Films for Mums & Dads
So your little darlings are wrapped up safely in bed.  Its time for some quality parent time.  Take a look at Reviews of films by other parents - you may find something you fancy watching.

Go to Blazes - 50th Anniversary Edition DVD

Bernard (DAVE KING: THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY), Harry (DANIEL MASSEY: BAD TIMING) and Alfie (NORMAN ROSSINGTON: THE LONGEST DAY) are three charming but foolhardy crooks that smash and grab tactics rarely come off. On their way for another stint behind bars they see the traffic part for an on call fire engine and hatch a new plan. Upon their release they set out to acquire a fire engine to use as the perfect getaway vehicle on a jewellery robbery. But when they are mistaken for real firemen their plan slowly beings to unravel. When Harry gets scared by the appearance of the police, he accidentally runs into a dress salons changing room. He meets the beautiful Chantal (MAGGIE SMITH: THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE) who might just hold the key to finally pulling off a successful heist.  

Featuring an all-star cast that includes Maggie Smith, Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Dave King, Derek Nimmo, Thora Hird and Will Hay, GO TO BLAZES is a lost gem of British Comedy.  

To celebrate its 50^th Anniversary, the film will screen at the British Film Institute in the London Comedy Film Festival on January 29^th, the day before its first ever release on DVD. 

Totz2teens Review:  What a delight!  I lost myself in this old comedy film - Some naughty but very sweet criminals are looking for the best way to do a big job.  They hatch a plan whilst in prison and end up becoming firemen.  The love interest is Maggie Smith's character Chantal who gives herself a French accent but is really rather common.  All of the characters are so loveable and I found myself memorised by the quality of the actors within this film.  I enjoyed looking in the backgrounds and seeing the old street scenes too.  50 years old and still made me laugh.

Totz2teens Rating:  5/5

Julie & Julia - 12

Meryl Streep, Golden Globe® winner 2010: Best Actress in a Comedy-Musical (Julie & Julia), Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Messina star in the delightfully delicious hit comedy Julie & Julia coming to Blu-ray™ and DVD on 8th March 2010 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Two women from different decades come together through their own true stories of culinary exploration when dissatisfied writer Julie Powell (Adams) decides to cook and blog her way through Julia Child’s (Streep) book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which launched Child’s career. Nora Ephron seamlessly melds the two remarkable, true stories into a comedy that proves that if you have the right combination of passion, obsession and butter, you can change your life and achieve your dreams.

A culinary legend provides a frustrated office worker with a new recipe for life in Julie & Julia, the true stories of how Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) life and cookbook inspired fledgling writer Julie Powell (Amy Adams) to whip up 524 recipes in 365 days and introduce a new generation to the magic of French cooking. Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada) co-stars in director Nora Ephron’s delicious comedy about joy, obsession and butter. Bon appétit!

Totz2teens Review:  On opening the DVD I was delighted to see that it comes with its very own recipe book.  The likeability of this became apparent as I watched the film.  Julia Child is a cookery writer in the 50's.  Julie is a young woman who is in need of finding something inspirational.  It dawns on her to follow the recipes in Julia Child's book and blog how she gets on with each recipe.  Amy Adams plays Julie and is very natural.  Meryl streep plays Julia and is very prim and proper but a very likeable character.  The whole story looks at the lives of the 2 women and how the cookery book affects them too.  I found it to be an incredibly interesting and comforting film to watch.  Totally enjoyed watching it and am sort of inspired to try some recipes myself - although they looked a bit tricky for me.

