By Rosa

Alright girls, moms, and aunts basically anyone who thinks Taylor Lautner is good looking with a shirt on….. he is ten times better without one. 

Now back to the movie.  New Moon is the second movie based on the Twilight book series with the Bella (Kristen Stewart), Jacob (Taylor Lautner), and Edward (Robert Pattinson) love triangle getting thicker. 

The movie begins with Bella celebrating her birthday.  She isn’t celebrating as much since now she is "older" than her love, Edward.  The Cullens throw a surprise birthday party for her.  During the celebration, Bella starts to bleed in a room full of vampires.  Edward gets her out but realized what danger he is putting her through everyday.  Edward and his family abandon the town and poor Bella is left heartbroken.  Months go by and she still hasn’t been able to get over what has happened.

Bella realizes the only way to see Edward’s vision is to be in danger.  A vision is better than not seeing him at all.  She goes to seek help from her friend Jacob to restore motorcycles.  The time spent with Jacob eases the pain she has been in.  After spending a lot of time together, Jacob starts acting weird towards Bella.  Annoyed with the way Jacob has changed, she blames his change on his ‘new’ friends.  Bella learns that Jacob isn’t normal like she is.  He is a wolf the arch enemy of the vampire. 

Bella now understands why Jacob and Edward never got along.

Bella risks her life again to see Edward but this time, Alice sees a vision of death.  Edward, while in Brazil, hears of the news and will commit suicide for losing his love.  Bella hearing of the news rushes to Edward so that he won’t make a huge mistake. 

If you read the book then you now what happens in the end.  If you haven’t, I don’t want to ruin it. 

I would recommend seeing this movie during matinee.  It’s a good movie but the younger girls giggling and cheesing throughout the entire movie ruined it for me.  Seeing Taylor’s body on the big screen is definitely worth it.  If you just want to be a true fan of the book then you can wait until the movie comes out on DVD.

I am STILL team Edward!  What team are you guys on?

Disclaimer: This is my opinion on the movie.

By Divina

Baby Boy loves Pablo, Uniqua, Tyrone, Austin and Tasha or The Backyardigans crew.  I love how the kid’s show demonstrates how much fun you can have with your imagination. 

The Backyardigans DS Game is based on the very popular TV show and allows your kids to tap, blow, scribble, shout and drag their way through over 24 mini-games.   The character voices of the show are featured in the game so your kids will really feel like they are on an adventure with Pablo and company.

Players can sail the high seas as pirates, navigate a spaceship and fight villains as super heroes.

My favorite was how you can rock out to different songs using your choice of drums, guitar, saxophone and more. 

The Backyardigans DS Game retails at 29.99

By Divina

Don’t you just love Dora?  She is so cute and now this Holiday season your kids can help her save the Crystal Kingdom and take care of her Puppy.

Dora The Explorer: Dora Save the Crystal Kingdom Wii game retails at $39.99 and PS2 game $19.99.

Quick synopsis:  A greedy King has taken the crystals that make the Crystal Kingdom colorful.  Dora along with Boots have to bring the color back by having fun as they fly with butterfly wings and bounce off sparkling crystals.  The game is based on a direct to DVD movie of the same name.

So if your kids enjoyed the movie they are going to love the educational problem solving games that help them with your colors, shapes and sizes and of course their Spanish speaking.  

My favorite aspect of the game was the Storybook Helper which allows parents or a big brother or big sister to jump into the game if your little one needs some help.

This is perfect for children 4 to 6 years old. 

Dora The Explorer: Dora Puppy DS game retails for $29.99

Dora has a new puppy, Perrito and she needs help taking care of him. 

Your children can groom him, play fetch, hide and seek and even enter a puppy competition. 

There are over 10 activities to do with Perrito but my favorite was earning tokens to buy sweaters and hats for him.    Ha!  Yes, the original dancing hotdogs: Gabor and Ava have quite a collection of outfits and they are too cute.

Dora Puppy is rated for everyone.

By Eddy

Going into a George Clooney film is a bit of a gamble.  You really don’t know what you are going to get. 

Am I going to have some smarmy Ocean’s rip-off or big  budget block buster, am I going to have some kind of propaganda filled anti war film-(Syriana, Michael Clayton, Good Night, Good Luck) or a quirky weird performance (O’Brother Where Art Thou, Intolerable Cruelty).  Taking a look at his resume so far, I doubt anyone could have figured it out.  Unfortunately, the same could be said for his prospects of box office success. 

