The Lone Ranger Blu-ray Combo Pack Review

 We received this product free to facilitate this review.

The Lone Ranger has come to Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD and On-Demand December 17th! Loaded with great gun fights, train scenes, and explosions; this cowboy tale gets a new makeover by Disney, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Director Gore Verbinski. Actors Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer take the lead roles of Tonto and The Lone Ranger in this version.

This Lone Ranger movie tells how Tonto and The Lone Ranger first meet. I never really knew this story myself having never watched the original TV series or read the books, but from what I could tell by reading about the series and characters on Wikipedia this version follows the story line pretty well. I watched a couple of the old TV series in the black and white version to get more of a perspective for my review also.

The actors sure do put their stamp on this film. If you are a fan of Johnny Depp you are sure to love this movie. Johnny Depp certainly adds depth of character and humor to his version of Tonto. The interesting crow hat and face paint are very unique to this Tonto too. Armie Hammer does a very good Lone Ranger. He wears the legendary mask well. His skills on horseback and with a gun are fairly impressive since he had little to no experience previous to his training for this film.

The special effects, music and scenery are awesome! I love the trains and track they built completely from scratch for the movie. You wouldn't be able to get the fantastic authentic feel with just CGI. The also create very authentic looking Comanche Indian teepees for the film. The wardrobes are very nice. I love the music in this! It has some of the original greats from the TV series along with others. You also get to see some gorgeous parts of New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona.

I loved The Lone Ranger movie! It was very good in my opinion despite all the negative things I had heard about it from others. I thought the humor was refreshing. I loved the actors performance and portrayal of the characters. The action and excitement was great!

Bonus Features: (BD, DVD, Select Digital retailers)

• Blooper Reel (RT 4:12) – BD, DVD & Select Digital Retailers Only
• Deleted Scene - BD & Select Digital Retailers Only
• Riding The Rails Of The Lone Ranger (RT: 10:36) – BD & Select Digital Retailers Only For the production of the movie, director Gore Verbinski had a five mile oval track built along with multiple engines and cars. See the incredible effort that went into crafting such a detailed and important part of The Lone Ranger.
• Armies’s Western Road Trip (RT: 14:28) – BD & Select Digital Retailers Only Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) takes viewers on a tour of the scenic locations the production shot in as we see and learn more about the amazing places he went to become The Lone Ranger.
• Becoming A Cowboy (RT: 8:02) – BD & Select Digital Retailers Only Before the cast began shooting the film, they had to learn how to shoot a gun…and ride a horse. In this piece we follow the cowboy (and cowgirl) cast to boot camp, where they got a chance to experience what their characters would really be living like in the Wild West.

Ratings: PG-13 For Sequences Of Intense Action and Violence, and Some Suggestive Material
Feature Run Time: 2 hrs. 29 min.

BUY IT:
You can purchase The Lone Ranger Blu-ray Combo Pack for $19.99 (price when posted) on Amazon.com.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

The Little Mermaid II & Ariel's Beginning DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack Review

We received this product free to facilitate this review.

For a limited time only join Ariel in two underwater adventures in the 2 Movie Collection of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning and The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea as it dives for the first time on Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack November 19th!

THE LITTLE MERMAID: ARIEL’S BEGINNING
A time long before Ariel walked on land and into Prince Eric's heart, she was the youngest of seven daughter's to the mighty King Triton. After Triton's beloved wife dies he bans music from the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. With his deepening sadness, Triton forgets how to be happy. Torn between family duty and her love of music, Ariel must make the most difficult choice of her life. With the help of her friends, Sebastian and Flounder, and her six amusing sisters, will the young mermaid be able to restore music, friendship, happiness and love to the Kingdom?

I love this story of how a daughter's love for her mother and father shine and how she desperately wants everyone in the kingdom to be happy once more, especially her father. We get to see how flounder and Ariel meet. My daughter's favorite part of the movie was where the eels were being tied into a knot. They started giggling and couldn't stop. I loved the music box in the movie. It was so beautiful and a wonderful symbol of Triton's undying love for his wife. This was a great story about how sadness and depression can be overcome.

THE LITTLE MERMAID II: RETURN TO THE SEA (Blu-ray & DVD)
In this the sequel to to wonderful The Little Mermaid, Ariel and Eric have forbidden Melody, their daughter, to go near the sea and have hidden her true mermaid heritage and a threat, Ursula's revengeful sibling Morgana from her to try to keep her safe. Melody's curiosity about her roots get the best of her. Melody is a headstrong girl that yearns to go into the sea as her mother had yearned to be on land. She sets out into the sea against her parents' wishes. There she meets new friends, and in her dream to be a mermaid becomes a pawn in Morgana's plot to gain control of the Seven Seas. Ariel must reunite with her childhood friends, Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle, rescue her daughter, and restore harmony to her family.

