We’re a family that loves The Chronicle of Narnia series of books and movies. I’ve been reading the Narnia books to my kids since my oldest son Tim (age 17) was in first grade. The books have great moral lessons and my two boys loved the adventure aspect to the stories. While my youngest, Kayla (age 3.5) is too young to really enjoy the stories as of yet, my middle child, Jaden (age 9) is obsessed with the series. So, naturally when I was given the chance to review this action figure set I knew Jaden wouldn’t want me to pass up the opportunity.

When we received the Prince Caspian Faun Warrior and Minotaur set, Jaden was slightly disappointed this set didn’t include Prince Caspian. However, once I opened the package and he saw all the cool things he could do with these figures his disappointment was forgotten. I recommend purchasing additional Prince Caspian action figures to go with this set, so your children can be inspired to play along with the storylines presented in the movies (and books). Either way, this set is fun on its own or with other figures. A child who loves action figures and Prince Caspian will find this to be a must have toy this summer.

Positives & Negatives:

Positives
-Inspires Creative Play
-Excellent attention to detail
-The action figures actually do things
-Durable
-Can be used alone or with additional Prince Caspian/Narnia figures
-Excellent story behind the characters

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Writer: Andrew Fleming, Tiffany Paulsen
Director: Andrew Fleming
Cast: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan, Caroline Aaron, Barry Bostwick, Marshall Bell
Rating: PG
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: March 11, 2008

I never really got into the Nancy Drew book series when I was a girl, growing up in Florida. I was a little too young to be involved in the Nancy Drew craze, but I know my aunts and my mom were big fans of Nancy when they were teens. Sure, I knew who Nancy Drew was, but I was more into romance novels than mystery. Still, having three kids, I was interested in seeing Nancy Drew along with my nine year old son, Jaden.

I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the movie for Nancy Drew actually was. I wasn’t sure how into it Jaden would be, but he really enjoyed it as well. Maybe we enjoyed it because neither of us read the books. It seems that the people and critics who have complained the most about the Nancy Drew movie were book purists who didn’t like the interpretation by Andrew Fleming and Tiffany Paulsen. Since I’m not a fan of the books I don’t have any of those preconceived biases.

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Writer: Jim Kouf, Oren Aviv
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Plummer
Rating: PG
Studio: Disney Home Video
Release Date: December 18, 2007

National Treasure was a huge success when it came out about three or four years ago. Using history and an adventure theme, Disney hit paydirt as they did with the pirates theme in Pirates of the Caribbean. This particular franchise is suitable for older children and adults. This makes National Treasure a fabulous family movie. That is one of the things I like about it. As a parent, I hate having to constantly look up DVDs that will work for the kids and others that will work for adults. It’s nice to have some that will be enjoyable for everyone in the family.

When this movie first came out, everyone mentioned how I just had to see it. I don’t know why, but I never did. It was one of those things that it came out and I missed it at the theater, I never picked it up on DVD, and for some reason I just never saw it on television. So, it ruled out my chances of seeing it at that point. I had nothing against the film it just never crossed paths with me. When I was offered this for review, I decided to give it a shot. We all sat down for a night with this movie to see how it would rank in that specific category. I have to say it did pretty well.

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This Christmas, the hot new line of Baby Jamz toys is making a definite splash! Young children, particularly toddlers, are getting the chance to become DJs and appreciate music in a whole new way. With an Urban flavor, the Baby Jamz toys feature the talented sister of Beyonce, Solange Knowles, as the singer of updated versions of children’s nursery rhymes. I guarantee you’ve never heard “Mary Had a Little Lamb” quite like this before! My kids, even the older ones, thought the music was really inventive. While Jaden (8) and Tim (16) were too old to play with the Baby Jamz Move n’ Groove Dance Mat (just one of the great products available by Baby Jamz) they loved watching how much their little sister Kayla (2) enjoyed making music with the mat.

Kayla has always been musically inclined. From banging on pots and pans in her early years to the typical baby xylophone she tapped on and dragged around everywhere she went, Kayla has loved to make noise and listen to music since before birth! However, nothing could prepare any of us for the Move n’ Groove Dance Mat. This was one toy that went out of its way to appeal to toddler music fans. Kayla is the perfect age to enjoy this toy and I can see the fun of the mat lasting for quite some time.