Watching the previews of the film on TV, I had a distinct feeling that this was going to quirky weird Clooney.  Of course, the title of the movie might have had a bit of an influence as well.  The movie is based on a book of the same name by Jon Ronson.  We learn first hand about the development of the so called "Jedi" warriors by the U.S. Army.  These "Jedi" use their training in various new age techniques to fight wars in a new way. 

 Clooney stars as Lyn Cassady on of these trained fighters and the most gifted to come out of the program.  Ewan McGregor is a down in the dumps small town reporter that happens across Clooney and is brought in the secret world of Psy-Ops.  Through flashbacks the audience is taken through the history of the New Earth Army created by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges). Whose revelation during the Vietnam War inspired him to find alternative ways to defeat the enemies resulting in the New Earth Army.  Concurrently we find McGregor and Clooney undertaking Clooney’s final mission for the now defunct group.

I found the movie to be kind of interesting.  It definitely is not for those who are into broad comedies, but rather fit in with more of the dark ironic comic styling of the Cohen brothers (of whom Clooney is certainly familiar with).  The most hilarious aspect of the movie is that it is basically a true story; the army really did most of this crap.  Of course, I am sure the movie had to crank up the volume regarding many of the characters and the hi-jinks that were actually perpetrated but most of it looked like it could have really happened.  The parts where when these groups were taking LSD and other mind altering drugs to reach higher levels of consciousness seemed pretty plausible considering that most of this research happened during the sixties and seventies. 

The performances by both Clooney and McGregor were pretty standard.  The only standout was Jeff Bridges who as Bill Django is the catalyst for all the wackiness that went on.  Playing a supporting roll is Kevin Spacey who provides a reliable but unremarkable performance as the Darth Vader of the movie.

On a more personal note, I found out that a good portion of the movie was filmed in Bayamon, Puerto Rico where my father grew up and where my grandmother and great grandmother still live.  I am hopeful that the filming provided the area’s residents with some jobs and security during these crazy economic times.

Like I said before, this isn’t a comedy for everyone.  While I found it funny I wasn’t tearing up with laughter.  But if you are fan of Clooney or McGregor you won’t be disappointed.  For you ladies out there, there is a butt shot in the movie of both Clooney or McGregor.  My mind blanked out when it happened so I am not sure if they were body doubles or not but for some of you out there that might be a reason to go see the film.  With that I am out. 

Till next time.

By Divina

Until becoming a new mommy, I did not realize just how many educational leaps and bounds have been taken in Children’s television.

I really don’t like Baby Boy to watch too much TV.  He is only 1 and half but in our house Dora, Kai-lan and The Backyardigans are super stars.  So when 2K Play and Nickelodeon sent me copies of their new Wii, PS2 and DS games for our favorite shows I was very excited.

First my reviews on Ni Hao, Kai-lan with Dora and the The Backyardigans to follow in the next few days.

Do your kids love Ni Hao, Kai-lan as much as we do?

Well I have two games for you to add to holiday shopping list.   Ni Hao Kai-lan: Super Game Day (Wii and PS2 formatt) and Ni Hao Kai-lan New Year’s Celebration (DS).  This is the first time Ni Hao, Kai-lan fans have video games to play at home or take with them on trips.

2K Play and Nickelodean take the very best of the TV show Ni Hao, Kai-lan and make two fun and educational games for your preschooler.

I played the Ni Hao Kai-lan: Super Game Day in the Wii format and enjoyed it. 

The games were simple and fun like the badminton, water balloon toss and Soccer Challenge.

I loved how Kai-lan, Rintoo, Tolee, and Hoho encouraged each other and said "That was hard, but I did good" after a challenging game. How sweet.

In Ni Hao Kai-lan: Super Game Day Kai-lan and friends are just playing competition games. 

In Ni Hao Kai-lan New Year’s Celebration Kai-lan and friends are helping Grandfather get everything ready for the Chinese New Year festival.

Your children will be learning about Chinese culture, the language and helping each other as they play this game that makes washing dishes fun! 

The activities and controls are very simple so your 4 year old will not get bored and lose interest.

I thought the Celebration game was much more educational than Super Game day. In Celebration games your children learn to match colors and shapes and so much more.

Of course, in neither game there is foul language or violence so these games are perfect for your 4 to 6 year olds.

Way to go 2K Play and Nickelodeon! 

Ni Hao Kai-lan: Super Game Day Wii game retails at $39.99 and PS2 game $19.99

Ni Hao Kai-lan New Year’s Celebration DS game retails for $29.99

By Divina

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is Steve Harvey’s debut relationship advice book with Denene Millner.  I was lucky enough to meet and hear Denene speak at Blogalicious this past October.  So even though I am happily married and not looking for a man, I was interested in reading this book because as found in his film "Kings of Comedy"  Steve Harvey is hilarious and I was motivated by Denene to take on the world.  I was not disappointed with this light read inspired by the listeners of the radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show. 