Totz2teens Rating:  5/5
 

The Ugly Truth - 15
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment invites you to discover the hilarious truth about how men and women differ in their approach to romance when the sexy comedy hit THE UGLY TRUTH debuts on Blu-ray and DVD this 8th February 2010!  Two of Hollywood’s hottest stars, Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses, Knocked Up) and Gerard Butler (P.S. I Love You, 300), team up to bring you this no-holds-barred comic updating of the age old battle of the sexes. Heigl is Abby Richter, a romantically-challenged morning show producer who squares off against a chauvinistic news correspondent, Mike Chadway (Butler), with outrageously funny results! Directed by Robert Luketic, who previously helmed the comedy hits Legally Blonde and Monster-In-Law, THE UGLY TRUTH is a classic screwball comedy with a deliciously modern sensibility that’s had male and female moviegoers talking - and laughing – everywhere!. Now, comedy lovers can experience the whole truth about THE UGLY TRUTH when it debuts on Blu-ray and DVD this 8th February 2010, loaded with hours of revealing bonus features!

THE UGLY TRUTH shines on Blu-ray and DVD, with sparkling picture and sound, and features irresistible bonus features that dare to expose the truth behind the making of this crowd-pleasing comedy. Also included are the featurettes “The Truth Is Ugly: Capturing the Male & Female Point of View,” in which the filmmakers discuss the their efforts to make a romantic comedy with a uniquely balanced male and female perspective, and “The Art of Laughter: A Making of Hilarious Proportions,” in which cast and crew reveal how they cope with the unavoidable reality of laughter on the set of a comedy. Additional features on the Blu-ray and DVD include Select Scene Commentary from Director Robert Luketic and Producer Gary Lucchesi; Deleted Scenes; Alternate Endings and a Gag Reel. Exclusive to the Blu-ray edition of  THE UGLY TRUTH is the BD-Live enabled movieIQ feature, which lets viewers access trivia information about the movie’s cast, crew, music and production - all while watching the movie!

If you like your comedies brutally honest and outrageously sexy, there’s a pretty good chance you’re gonna love THE UGLY TRUTH when it arrives on Blu-ray and DVD, available at an SRP of £21.99 (Blu-ray) and £19.99 (DVD).

Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star in this wildly funny battle of the sexes. Abby (Heigl), a successful morning show producer, is looking for a lot in a man. Mike (Butler), her obnoxious TV star, knows men only want one thing. Determined to prove that she’s not romantically challenged, Abby takes Mike’s advice during a promising new romance, but the unexpected results will stun everyone.

Totz2teens Review:  Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant.  You must watch this.  It is so so hilarious and was one of those films that will be watched over and over because its just so funny.  Perfect for a girly night in.  I do think Men would find it amusing to watch too even though they wouldnt want too to begin with.  Abby is a control freak tv programme producer who faces being ditched from her job.  Her boss brings in a local guy who was running his own cable show - The Ugly Truth.  At first she doesnt like him because he is the opposite of everything she thinks a man should be but he then helps her get a date with her new neighbour.  Of course they end up falling for each other - but do they get it together in the end - well you will have to watch.  Really really recommend it - I havent watched a film this good for a very long time.

Totz2teens Rating:  5/5

The Army of Crime - 15
In German-occupied Paris, poet and factory worker Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian, Rage, Casino Royale) leads a group of young Jews, Hungarians, Poles, Romanians, Spaniards, Italians and Armenians determined to fight to free the country they love, France, their refuge from the fascist dictatorships overtaking home countries. Undercover, risking their lives, they become heroes. These foreign partisans bomb, attack and harass the Nazis and their collaborators, provoking the wrath of the French police, who assign ever more men to catch them, using double-agents, tip-offs, blackmail and torture...

Totz2teens Review:  This film was quite hard work.  It would be ok if you don't mind Subtitles but personally I am not good with them so this wasn't the best choice of film.  However - and of course it is not fair to be completely negative about this as the film itself was filmed very well.  You can tell that it is styled perfectly and it certainly captures the emotions of the characters within.  If you dont mind subtitles then yes - please get yourself involved with this cracking war thriller.

