Cast:
Fred Astaire … Narrator / Postal carrier (voice)
Mickey Rooney … Kris Kringle / Santa Claus (voice)
Keenan Wynn … Winter Warlock (voice)
Paul Frees … Burgermeister Meisterburger / Grimsby / Soldiers / Townsmen (voice)
Joan Gardner … Tante Kringle (voice)
Robie Lester … Jessica (voice)
Andrea Sacino … Child (voice)
Dina Lynn … Child (voice)
Gary White … Child (voice)
Greg Thomas … Child (voice)

That’s right folks! Santa Claus is coming to town, and this time, he’s being followed by the toy-hating Burgermeister Meisterburger and the Winter Warlock.

Watch Santa Claus in this epic classic go from an orphaned child raised by elves, to a young man who is not allowed delivering toys, to a complete toy giving king of Christmas. You’ll also get to see Mrs. Claus as his wife and hear her name for the first time (Jessica).

This classic has many wonderful messages that every kid will love and understand. It’s one of love and courage. Doing things that are right, no matter the obstacles.

It’s a must have and see for any generation full of xmas spirits and joy. The older generation will feel nostalgic and reminisce of their youth, while the newer generation will be awe-inspired and incredibly in love with the parents that gave them this gift.

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. The Santa Clause
2. Christmas Is Here Again
3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – 1964

Cast:
John Cho … Harold
Kal Penn … Kumar
Neil Patrick Harris … Himself
Thomas Lennon … Todd
Amir Blumenfeld … Adrian
Patton Oswalt … Mall Santa
Isabella Gielniak … Caren
Austin Bickel … Kid in Line
Bobby Lee … Kenneth Park

You can always trust Harold and Kumar to bring the funny. With all the happy, family orientated christmas/holiday movies this season, its great to have something that just for the adults. The movie has completely original ideas that made me laugh like a maniac several times throughout the movie. These guys once again prove that anything can be funnier if you add weed and nudity. And the fact that Kal Penn can still make these movies and maintain a respectable reputation at the White House is hilarious enough as it is.

The 3D experience was better in this movie than most I’ve seen in years. It was consistent throughout, no eyestrain, very clean, and had some nice out-of-screen effects that paired well with the comedy.

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. Arthur Christmas
2. A Christmas Story
3. Christmas Is Here Again

Cast:
Jason Segel … Gary
Amy Adams … Mary
Chris Cooper … Tex Richman
Rashida Jones … Veronica Martin
Steve Whitmire … Kermit / Beaker / Statler / Rizzo / Link Hogthrob / The Newsman (voice)
Eric Jacobson … Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam Eagle / Marvin Suggs (voice)
Dave Goelz … Gonzo / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Zoot / Beauregard / Waldorf / Kermit Moopet (voice)
Bill Barretta … Swedish Chef / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Pepe the Prawn / Bobo (voice)
David Rudman … Scooter / Janice / Miss Poogy / Wayne (voice)
Matt Vogel … Sgt. Floyd Pepper / Camilla / Sweetums / 80’s Robot / Lew Zealand / Uncle Deadly / Roowlf / Crazy Harry (voice)
Peter Linz … Walter (voice)
Alan Arkin … Tour Guide
Bill Cobbs … Grandfather
Zach Galifianakis … Hobo Joe
Ken Jeong … ‘Punch Teacher’ Host
 

This movie is fantastic and essentially flawless. Jason Segel, along with co-writer Nicholas Stoller and director James Bobin have made possibly the best family movie of 2011. Adorable and entertaining; the Muppet’s please everyone from the average moviegoer to Muppet purists alike.

On one side is a modern comedy, chock full of hysterical celebrity cameos and pop culture references. And on the other side is a nostalgic throwback to the Muppet’s era. Those who remember the old series will unquestionably find delight in seeing their favorite puppets reunite for another big show, literally.

Funnily enough, the movie treats the Muppet characters as if they were real life actors, with The Muppet’s shows and movies being their past careers. The Muppet’s haven’t seen any action in years (a fact also true in real life), and each Muppet has taken his/her own path in life with varying degrees of success. When crisis arises, the old troupe is forced to find each other and give it another go.

It is all weaved through a fascinating meta-narrative that begs the question, what happens to the Muppet’s when they aren’t The Muppet’s? After all this time away, can The Muppet’s make a comeback through a reunion and relive their former glory days? – a question ultimately answered by the movie itself.

