Movie review — MomStart

Robin Good and His Not So Merry Men VeggieTales Review

March 5, 2012 By Momstart 11 Comments

By Summer

I love the stories of Robin Hood; sure, the legends retold today expand the actual story of his life. There should be one of those disclaimers on Robin Hood movies “inspired by actual events”! But maybe that’s a stretch considering people know little of Robin of Locksley’s true “rebel life”, which is where his Merry Men come into play. Robin “the good Samaritan” and great archer hide out in the forest, but historians believe there were copycats acting in Robin Hood’s name. Anyways, as you may know cowardly Prince John had taken over England and was taxing people while his brother King Richard the Lionhearted was on crusade to Jerusalem. Well, Veggie Tales takes the name of Robin Hood and changes Robin’s name and story; Robin Hood was known for “stealing from the rich to give to the poor” but Robin Good fundraises in this Veggie Tales feature cartoon …

Bonus Short – Lenny and the Lost Birthday – It is a good little story about being special. My boys were not excited to watch it as they wanted to watch Robin Good. But it was a cute little story about a boy whose family and friends forget his birthday on March 1. Or did they? This little asparagus just wasn’t informed that it was a Leap Year! The Lesson: Remember how much God loves us.

The Silly Song with Larry – Bubble Wrap – When it’s moving day, you must wrap and unwrap! So why not rap about bubble wrap … what kid (or adult) doesn’t love popping those little plastic bubbles?!?

Feature – Robin Good and His Not So Merry Men – Robin Good fundraises for the rich to give to the poor. Prince John has a food tax and is greedy about his pork and won’t share with the citizens of Bethling-HAM. The Merry Men become not so merry and changed their ways from fundraising to stealing from Prince John. SPOILER ALERT: Prince John blames Robin for the missing hams, but when Robin escapes his guards Price John locks up the Sheriff in the dungeon of despair. The Merry Men also get locked up for being caught with the hams. Once Robin saves the Sheriff with a reminder of God’s love and the Merry Men repent, a giant breaks into the kingdom. With no help from cowering Prince John, Robin and the Merry Men save everyone. The Sheriff is declared the guardian of the city until King Richard returns. The Lesson: There is no hurt that is too big for God.

Verse of the Day – Psalm 55:22 – Give your burdens to God, and He will take care of you.

50 minutes long

My Mom Start Review Grade of Veggie Tales Robin Good on DVD: B+

Veggie Tales are worth purchasing. On Seattle TV, I know there used to be a channel that hosted their cartoons, but I can’t find it any more. I love the messages my children get from these Christian values cartoons. I like buying them and having them for at home viewing, but mostly for travel. When we travel our screen time rules go out the door (during the actual travel time in the car or plane), so having episodes is better for us than lots of long, non-educational movies. I enjoyed Robin Good and so did my sons (5YO and 2YO). I hope you like it too! This is a must add to your DVD library.

Robin Good and His Not So Merry Men is coming out Tuesday, March 6! If you want your own copy then preorder from Amazon for only $10.49, a 30% savings.

If you’re a Veggie Tales fan you can connect with them on Facebook.

A Sample was received.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Mirror Mirror

March 5, 2012 By Momstart 351 Comments

I know we’re all waiting on pins and needles for Ashley to tell us how her Mirror Mirror trip went. I’m dying to know myself and can’t wait to read all about it. While we’re waiting for her to collect her thoughts and write them down for us. Relativity Media has presented us with a fun little giveaway. Mirror Mirror Lances it’s way into theaters March 30

This spectacular reimagining of the classic fairy tale stars Oscar® winner Julia Roberts as the Queen, Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Prince Alcott, Sean Bean (“Game of Thrones”) as the King and Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as the Queen’s hapless and bungling servant, Brighton. When an evil queen steals control of Snow White’s kingdom, the exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright. Mirror Mirror is a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over.

Source: mirrormirrorfilm.com via Mirror Mirror on Pinterest

Visionary director Tarsem Singh (Immortals) rewrites fairy tale history as a wicked enchantress (Roberts) schemes and scrambles for control of a spirited orphan’s (Collins) throne and the attention of a charming prince (Hammer). When Snow White’s beauty wins the heart of the prince that she desperately pursues, the Queen banishes her to the forest, where a ravening man-eating beast hungrily awaits.

