Sonic the Hedgehog raced into theaters and back into our hearts. He's been delighting fans for decades in the world of video games so it's no wonder this movie met with big success opening weekend. If you think this movie is one that just the kids will enjoy though, you're mistaken. Fans young and old of the little "blue devil" will find comedy and life lessons to enjoy.
Ben Schwartz is the voice of Sonic
Image from Paramount Pictures
So why Sonic now? I spent some time thinking about this as I watched the movie and came to the conclusion it was the perfect time for a Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Those of us that grew up playing Sonic on our SEGA Game Gear's and SEGA Genesis systems now have kids playing Sonic on their devices. As soon as the movie began, I felt a twinge of nostalgia at the excitement of seeing one of my favorite childhood games come to life on the big screen.
Are you as excited as we are about Sonic The Hedgehog heading to the big screen? As someone who grew up playing this game on my SEGA Game Gear (there's a blast from your past!) and now watching my own kids race Sonic across their tablets, I feel like this is the movie I've been waiting to see my entire life!
Can't wait to get in on the Sonic fun? Well you don't have to wait any longer! Below are two free printable activities for your family to enjoy. The first is a set of Sonic Valentine's Day cards to get every kid's heart racing! My oldest is using these for his Valentine's Day celebration at school and is super excited to share them with his friends. Then, you can find a fun math activity printable - perfect for educators and parents alike. I know math activities may not sound like they are the most exciting when it comes to little ones, but trust me when I tell you that these provide a fun way to engage in learning - without even realizing it!
I feel the need. . .the need for speed! OMG - between Ghostbusters and Top Gun, I'm really living my best 1980s life right now. When I heard that a new Top Gun movie was heading our way, I was on board from the beginning. Bringing back Maverick to the big screen is amazing in my eyes. I can't wait to see what this film brings and we just had another trailer released. Let's take a look at what Maverick's up to when he hits theaters in 2020!
I don't know about you, but this trailer brings back that loving feeling! The throwback imagery from the bar scene, the motorcycle ride, the air stunts, and more is everything I hoped it would be. I mention in my reaction video that I didn't feel like I had a good sense of the plot and then, as I was putting this post together, I saw that a plot summary was released with the trailer as well! Now more of the pieces are falling into place and it appears Maverick is going to be reunited with Goose's son (remember. . .he played with him in the piano "Great Balls of Fire" scene in the original?) for some intense training! I'm here for all of this!!!
About Top Gun: Maverick
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Top Gun: Maverick releases June 2020 from Paramount Pictures.
Confession time. My family and I have never been big SpongeBob Squarepants fans, but have caught the show occasionally on Nickelodeon. As part of The Geekly Retreat, I had the chance to view this trailer almost a week ahead of it's debut to the public and I have to admit, that this movie may turn me into a SpongeBob fan if it's as good as the trailer promises! But will my kids be excited for it, never having really seen the show. Let's find out!
Ok, ok - my son had his turn, now mommy has hers. Can we first talk about my favorite part of the trailer? Yeah, it's Keanu Reeves. What a cool cameo, right?? I really have no idea how he or that
scene fit into the movie, but I don't care - I'm already a fan. I think families will really enjoy this movie with all of the laughs and fun along the way. Who doesn't love good laugh out loud moments like this trailer delivered and I bet the movie will have more along the way! While it's hard to piece together too much of the plot from this trailer, I do enjoy the overarching theme of friendship that is clearly evident as friends work together to reduce Gary.
About The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
This Memorial Day weekend, SpongeBob SquarePants, his best friend Patrick Star and the rest of the gang from Bikini Bottom hit the big screen in the first-ever all CGI SpongeBob motion picture event. After SpongeBob’s beloved pet snail Gary is snail-napped, he and Patrick embark on an epic adventure to The Lost City of Atlantic City to bring Gary home. As they navigate the delights and dangers on this perilous and hilarious rescue mission, SpongeBob and his pals prove there’s nothing stronger than the power of friendship.
**Update - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run has had it's release delayed until August 7, 2020.
The Paramount Pictures trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog just released, but guess what?!? I got to see it last week in a special sneak peek as part of The Geekly Retreat and our visit to Paramount! I had to keep this a secret, which was hard because I have to say I'm pretty excited about this film and my son is even more excited than I am! Check out his reaction. . .
So what am I most excited about when it comes to this movie? First, I love the fact that an old school video game character from my childhood is still cool to kids today and getting some love. I think the story idea is cute. While we don't know much, it seems Sonic decides to leave life inside his game and give the "real world" a try. Jim Carey appears to be a great blend of funny and mean from what we see in the trailer - the perfect villain qualities for a kids movie.
About Sonic The Hedgehog
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is a live-action adventure comedy based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega that centers on the infamously brash bright blue hedgehog. The film follows the (mis)adventures of Sonic as he navigates the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound – human – best friend Tom Wachowski (James Marsden). Sonic and Tom join forces to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) from capturing Sonic and using his immense powers for world domination. The film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic. Facebook - www.facebook.com/sonicmovie Instagram - www.instagram.com/sonicmovie Twitter - http://twitter.com/sonicmovie #SonicMovie Feel the love for Sonic The Hedgehog when he races into theaters on Valentine's Day 2020!
Playing with Fire is blazing into theaters this weekend and you won't want to miss this hot new film if you're a family with young kids like mine. I had the opportunity to screen this film on the Paramount Studios lot in California as one of the many incredible experiences at The Geekly Retreat. Coincidentally, my husband took my two children to see the film back home in Maryland the same night which works out well when comparing my thoughts with those of my family. As Superintendent Jake Carson would say, "where's my ready crew??" Let's go!