Totz2teens Rating:  2/5

 

Terminator Salvation - 12
John Connor (Bale) was fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

Priced to own at an RRP of £24.99 (Blu-ray) and £19.99 (DVD), TERMINATOR SALVATION is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the mega hit Terminator series movie lovers around the world won’t want to miss. The film is also available to buy as part of a TERMINATOR 1 – 4 DVD box set, priced at £34.99 RRP, and as a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray with stunning life-size Skull packaging for £74.99 RRP, the ultimate purchase for true fans of the franchise.

Totz2teens Review:  Set soon after Judgement Day, where Skeynet launched an all out nuclear strike against mankind.

The story line follows a deathrow convict, Marcus Wright,  who signed his body over to science and was resurrected as a cyborg, but believes he is human, and is not aware of the machine inside him. John Connor who becomes leader of the human resistance and Kyle Reece, who will become John Connor’s father, who’s character appeared in the first Terminator film.

Following their own paths they cross over and wind up fighting for human survival and to keep Kyle alive so he would be able to be sent back in time to protect Sarah, John’s mum, from the terminators.

Terminator is not terminator with out Arnold Schwarzenegger with a digitally generated image he makes an appearance in the last man action sequence.

The film itself works if you know the other films and are watching it as apart of them or as a standalone film.  It is a well paced action film which has not needed to use humour or a love interest to keep the plot moving.

Totz2teens Rating:  4/5

Street Fighter
Based on the hugely popular Video game franchise, this live action martial arts thriller follows Chun Li (Kristin Cheuk, Smallville), a young Asian woman skilled both in Piano and Wushu, telling her personal story and search for justice. Forced as a child to watch her father kidnapped by a gang of mobsters lead by M Bison (Neal Mcdonagh, Desperate Housewives), she vows revenge. Her quest begins with an ancient Chinese scroll that takes her to Bangkok where Bison now rules the streets as head of the Shadaloo Empire with his cohorts Balrog and Vega, spreading terror amongst the inhabitants. Under the tutelage of Master Gen, an ex member, she learns to harness her anger and become a truly formidable opponent. As the story unfolds we also see the story of her father, kept prisoner and given only glimpses of his daughter in photos, and the true treachery of Bison and the depravity he will sink to maintain his empire. Chris Klein (American Pie) and Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) co-star as the Interpol agents tasked with bringing down Bison’s mob, and Chun Li with them if she gets in their way. Building to a climactic showdown with all the fan favourites, Streetfighter is the first in a planned series of films exploring the video game mythology.

Totz2teens Review:  Marshal arts genre.  About a woman who is trained in martial arts by her father from a young age.  Her father is kidnapped by the head of an organised crime boss.  The girl grows up and becomes aware that her father is still alive and sets out to track him down.  Whilst this is going on you have Interpol and a local police department hunting for the same boss who has the girls father.  Eventually their paths cross and together they catch the bad guy but at the cost of the girls father.  It is an OK film with a simple story line that is easy to follow. My problem with the film is it lacked explanation how the girl and the police come to know of, and work together.  Rating:  3/5
 

Cadillac Records

Oscar® Winner Adrien Brody, Golden Globe® Winner Jeffrey Wright and
Golden Globe® Nominee Beyoncé Knowles Star in the Musical Biopic

Rock n’ Roll Is Born 20 July, 2009 On Blu-ray™ High-Def and DVD

Witness the birth of rock n roll in the electrifying new musical biopic Cadillac Records, rolling up on Blu-ray High-Def and DVD on the 20 July, 2009, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Academy Award®-winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist, King Kong), Golden Globe® Winner Jeffrey Wright (TV’s “Angels in America”, Casino Royale) and Golden Globe® Nominee Beyoncé Knowles (Dreamgirls, The Pink Panther) lead an all-star cast in this unforgettable true story about the rise of Chess Records, home to some of America’s greatest musical legends, including Chuck Berry, Etta James and Muddy Waters. Packed with soulful performances and unforgettable musical numbers, Cadillac Records is guaranteed to have movie and music lovers everywhere clapping, tapping and rocking with delight.