Source: mirrormirrorfilm.com via Mirror Mirror on Pinterest

Rescued by a band of diminutive highway robbers, Snow White grows into an indomitable young woman determined to take back her realm from the treacherous Queen. With the support of her subjects, she roars into action in an epic battle that blends spectacle, magic and contemporary humor in Singh’s signature, jaw-dropping visual style.

‘Like’ Mirror Mirror on Facebook

Visit the official website to watch the trailer & grab free downloads!

Follow Mirror Mirror on Pinterest for behind the scenes photos and more!

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winnner, Ashley H.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules

Filed Under: giveaway, Movie review Tagged With: giveaway, Mirror Mirror, Movie review

Disney’s Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition Blu-ray DVD & Digital Copy

February 7, 2012 By Momstart 4 Comments

By Summer:

We eat pasta a lot … okay, like once a week (which is a lot to me). My sons love pasta, and they have just reached the stage where they slurping up their spaghetti noodles. What could be more fun?!? And my 5YO doesn’t like sauces, so it’s not too messy. I can’t help but think of Lady and the Tramp whenever I watch my children suck spaghetti through their puckered lips. I wonder if they think of this memorable scene too?

Your children haven’t seen Lady and the Tramp? Well, Disney is releasing Lady and the Tramp from their vault today, Tuesday, February 7! This release is Disney’s “Diamond Edition” which is a Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy release. You’ll want to get it as soon as you can, since the best deals on DVDs can be found on the Tuesday of their release and the remaining part of the week (through the following Saturday), but also because once these Diamond Editions are sold out Disney will again lock-up the Lady and the Tramp vault until its next release!

IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN LADY AND THE TRAMP: The story centers around a Cocker Spaniel dog named Lady. She is a privileged pup who is owned by a young couple; she is their first “baby”. The owners – “Darling” and “Jim Dear”, as they call each other – baby Lady providing her with all the luxuries a dog can have such as sleeping at the food of the bed, fireside preferences, treats, a collar with license, and daily walks. Lady’s world changes a bit as Jim Dear and Darling are expecting their first child, but nothing changes Lady’s world more than when her owners leave her and the baby with Aunt Sara for a weekend away. Aunt Sara isn’t a dog person and her two curious Siamese cats wreck the house blaming it on Lady, and then Lady’s barking earns her a muzzle and new sleeping quarters in her dog house. Luckily, she runs off and is rescued by an acquaintance and stray dog known as Tramp. SPOILER ALERT: Tramp is stricken by Lady and changes his ways as a tramp to become a family dog; not just collared and licensed with Jim Dear, Darling and baby, but with pups of his own with Lady!

My sons love Lady and the Tramp. My 2YO likes it because he’s really into animals, so a full movie about dogs is right up his alley. My 5YO likes the story, but his favorite parts are the beaver at the zoo (which is why I think Disney added a beaver to the their Winnie the Pooh cartoons) and the “Song of the Siamese Cats”.

In the Diamond Edition DVD combo packs you get the movie plus bonus features including never-before seen deleted scenes, a never-before-heard deleted song, a look inside Walt’s story meetings, Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad mini documentary, the making of Lady and the Tramp, The Siamese Cat Song: Finding A Voice for the Cats, and more. Purchasing the Diamond Edition also scores you and your family access to the Disney’s Second Screen feature where you can get more information about the movie and even play games using your family’s computer. (You may remember Mom Start’s experience with Second Screen from The Lion King Diamond Edition release.)

Though Lady and the Tramp isn’t my FAVORITE Disney movie, it is a classic. My whole family enjoyed watching Lady and the Tramp; even my Jack Russell Terriers go a little coo-coo for the movie with their real dog barks like when the rat is coming into the house near the end of the movie.

My Mom Start Review Grade for Disney’s Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition DVD Combo Pack: A

Lady and the Tramp is a great addition to any person’s Disney collection. Lady and the Tramp is also one of the few popular classics without a Princess (and is pure Disney magic). Just a reminder, be sure you score a copy before Lady and the Tramp is no longer available again!

