The Summer Of Sport Just Got Spooky (Review)

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You would have to be a deep sea diver or an ostrich to not know that this Summer is a massive one for sports in the UK: Andy Murray in the Wimbledon finals started it off and it finishes in a few weeks time with the conclusion of the games which shall not be mentioned. (It's a bit like Voldemort you see, I'm frightened of the coloured rings coming and striking me down!)

The Boy has really got into the swing of things and we had another mini sporting event earlier today, courtesy of Warner Brothers who sent us a sports day package to celebrate the release of Scooby Doo'sAll Star Laff-A-Lympics.

We had great fun racing each other in the running race, and the sack race was something never encountered before as we both almost fell over. The beanbag championship was a far more sedate affair and The Boy just beat me to it!

Scooby Doo's All Star Laff-A-Lympics is a great DVD to continue the sporting enthusiasm this Summer, as Scooby-Doo and friends go to compete in the World Invitational Games. However in typical Scooby fashion a statue comes to life and threatens to spoil the fun and games until all is settled in a typically deductive manner. The reason this is labelled as All-Star is that Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble make a special appearance in it. It's a cracking DVD and great fun. The Boy doesn't particularly like spooky, but I've watched this with his older cousin who adored it.

I was sent this product for the purpose of this post. All opinions are honest and unbiased.

Little Charley Bear on Safari DVD (Review)

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We've reviewed a couple ofLittle Charley Bear DVDs in the past and have always really enjoyed them. We both love the imaginative play element, the visual element is excellent with plain backgrounds that draw the viewer's atention to the main focus of Charley, and James Corden as the narrator is genius.

Which is why I was more than happy to review the new DVD: Charley on Safari.

Included in this DVD where Charley and friends set off on a voyage of discovery through a series of magical jungle adventures, is a small Little Charley Bear figurine.

Featuring 56 minutes of Charley fun in the following episodes:

  • Charley on safari
  • The Charleysaurus
  • Monkeying with Midge
  • Charley Snaps
  • Castaway Charley
  • Sandcastle for Caramel
  • Bear at sea
  • Underwater explorer Charley

This is another winner with the added bonus of the figure which now goes everywhere with us!

‘Charley on Safari’ on sale at the RRP of £12.99.

I was sent this DVD for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Thomas & Friends: Rescue On The Rails DVD (Review)

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We like Peppa Pig in this house; all of us are quite fond of the humour involved in it, the subtle jokes for parents that go over the children's head. But there's only so many times you can watch the same DVD, especially on a long car journey. And if I have to listen to the 'Peace and Harmony' song from 'International Day' one more time, I might scream. Loudly.

Help came in the form of the 'Rescue On The Rails' DVD. Ok, I needed rescue on the road, but I'd have taken anything that Thomas had to offer. And he had a lot to offer!

This new DVD (Thomas & Friends: Rescue On The Rails) came out a few weeks ago and we were sent one for review. It introduces fire engine Flynn to his locomotive friends as they go full steam ahead around the Island of Sodor. It's full of fizzling fireboxes and heroic adventures as the Sodor Search and Rescue Team races to the rescue when Bertie gets stuck on Shake Shake Bridge, Gordon is derailed, and Thomas’ firebox is on fire!

Thomas The Tank Engine

These modern day episodes use CGI animation which make them bright, cheerful and attractive to watch. The Boy sat captivated for the entire 54 minutes the DVD was on, and insisted that we all sing the theme tune every time it came on. If we made a mistake (which I frequently did, because I kept saying 'different jobs to play' not 'roles') then we had to start again until we got it right. The subtle messages of helping friends, using teamwork and having a big heart are very reassuring for me as a parent.

