Old Dogs is a Great Family Movie

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We are big Robin Williams fans in this house and we were excited to see him and John Travolta team up in the movie Old Dogs. It is a really cute family movie with just enough injury to private parts to keep the older boys laughing and engaged.

What I was really most impressed with though is the Blu-Ray/DVD pack. As a mom of kids who have routinely scratched dvds in one way or another I think these new packs are awesome. You get the Blu-Ray disc, a DVD disc AND a digital disk to transfer the movie to your computer or iPhone. It is about time that companies got on board with the realities that our kiddos watch tv in a big variety of ways and instead of up charging us for that, just include it! YAY for Disney.

Here was one of our favorite scenes from the movie:

The Blu-Ray pack comes out next Tuesday so plan to pick one up!

*Betweentalk.com staff was compensated for our honest review of this product.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Bow-tique

This DVD takes kids on an educational and entertaining journey. In these episodes Minnie leads the gang on a series of problem solving adventures that can keep anyone entertained. As a parent of three girls it is great to see a compilation of episodes centered on their favorite character, Minnie Mouse. What is great about this show is that Mickey and the gang want you the viewer to get involved and help them solve their problems. Disney has a way of making education part of their shows and once again this is a great example.

Hasbro Family Game Night 2 (Wii)

The video says it all! WE LOVE THIS GAME! Playing in the family game mode was tons of fun. Tinkerbell rocks at Operation. This is just a seriously fun family game that everyone can play!

Game features:

• Operation
• Jenga
• bop it!
• Pictureka!
• and Connect Four

Disclosure: Betweentalk.com staff was compensated for an honest review of this product.

I ♥ JONAS

To start off I was pleasantly surprised by the new I Heart Jonas DVD. I have three daughters and there was something for all of them on this DVD. My oldest of course loves the boys and my youngest rocked out to the music. Even I enjoyed watching the show. This DVD is wholesome entertainment for the whole family. Nick, Kevin and Joe are good role models for small children and young adults. Episode after episode there is great plot lines and hilarious jokes. I would recommend this DVD to all my friends and family, young or old male or female.

This comes out on DVD on Jan 26th!

Story:
Fans will get a kick out of the lovable antics of three of the world’s most famous musicians with 7 specially selected episodes of the hit Disney Channel Original Series in I ♥ JONAS. Viewers will see how Joe reacts when he discovers that Stella has a date with another guy, and what happens when the tables are turned and a struggling young actress makes a play for Joe. Plus, with the never-before-seen
bonus feature, “You’ve Just Been Jo Bro’d—Surprising Jordin Sparks,” I ♥ JONAS is a must-have for any Jonas Brothers fan!
Bonus Features
• You’ve Just Been Jo Bro’d – Surprising Jordin Sparks – Jordin thinks she is participating in a radio interview with the Jonas Brothers. But confusion and mayhem soon follow as the interview quickly takes on a life of its own with crazy questions and odd callouts. Then the Jo Bros get in on the action by pretending to be “callers!”
• Exclusive Premium Magnets Featuring Each Of The Jonas Brothers on the package (while supplies last)

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided for this honest review.

Review: MySims Agents Wii

I was unsure as a parent if I wanted to have the kids test MySims Agents because of the reputation MySims used to have online. I asked around, however, and found that many of my friends had this for their kids and it was one of their favorite games. It seemed even the parents adored it.

I have to say my initial reaction was DEAD WRONG. It is a cute game that takes the kids through an adventure of being a detective following the trail of a master thief Morcubus. It starts the kids off with simple missions and gets them used to the controls and their toolbox of gadgets. The characters in this story speak in a funny Sims language so there is a lot of reading involved. On the one hand, that is a plus for reading skills, on the other it could frustrate struggling readers so take the reading portion into consideration.I liked that in typical Wii fashion, the game gets the kids up and moving. The puzzles in the game are well done and gets the kids moving.

Great game to pick up as a last minute holiday gift or for the kids to keep their minds and bodies moving through the break!

Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie Extended Edition

Did you see this movie when it aired on Disney a few months ago? We did and loved it. That is why we were so excited to have it be released on DVD! This DVD edition comes with a color-changing wishing stone and a bonus DVD full of behind the scenes interviews explaining how they do some of the magical scenes special effects.

This is a great DVD to get during the holiday break. It will keep you entertained for hours

If you have not seen it, here is what the story is about!

The most magical event of the year is now even bigger, with more thrilling adventure! Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie Extended Edition features exclusive footage, behind-the-scenes bonus and awesome extras that take you deeper into the mysterious world of wizardry! Embark on a supernaturally exciting adventure as the Russos, your favorite family of wizards-in-training, join together on a quest full of heart-stopping action and hilarious magical mishaps! While on vacation, Alex (Selena Gomez) accidentally casts a spell that threatens her family’s existence! Max (Jake T. Austin) tries to keep his parents together while Alex and Justin (David Henrie) use every trick they know as they search for the “Stone of Dreams” to reverse the spell and save their family. You won’t want to miss one extraordinary moment of this extended, magic-filled and action-packed movie!

Disclosure: We were sent a free copy of this movie to review. Our opinions are our own and were not influenced by the review copy provided.

Disney Haunted Holidays

Looking for something unusual to do during this holiday break? Head over to Disney’s Haunted Holidays page for some unique activities. There are some very cool things to do, especially the Pirates of the Caribbean page!

“Haunted Holidays” brings together scary attractions like the Haunted Mansion, notorious villains from classic films like “Snow White,” and then embraces the holiday “spirit” literally with special features on the upcoming “Christmas Carol” film from Walt Disney Studios.

From Pirates to Muppets, from London to New Orleans, “Haunted Holidays” on Disney.com brings together an array of exclusive and never before seen features from some of Disney’s most popular films and characters. Highlights include:

The Haunted Mansion

Often picked as a favorite attraction by Disney Parks guests around the world, the Haunted Mansion is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year, and on Disney.com you can watch exclusive behind-the-scenes videos that look at the history and Imagineering that went into creating the spookiest place at Disneyland. The Haunted Mansion Chapter features:

• “Choose your Demise” game, in the “spirit” of the real Haunted Mansion elevator portraits the portraits featured in this game may not be as they appear.
• Exclusive flip book of Haunted Mansion images and artwork
• Exclusive, behind-the-scenes videos and fan videos at Disneyland Resort

The Muppets

The Muppets have “dug up” their favorite spooky jokes in honor of Halloween – check out all-new videos and shorts, you don’t have to be a werewolf to howl at these jokes, even our mummy likes them. Chapter features are:

• Hidden “pop-up” Halloween jokes
• Original Halloween-themed videos
• Fan-favorite Muppet sketches

Nightmare Before Christmas

What holiday is complete without a visit to Halloweentown with Jack Skellington?  Continuing a Disney Halloween tradition, the “Nightmare Before Christmas” Chapter features:

• Video of Rise Against’s music video “Making Christmas”
• Links to Disney.com Create portal photo mash-up featuring “Nightmare” characters

Disclosure: We were compensated for this review. Our opinions are our own and were not influenced by compensation provided.

Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6

So excited to tell you about SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6, Volume 1 available on DVD December 8^th! The DVD includes a 2-Disc set that features 24 Spongy Stories, the exclusive SpongeBob history song, and more!

Truth or Square was the favorite episode of this DVD for us. Here is a list of all the episodes:

SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6 Volume 1

2 Discs – Total Runtime: 324 MIN.

Street date: 12/7/09

Episode Descriptions:

Disc 1:

• Spongicus
  • Plankton turns the Chum Bucket into a realistic replica of the Colosseum, complete with a man-eating lionfish!
• Suction Cup Symphony
  • Squidward’s inspiration for his musical entry in the Bikini Bottom Symphony Orchestra competition…SpongeBob and Patrick!
• House Fancy
  • Jealous that Squilliam’s on House Fancy, Squidward lures the show’s producers to his fancier house. Desperate to make his home presentable, Squidward lets SpongeBob help.
• Krabby Road
  • Plankton forms a band that includes SpongeBob, hoping SpongeBob will write a song revealing the Krabby Patty ingredients.
• Penny Foolish
  • Mr. Krabs thinks he sees SpongeBob pick up a penny from the ground – a penny that should be HIS!
• Nautical Novice
  • Before a class trip to the Nautical Museum, SpongeBob memorizes the entire history of boating. Isn’t that reason enough for Mrs. Puff to give him his license?
• Not Normal
  • SpongeBob becomes “normal.” And boy, is it boring!
• Gone
  • It’s the strangest thing. SpongeBob’s awakened to find everyone in Bikini Bottom is gone!
• SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One
  • Swept out to sea by a giant wave, SpongeBob and pals must learn to surf, or be stranded on a remote island forever!
• A Life in a Day
  • SpongeBob and Patrick add adventure to their dull lives by “livin’ like Larry.” And boy does it hurt!
• Sun Bleached
  • SpongeBob and Patrick can’t attend the biggest party on Goo Lagoon because they aren’t tan…yet!
• Giant Squidward
  • Squidward’s Kelp Grow garden spray makes everything it touches HUGE!
• No Nose Knows
  • Patrick returns from the surgeon with a nose and experiences the smell of stink.
• Patty Caper
  • SpongeBob and Patrick are on the case when the Krabby Patty secret ingredient goes missing!

Disc 2:

• Plankton’s Regular
• To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants
• Squid’s Visit
• The Splinter
• Slide Whistle Stooges
• Boating Buddies
• The Krabby Kronicle
• The Slumber Party
• Grooming Gary
• Truth or Square

• • Plankton has his first regular customer, but Mr. Krabs wants him at the Krusty Krab!

• • Can it be?! SpongeBob’s shrunk his last pair of square pants, only to find no store has any others! And without his square pants, will anyone recognize him?

• • Squidward says he wouldn’t leave the comfort of his home to visit SpongeBob. So SpongeBob redecorates the pineapple to look just like Squiddy’s place!

• • When SpongeBob gets a stubborn splinter, Squidward threatens him with being…sent home!

• • Patrick and SpongeBob use their new slide whistles to add sound effects to Squidward’s every move!

• • To regain his impeccable driving record, Squidward has to attend boating school…with SpongeBob!

• • Mr. Krabs creates a tabloid with SpongeBob as ace reporter. While SpongeBob wants to write the truth, Mr. Krabs wants “wild and juicy” – true or not!

• • Pearl asks Mr. Krabs to leave the house so he doesn’t ruin her party. To keep an eye on things, Mr. Krabs sends SpongeBob to crash the bash!

• • SpongeBob gives Gary a makeover to compete in a pet show, and Gary can’t stand the primping. As it turns out, neither can any of the competition.

• • On the Krusty Krabs’ Eleventy Seventh anniversary, the entire crew finds themselves locked in the restaurant’s freezer! It’s going to be a really cold trip down memory lane. Featuring hilarious never-before-seen flashbacks!

Special Features:

• The SpongeBob History Song
• 7 Shorts

Disclosure: We were sent a free copy of this movie to review. Our opinions are our own and were not influenced by the review copy provided.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince XBOX

I really enjoyed this game. It is much improved from the Order of the Phoenix game last released.

Some highlights:

Things unlock pretty quickly. You learn how to do certain spells right away. Missions and duals happen quicker than in previous games.

The Quidditch broom is easier to manuever. The way it is laid out on the controller makes better sense.

You can run really fast to places. This is a big improvement.

I recommend this game for all Harry Potter fans. If you have the other games in the series, you will really enjoy this one.

*disclosure: I was provided this game free of charge to play and give my honest opinions on.

BLASTER’S BOOT CAMP

Basic Training Course

Listen up boys and girls! Being part of G-FORCE isn’t all fun and games! It requires special skills and training. When you’re on an important, top secret mission you need to know that your team has what it takes. Do you have what it takes? Find out if you’re ready to become part of the special government task force known as G-FORCE!

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