Simply put, I can’t imagine anyone with a heart not enjoying this film. There’s something in it for everybody, especially if you’re in the mood for laughter and catchy musical numbers. The creative humor was a breath of fresh air. There is plenty breaking of the fourth wall and oh so much of that lovely deadpan irony and absurdest humor, reminiscent of old comedies like Airplane! The audience in the theater was cracking up almost every other moment, myself included. And while humor is its strong suit, the movie is also an incredibly heartwarming tale of friends that go their separate ways but are still connected through their hearts. Moviegoers and Muppet fans alike, go see this movie!

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. A Bug’s Life
2. Christmas Is Here Again
3. Madagascar

Cast:
James McAvoy … Arthur (voice)
Hugh Laurie … Steve (voice)
Bill Nighy … Grandsanta (voice)
Jim Broadbent … Santa (voice)
Imelda Staunton … Mrs. Santa (voice)
Ashley Jensen … Bryony (voice)
Marc Wootton … Peter (voice)
Laura Linney … North Pole Computer (voice)
Eva Longoria … Chief De Silva (voice)
Ramona Marquez … Gwen (voice)
Michael Palin … Ernie Clicker (voice)
Sanjeev Bhaskar … Lead Elf (voice)
Robbie Coltrane … Lead Elf (voice)
Joan Cusack … Lead Elf (voice)
Rhys Darby … Lead Elf (voice)
 

This family movie was fast-paced and loads of fun. Entertaining for children of all ages and adults alike.

You will fall in love with the Santa family, Arthur, Bryony, and especially Grandsanta. As a parent you can appreciate the morals of the story; that everyone matters, never give up, and sometimes the old-ways of doing things are better.

Our whole family loved the film, including our children, nieces and nephews. Protective parents need not worry about the little ones, there is no bad words or sexual innuendos.

Though this film is offered in 3D, I think the 2D version is better. Things didn’t pop out as much, but maybe it was suppose to be subtle. For small children, the 2D is better, no parent wants to fuse with a 2 year old trying to wear those oversize awkward glasses.

Bottom line: very enjoyable, good messages, lots of twists and fun humor … Definitely worth downloading and owning!

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. Christmas Is Here Again
2. The Santa Clause
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

Cast:
Jim Carrey … Scrooge / Ghost of Christmas Past / Ghost of Christmas Present / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Steve Valentine … Funerary Undertaker / Topper
Daryl Sabara … Undertaker’s Apprentice / Tattered Caroler / Beggar Boy / Peter Cratchit / Well-Dressed Caroler
Ryan Ochoa … Tattered Caroler / Beggar Boy / Young Cratchit Boy / Ignorance Boy / Young Boy with Sleigh
Sammi Hanratty … Beggar Boy / Young Cratchit Girl / Want Girl
Julian Holloway … Fat Cook / Portly Gentleman #2 / Business Man #3
Gary Oldman … Bob Cratchit / Marley / Tiny Tim
Colin Firth … Fred
Cary Elwes … Portly Gentleman #1 / Dick Wilkins / Mad Fiddler / Guest #2 / Business Man #1
Robin Wright … Fan / Belle (as Robin Wright Penn)
Bob Hoskins … Fezziwig / Old Joe

Jim Carrey is full of surprises and the entire movie is a theatrical outburst of his talent, under the brilliant direction of Robert Zemeckis. Brilliant because it manages to make take the Dickens story and walk us through all its dimensions, without fear of sadness and, in the same time, he has the cold blood to use the magic wand for a happy end. I wasn’t a big 3D fan until this movie, maybe because I didn’t see any possibility to enrich the classical format, perfect as it became with the years… ‘A Christmas Carol’ gains a lot from 3D being a sensorial experience enhanced by IMAX technology.

All in all, it’s not a story for kids, because it’s rather disturbing and contemplative. Gary Oldman’s pointing finger will stay with you for a while… It’s an enchanting story and I encourage you to go and see it.

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If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. A Christmas Story
2. Christmas Is Here Again
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

Cast:

Alexandre Rodrigues … Buscapé – Rocket
Leandro Firmino … Zé Pequeno – Li’l Zé
Phellipe Haagensen … Bené – Benny
Douglas Silva … Dadinho – Li’l Dice
Jonathan Haagensen … Cabeleira – Shaggy
Matheus Nachtergaele … Sandro Cenoura – Carrot
Seu Jorge … Mané Galinha – Knockout Ned
Jefechander Suplino … Alicate – Clipper
Alice Braga … Angélica

The film revolves around the, ‘City of God,’ a favela (or ghetto) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a horrifying area where drug dealers run the community, and where children killing children is not an uncommon occurrence.