About Summer:

Filed Under: Movie review, Summer Tagged With: Disney's Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition, Lady and the Tramp, Lady and the Tramp Blu-ray, Movie review, Summer

Sneak Peek Inside the Movie: What To Expect When You’re Expecting

January 27, 2012 By Momstart 12 Comments

A Visit to the Set of What to Expect When You’re Expecting

By: Ashley

I have been hanging onto this information for so long that I can hardly believe I finally get to share it! I went to Atlanta in September. Why Atlanta, you ask? (As if the title didn’t give it away…) I was in Atlanta so that I could go ON THE SET of the soon to be released, Lionsgate Film, What to Expect When You’re Expecting! It was such an amazing experience and I learned so much about how movies are made, how much work it takes, and got some super sneak peeks into the world of what I’m positive is a laugh out loud funny movie! If you haven’t seen the What to Expect trailer yet, then you should definitely do that.

It’s a movie all about the joy, challenges, fears… and just moments of HILARITY that come with the process of becoming a parent. The movie shows the different paths 5 couples take to parenthood… 5 very different paths for 5 very different couples. Here’s a glimpse at the moms of What to Expect to get you ready.

Skyler (Brooklyn Decker) – The young, gorgeous mom who makes pregnancy look like a beautiful breeze. Also the trophy wife for her much older husband (Dennis Quaid).

Jules (Cameron Diaz) – A super busy fitness freak who “works out” a surprise pregnancy.

Wendy (Elizabeth Banks) – An author and baby know it all who discovers every side effect known to carrying a child.

Holly (Jennifer Lopez) – A mom who can’t wait to meet her baby that she’s adopting from across the world.

Rosie (Anna Kendrick) – A food truck chef who has one of “those nights” and ends up pregnant.

When I was on set, a group of bloggers and I were lucky enough to see the action in progress. (By the way, they really do yell “ACTION” when they start filming a scene.) We watched them film a scene based on Wendy (played by Elizabeth Banks), a baby-crazed author who thought she knew everything there was to know about pregnancy. I was amazed by how many times they shot the same scene over and over! There were tons of extras in the scene and everyone had to stay “in character” while they perfected the scene. What was even more amazing was how each take was so different! Watching Elizabeth Banks make small changes to her posture, her tone, and a little ad-libbing on her lines as she rampages on the dark side of pregnancy was HILARIOUS! I have to say that I honestly laughed at almost every take of the same exact scene!

We were even lucky enough to catch a quick word with the producer of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. He said that when he saw the title of the internationally known book, he just knew it would make a great film. I have to say that I could not agree more! I can’t wait until May 11 when What to Expect When You’re Expecting FINALLY comes to the big screen!

Travel and expenses were covered by Lionsgate.

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: Lionsgate, movie, Movie Preview, Movie review, What To Expect When You're Expecting

Get Dead Poets Society on Blu-ray Today

January 17, 2012 By Momstart 5 Comments

By Summer,

What’s your favorite Robin Williams film? If you’re like me, it’s hard to pick just one! I love Disney’s Aladdin, Goodwill Hunting, Night at the Museum, Mrs. Doubtfire (“It was a drive by fruiting.”) and Dead Poets Society.

Maybe it doesn’t take much to excite me, but I AM excited that Dead Poets Society is coming out in Blu-Ray today (January 17, 2012). I remember watching Dead Poets Society for the first time in high school. It was inspiring! I was talking with some girl friends about re-watching it and we got to talking about teachers in our lives who were like the teacher John Keating (Robin William’s character). This proved to me that Dead Poets Society just resonates with people. There is just something about it; I think it has to do with being young and seizing the day … carpe diem. (You know I can’t get away with posting about Dead Poets Society without the Latin!)

If you’re never seen Dead Poets Society it’s about an all-boys preparatory school in the 1959. Their school, Welton Academy, don’t encourage free thinking and prefers to tell students how to think and want to do in order to be successful in life, which really means get into an Ivy League school and have a “noble” profession such as a doctor or lawyer. Of course this is all shaken up when their new poetry teacher John Keating who prefers to be called Captain starts to help some of the boys in his class begin to love poetry, free thinking and creates a true paradigm shift on their lives. A few of these students revive the lost Dead Poets Society of which John Keating was a member of in his days at Welton as a student. Conflict arises as Keating’s unconventional teaching methods are not accepted by other Welton faculty and students. WARNING: There is a teenage suicide in the movie. (In case this is a sensitive issue for you.) BUT the movie is not gruesome and there is no image of the suicide. SPOILER ALERT: The suicide is blamed on Mr. Keating. The school forces the students to tell about the Dead Poets Society they had created in secret and sign a paper stating they blame Mr. Keating. As Mr. Keating retrieves he final belongs from his classroom while class is in session the Dead Poets Society members and other students who respect Mr. Keating stand on their desks and call out to him, “O Captain, My Captain!” (from its names sake Walt Whitman poem).

