Release Info:
DVD Release Date: June 30, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.99

As a parent to a young daughter and fan of the Jonas Brothers, I was excited to carry out this review. My main concern when I received the Jonas Brothers: Concert Experience Extended Movie was how the program would be complied. I knew Disney would do a reputable job, but I was concerned with the flow of the DVD content. I mean this program is a compilation of concerts, so how could Disney make it flow together? Well, I still don’t know the technicalities of it all, but I do know that there wasn’t a single awkward pause from concert to concert, making the movie seamless.

In this Extended Movie set, there were not only many concerts to tickle your fancy, but you get to enjoy an inside look at the lives of Kevin, Joe and Nick. You can experience the tour and the adventure with them. There are also special guest appearances from Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, as well as, two songs not heard or seen when this debuted in theaters.

Personally, I think Disney did an excellent job of taking us on tour with the Jonas Brothers and giving us an inside look at what this dynamic trio does. As for Eliana my six-year-old daughter who loves the Jo Bros, this program did nothing for her. The movie just could not hold her attention. When it came to the concerts she enjoyed them, but everything else was just filler and ‘boring’ for her. On the other hand, her ten-year-old girlfriend was glued! Having all that said, I believe that this is a program for huge Jonas Brothers fans and is more geared for the tween to teen crowd.

The Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience Extended Edition Plot
In the Jonas Brothers’ movie debut, Disney gives you a front row seat and a behind the scenes pass to the entire concert experience with Kevin, Joe and Nick. The Jonas Brothers: Concert Experience Extended Edition lets you look into what goes on before and after the concerts. This exclusive movie includes, bonus features like two songs that were not heard or seen on the big screen and never before seen performances.

What a treat! And if that wasn’t enough, there are special guest appearances by Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato. The meat and potatoes of the DVD is mainly made up of singing and dancing. That’s why this is the Jonas Brothers’ concert experience. I would expect nothing less. While the behind the scenes moments are a nice touch, it is nice to see that the Jo Bros stuck with what they do best, on stage.

Some of the excerpts are from the Jonas Brothers’ Burning Up concert tour, which happened in 2008. Over 1 million fans experienced this concert first hand, and now they will have the chance to re-experience the adventure. For those of us who never had the chance to attend this concert (especially those young girls who so badly wanted to go), this is our way to experience what was deemed one of the hottest concerts of 2008!

The never before seen song performances are for “Love Is On Its Way” and “Live To Party.”

Storyline/Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 3 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Jonas Brothers: Concert Experience Extended Edition was filmed in HD with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The concert scenes were fantastic! You truly felt the concert experience right in your living room. As for some of the other scenes, like before or after the concert, they were somewhat hard to watch. The camera was up, down and moving around quite a bit. But other than that, there was nothing to complain about. The picture was clean without errors or dirt.

The audio for the movie was in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and was crisp and clear. The concert sounded wonderful and the dialogue was consistently clear. In addition to the standard audio options you can see this movie with French or Spanish subtitles.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
In this movie there are three main bonus features. They include two songs in concert and two featurettes. First, the two never before heard songs in concert are “Love Bug” and “Shelf.” Both are great new Jo Bros songs that my daughter and her friend enjoyed.

The second set of bonus features includes the featurettes. The first featurette is the Up Close and Personal With the Jonas Brothers. Here is where the Jonas Brothers share their love for their fans and take you on their “Burning Up Tour.” You definitely have the premium back stage pass on this segment. You get to see everything from the stage rehearsals to the day the tour begins in Toronto, Canada. This was a really cool inside look at what goes on before the Jonas Brothers shows!

And finally, the last featurette is Dylan and Cole Sprouse Blu-Ray is Suite. Here the twins from The Suite Life on Deck talk about the advantages of Blu-Ray discs and Blu-Ray players. I found this segment to be very informative, especially since I do not yet own a Blu-Ray player or any discs. I just might have to convince my husband to get one. With the Extended Movie Edition you will also receive a digital copy. This digital copy allows you to watch the movie anywhere, anytime and on almost any potable device.