The story begins with the early stages of the City of God (in the 1960’s) showing where many of the problems stem from- the extreme poverty, overcrowding etc. Here, in the early stages of the favela, we meet our main characters, along with the supporting cast. The story revolves mainly around two characters living in the favela, Rocket and Lil Ze, and how they take two different paths through life. Rocket’s dream is to become a photographer and to escape the City of God while Lil Ze becomes a powerful gang leader and drug dealer.

The film offers an unflinching look at gang life in the City of God, as it follows the favela through three decades; the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, and shows how violence just spirals into more violence with the disturbingly high amounts of violence in the favela, most involving teenagers and children.

The direction, cinematography, and editing are all Oscar-worthy. The cinematography is some of the best I have ever seen- with a very visceral, jerky feel, very reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan. The editing is very frantic, which makes you feel like you are on the streets of the City of God, and the direction is flawless, seamlessly blending the many elements of the story.

The film was definitely one of the best films I have ever seen. The story, the direction, the cinematography, the editing and the acting all add up to make a excellent movie that I would recommend to all.

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. Sin City
2. Dark City Director’s Cut
3. Notorious

Cast:

Ryan Reynolds … Mitch Planko
Jason Bateman … Dave Lockwood
Leslie Mann … Jamie Lockwood
Olivia Wilde … Sabrina McArdle
Alan Arkin … Mitch’s Dad
Mircea Monroe … Tatiana

Body-swapping comedies are so 80s. But with The Change-Up, David Dobkin, director of the bloke hit The Wedding Crashers, puts a ribald spin to the genre. Those who can’t stand scatological jokes and profanity ought to steer clear. Unless you’re a Judd Apatow fan. Although in this movie, you should expect much less emotional poignancy.

It is refreshing to see Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds take on atypical roles. As the overachieving lawyer Dave with a stiff upper lip, Bateman steps into those loafers comfortably. Often type-casted as the jokester, he is now the model family man who works so hard till his wife, Jamie, feels neglected. On the other hand, Reynolds who mostly comes across as serious or amiable, gets to be the mildly offensive, profanity-spewing lothario, Mitch.

Dave and Mitch have diametrically-opposed characters and they play off each other very well. A hilarious encounter with a Roman statue by a fountain in the park, while they take a leak, allows them to magically swap bodies. Seeing them switch bodies to play opposite personalities and scramble (amusingly) to adapt to their new lives is central to the enjoyment of the movie. And through living each others lives, they learn to improve themselves.

Dave enjoys independence and freedom from his stifling marriage, while in Mitch’s body. At same time, getting jolted and turned off by Mitch’s odd sexual partner, lewd profession and bizarre bed hopping antics. Meanwhile, Mitch gets to clean up his bawdiness and straighten up his waywardness while taking on the responsibilities of married life’s daily grind, which includes changing the soiled diapers of two impish toddlers.

While the movie adopts the predictable narrative of flawed characters being transformed for the better, the journey is fun and occasionally goes ape. So check your brains at the cinema door and just go with the absurd-ism.

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. The Mask
2. Alvin and the Chipmunks
3. Fast Food Nation

Cast:

Reese Witherspoon … Marlena Rosenbluth
Robert Pattinson … Jacob
Christoph Waltz … August
Paul Schneider … Charlie
Jim Norton … Camel
Hal Holbrook … Old Jacob Jankowski
Mark Povinelli … Kinko / Walter
Richard Brake … Grady
Stephen Taylor … Wade (as Stephen Monroe Taylor)
Ken Foree … Earl
Scott MacDonald … Blackie

Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel comes to glossy life in this period romance.

A sparkle-free Robert Pattinson plays Jacob Jankowski, who studies veterinary medicine during the Great Depression. After a family tragedy, he loses everything, including the chance to graduate from prestigious Cornell, so he hops a train, where he finds himself part of the struggling Benzini Brothers Circus.

Ringleader August (Christoph Waltz, echoing his Oscar-winning Inglourious Basterds performance) has doubts about the softhearted lad, but a fellow Pole smoothes the way, and Jacob becomes the company vet, which leads him to platinum-blond equestrian Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), August’s wife.

The two make eyes at each other, but an affair would surely end badly, so they concentrate on their work. When Marlena’s prize steed falls ill, August purchases an elephant, hoping Rosie will turn their fortunes around, and enlists Jacob to train her. Unfortunately, she’s slow to respond to commands until Jankowski unlocks her secret–and after August has beaten the poor thing into submission. After that, things start to look up until Jacob steals a kiss from his dream girl.