Other actors you’ll know from Dead Poets Society include Robert Sean Leonard from TV’s House, Ethan Hawke from notables such as Reality Bites (another one of my favorites) and Training Day, and Kurtwood Smith from TV’s That 70’s Show; though other actors will look very familiar from their varied resumes.

Dead Poets Society, which won writer Tom Schulman an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1989, is being released for the first time Blu-Ray for only $20 (1-disc). Dead Poets Society is also being released in High Definition Digital Download also for $20 or Standard Definition Digital Download for $14.99. You can get your own Blu-Ray copy, right now, on Amazon for only $14.99. Copies include the movie as well as Special Features — Dead Poets: A Look Back, Raw Takes, Master of Sound: Alan Splet, Cinematography Master Class, Audio Commentary, and the Theatrical Trailer.

My Mom Start Review Grade of Dead Poets Society in Blu-Ray DVD: A+

About Summer:

Filed Under: Movie review, review, Summer Tagged With: blu-ray, blu-ray review, Dead Poets Society, DVD Review, Movie review, Robin Williams

Raving Review: Beauty and The Beast in 3D January 13th

January 12, 2012 By Momstart 3 Comments

By Summer,

Everyone has a favorite Disney princess! Mine is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I think I like that she’s intelligent and “odd” in addition to being beautiful. So, you know I’m more than excited for the re-release of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 3D on January 13; check your local listings for show times in your area.

I love that this classic story is retold with the Disney spin. Belle is being pursued by her small town’s dimwitted handsome brut. Belle wants out of the town and finds herself in a position to sacrifice her freedom for her father’s freedom and becomes a prisoner to the beast in his enchanted castle. The beast was transformed by an enchantress who saw no love in his heart, but when he learns to love and earn that person’s love in return the spell will be broken. In true Disney fashion the boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after!

So what’s new with the 3D? The placement of the characters and backgrounds; everything simply has more dimension. Nothing comes out at you and nothing was altered for the original film to accommodate a “thrilling” 3D experience. Disney simply has the right money making idea, in my opinion: Re-release a DVD and they’re buy it. Re-release a movie in the theaters and they’ll come see it.

As far as the 3D, the best parts are the background. I love the depth of the rose garden in the beginning and end of the movie. The girl sitting next time actually tried to reach out to them. The lively color mixed with the more realistic renderings (as they’re not cartoony) makes you wish the film was “4D” with the actual smell of rose. Disney has hit their job of 3D spot on AGAIN (remember they did the same to The Lion King).

I’d see Beauty and the Beast in the theater in 3D or not, and I think my generation would go for nostalgia. The newer generations will want to go to the theater because they know and love the film at home but want to go to the theater. Who doesn’t love going to the movies?!? We own Beauty and the Beast (how could we not, it’s my favorite “princess” movie) but my 2YO and I totally enjoyed our mom-son time at the theater.

My Mom Start Review Grade for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast 3D in Theaters: A+

About Summer:

Filed Under: Movie review, Summer Tagged With: 3D, Beauty and the Beast, Movie review, review

Beauty & The Beast Does 3D January 13, 2012

January 6, 2012 By Momstart 17 Comments

3D movies are all the rage and with the success of Lion King 3D in theaters this past summer, Disney is rereleasing the family favorite Beauty and the Beast in 3D.

I have all the songs in Beauty and the Beast almost memorized as we’ve watched this movie at home many many times, and still love listening to them. It was hard to keep myself from singing along in the theater with other people around me. I’ve seen Beauty and the Beast in 3D and I’m writing this review assuming that you’ve seen Beauty and the Beast before. If you haven’t why don’t you check out this trailer: Plus you can read our review on Beauty and the Beast when it came out on Blu-ray. Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray Review January 13, 2012.

Next week, I’m also going to share Summer’s perspective on the movie, she’s going to watch it on Saturday with her youngest son and Beauty and the Beast is one of her favorite children’s movies. For now, here’s my perspective on Beauty and the Beast 3D…….