Last but not least, there are several sneak peaks for other hot Disney programs. These programs include Race To Witch Mountain, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Tinkerbell The Lost Treasure, Earth, Burning Up, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, G-Force, Jonas, Disney Blu-Ray Magic in High-Def and Disney Movie Rewards.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you have or know a diehard Jonas fan, this is the movie for them! What more could a Jo Bros fan want? This DVD has everything from live concerts to the inside lives of the brothers and it also has awesome bonus features. Just make sure your child is old enough to actually benefit from watching this concert. My daughter is six and at times, she found that the lack of action on screen led to boredom. This is highly recommended for hardcore Jonas fans, most of all.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD, DVD Review, Movie Review, Jonas Brothers, Disney

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 26, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 30, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $17.49

The writers at Disney never cease to amaze me. I love their programs; everything from the classics to their new movies. When I had the opportunity to review the Princess Protection Program I knew it was going to be a great family film. The Disney programs never disappointment me with the characters, plot and the lessons shown in their films. My daughter and I sat and enjoyed the movie and Bonus Features together. What a treat for the both of us!

As a parent, and avid Disney Channel watcher, Princess Protection Program had everything I needed to keep me engaged throughout the entire movie. Demi Lavato as Princess Rosalinda/Rosie and Selena Gomez as an everyday girl and tomboy Carter Mason was a perfect pairing, especially for fans of Hannah Montana and Camp Rock.

I feel this is a fantastic film to teach young girls and boys that just because you are from one side of the world or the other you may still have things in common. Just because you come from different backgrounds doesn’t mean you cannot become great friends. Also, another lesson can be found by not judging a book by its cover. I love this lesson, any which way it’s written and Disney did a bang-up job of presenting it.

My daughter, Eliana, is a big fan of Wizards Of Waverly Place and to see Selena Gomez in a different production was really exciting for her. Of course, seeing Demi Lavato as a princess was the icing on the cake. Even though Eliana is only six years old, she totally understood the message Disney was trying to deliver. She enjoyed every part of the movie and the Bonus Features, too. This is a movie that we will watch over and over, and it’s sure to be a hit at our future slumber parties.

The Princess Protection Program Plot
Princess Protection Program is a wildly exciting reality check for two teenage girls whose lives are turned upside due to unforeseen circumstances. This Disney Channel Original Movie stars Selena Gomez (Wizards Of Waverly Place) as Carter Mason and Demi Lavato (Sonny With A Chance) as Princess Rosalinda Maria Montoya Fioré/Rosie.

Carter’s father, an agent in the covert international Princess Protection Program, brings home Rosie to live as Carter’s “cousin” until it is safe for her to return to her home in Costa Luna. The fact that this is a measure of protection that is necessary for the girl doesn’t matter much to her or the tomboy she is forced to become a “relative” to.

The girls are from two entirely different worlds and in the beginning all they notice is the differences of the other girl. It doesn’t change the fact that these two girls have to learn to get along. Of course, it doesn’t take long for them to learn that they have more in common than meets the eye.

Rosie might not seem like the kind of princess that would be a good fit for Louisiana, but with Carter at her side (like it or not) she soon learns to adapt. Rosie finds herself roughing-it and learns to act like an everyday girl. Meanwhile Carter, with the help of Rosie, finds her inner princess.

Storyline/Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The video and audio for the Princess Protection Program was across the board incredible. The picture was crisp, clean and clear throughout the movie. The aspect ratio is 1.78:1 and looks great. There were spots in the movie where I felt as though I was right there. In some movies I have noticed that the scenes seem to be on a green screen or just man made, but this was not the case for this film.

The audio for the movie is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with tracks in French and Spanish. The main tracks are in English and sound superb. I cannot comment on the French or Spanish tracks, but I am led to believe they would be just as favorable. There wasn’t a time that I had to adjust the volume or color for this movie.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a couple of bonus features for Princess Protection Program. The thing I liked most about these bonuses is that they should be fun for kids that liked the movie. A lot of times, kids are left out of the bonus features, but these ones are enjoyable to the young girls that will make up the core audience for this DVD.