Cadillac Records pulls up on Blu-ray High-Def and DVD equipped with such exciting bonus features as deleted scenes, commentary with writer/director Darnell Martin and two behind-the-scenes featurettes: “The Making of Cadillac Records” and “Once Upon a Blues: Cadillac Records by Design,” which explores the process of recreating 1950s era Chicago for the big screen. Exclusive to the Blu-ray Disc™ is an innovative new feature which lets viewers create a musical “playlist” from the film’s rocking musical numbers, which they can then email and share with friends. Available on DVD for £15.99 RRP and on Blu-ray High-Def version for £24.99 RRP Cadillac Records is a riveting piece of movie and music history viewers will rush to add to their collections!

Cadillac Records features an all-star supporting cast, including Cedric the Entertainer (Barbershop, Madagascar), Emmanuelle Chriqui (You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, TV’s “Entourage”) and Mos Def (The Italian Job, Brown Sugar). Its soundtrack includes the 2008 Golden Globe® nominated song “Once in a Lifetime,” performed by Beyonce Knowles.

Synopsis:

"Cadillac Records" chronicles the rise of Leonard Chess’ (Adrien Brody) Chess Records and its recording artists, including Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Willie Dixon (Cedric The Entertainer) and the great Etta James (Beyonce Knowles). In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in Chicago of the 1950s and 60s, the film follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's greatest musical legends.

Totz2teens Member Review:  I have to confess to not knowing a great deal about this genre of music and how it all came about but I do now.  Cadillac Records is a film worth seeing.  The acting is superb and really very gripping.  The music of course is fantastic and lives up to the original's. Fascinating story about some amazing legends.  I did however find the style of filming a little dark which meant that it wasnt a vibrant film but still it remained very interesting and captivating.

Totz2teens Rating:  3/5
 

Mumbai Calling
Available to buy on 2 Disc DVD
TV comedy favourite Sanjeev Bhaskar (TV’s “Goodness Gracious Me”, “The Kumars at No: 42”) stars in the hilarious send up of the call centre industry, Mumbai Calling... Season One. Available on DVD for £19.99 RRP on the 13 July, 2009 courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, this primetime ITV1 comedy is a real hoot.

Mumbai Calling... stars a fantastic cast of popular TV personalities. Writer and star, Sanjeev Bhaskar is joined by Nitin Ganatra (TV’s “Eastenders”) and Daisy Beaumont (TV’s “Star Stories”) in this seven episode comedy series set in a failing call centre in Mumbai.

The DVD features a host of extras, including an interview with Bhaskar and Ganatra and a Making Of, complete with outtakes, Bombay Bloopers, deleted scene and a tribute to Mumbai.

Synopsis:

British born Indian Kenny Gupta (Sanjeev Bhaskar) is dispatched to Mumbai to turn around the fortunes of a call centre acquired in a take over deal. Things do not go to plan when Kenny is confronted by lothario manager Dev (Nitin Ganatra), who is more interested in his own profitable sidelines than the business.

Totz2teens Review:
From the brilliant Bhaskar and Ganatra comes Mumbai Calling - Set in a Mumbai call centre the premise of the story is that Kenny has to go to India to manage the call centre.  Here he meets some fabulous characters.  I think having worked in a UK call centre I found the sense of humour funny and really KNOW how the staff feel.  AND we all know from being the other side of an indian call centre employee dont we.  I love the fact that although the story is around the central 3 characters , we are treated with snippets of the staff and the calls they are trying to handle.

All characters are well written and executed with genuine naturalness.  Each episode is witty and a pleasure to watch.  I had seen some of it when shown on ITV1 but it was a real delight to watch the episodes again seeing a different bit of humour seeping through. 

Definately worth watching.

