Movie Reviews!

So this past week, while on vacation, Daddy took Jackson to see Madagascar 3 and Dad took Jackson to see Brave.  Here are our reviews of both films.

Daddy’s Recap of Madagascar 3:

So while we were in Branson last week, Jackson and I got some one on one time and went to see a movie.  We ventured out into town and found the Branson IMAX Theatre.  Luckily, the movie we chose Madagascar 3 was NOT being shown in the IMAX because I can’t even imagine what that would have been like!  I splurged by letting Jackson get a drink and candy and then we headed into the movie.  The movie picked up right where the second one left off and it was non-stop laughs from there.  I have to say that this is one non-Disney series that I have really enjoyed.

In this adventure, our friends Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria all finally make it back to the New York City zoo that they escaped from in the first movie.  But on their way, they meet up with a circus crew that desperately needs re-energizing and our four friends find that sometimes home is where you least expect it.  The movie seemed to fly by so quickly and Jackson and I both let out a little, “Oooooh!” when it was over!  As we walked to the car, I asked Jackson what his favorite part of Madagascar 3 was and he said, “I liked it when the tiger jumped through the tiny hoop!”  That was pretty cool.  So Jackson and I would definitely recommend going to see this movie!  It was well worth the money!

After the movie, Jackson and I went to Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum.  Jackson was super bored and I was disappointed because I was expecting something different.  Like more interaction with the displays or something.  The only good thing was at the end when we went into a black light tunnel that made it seem like the room was spinning!  It was very cool and we stayed there for 10 minutes before I finally pulled Jackson out because I thought I was going to throw up!  All in all, it was a fun afternoon of just Jackson and Daddy! 

Dad’s Recap of Brave:

I’ve been so excited to see this movie since the very first hint of it coming out.  Strong, independent female character?  Check!  Learning to be true to yourself?  Check!  A family learning that the dreams parents have for their children don’t always match what their children aspire to be?  Check!  Sign me up!

It was last Friday afternoon that I took Jackson to see the show and we had a little adventure of our own trying to get there.  Spotty navigation system plus no-sense-of-direction Dad plus winding roads with tons of trees equals Dad missing the entrance to the theatre twice!  TWICE!  We made it just in time to get our tickets and find a spot in the middle of a row that was a little too close to the screen for me, but not so close that I would have a pained neck afterwards.  There was a quick short prior to the movie starting called “Luna” which I absolutely loved…likely because it reminded me of “The Little Prince” of which I wrote about in the post On Books and Baseball.  Some of the imagery was so close to that of “The Little Prince” that I initially thought it was going to be an expansion of that story, but it wasn’t.

Jackson was really cute throughout the screening of Brave, cuddling up to me as best as he could during the movie–the arm rests didn’t move so it was a little difficult to manage, but he was as close to me as he could be with my arm around him.  In the movie, Merida is a young princess who is supposed to follow through with a marriage to one of three suitors to be determined through a traditional Scottish test of athleticism.  An avid archer herself, she chose this to be the test of skill for the suitors, and instead she competed for her own hand in marriage as a way of rebelling against tradition.  Oh yeah, she’s a bad ass in the best kinda way!  The story that follows is one in which Merida tries to change her fate only to cause more harm than intended to her family in the process.  In the end all is well but lessons are learned and the family grows closer together.  I thought it was a great film full of humor and inspiration along the way.  Jackson’s favorite quote is actually from one of the previews — “feast yer eyes!!”.  He has been pretending to flash his bottom at us as he shouts this phrase over the past several weeks–too funny!  Maybe we’ve got a little comedian in the works, or a comedic actor.  So, my recommendation?  See it, Brave is well worth it!

“Feast yer eyes!!”