There are three main features for this film. Included are two featurettes and a music video. The music video, “One And the Same” stars both Gomez and Lavato who sing together. Their fans should enjoy this quite a bit. I know that we did!

The featurettes included are “Royal & Loyal BFF’s” and “A Royal Reality”. Both of these are quite entertaining, though I think seeing and hearing from the real life princess was the most exciting option, causing “A Royal Reality” to be the real winner. In “Royal & Loyal” we get a chance to see what real life good friends Lavato and Gomez are. They dish about their friendship and it’s great for their fans to see how much they truly seem to like one another. In “A Royal Reality” kids get a chance to see and hear from a real life princess. While she cannot tell too much about her background, kids get a chance to see that she’s just like most other girls even though she comes from a completely different world. It’s definitely enlightening!

Other than that the only thing that qualifies as special features are the previews. This disk includes previews for Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Princess and the Frog, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Race to Witch Mountain, Sonny with a Chance, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Earth, and Hatching Pete/Dadnapped Double Feature.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Disney has created yet another fantastic family movie. The Princess Protection Program will be played over and over again at my house if my daughter has anything to say about it.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD, DVD Review, Movie Review, Disney, Family, Princess Protection Program

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: November 18, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $21.99

I did not watch the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie. I don’t know why, but I am not a huge fan of the chick flick. So, the idea that four best friends of all different shapes and sizes could bond over a pair of pants that magically fit them all perfectly was not something I was rushing out to see. It sounded awful to me. Granted, I knew that it would probably be wildly successful, but still it sounded awful and I refused to watch it.

My mother, the lover of all things chick flick, demanded I see it. I didn’t tell her “no”. I just kind of put it off. I didn’t want to see it and the last time she forced me to watch a movie I didn’t want to see, all I got from it was something called “The Penis Song.” She gave up the regular pursuit of getting me to watch the original movie, but made sure to remind me when she saw it on television. Our conversation would go something like:

“So, have you seen that movie yet? You really should watch it. You’re going to love it.”

“The movie about the pants?”

“Yes that one. You will like it I swear.”

“Right and it’s about four girls that wear pants, right?”

“Oh nevermind!”

This was all until I received the sequel to Sisterhood on Blu-ray for this review. Perhaps it was some divine intervention making sure that my mother would have the final say. She was thrilled to hear that I had received the sequel because she had not seen it yet. Despite my feelings, I agreed to make an effort to see it and not judge it until the end, for her, if not for this review.

I have to say I was shocked by what I saw. I didn’t hate it. In fact, I sort of liked it. The story had a few things that needed to be worked out, but for the most part this was an enjoyable film that I wouldn’t hesitate to watch a second or third time. The reason I think I liked it the most had to have been in part on good casting. Having Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) and America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) in the same movie was bound to make someone happy. These two make up half of the Sisterhood group, which definitely doesn’t hurt the film. Meanwhile, I found Amber Tamblyn competent in her role and Alexis Bledel added a comfortable warmth to the group, rounding the foursome out nicely.

There were some small issues like the inclusion of Effie Klingaris (Lucy Hale). It’s not that Hale’s performance is bad, because it’s not. However, it’s obvious that she’s only here to make the sequel float in the way that it does. Without Effie there would not be as much dissension with the girls and they would not need to go on their trip together because there would be nothing to bring them together. Hale’s character is important because the group would have ended up drifting apart had she not brought them together. Other than that though, she has little importance. It is sad to see an enjoyable actress like Hale stuck in a role like that.

The The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 Plot
It’s summertime and the girl’s are all going in different directions again. They plan to send off the pants like they did before, but even at the beginning of the movie it is obvious that they are kind of growing apart. Lena (Bledel) is mourning the loss of her lover, so she immerses herself in some art classes where she meets a handsome model that doesn’t hold a candle to her lackluster true love. Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) gets a job in a video store where she is rude to the customers and she squanders her would be talent as a filmmaker when a pregnancy scare takes over her life. As if that wasn’t enough, she leaves her boyfriend, ignores her friends and alienates herself in the process.

