracle

Brand new for Christmas, and released today on DVD, families are set to fall in puppy love with this heartwarming tale of an adorable but spoiled  pooch with mischief on her mind!  Cinnamon, the Maltese puppy is none too pleased when her owner, unlucky in love university professor Madeleine, falls for widower architect Kevin.  An unlikely romance blossoms which makes Cinnamon very jealous and determined to sabotage the relationship.

Crafty Cinnamon spoils their dates in order to keep Madeleine to herself.  With sabotage plans such as weeing on Kevin's lap when he is about to kiss her owner, Cinnamon will stop at nothing, worrying she will end up at the pound if they fall in love.  Meanwhile Kevin's son Jordan is having problems of his own.

When Kevin ends up doggy-sitting for Cinnamon the dog ups her game.  She runs away but ends up in big trouble.  Her adventure leads to a big rift between the couple with misunderstandings aplenty.  Christmas looks set to be miserable.  Will Kevin manage to save the day?

Cinnamon soon realises that having an extended family for Christmas might not be quite so bad after all.

The animals in this film "talk" to each other which adds to the fun of the film.  Cinnamon is voiced by Brenda Song (London Tipton from the Disney Channel's Suite Life On Deck) which made the kids quite excited!   I must confess that I actually wanted to give Cinnamon a swift kick for trying to ruin the relationship between Kevin and Madeleine!  However you know it all ends up happily because the story starts at the end when they are one big happy family and then tells you how they got there.  This format also means there is no need for the children to panic when Cinnamon finds herself in peril!

Kizzy has watched it twice already so that is a reflection on how much she has enjoyed this film.  It is a good family film that everyone can enjoy together.  It is a nice festive, family film with some funny moments.

A Dog's Christmas Miracle from Lionsgate is 87 minutes long and has a U certificate.  It is available to buy from Amazon for just £5.65.