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Writer: Various
Director: Jack Hannah, Jack King
Cast: Clarence Nash, Ronald Colman, Pinto Colvig, James MacDonald (II), Dessie Flynn
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 11, 2007

The Walt Disney Treasures series of DVD box sets tend to get a lot of press due to their vast popularity and the occasionally controversial material that is sometimes presented. In this, seventh wave of the series, fans are able to obtain a set that includes Chronological Donald, Volume 3, Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic, and The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This particular review is for Chronological Donald, Volume 3 and covers Donald in the years from 1947 to 1950.

Before I even opened this box set in its attractive metal case, I wondered what the quality would be like. The idea behind Disney Treasures is that treasures are being pulled from the vault and offered to Disney fans with a quality that has never before been presented. If Disney is unable to offer a complete and beautiful package, instead giving us something grainy and poor quality, I would rather not see it at all.

Naturally, I would hope for the best quality not only for myself, but for my children who will be seeing the cartoons presented in this box set (as will I) for the first time. All of that being said I have to say that the video quality for Chronological Donald, Volume 3 is actually much better than I was expecting. While there are some occasional problems, the majority look as if these cartoons were well preserved and cleaned up as much as possible.

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Writer: Linda Woolverton, Mose Richards
Director: Adam Ravetch, Sarah Robertson
Cast: Queen Latifah, Katrina Agate, Zain Ali, Preston Bailey, Kwesi Boakye
Rating: G
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: December 4, 2007

It took fifteen years of filming to create Arctic Tale. Whether you grow to love this film or you end up being one of the many critics, you have to give the creators of this film credit. It took a large amount of work to follow these animals around. The conditions were not always the best and watching many of the things they have seen were most likely, heartbreaking. Yet, they managed to keep a game face and get the job done.

This is a message that needs to be told. Done in documentary style, Arctic Tale comes with an important message, but includes scenes that may be hard for some children to watch.

Additionally, some parents are not going to want their children to watch this DVD. The reasons for this will vary. Some parents will not agree with the message. I have heard that critics have slammed Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson for including a political message in this documentary. Things like Global Warming have been mentioned in reference to the film. While Global Warming is not directly mentioned, the warmer conditions in the Arctic could easily be blamed for this and some parents will shun that theory.

I did not pick that message up from Arctic Tale. The message that I got came from the animals and had to do with survival. The success of Arctic Tale in your household will depend on whether or not you agree with the overall message of this film.

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Writer: Steve Roberts, Mark Edens, Chuck Tately, Libby Hinson, and others
Director: Larry Latham, Robert Taylor, Jamie Mitchell, Ed Ghertner
Cast: Sally Struthers, Jim Cummings, Ed Gilbert, R.J. Williams, Pat Fraley, Tony Jay
Rating: Y7
Studio: Buena Vista and Disney
Release Date: November 13, 2007

Talespin follows the adventures of everyone’s favorite Disney bear as he flies through the air and tries to stay out of (or get into) too much trouble. Of course, Baloo has lots of help from his young buddy, Kit Cloudkicker, and his other friends that are always there to lend a bear a helping hand.

I remember fondly when Talespin came to the Disney Channel back in the 90s. The network aired a pilot to the show to drum up some interest. I just happened to be watching that day and I ended up watching the other episodes as a result. Disney rarely disappoints in the area of cartoons. Talespin - Volume Two is not only worth watching, it’s a must have for lovers of The Jungle Book and Disney Cartoons.

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Having two boys in the house, three if you count my husband, I thought that I would be the perfect choice for the review of the R/C Tyco toy, the Terrainiac. Tim (16) and Jaden (8) love the outdoors. Normally they do not like the same toys, being as far apart in age as they are, but the Terrainiac was a definite exception.

The manufacture recommends this car for ages eight and older. This is one toy where I agree completely. Every male in the house absolutely adored it. I have to admit, I found it pretty cool, too. The biggest problem I had with it was separating the fighting boys who wanted to play with it and refused to share as much as they should have. In the scheme of things, especially concerning a review, I suppose that’s not such a bad thing.

Requirements:
Tyco thought of everything here by offering a toy that is complete right out of box. You will not have to purchase anything, as batteries and the works have been added for your ease of use. Normally, the Terrainiac needs a 9.6V battery and two AA batteries. However, both of these required items have been included so you just need to take it out of the box and charge it before use.

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