'Thomas & Friends: Rescue On The Rails' is available to buy on DVD for £12.99

I was sent this DVD for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Review)

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A few months ago I was invited to a screening of the new Warner Bros 3D family film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. I was unable to go as it was a work day and regretted it even more when I started seeing the trailers for it everywhere. Mixing live action with CGI, the cinematography of this film looks amazing and awe-inspiring.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is loosely based on the Jules Verne’s novel The Mysterious Island and follows the adventures of a young lad called Sean (Josh Hutcherson from Bridge to Terabithia) after he receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious location where nothing is known to exist. He is determined to find the unknown island, especially as he is convinced that his grandfather (Michael Caine) is the one to have sent the signal. With the help of his stepfather (Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock), a helicopter pilot and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens from HSM) they set off on a journey to prove its existence and rescue Sean's grandad. However, they soon discover this island is full of giant creatures, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes and secrets galore. The final adventure is trying to escape before earthquakes shatter the island's structure and send it into the confines of the sea, buring its treasures forever.

See why I wanted to watch it now?

Luckily for me, we were sent a copy of the film (released today) and as it's a PG The Boy can't watch it. However, Mr. TBaM and I will be settling down to watch it tonight. I've seen the first twenty minutes of it, and it's enthralling and captivating, humorous and entertaining. It reminded me of a cross between Lost and The Goonies, with a little of Indiana Jones thrown in for good measure.

The Boy might not be able to watch the film but he has enjoyed the jigsaw and is currently 'growing' the baby lizard in the egg.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is available from today (28th May) on Blu-ray 3D (£29.99), Blu-ray Triple Play (£24.99) andDVD (£19.99).

I was sent a copy of the DVD along with a few other promotional treats for the purpose of this post. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom: The Elf Games DVD (Review)

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This Summer sees two massive events which should cause national pride. I keep seeing various craft and cooking activities which I want to do with The Boy, but the problem is that I have no idea how to introduce the concept of the Olympics to him. How do you introduce the idea of racing and competing to a two year old?

And then we were sent  the latest DVD delight from Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, the Elf Games.

Perfectly pitched at pre-schoolers, it is full of episodes from the latest series and the title episode ties in nicely with the Olympics. The Elf Games features Ben having to explain to Holly why she is not allowed to use magic or flying in the games, in the interest of fair play. Her enthusiasm, along with Nanny Plum's meddling, almost costs Ben his winner's medals, but in the end the day is saved!

Other episodes included on the disc are:

  • Cows
  • The Toy Robot
  • Dinner Party
  • Big Bad Barry
  • King Thistle's Birthday
  • The Wand Factory
  • Daisy and Poppy's Pet
  • The Elf Rocket
  • Picnic on the Moon

We're big fans of Ben and Holly in this house, and this is another winning DVD. It's really helped The Boy to understand the concept of races and winning medals.

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom: The Elf Games DVD is available priced at £7.99

We were sent a check disc for the purpose of this review. Our opinions are honest and unbiased.

Getting Snowy With Charley

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It's snowing today here in south Wales. Not proper snow you understand though. Yes, it's cold and white and fluffy, but it's the wrong side of wet to be settling, so it's just making the world look that little bit dreary today. We need to immerse ourselves in proper snow, although not literally! With The Boy having been poorly over the past few days, we need a little quiet and creative time, and I think we'll be making a snow-den and watching some Antarctic explorers this afternoon.

There's another fan of snow who has been pretending he's an explorer lately; that loveable character with the big imagination, Little Charley Bear. Antarctic Charley is a new release today (30th January) which features six episodes narrated by James Corden, someone who I think has got a brilliant voice for narration. Charley loves pretending he's building a snow-house as much as the next little one, and regardless of the time of year, he manages to dive into his imagination to play with penguins and climb snowy mountains.

It's a captivating DVD with simple and beautiful stories. At just under an hour long, it's going to be perfect to watch in the car this weekend when we head down to Bluestone for our own Winter wonderland adventure. Priced at £12.99.

For more Charley Bear fun, visit the Facebook page or the Little Charley Bear homepage.

We were sent a check-disc for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

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