First of all, this film is definitely for families to enjoy together. Your little ones will find a lot to laugh at in this film, especially in the first half of the film. There is a ton of physical humor that always entertains kids - tripping over fire hoses, crashing into ceilings, spicy peppers, and riding an out of control fire hose. . .just to name a few. And then there's, quite literally, a lot of potty humor. What kid doesn't like a good poop joke? In fact, the initial reaction quote that my husband texted me from my four year old was that he "laughed his butt off." Both the adults and the kids throughout the film deliver funny moment after funny moment. I see a lot of my boys in Christian Convery's character - mischievous, funny, and sassy but ultimately having a heart of gold!
For those of you wondering, this film isn't just for kids. I'll admit, that as an adult, I found the first half of the film to be a little TOO corny for my tastes - but it's all the stuff my kids would love to watch. You'll also find John Leguizamo's faux quotes funny and they are sprinkled throughout the film. But it's not all jokes. The movie does get more depth as the story develops, allowing adults to connect more with the characters and the plot. Without spoiling the movie for those of you planning to see it, hang with it until the camping scene and then it will take a turn to a movie that's still kid-friendly while tugging at your emotional heartstrings. Almost every character is going through a story of loss that has impacted or is impacting their life and you find yourself being drawn into their struggles to define who they really are as the movie progresses. Be warned, you'll wish Keegan-Michael Key was sitting next to you with a tissue as the film reaches it conclusion. Following a formula that has been successful for other wrestlers turned actors, John Cena delivers a character that is the perfect blend of corny humor for the kids and hunky hero for the adults.
Overall, if you have young kids in your family, you should definitely plan to head to theaters and catch this film. Kids will love the humor while parents will enjoy the touching story of learning to let your guard down as several characters change their perspectives on love and life during the movie. This isn't likely going to be a film that your tweens and teens would enjoy, but young kids will be rolling in the aisles - just ask mine!
About Playing with Fire
When straight-laced fire superintendent Jake Carson (John Cena) and his elite team of expert firefighters (Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo and Tyler Mane) come to the rescue of three siblings (Brianna Hildebrand, Christian Convery and Finley Rose Slater) in the path of an encroaching wildfire, they quickly realize that no amount of training could prepare them for their most challenging job yet – babysitters. Unable to locate the children’s parents, the firefighters have their lives, jobs and even their fire depot turned upside down and quickly learn that kids – much like fires –are wild and unpredictable.
Playing with Fire opens everywhere November 8th! Grab your ready crew and go see it now! Be sure to follow Playing with Fire on social media too at #PlayingwithFireMovie.
My boys and I decided to have a movie date night over the weekend. It was their treat using the movie gift cards they received from recent birthdays and since they were treating they got to pick the movie. We actually were torn between the new How to Train Your Dragon and Wonder Park, so we left it up to friends who were going to be joining us and went with Wonder Park. I'll be honest - this movie caught me off guard. I went into the movie expecting to see a story about a little girl who has the imaginative amusement park she had created come magically to life, but instead found myself fielding questions like "Why is her mom going to the hospital?", "When is she coming back?", and "Can you tell me when the darkness is going to be over?" Now don't get me wrong, I'm really glad that I took my boys to go see this movie and there were many humorous and lighthearted moments in it, but as a parent with young kids, there are a few things you may want to be prepared for before you arrive.
Most of what I'm going to discuss here went right over the head of my 4 year old, but it landed square in the mind of my 7 year old and I'm going to attempt to keep this as spoiler free as possible. The movie begins with June and her parents living a simple, happy life. June and her mom love building and creating their imagined amusement park, Wonderland. But life soon deals them a cold blow. Without ever speaking specifically to the details, you clearly see June's mom get bad news and grow more tired in a time lapse sequence. Finally, June's parents tell her that mom is too sick to stay at home any more and needs to go to a hospital. Despite attempts from friends and family to cheer her up, June becomes angrier and more sad with each passing day. She takes out those strong feelings on the one thing that triggers those happy memories of mom and destroys the Wonderland they had created in the house. In an effort to keep a sense of normalcy in her life, June's dad insists that she goes to Math Camp for the summer, but June has other plans. She sneaks off the bus and escapes into the woods to head back home to be with and care for her father. But she's drawn deeper into the woods and discovers that Wonderland may not be make believe after all. Finding the darkness consuming and destroying Wonderland, June must work with her familiar friends to find the light within her and use her light to overpower dark.
Wow. Does that say a lot? So in the movie that I was expecting to be a carefree film, we have serious illness, hospitalization, and depression all rolled into one. Brody asked A LOT of questions during the movie, especially about the mom and her illness. Since he hasn't experienced a serious illness and extended hospitalization of a close family member, he didn't know what exactly was happening - but he could tell it was bad and it was making June very sad. I can imagine this would be a very sensitive movie for a family that has been through something similar. The message in the end is positive, uplifting, and hopeful, but not without showing us that you must sometimes battle a great deal of darkness to shine your light brighter than ever.
I would not steer away from this movie based on what I know now. Definitely take your kids to see it as it does give an opportunity to talk about some serious issues in a safe context, but know that those questions most likely will come. Those of you who know my reviews, know I often like kid-friendly movies that tackle bigger issues, I was just surprised to see it happen in this one. I curious to hear and read even more feedback in the days and weeks to come as more people experience the world of Wonder Park. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!