Want to know my opinion on the 3D? I’m really picky when it comes to 3D. Some scenes in Beauty and the Beast 3D were fabulous, while others just seemed a bit flat for 3D. I think I would have loved to have interviewed someone about why they did it this way. It seemed like they were trying very hard to stay with the original look as much as possible but made it look 3D. I’m also thinking that the things about the scenes were done on purpose. The main characters were well done but the characters in the background just seemed a bit neglected. I think I’m the only one that had this crazy opinion, everyone I talked to after the viewing loved it, Which makes me think this really had to do with how tired I was. So take my review with that knowledge in mind and look forward to Summer’s review. Now, for me the true test of the success of the 3D version of Beauty and the Beast was in the ballroom scene, where they sing Tale as Old as Time. I have to say it was pretty spectacular. Ever since I was a little girl this scene was my favorite scene. The way they did it originally I felt like I was in that room. The background looked so real. I’m quite happy to say that even in 3D it looks real. The candlesticks in the background look like they are real brass with real flames. Really beautiful scene.

Go see Beauty and the Beast in Theaters January 13th and comb back here and tell me what you thought of the 3D effect?

Travel and expenses were covered by Disney DreamWorks. .

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: 3D, Beauty and the Beast, movie, Movie review, review

Tales of Snow White: Mirror Mirror Verses The Huntsman

December 22, 2011 By Momstart 16 Comments

Two different versions of Snow White are in the works right now and I’m wondering which one I should go see or of they’re both going to be wait for the DVD. I mean, I’m excited for both of them just because of the actors in each one. On one hand you have Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts, she is a favorite of mine. And then you have The Huntsman that is going to be action packed but a wacked out version of Snow White. Of course, I’m comparing that to the Walt Disney version of Snow White, which probably isn’t the only version out there, it’s just the one that I’m most familiar with. I’ve only read one other version and it was pretty close to the Disney version so I have no idea what to think of these two, except I’m hopeful for both. Even though Kristin Stewart isn’t my favorite actress, The Huntsman does look exciting, even on the verge of being scary!.

Which one do you want to go see?

Mirror Mirror opens in theaters everywhere on March 16th, 2012

Mirror Mirror is a spectacular reimagining of the classic fairy tale starring Oscar® winner Julia Roberts as the Queen, Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Prince Alcott, Sean Bean (“The Game of Thrones”, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) as the King and Nathan Lane (The Lion King, The Birdcage) as the Queen’s hapless and bungling servant, Brighton. An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over.

Snow White & The Huntsman Opens in Theaters this Summer

In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar(r) winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power. The breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale is from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland, producer Sam Mercer (The Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.

So, which one will you go see or will you watch them both?

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: Mirror Mirror, Movie review, Snow White & The Huntsman

War Horse Movie Review & Exclusive War Horse Clip Featuring Emily Watson & Jeremy Irvine

December 19, 2011 By Momstart 7 Comments

With a cast line up of Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Kebbell, and the amazing director Steven Spielberg, War Horse turned out to be a beautiful masterpiece.

Up until watching the movie I thought this movie was going to be completely about the war and how this horse fit into the war. The war seems like a back story to me, yeah, there is a war and it was quite a devastating war with so much bloodshed. The gentleman’s war was gone. I’m not usually a fan of war movies but I really enjoyed the emotional journey that War Horse took me on. I laughed, I cried and I thought OMG is this really going to happen. But nothing was too much. Steven Spielberg managed to go from one scene to another without showing you the gun shots. You knew they happened but you didn’t have to see it. In one scene two young boys were shot for desertion, but a windmill was turning and when they were shot the windmill blocked the action and when the windmill passed again you saw them dead on the ground. We also missed the birth of Joey. We saw from Albert’s eye, as Joey was being born he watched from behind a fence and you could tell when it happened by his sudden reaction.

War Horse is based on the Broadway production where the story is told from the horses perspective and the movie started out without words. Just music and pictures of the land and Joey. Joey was a smart horse. Albert’s dad bought Joey at an auction when he was supposed to be looking for a pulling horse. Joey was not meant for work. Albert’s dad spent too much money and it ended up where everything that family owned now rested on Joey’s ability to learn how to plow a field. Joey did it and there was hope for the family again, but then the crop was washed out by rain and they had to sell the horse to keep their house. Albert was furiously depressed to find out his father sold his horse and ran to town to beg for his horse to be returned. A war officer bought him and promised that if he could he would return Joey to him one day.

