Thank you Disney for sending us this Blu-Ray to review! When I think of Disney, their animated movies come to mind.  Disneynature was founded in 2008, and focuses on independent nature documentary films.    They have produced many successful films including Earth narrated by James Earl Jones and Chimpanzee which was narrate...

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

Thunder and the House of Magic starts off with a family moving away and deliberately leaving a kitten behind to fend for itself.  Confused and unsure of where to go, the kitten makes his way to an unusual mansion.  The owner is a magician and takes him in and bestows the name Thunder to him because of the rain storm that brought them together.  The magician's rabbit and mouse pets are not as welcoming and plot to evict Thunder from his new home.  Tragedy befalls the magician and it's up to Thunder and the magician's helpers to team up to save the magicians house from being sold or destroyed by his greedy nephew.

While the story is decent, I was appalled at the language used within this movie.  Thunder and the House of Magic is not rated and does cite cartoon violence.  I was surprised to hear the word d*mn used multiple times (by the nephew) in this movie geared for families.  It's a shame since everything else about the movie is great.  

The computer animated visuals are astounding and lend themselves to 3D very well.  I wish I had a 3D  Blu-Ray setup to see what it looks like!  The characters are very expressive and the cat animations/behaviors are spot on.  However, I have yet to see a cat not want to eat or kill a mouse.   I found it amusing that the cover of the DVD boasts about having music from Selena Gomez in it.  While this statement is true, her song is not until the end credits. 

Thank you Pure publicity for sending us this DVD to review! Just as my Facebook stream has settled down from people dumping ice water on their head for ALS, I watched a movie that impacted me more than any celebrity getting soaked.  After seeing Season of a Lifetime I hope more than ever that a cure is found for this terrible disease.  I ...

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review! Halloween is fast approaching and what better way to celebrate it than with the friendliest ponies around?  There’s over two hours of laughs and valuable lessons to be learned in this cartoon collection.  As an added bonus, there’s a sing-along for the song Bats.  In total th...

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review! Slugterra: Return of the Elementals picks up after the movie Slugterra: Ghoul From Beyond.  If you haven't seen it, there's a quick recap about slugs with the power of mind control and how Eli Shang and his friends defeated them. Those who are not familiar with the series at all should...

Thank you Affirm Films for sending us this movie to watch! I have seen many Christian movies ranging from dramas, to documentaries and comedies.  The Remaining is very unique as it's the first Christian themed survival/horror movie I've seen.  It doesn't pull any punches and shows both believers and non-believers getting torn apart by pro...

Thank you Pure Publicity for sending us this DVD to review!

Many kids look forward to summer camp and coming back to their families after it's over. What about kids who have no families or come from abusive households? For those kids summer camp is the only place where they feel loved, safe, and cared for. Camp is about a young boy named Eli who loses his neglectful mom to a drug overdose and his abusive father isn't a big part of his life. 

Eli is sent to an orphanage and gets the opportunity to go to summer camp. He almost was rejected due to lack of help; however, an investment adviser named Ken has volunteered to help in order to woo one of his potential clients. At first Ken doesn't fit in or care about his peers or Eli, as he spends too much time with his cell phone instead. Eli tests his patience and character several times and almost gets sent home for his bad behavior. Camp teaches about hope, forgiveness, and second chances along with the reality of abuse and the neglect that many children live through. There is some violence and since it is directed at children, it's hard to watch without flinching. These events earn the movie's PG-13 rating.

Camp is an emotional rollercoaster that will have you laughing and wiping away tears of sadness. I can see what it's categorized as a Drama/Comedy. I highly recommend this movie as it tells a wonderful story (inspired by many true ones!) and encourages people to make a difference in the lives of children in need. The special features include stories from staff at Royal Family KIDS camps who share true stories that inspired and made it into the film. There is also a testimony from a girl whose life was transformed after visiting Royal Family KIDS camp. I'd say more, but I don't want to give away any spoilers. I highly recommend seeing this movie for yourself.

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Thank you Pure Publicity for sending us this movie to review! Imagine if your college professor asked you to sign a paper stating that God is Dead. What would you do? Would you comply? Drop the class? Or take a stand? Matthew 10:33 states “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” After that ...

Ragamuffin is based off the life of Rich Mullins, who was a very talented Christian singer and song writer.  Although the title is unusual, it symbolizes “the burdened, the wobbly and weak-kneed, the inconsistent, unsteady disciples... the smart people who know they are stupid... the honest disciples who admit they are scalawags”*.  Rich Mullins was a little rough around the edges but he was clearly gifted, humble and on fire for God.  This movie depicts him in an honest light and shows him struggling with loving his father, drinking and cussing.  Because of this portrayal, I don’t recommend this movie for young children. 

The visuals are definitely low budget; they were going for the indie/ragamuffin look. (They succeeded.)   The story however is great and the musical talent of Michael Koch who portrays Rich is top notch.  If you’re a fan of Rich Mullins and his music (Awesome God, Creed, Elijah) I highly recommend checking this movie out.  

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Ragamuffin_Band

Thank you Fox for sending us this DVD to review!

One of the most talked about TV shows from 2013 was The Bible Series.  While my family didn't watch it on Cable, we did purchase the series on Blu-ray and loved it!  Those who already own The Bible series on DVD or Blu-ray may want to pass up on Son of God if you’re looking for something different.  Most of the footage is re-used but re-arranged to focus on Jesus’ ministry, persecution, death, and resurrection. 

The movie is 138 minutes and there are lots of extras with commentary from Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Charles Jenkins, and Touched by an Angel’s Dr. Della Reese-Lett.  There’s footage from behind the scenes and a promotion for Compassion International. 