This movie is very predictable as it follows a very similar plot as the first movie. Their are some new characters as well as some old favorites. I do think that as the original was far better than this sequel, but it still has its good points. I loved the song For One Moment and how it went into a duet with Melody and Ariel. I also love the moral...don't keep secrets from those you love. All in all I still enjoyed this movie and my kids did too.


Bonus Features:

THE LITTLE MERMAID: ARIEL’S BEGINNING

• Splashdance: A Dancer's Adventures Under The Sea 
• Deleted Scenes with intros by Director Peggy Holmes 
• Music & More 
• Sing Along With The Movie 
• The Little Mermaid: Under the Sea and Behind the Scenes on Broadway (DVD only) 
• Mermaid Discovery Vanity Game (DVD only)

THE LITTLE MERMAID II: RETURN TO THE SEA (Blu-ray & DVD)

• "The Little Mermaid II" Storybook 
• Deleted Song "Gonna Get My Wish"  
• Classic Animated Short “Merbabies”                 

Ratings: G (both films)
Feature Run Time:  The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning: 77 minutes. The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea: 75 minutes.

BUY IT:
You can purchase The Little Mermaid II & Ariel's Beginning DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack for $26.99 on Amazon.com.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Planes DVD Blu-ray Combo Pack Review

We received product free to facilitate this review.

From above the world of Cars Disney and Pixar brings us Planes, an animated comedy about a crop dusting plane named Dusty who has high flying dreams of a life of racing. He meets all sorts of characters when he enters the Wings Across the Globe race. Will Dusty qualify for the race even though he is afraid of heights and not built for speed? You should watch Planes to find out!

My family and I loved Planes! It is a wonderful story where you'll be rooting for Dusty, the underdog that has a big heart. The plot is very good even though it takes some twists and turns that one might expect with the hero and villain scenario. We loved seeing all the different planes and how, even with the personification, they were detailed fairly authentically. In one of the bonus features, Klay's Flight Plan, they told how they completely changed how the wings were in one of the scenes just because they wanted to get the authenticity correct. That's some dedication. My favorite characters besides Dusty were Franz and his alter ego, and El Chupacabra.

BONUS FEATURES: (Blu-ray, DVD and Select Digital Retailers)

• Exclusive Franz’s Song (approx. 1:40) - Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers - Produced exclusively for Blu-ray and HD Digital, this never-before-seen completely finished animated song features the German mini-car, Franz Fliegenhosen, who encourages Dusty on his flight.
• Klay’s Flight Plan (approx. 15:00) Blu-ray, DVD & Select Digital Retailers -Follow Director Klay Hall’s personal journey during the making of “Planes” and discover why his family connection to aviation made “Planes” his perfect project. Fly along with Klay as he lands on a working aircraft carrier to get first-hand experience on the flight deck.
• Deleted Scenes (approx.. 3:46) Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers - Director Klay Hall and Producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn introduce deleted scenes from the movie. 1. Training Montage (approx. 2:38) 2. Taj Mahal (approx. 1:08)
• Meet the Racers (approx.. 5:50) Blu-ray, DVD & Select Digital Retailers - Featurettes introducing racers El Chupacabra (1:15), Ripslinger (1:15), Dusty (:90), and Ishani (:90).
• Top 10 Flyers (approx. 8:00) Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers - ESPN’s Colin Cowherd hosts a fun, fast-paced countdown of the greatest aviators in history.

The bonus features were good on this combo pack. I liked the bonus feature of Franz's Song the most! It was very cute and witty. Klay's Flight Plan was a great addition that had the director and his boys looking at the making of the movie a bit and having a father son bonding experience. Both of the deleted scenes were partially in the movie, but some of their content was cut because it wasn't really needed to get the same feeling across. Meet the Racers are short clips about some of the main characters, building on their personalities a bit more. The Top 10 Flyers bonus feature was very educational and great for a homeschool mini lesson on flyers in history.