Joey touched so many lives in his four year journey during the war. He was on the English side in the beginning with the first soldier that bought him, then when the German soldiers killed all the English soldiers with machine guns Joey became a German work horse. He pulled carts and was used by the two boys I mentioned above to escape the war. They were killed on a French families’ farm and a little girl fell in love with him. The Germans came back across their land and took the Joey away from her. There he became a war horse again. This time he was used to drag those huge artillery guns. Horses died daily doing this job. It was really hard to watch. The horses were so badly mistreated. Joe escaped and then found himself in the middle of a battle field and he got caught up in the barbed wire. Ohhhh, it was another scene that was very hard to watch. Guess who joined the war, Albert did. Albert was also very brave and never gave up on finding his horse. But Albert was injured and I want you to find out how the rest of the movie goes by getting yourself to the theater to watch it.

Although some of the scenes in the movie were hard to watch, the filmography was creative, well placed and made the movie amazing. I really liked watching War Horse and can’t wait to see it again with my husband.

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: Emily Watson, Movie review, review, War Horse

The Help 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack Review

December 17, 2011 By Momstart 5 Comments

I read The Help over a rainy Seattle weekend back in November of 2010. I had a hard time putting the book down as it was so well written and filled me with a wide range of emotion. When I heard that that the movie would be out in the summer of 2011, I was eager for its release. Unfortunately, I never did get the opportunity to see it in the theater. Since becoming a mom, the only movies I tend to see in the theater are rated G and in 3D. So when I was given the opportunity to review the 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack of the The Help, I was thrilled! And my anticipation was not in vain as this was a great movie, true to the book and performed by some amazing actors.

If you’re not familiar with The Help here’s a synopsis:

The #1 New York Times bestseller by Kathryn Stockett comes to vivid life through the powerful
performances of a phenomenal ensemble cast. The Help is an inspirational, courageous and empowering
story about very different, extraordinary women in the 1960s South who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project — one that breaks society’s rules and puts them all at risk. Filled with poignancy, humor and hope — and complete with compelling, never-before-seen bonus features — The Help is a timeless, universal and triumphant story about the ability to create change.

The Help stars Emma Stone as the courageous Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, who goes against the beliefs of
her family and friends to find her own voice. The critically praised, emotional performance of Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark, a woman who secretly dreams of one day having more than she has been given, offers a deep emotional storyline. The breakthrough performance of Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson, whose sass and tough exterior disguise the pain and fear she faces every day, brings both drama and humor to the film. Bryce Dallas Howard breathes life into the catty Jackson socialite Hilly Holbrook and Jessica Chastain brings charm and humor as Celia Foote, a kind housewife living outside of town who longs to fit in. Sissy Spacek, Allison Janney and Ahna O‟Reilly also provide vivacious performances that round out this all-star female ensemble.

On December 6th, 2011 The Help was released on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand. I love owning a Blu-ray DVD player, not just for the superior sound and image quality, but also since most Blu-ray movies come with tons of extras. I received The Help 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pak which includes the Blu-ray disc and a regular DVD disc that I can put in my car, portable DVD player or just lend to my Blu-ray deprived friends. There is also a 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pak available that has a downloadable copy of the movie.

Both the 3-Disc and 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Packs include a number of bonus features that are well worth checking out. They include:

The Making of “The Help:” From Friendship To Film Find out more about the friendship between director and screenplay writer Tate Taylor and author Kathryn Stockett and the process it took to bring this story to the big screen. Commentary from the crew and actors on the making of the film is also included which is always an entertaining way to learn more about their time on set.

In Their Own Words: A Tribute To The Maids Of Mississippi An informative look at the women who worked as maids and provides a deeper understanding of the relationships that form between maids and their employers as well as the children they care for.

Also included are deleted scenes (my favorite!) and a music video, “The Living Proof” from nine-time Grammy Award®-winning and multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter, Mary J. Blige.

The Help can be found just in time for the holidays in these formats:
3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) = $44.99 U.S./$51.99 Canada
2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
For Fans of The Help movie:
“Like” the Help Facebook page
Follow The Help Movie on Twitter
Visit the website and mobile site:

Disclosure – This product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Emily:

Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. She raises chickens and has 2 shih tzus. Her daughter Caitlyn attends Montessori school and she hates housecleaning, loves wine and enjoys dining out. She would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety she has dealt with on and off over the past 10 years, just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend.

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: dreamworks, Movie review, The Help