Steve tries to teach the reader some very important lessons of self respect and dealing with relationship issues like children, baby mamas and mama’s boys by sharing his own experiences. 

For example, how does your guy introduce you to his family and friends?  Are you "My girlfriend/lady/wife/etc Your Name" or does he just introduce you as "Your Name". 

According to Steve if there is a title associated with the introduction you are important to the guy. 

No title?

Then you are just some girl. 

From my own experiences with friends, this definitely is a fact.  I cannot remember how my girls and guys I have met and they were just "Name" no title and they lasted a blink of an eye no matter how much I liked them.  They held no hold on my friend’s heart.  The ones with titles are either married, engaged or living with my friends.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable read with funny stories and advice and it just emphasized how lucky I am to have Eddy.  (And he is to have me.  ; ). )  I liked the book so much I gave it to my single friend.

I don’t know if it will change your life forever but it will definitely entertain you and may give you more insight into the thought process of some guys.

By Eddy

Dragon Ball: The Revenge of King Piccolo for the Nintendo Wii is a unique game.   For those of you familiar with the series (I spent my formative college years drinking and watching the shows religiously with my roommate…yes we were/still are dorks!) the game takes place during the beginning of the Dragon Ball story, more specifically during the Red Ribbon Army Saga.  It is of note that most current Dragon Ball games are from the Dragon Ball Z series which stars a grown up Goku (The star of the show) along with his various progeny and friends, instead DB:TRKP (for brevity) stars Goku as a child and mainly had stories geared to younger kids.  As it is the game is definitely something that younger children will enjoy as well as the more maniacal fans of the series.  For those in between, including me, the game isn’t quite perfect.

But first the good, the thing that makes this game stand out from the throng of Dragon Ball games is that this is not a one on one tournament fighter, rather it is a semi 3D side scrolling beat’em up in the vein of Turtle in Time , etc.  Also, it appears that most of the English speaking voice actors from the series participated in the game (or they brought pretty accurate replacements) which is great for the hardcore fans.

The game also allows for a variety of controls such as the Wii classic controller, the Game Cube controller or the default wiimote and knunchucks.  In the end, the buttons are pretty basic so the controller choice is a personal preference.  While the button are pretty simple there is some depth to the moves in the game including dodges, combos, special moves (Kameha ME Ha!!!)  As well as the ability to deflect certain projectiles back at the enemy.  Through out the game there are also unlockable chests that are hidden through out the game that contain game art, show stills and other goodies.

On the other side of the coin, the game is pretty short (6 levels) and ultimately gets pretty repetitive.  Also, it isn’t difficult to beat including the bosses, but you have to take into account that this game is more geared towards kids.  There is also a secondary tournament mode in the game.  Unfortunately, the mode doesn’t build on the simple move list and falls short of the other Dragon Ball games that concentrate solely on that style of fighting game.

In the end, as it is the first of its kind, I was immediately drawn in.  While limited in terms of the game play and expansiveness of the level, I found the game pretty fun, and a great way to get re-acquainted with the early story lines in the series.

By Rosa

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!! 

Paranormal Activity was the must see movie for this years Halloween.  Personally I love scary movies.  I still get very scared when I watch them but the adrenaline rush is great.  Paranormal Activity did scare me but I was still able to sleep at night with the lights off. 

Katie Featherson and Micah Sloat are a young couple who live in their home in San Diego, California.  Katie tells Micah that there have been supernatural activities throughout her whole life.  Micah, as a curious boyfriend decides to buy a recording device to capture the supernatural events that occur in their household.  As the nights go on, the spirit that has followed Katie throughout her life makes itself be known to Micah that it is more powerful than he is.  Micah doesn’t seem to realize the seriousness of his actions.  Katie is more scared than she has ever been in her life.  What really tips the cup over is when Micah brings a Ouija board into the house to speak to the spirit.. 

Personally, I believe in spirits and demons. 

They are not to be messed with.  Some may think I’m crazy but I don’t even want to ever touch a Ouija board because I am scared of what I am going to let into my life.  This movie was definitely a suspenseful one.  It was a little slow in the beginning but it took off after Micah’s brilliant idea of the Ouija board.  I think this was better than The Blair Witch Project , because you actually see what goes on during the night while Micah and Katie are sleeping.  The part that really scared me was when Katie was actually PULLED out of her bed.  YES, she was literally pulled by her foot out of her bed by something you can’t see.  If you don’t think that is scary then I applaud you for your courage.  The movie has more parts like the one I described above.   

