DVD Review: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ~ Have you seen this ship?

Fox Home Entertainment is placing Dawn Treader ship standees in 3,000 supermarkets nationwide. These displays, which occupy approximately 3 feet by 8 feet of floor space, are quite impressive little replicas of the Dawn Treader ship, and will be accompanied by the DVD and items such as Coca-Cola and Little Debbie.
Mary Daily, executive VP of marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment says that ”there are over six million shoppers a day that will see the Dawn Treader ship as they enter their local grocery store."  Variety informs us that the displays will be set up at the entrances of stores owned by Kroger, Safeway, SuperValu, Giant Eagle and H-E-B.

The books and  movies from Chronicles of Narnia are some of my kid's most favorite stories. Narnia:  Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the latest movie and was available on DVD and Blu-ray starting April 8th. I was really hoping that we'd see some of these ships in our stores but we haven't so far.  Have you seen them in your area?

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third story in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Lucy and Edmund meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea on The Dawn Treader. Along the way they meet up with dragons and dwarfs and loads of adventure. This movie is amazing. It's full of excitement and the fantasy portion of the story will definitely attract anyone who enjoys stories of magical adventures.  The Christian allegory in the story is subtle but definitely there and I love being able to encourage my kids to watch a fantasy story without worry that there will be inappropriate references. This is a great movie that's suitable for the whole family.

My thanks to the sponsor for allowing me to review this DVD.

As required by the FTC: I received a product sample in order to write my review.  I received no monetary compensation.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

DVD Review: Barney Play Date Pack

Barney and his friends are hosting the ultimate playdate with a trio of top features in the all-new Barney Play Date Pack available April 5, 2011 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. This DVD Pack features three DVDs at an incredible value: Let's Pretend with Barney, Can You Sing That Song and Come on Over to Barney's House. Barney, BJ and Baby Bop are getting their groove on for learning and imagination, music, laughter, fun and festivities!

Barney and his friends are having a party on the playground.  During Let's Pretend with Barney, Barney and his friends are going to build their own airplane for a tropical island adventure.  In Can You Sing That Song, Barney, BJ and Baby Bop put on a musical game show with lots of interactive musical challenges.  On Come On Over To Barney's House, Barney welcomes you to his house for a visit.

Bonus features on this DVD Pack include Barney's Jukebox, Barney's "Loop De Loop" Counting Game, 2 read-alongs, Barney's Game Show "Can You Sing That Song?",  behind the scenes with the Dinos and the Cast, Barney's Gumdrop Games, Barney's Bonus Episode Who's Your Neighbor, Music Video "The Barney Boogie", Bonus Episode Bob the Builder "Muck Gets Stuck" and DVD-Rom fun! The DVD set has 146 minutes of play time.  Barney and friends are targeted toward children ages 1 to 5 years old.

I really love that Barney encourages friendship, cooperation and imagination.  It also urges kids to get up and move along with the DVD so its' a great way to get kids moving. You can find more information about Barney at www.barney.com or http://www.facebook.com/Barney

My thanks to the sponsor for allowing me to review this DVD.

As required by the FTC: I received a product sample in order to write my review.  I received no monetary compensation.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Thomas & Friends: Pop GoesThomas!

Thomas is racing down the tracks in an all new DVD featuring stunning CG animation and never before seen content. Thomas & Friends: Pop Goes Thomas is available on DVD, Digital Download and on Demand on March 1, 2011 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.

There are games to be played and fun to be had in this all new collection of tales on DVD from Thomas and his friends on the Island of Sodor! Thomas and railway friends have been embarking on exciting adventures for over 65 years. The good times continue with the CG animated Thomas & Friends: Pop Goes Thomas. Whether bringing goodies to a picnic, playing hide and seek or just getting your chores done, Thomas continues to teach timeless life lessons like discovery, friendship and cooperation, inviting children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. The program also features favorite live action host Driver Perkins, who can be seen only on the DVD.

Episodes include "Pop Goes Thomas", "Jitters and Japers", "Thomas' Crazy Day", "Pingy-Pongy Pick up".  Also included are DVD bonus features including "Sodor Hide and Seek" game and Roary the Racing Car bonuse episode "Roary's First Day". Pop Goes Thomas is 50 minutes in length.

I really love Thomas movies and this one is no exception.  They're fun without being annoying and Thomas encourages your preschooler by using real life examples that encourage positive behavior by setting a good example.  Thomas DVDs encourage your preschooler to be a good friend and best of all to use their imagination.  If you have a Thomas fan in your house, they're going to love this one!

My thanks to the sponsor for allowing me to review this DVD.

As required by the FTC: I received a product sample in order to write my review.  I received no monetary compensation.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster DVD

Warner Home Video released Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster on Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD on March 1. Appearances are made by Ted McGinley, Nichelle Nichols, Marion Ross and more! The new release features the extended film version with never-before seen music sequences.

In Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, the Mystery Inc. gang is heading toward their summer jobs at a country club owned by Daphne's Uncle. But they get involved with some strange happenings around a local lake including an enormous Frog Monster that's terrorizing the locals. Of course, there's a mystery too and Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are on the case.

Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster also includes 2 hours of special features! They include the featurette "Jeepers! Jinkies! Zoinks - A tribute to the classic gags of Scooby-Doo" - From Scooby snacks to the unmasked villian's iconic line, "I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for your meddling kids and your dog!", Scooby-Doo mysteries are filled with familiar moments. Director Brian levant ups the ante in this new film utilizing these and other signature Scooby-Doo devices to pay tribute to the very best of the franchise. This fun and nostalgic piece uses clips from classic episodes, celebrates the hallmarks of the franchise and showcases the current cast's modern spin on these beloved characters.

Featurette "Scooby-Doo: Rock, Rap and Rollerskates" - Get your groove on with Scooby-Doo and the gang as you go behind the scenes of the many musical movements in Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster.  Decked out in over the top costumes on lavish sets, the Mystery Inc. gang bounces from a vaudeville soft shoe song and dance and a groovy 60's frolic in a field to a Ramones-esque punk rock group and a fly 70's funk jam band - as well as a hilarious rap featuring the gang in their original iconic costumes from the cartoon (complete with a blonde Fred!).  Toss in a roller disco spectacular set to Discovery Zone's "I Can Be Scared With You" and fans will delight in this exclusive, behind the scenes look at the making of these entertaining sequences.

The kids and I really loved this movie.  It's got all the classic good times of the vintage Scooby-Doo cartoons but it's mixed with current actors and has an updated look to it. Like the classic Scooby-Doo, I never have to worry about content and I know it's going to be hysterical and keep our interest through the whole thing.

My thanks to WHV for allowing me to review this DVD.

As required by the FTC: I received a product sample in order to write my review.  I received a product sample in order to write my review.  I received no monetary compensation.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.