As in The Notebook, the film it most closely resembles, an elderly version of the central character (Hal Holbrook, touching) narrates in the present day (screenwriter Richard LaGravenese also adapted The Bridges of Madison County). He tells an interesting tale, so it’s too bad the leads strike so few sparks. For those who find big-top classics like Nightmare Alley too dark, however, Francis Lawrence’s feel-better variant may be just the ticket.

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. Twilight
3. Natural Born Killers

Cast:

Kate Maberly     …     Mary Lennox
Heydon Prowse     …     Colin Craven
Andrew Knott     …     Dickon
Maggie Smith     …     Mrs. Medlock
Laura Crossley     …     Martha
John Lynch         …     Lord Archibald Craven
Walter Sparrow     …     Ben Weatherstaff
Irène Jacob     …     Mary’s Mother / Lilias Craven (as Irene Jacob)

The Secret Garden is the perfect family film.

The movie is a rare treat where in the screenwriter and director actually understand their source, The Secret Garden by Frances Hogsden Burnett, and make a translation to the screen that not only captures the essence of the book but enhances the story as well. Too often directors spoil the story with their own self-interested spin (Little Big Man and Chocolat come immediately to mind)but here is a jewel that leaves the viewer saying “That was as good as the book.” A genuine triumph.

The cast is outstanding, the children in particular, Kate Maberly as Mary Lennox above all. Even to the most minor extra everyone brings a smooth and compelling reality to the story.

However, the real star is director Agnieszka Holland. Against a challenging climate ( a rainy location) she manages to create a movie with a touching commentary on how children can literally change the world. Her insightful grasp of the themes of isolation, growth and rejuvenation, the need for a balance between nurture and allowable risk are all managed through the controlling metaphor of a garden. The artful rendering of these literary themes are what many directors apparently find most challenging ( I’m looking at you Arthur Penn)and generally blissfully ignore them compensating by glib insertions, extra action or clumsy sentiment. Not so here.

Not only is her focus exemplary but the photography is amazing. The interplay of light and dark, the time elapse photos of clouds rolling and flowers emerging all set to beautiful music captivate the viewer. The rainy weather was not shunned but used to fullest effect. I can only imagine the discipline it must have taken to wait for the sun to peep out from the clouds and then roll film hoping that the cast can pull off the shot before the light changed and a second take became a long wait. Fortunately all are up to the task and the film, the final scene in particular, results in a brilliant piece of motion picture art.

The 1993 version of The Secret Garden is a must for every family film collection, one the parents and kids can enjoy for its sophistication or simply for the great way in which this timeless classic is retold.

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. The Secret World of Og
2. The Secret Life of Bees
3. Where the Wild Things Are

Cast:

Ben Burtt … WALL·E / M-O (voice)
Elissa Knight … EVE (voice)
Jeff Garlin … Captain (voice)
Fred Willard … Shelby Forthright, BnL CEO (voice)
MacInTalk … AUTO (voice)
John Ratzenberger … John (voice)
Kathy Najimy … Mary (voice)
Sigourney Weaver … Ship’s Computer (voice)

In a distant, but not so unrealistic future, where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of Earth’s history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, Eve, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to Earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with Eve. WALL-E rescues Eve from a dust storm and shows her a living plant he found amongst the rubble. Consistent with her “directive” Eve takes the plant and automatically enters a deactivated state except for a blinking green beacon. WALL-E, doesn’t understand what has happened to his new friend, but true to his love, he protects her from wind, rain, and lightning, even as she is unresponsive. One day a massive ship comes to reclaim Eve, but WALL-E, out of love or loneliness hitches a ride on the outside of the ship to rescue Eve. The ship arrives back at a large space cruise ship, which is carrying all of the humans who evacuated Earth 700 years earlier. The people of Earth ride around this space resort on hovering chairs which give them a constant feed of TV and video chatting. They drink all of their meals through a straw out of laziness and/or bone loss, and are all so fat that they can barely move. When the auto-pilot computer, acting on hastily given instructions sent many centuries before, tries to prevent the people of Earth from returning, by stealing the plant, WALL-E, Eve, the portly captain, and a band of broken robots stage a mutiny.

If you like this movie, you'll also like:

1. Kung Fu Panda
2. A Bug’s Life
3. Bolt 3D