The two busiest of the bunch are Bridget (Blake Lively) and Carmen (America Ferrera). Carmen’s mom is married for the first time in a long time and she’s pregnant with Carmen’s first sibling. It leaves Carmen to feel slightly left out. While she had planned to spend the summer at home, the prospect of working in a drama camp for the summer holds more appeal, so she heads there. While she normally works behind the scenes, what she doesn’t expect is for a good looking guy (also the lead in the production) to coax her into auditioning and winning the part opposite him! It seems that things are looking up for Carmen except that her new friend is trying to sabotage her future in the play and her old friendships are falling apart.

Meanwhile, Bridget decides to go to Turkey on an archeological dig project. She’s fascinated with remnants of the past, but in the time spent there she has to learn to deal with her own past. She learns that she’s never going to be able to handle her past in Turkey, so she flies back to the States on a quest to find herself.

This one minor yet necessary act in Bridget’s life leads to the rotation of the pants being messed up. The pants are returned to Lena and from there, they are stolen! This leads the girls on a trip to find themselves, each other, and the magic that brought them together so long ago.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is offered on Blu-ray with a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, presented in 1080p, in a widescreen format. When you think of movies that would benefit Blu-ray you don’t think of something like Sisterhood. Still, the transfer was amazing to view. I could not find one single flaw. From the gorgeous blue waters to the multitude of colors and crisp shots, the visuals look perfect. Everything is warm and natural, which is to be expected with this movie. The transfer is free of any problems such as digital effects. You couldn’t have asked for a better transfer.

Sisterhood is a movie with little special effects so the soundtrack does not need to be as dynamic as an action movie might. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track sounds fabulous. Despite the sound channels being mainly in the front, everything is easy to hear and no volume toggling is necessary. The sound is crisp and it all builds together perfectly. Like the visual aspect, this couldn’t have been any better for this particular movie.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The special feature section for the Sisterhood Blu-ray is the part that really shocked me. I have seen more features in a bad movie, so to see only a few here is rather astounding to me. Things begin with a four and a half minute featurette, “Go Jump Off a Cliff.” This discusses how a scene in the movie was decided upon. In this short featurette all of the actresses (the main four) and the director are spoken to about the scene. It’s not by any means a Making Of, but it’s the closest thing to it on this disc.

A gag reel offers some laughing and jokes on the set. While funny, this four minute feature is only good to watch once and then it’s really not important anymore. The best feature is probably the four deleted scenes. Introductions are included but as the scenes were cut for time, the director doesn’t do much other than to explain the set up for the scenes. Most of them deal with the love triangle angle. Other than that, a digital copy of the film is all that is available. As I said in the beginning, I expected to see more here and I am still surprised that I didn’t.

Bonus Features: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Sisterhood really shocked me. Even though I didn’t see the first one and had no desire (in the beginning) to see this film, I admit that it fully grew on me. There were some laughs, some serious moments, and a warm, uplifting storyline. I suppose it’s easy to call it a chick flick, but as I am not a fan of that genre, I like to think it’s more than that. Good acting on the part of the four main characters certainly helped, as did some fun stories for the sequel to have a point.

I don’t see any more of these movies being made without the films becoming ridiculous, but when it comes to Sisterhood 2 I highly recommend you see it. If you like movies about the power of friendship you should purchase this in Blu Ray because it’s gorgeous. If you’re not sure if you will like it, give it a try as a rental. You might end up being as surprised as I was.

Overall Rating: 4.43 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD, Sequel, Blu Ray, Warner Bros, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, Comedy, Friendship, Drama

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $21.99

I have a theory that teen and tween movies were created to annoy parents and pretty much anyone else with an iota of taste. They won’t be going anywhere though because teens and tweens absolutely love them. I still haven’t figured out why, but I suppose that just means I am getting old.

Taking 5 offers a simple storyline along the same vein as High School Musical. I am not a fan of HSM, but in fairness I will say it was better than watching this. The acting isn’t particularly bad. I suppose it’s the writing and direction that needs the most work.

If you have girls in middle school they will probably rave about how good this film is. They will like it because it’s relatable to them and their love for boy bands. Parents will want to find something better to do while this is on. While it is harmless and absolutely fine for the middle-schoolers to watch, it’s nothing that you would want to bother watching unless you like bad, mainstream movies for kids.