Here is the bonus feature, Franz's Song :)


My kids enjoyed the slapstick humor and fun animation in Planes. I enjoyed the morals the movie was teaching: go after your dreams and make them a reality, conquer your fears, be kind and giving, and make and keep good friends. Even thought the plot was fairly predictable my family very much enjoyed watching Planes. This is definitely a great animated movie for airplane lovers young and old!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

My "Brave" Experience

June 22nd Disney/Pixar's Brave opened in theaters across the country. I went to see it with my husband and my boys on July 1st in theaters. I kinda wished Disney/Pixar didn't put out so many trailers for the film as I felt as though I had seen most of it. But the high spirited flaming red-haired lass, Merida, was my favorite of course along with her triplet wee devil brothers and her horse Angus. Her mother Queen Elinor was also another one of my faves because of her role in the whole movie.

Here I am sitting in front of the movie poster at the theater with my free Brave Kid's Reusable Meal Bag my kids got me at Subway :) These are free with purchase of Subway Fresh Fit For Kids Meal. You can collect all 6. You can also possibly win free tickets to Brave with entry code that comes inside the bag. These are available while supplies last and only while the promotion is going on so hurry and get yours soon! I have the 'Merida and the Highlands' one so far.

I loved Merida's archery! I would love to be able to shoot arrows like that, especially while riding a horse! My oldest son Delbin got a trainer bow at the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show back in February and my husband just got him arrows and some bales of hay to practice on.

I've put this doll on my daughter's wishlist! This doll is by Tollytots and is of Merida with Angus. So cute!! I love horses! I also love their other dolls and they make other Merida ones too.

Also, look at this neat Brave - Aim For Your Dreams Disney Gift Card. You can get cool Disney gear with it at Disney Theme Parks and stores.

You can also download Brave Family Activity Sheets here.

Anyway, if you haven't seen Brave it is definitely worth watching. I enjoyed the movie very much. Have you seen it yet?

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of these deals and opportunities. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition Review

ABOUT SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS DIAMOND EDITION:
For the first time in 7 years, Disney is opening the vault and releasing "The One That Started It All". Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is being released in high-definition Blu-ray for the first time ever on October 6 for a limited time!

Re-live your childhood with this timeless classic tale first written by the Brothers Grimm. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first full-length animated film ever made (1937) and one of the most beloved and most watched films in history.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray disc and a DVD in one package! You can enjoy the incredible high definition experience of Blu-ray at home in your Blu-ray player or Playstation 3 and use the DVD at home, in the car DVD player, or on your computer. Upgrading to Blu-ray offers you technology on more scratch resistant and kid-proof discs and Blu-ray players play both Blu-ray discs and your favorite DVDs.

Not only will you get the classic tale of Snow White, the Diamond Edition comes with plenty of extras:

1-Disc DVD (All-New Digital Restoration With Enhanced Picture & Sound. Restored Original Theatrical Soundtrack.)
* Full-Length Film
* Audio Commentary By John Canemaker
* All-New Music Video - Performed by Sonny With A Chance's Tiffany Thornton
* Exclusive Sneak Peak At Walt Disney Pictures' The Princess And The Frog

2-Disc Blu-ray (First time ever in High Definition 7.1 sound)
* Full-Length Film
* Disneyview - Widescreen Viewing Experience
* All-New Music Video - Performed by Sonny With A Chance's Tiffany Thornton
* Disney Family Play – Games For Everyone To Enjoy
* Backstage Disney – Go Behind The Scenes Of This Legendary Tale
* Classic Bonus Features - Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride Game, Karaoke Sing-Along, and so much more

MY THOUGHTS:
This is by far the best edition pack Disney has put together for the Blu-ray player or Playstation 3 owner. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a classic tale that will never get old. The restoration of this film is beautiful! The quality is amazing! It is so much crisper and cleaner than the VHS we have. My children and I enjoyed watching it. I also enjoyed watching their faces, especially of my youngest, Teela, because she has never watched it before. She giggled at the Dwarfs giving Grumpy a bath and danced when the Dwarfs and Snow White were dancing. My son, Delbin's, favorite part was when Dopey swallowed the soap. My son, Jaedan's, favorite part was when the animals were rushing to get the Dwarfs to save Snow White and the Dwarfs were riding the deer. My favorite part is the wishing well scene...such wonderful animation for that time! Watching this brought back so many great memories of when I watched it as a child.

BUY IT:
Disney Blu-ray Combo Packs are the perfect way to start your Blu-ray collection! And, if you who already own Snow White on VHS or DVD, click here to grab a $10 off coupon for the new Diamond Edition Combo Pack! Offer is only good until October 20, but starting this fall Disney will introduce their Blu-ray Upgrade program so you will be able to upgrade other Disney titles in your library too! Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition magically awaits to be in your home. Pre-order it today!

Thanks to One2One Network, the women's word of mouth marketing network, for providing me with this opportunity and a copy in advance to review as part of a campaign to spread the word.