Totz2teens Rating:  4/5
 

Seven Pounds
Available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray / rent on DVD

Two-time Academy Award® nominee WILL SMITH (Hancock, Hitch, The Pursuit of Happyness) is reunited with acclaimed director GABRIELE MUCCINO (The Pursuit of Happyness) in the emotional drama Seven Pounds, the inspiring tale of one man’s quest to help the lives of seven others, available on DVD and Blu-ray from 25th May, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

WILL SMITH is joined by a fantastic supporting cast, including ROSARIO DAWSON (Sin City, Men in Black II), WOODY HARRELSON (No Country for Old Men, The People vs. Larry Flint), MICHAEL EALY (Barbershop 2) and BARRY PEPPER (The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan).

Ben Thomas (SMITH) is an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.  Along the way he meets and sets out to help Emily Posa (DAWSON) and Ezra Turner (HARRELSON). When one of the seven captures his heart he must decide if he should reveal his secret, even if it means giving up on his plan. Seven Pounds is an emotionally charged love story with a truly inspirational ending.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray, Seven Pounds includes a host of added value including a commentary, deleted scenes and featurettes.  Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a Digital Copy of the film for PC, PSP®, Mac or iPod® and BD-Live: Access Exclusive content and downloads.

Trailer can be watched here

Totz2teens Member Review:  Will Smith stars in Seven Pounds as an IRS agent looking for people to help.  The film contains flashbacks and forward-flashes (not sure of technical name for this)  which  made the film one of those films you have to watch avidly otherwise you miss the concept and storyline.  I found myself watching this with a puzzled look as I wasn't really sure what was truly happening.  I understood he was seeking 7 people to do kind things for but it wasn't till the end of the film that it pieced together all the links.  This was done in a beautiful dramatic way and I was drawn into the griping emotion of the storyline.  It is strangely magnetic and even though there is no doubt it is confusing the fact it is closed off at the end you know that other people will definately want to see the film. 

Totz2teens Member Rating:  3/5

The Da Vinci Code

Extended Cut Includes 28 Minutes of Never-Before-Seen Footage and an Exclusive First Look at “Angels & Demons” – Five Minutes of the Upcoming Theatrical Release Introduced by Ron Howard

Two-Disc Set Boasts Eight Interactive Picture-in-Picture Streams and Advanced BD-Live Features including cinechat

The mystery unfolds in a whole new way 4th May, 2009 when The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut is released on Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The two-disc extended cut will be available for the first time ever, exclusively on Blu-ray High-Def. The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut includes 28 minutes of never-before-seen footage and all-new special features including the interactive picture-in-picture (I-PiP) feature “Unlocking the Code” which allows viewers to toggle between eight simultaneous I-PiP streams, new commentary on select scenes with director Ron Howard, and advanced BD-Live features including cinechat in-movie chat. The set also includes an exclusive high-def first look at Angels & Demons (in cinemas May 15th ), – a complete five minute scene from the upcoming film introduced by Oscar®-winning director Ron Howard (Best Director, A Beautiful Mind, 2002) and available only on The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut Blu-ray Disc.

Additional special features on the Blu-ray Disc include 17 featurettes: First Day on the Set with Ron Howard, The Filmmakers’ Journey two-part featurette, A Discussion With Dan Brown, A Portrait of Langdon, The Codes of The Da Vinci Code, Who is Sophie Neveu?, The Music of The Da Vinci Code, Unusual Suspects, Book To Screen, Magical Places, The Da Vinci Props, Close-up on Mona Lisa, The Da Vinci Sets, Re-creating Works of Art, Scoring The Da Vinci Code, and The Visual Effects World of The Da Vinci Code.

The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut, based on Dan Brown’s acclaimed best-seller, is from Oscar®-winning creative team of director Ron Howard, producers Brian Grazer and John Calley; and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. Howard directs a stellar international cast, including two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks (Best Actor, Philadelphia, 1994; Best Actor, Forrest Gump, 1995); Audrey Tautou (Amelie, Dirty Pretty Things); Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy); Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2, Frida); Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind) and Jean Reno (The Professional).  