Son of God is rated PG-13 for violence due to the beatings and cruel death our savior endured for our salvation.  The message is bold and powerful, my kids were moved to tears for the suffering Christ endured for them.  While this movie isn't as child friendly as Miracle Maker, it’s not as gory as The Passion of the Christ.    I’d say it’s a happy medium and a great evangelistic tool.  

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review! Eli Shane and his friends are taking it easy after defeating the vile Dr. Blakk who used modified slugs for his evil purposes.  The Shane Gang get reports of similar type slugs in the 99 caverns and they head out there to investigate.  Eli confronts and does a battle with a new ki...

Thank you Cinedigm for sending us this movie to review!

Matthew 10:30 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it

Jason Fields directs and stars in this Christian film about a college graduate balancing his newfound faith, family, and pursuing a career in professional basketball.  The main character, Damon Sharp struggles with temptations and tries to relate with his broken family still healing from their father/husband leaving them.    Damon’s mother isn't taking good care of herself and his brother Darrin (starred by “Day of Our Lives”, Sean Douglas) is still living a partying lifestyle with a young son depending on him.    

Damon is trying to relate to his brother and seeks advice on life and sports with his Christian athletic friends.  Several professional basketball players star in this film and share their faith filled testimonies.  The roster includes Corey Maggette, Allan Houston, and Anthony Tolliver.  Not surprisingly, there is rap music and it too, is Christian themed.  While it’s not my style, the artists who rapped were clearly talented.  Unfortunately this movie only offers stereo sound so people with 5.1 or better setups won’t be able to benefit from it.

The visual quality could be better, but the message of God’s love and grace is still shown clearly.  Midrange is only available in DVD format for less than $15 on Amazon. 

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

Transformers Energon was released in 2004 and this 154 minute DVD includes the first seven episodes. This series takes place ten years after Unicron's destruction. Optimus Prime and his autobots are gathering Energon from Earth when their cities are attacked by Terrocons. To make matters worse, Megatron is resurrected and is seeking revenge. Can Optimus Prime's autobots save Earth once again?

Here's a list of the action packed episodes included on this DVD:

• Cyberton City

• Energon Strike

The Hornet's Nest is a very powerful and scary look at the Afghanistan war from a journalist who was surrounded by enemy forces for nine days.   Very real, very scary, I highly recommend watching this before enlisting in the armed services!  Since it's an accurate documentary there is some foul language.  Truth be told, I'm hone...

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

Before King Arthur was seeking the Holy Grail, Spain's comic book hero, Prince Killian was entrusted with it.  Well, he had most of it.  The fabled Lucifer's stone was no longer there.  There is an evil army that wants to reclaim the Grail and make it complete again to bring Lucifer back into power.  This is a dangerous mission, but Prince Killian has the help of several friends including the young Crispin, and Goliath who is always hungry.  Prince Killian has escaped death numerous times when his attackers discovered his special marking on his neck.  (There are lots of occult symbols in this film!) This marking and his purpose in life are all revealed in this action packed 107 minute movie.

Make sure you check the audio settings if you want to enjoy this movie in English.  Spanish is the native language and when we watched it in English, the dubbing was obvious.  The voice acting was good, it just wasn't in sync with the lip movements.  The special effects were so-so and got better as the movie progressed.   Overall this was a good movie, but it didn't have the budget of the other popular super hero movies out there. 

Thank you Nest Entertainment for sending us this DVD to review!   This is a great DVD for the Easter season.  The Messiah Comes opens up with Roman soldiers using their power to mistreat the Jews and they long for their Messiah.  The corruption has spread into the temple at Passover and Jesus is shown overturning the tables.  His softer side is rev...

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

While this 82 minute DVD entertained my children, I was disappointed at how many of the characters were portrayed.  God was shown as being lazy and using props for "special effects".  Noah was humble and righteous (though not very intelligent), but his daughter in laws bickered all of the time and his sons were useless as they didn't lift a finger to help him in building the ark.  Instead they just fought among themselves.   Unlike the Bible's version of the great flood, this show adds a couple of greedy stow-aways onto the ark.

In the animal kingdom, their lion king is an indecisive womanizer who is spoiled and incompetent.   Some of the female animals are sexualized and there are hints of mating and a few instances of potty humor.  This is a far cry from the Veggie Tale accuracy and humor we are used to.  On a positive note, this DVD does teach kids the importance of working together.

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review! The Pound Puppies live for finding the perfect human for every dog.  In the episode Hello Kitten, they make an exception and assist a young cat with finding their new home.  The dog pound has a secret underground base that has a computer network for matching dogs with their forever homes.  ...

Thank you Time Warner for sending us this movie to review! Delivery Man is about a meat truck driver name David Wozniak who has made several mistakes in the past and has a knack for losing money.  He’s now deeply in debt and unless he repays it, his life is in danger.  As David’s life is continuing its downward spiral, his relationship with his gir...

The Transformers Rescue Bots show is geared for a younger audience and provides plenty of action, but teaches teaches important lessons as well.   The episode Little White Lies teaches that although white lies seem harmless, they can backfire and hurt people's feelings.  Learning from our past and the importance of History class is taught in the episode The Lost Bell.   Transformers Rescue Bots: Heroes to the Rescue has five episodes and runs for 110 minutes.   Both my son and daughters enjoyed watching this DVD.  The colorful animation, action, and humor is sure to keep the attention of grade school age kids. For less than $15, this DVD is a solid buy for any Transformers fan.     

Episode List:

• The Lost Bell
• You've Been Squilshed
• Little White Lies
• Shake Up
• Rescue Boy