As bad as it was it would have been worse without Alona Tal and Daniella Monet. These two really manage to float the movie, making it a little less painful to watch than it really was. As much as I disliked it though, I do see the potential for younger people. Middle school and early high school students will like it, especially if they like the HSM type of movies. There isn’t as much music going on here, but it’s similar enough that if they like one they will like the other.

The Taking 5 Plot
Gabby (Monet – Nancy Drew) and Devon (Tal) are BFFs. The girls want nothing more than to get the hottest boy band ever to perform at a free concert at Highland High. When that plan doesn’t work out as they want it to, the girls do the next logical thing. They kidnap the band instead.

Gabby and Devon absolutely love the band 5 Leo Rise (The Click Five). They try to win a contest which gains you a free concert, but Kira (Kate Albrecht) wins instead. The reason that winning is so important is that you are guaranteed a chance to meet with the band. Naturally, the girls just have to meet the band, so they hatch a scheme to make their dreams come true.

During the ceremony where Kira is being named the winner, Gabby sets Kira’s hair on fire (completely accidental) and with Kira’s hair goes just enough of the tickets to ruin Highland High’s chances of winning the concert. Considering Kira is the most popular girl in school she makes Devon and Gabby’s life a living hell from that moment on. Wanting to be popular, the girls and a guy named Lincoln (Marcus T. Paulk) team up to kidnap the band.

If you like reality you will hate this. It’s not often that the kidnapped party plays along with the kidnapper’s scheme, after all. Most kids will be able to ignore the non-realistic aspects of this movie because on some level they can relate. What young girl wouldn’t want to kidnap their favorite boy band only to see said band be a good sport about it?

The following scores are based on the middle school girl mindset. I seriously don’t advise or recommend that adults watch this.

Storyline/Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3 out of 5 stars
Directing: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Taking 5 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio in anamorphic widescreen. There isn’t too much wrong with the picture. There is the occasional compression error, but for the most part things are pretty clear. The picture quality is decent and the colors are bright and naturally strong. Even with the minimal problems that were evident, viewing was not hindered in any way. What little issues there were, did not show themselves often making for a good visual experience overall.

The audio was presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with Closed Captioning available. The audio was standard with little to no problems worth reporting. The levels remained consistent throughout and while the sound did not blow me away, it did do its job. In addition to the standard audio, subtitles in both English and French are offered.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Beyond the standard Sony previews there were quite a few special features here. It would have been nice of them to leave them behind, but the girls that this movie is marketed for might like them. Things get started with an Alternative Opening Sequence. Obviously, the fact that it is the alternative opening means that it wasn’t good enough to be picked for the opening. So, your thoughts on this will ultimately depend on how much you liked the movie with it’s original ending.

“Taking the Band: Making Taking 5” is your standard making of type of featurette. It’s not amazingly special. It tells some tidbits about the movie and what went into getting things done. That’s about it. “On the Set with Devon and Lincoln” is somewhat similar to the first featurette as two of the main actors show you around and let you hang with them for a short time. The “Interview with Director Andrew Waller” gives you some more information on the film and his mindset while making the film.

The final feature is a music video for the title track of the movie, “Kidnap my Heart.” As you can see there is a fair amount of bonuses here, but I can’t say there’s anything worth writing home about. Things are basic, but for the audience and type of movie this is, that is definitely okay.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
What this comes down to is that this is a movie similar to, but not as good as High School Musical. Adults will want to avoid it completely, but if you have young daughters, around the age of middle school, this could end up being one of their favorite movies. This is the age group that I am recommending watch Taking 5. Everyone else needs to avoid this movie like some sort of plague because it is a terrible movie to watch for anyone above the age of puberty.

Overall Rating: 3.29 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Taking 5, Boy Band, Kidnapping, Tween Movie, Childrens Movie, Alona Tal, Daniella Monet, Christy Carlson Romano, Bart Johnson, Marcus T. Paulk, Eric Dill, Joey Zehr, Ben Romans