Synopsis:
In The Da Vinci Code, noted symbologist Professor Robert Langdon (Hanks) and police cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Tautou) go on a heart-racing quest to unearth the biggest cover-up in human history. Langdon is called to the Louvre Museum late one night where a curator has been murdered, leaving behind a mysterious trail of symbols and clues. With his own survival at stake, Langdon unveils a series of stunning secrets hidden in the artwork of Leonardo Da Vinci, all leading to a covert society dedicated to guarding an ancient secret that has remained hidden for 2000 years. The pair set off on a frantic quest through Paris, London and Scotland, collecting clues as they desperately attempt to crack the code and reveal secrets that will shake the very foundations of mankind.

The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut Blu-ray Disc Special Features:

• BD-Live Features:
  • cinechat– In-movie chat feature allows you to create “virtual” viewing parties and chat with your friends through your internet-connected Blu-ray player.
  • More to be announced
• Exclusive First Look at Angels & Demons, introduced by Ron Howard, featuring five minutes of footage from the film that can only be seen on The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut Blu-ray Disc.
• Unlocking the Code: This interactive picture-in-picture (I-PIP) feature will let you discover even more about The Da Vinci Code as you are enjoying the film. Once inside Unlocking the Code, keep an eye on the symbols that appear across the top of the screen. Each gives you direct access to trivia and behind the scenes footage that you can unlock with a click of your remote.  When a symbol illuminates, just select it and hit enter to play.  The footage, facts or images you've selected will appear on screen as you continue to watch the film. I-PiP streams include:
  • Interviews: Hear from filmmakers and the cast.
  • B-roll: Observe the action behind the scenes.
  • Prop Talk: Learn how props were made.
  • Storyboards:  See the shots before the cameras rolled.
  • Photos:  Behind the scenes snapshots.
  • Location Trivia: Fun facts about the different locations in the film.
  • Langdon’s Journey: Keep track of Langdon’s every move.
  • Symbols & Codes: discover hidden symbols put in place by filmmakers, including the enlightening Alchemic Journeys of our two heroes.
• New Commentary on Selected Scenes with Ron Howard
• Featurettes:

• First Day on the Set with Ron Howard  
• The Filmmakers’ Journey Part 1               
• The Filmmakers’ Journey Part 2
• A Discussion With Dan Brown                  
• A Portrait of Langdon                                  
• The Codes of The Da Vinci Code                                              
• Who is Sophie Neveu?                                 
• The Music of The Da Vinci Code                                              
• Unusual Suspects                                          
• Book To Screen
• Magical Places                                                
• The Da Vinci Props
• Close-up on Mona Lisa                                
• The Da Vinci Sets
• Re-creating Works of Art                           
• Scoring The Da Vinci Code                                          
• The Visual Effects World of The Da Vinci Code

Trailer available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsRQ2NJiZF4

Totz2teens Review:
Based on the book by Dan Brown this film came with an extreme amount of hype when it hit the cinema.  Surprisingly I didnt get to visit the cinema at the time so the DVD/Blu-Ray was welcome.    An intriguing and fascinating array of twists and turns to keep the audience captivated.  Personally I had not read the book so there is no prejudgement from this corner.  Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon who is a symbologist - studies symbols!  Excellent casting throughout.  The scenery of course is spectacular and amazing considering they were not able to film in official areas of the Vatican.  The storyline wasn't always easy to follow and knowing that there is another film coming in Angels & Demons I knew that the story was going to leave some questions.  Its quite a long film and I did have to watch it over a couple of evenings which wasn't a problem.  Happy to say we both enjoyed watching the film.

For those that have seen the original film and enjoyed it will love the extra scenes available on this blu-ray version and the extra DVD makes this a great present perhaps for Fathers Day or a birthday? 

Totz2teens Member Rating:  4/5
 

TAKEN

  Taken   Certificate: 18    Running time: 89 minutes

Totz2teens Member Rating:  4/5