If you are a scary movie junkie and have become immune to any type of suspenseful movies, than you can wait til this movie comes out on DVD.  If you are like myself and love to have the adrenaline rush then definitely watch it on the big screen. 

On the other hand if you get scared very easily, I suggest you don’t watch it.

By Eddy

Yes I know, this did come out a couple of weeks ago, but it is the season of Halloween, so I decided to do a review on a scary movie.

Let me first confess that I am not a big horror fan.  Its not that I hate it, it’s just that I am too paranoid to begin with, so when you start adding the worries of a demon-man that attacks your in your sleep or a monster that haunts a children’s camp area I just go off the reservation.  With that said I do keep up on what is going on in the genre. If you are into horror and gore keep your eyes out for the following two movies: the French film Martyrs and the film The Human Centipede .  From what I have heard so far, both films are all sorts crazy.

Now back to Zombieland , as I have mentioned already I am pretty paranoid and D will attest zombies hold a special place in my paranoid fantasies.  Yes, I have spent an unhealthy amount time thinking of what I would do during a zombie invasion. I won’t go into details here, but to show you the extent of my insanity, I already know which doors I would rip out to board up the windows, how I would keep the house warm without electricity and most importantly, what household items I could use and transform into weapons should the need come about. 

Instead of thinking "oh a burglar or serial killer can get in through here" I think "if the zombies evolve intelligences, I am going to have to bar up the basement windows" and "I better start working on cardio you never know when I have to out run a zombie hoard" (of course I don’t actually work out!)

So when I saw that Zombieland was coming out, I took it as an opportunity for research and development.  I knew the movie wasn’t a serious horror movie, so it was a perfect combo for me.

1) I get to learn about other ways to survive the zombie apocalypse
2) I watch a zombie comedy rather than a full out horror. 

Zombieland star Jessie Eisenberg (he was also in the coincidentally named Adventureland ), Woody Harrelson (Money Train alongside Wesley Snipes) Emma Stone (The House Bunny .  Side note:I find her oddly attractive now Post Superbad , even though I really can’t say why) and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine ). We follow Eisenberg’s character as he explains his rules in how he survives the apocalypse and his ultimate meeting with all the other characters in the film.  There are various funny scenes that show the rules being applied and ignored and the consequences of that ignorance.  The rules graphically pop up on the screen as they are used and are a great tool to pull the movie together.  Another interesting theme of the film, is the various ways of dispatching of zombies, of which I am sure was the most popular aspect in the theater.

Other that the zombie, the film revolves around each of the characters and how they cope and survive in the zombie apocalypse.  Each character is introduced in the movie as more or less loners. By the end, they realize that while they may have a better chance alone, that they real thing that makes them different from the zombies around them is their camaraderie or more specifically the small family that they create together.

There were definitely a number of a laugh out loud moments, as well as some brief nudity (a must in any Zombie style movies), and a special cameo that really was the best gag of all.  Overall, I enjoyed the movie, obviously it is definitely not for children, but most teens will find it funny and older kids like me will also enjoy it as well.

I have already heard grumblings of a sequel with all the main character coming back as well as comic book as possible TV series.  I am not sure how fully developed or possible any of the ideas are but frankly with a world full of zombies as the star of the film anything is possible.

By Divina

Like the millions of people who have read the classic children’s book, I love Maurice Sendak’s  "Where the Wild Things Are". So when I heard Sendak and director Spike Jonze were going to make a children’s movie out of it.  I was very excited and very puzzled.

How do you turn a 20 page book with 9 lines of a wild boy and his adventures into a full length film?  You can make it a movie but the odds that it would be a GREAT movie were slim. 

Quick synopsis for those who have not read the book;

Max is a wild but misunderstood boy who after fighting with his mother runs away to the land of the Wild Things. The Wild Things are in need of a King who will keep away all unhappiness and so the self-proclaimed King Max tries to keep the Wild Things happy through dirt fights and other wild fun.  Max soon realizes it is not easy keeping everyone happy and together.  Through the movie we realize why Max is so angry and that his own life of being raised by a single mother (Catherine Keener) and a teenage sister who is also troubled by the divorce fuels his own wildness. 

This children’s movie has too many adult topics to be a children’s movie but it’s too slow to be an adult movie. 

See why I did not love the movie?  It was depressing and long.  Do children really want to watch a movie about a single mom struggling between raising her children, work and a new love interest (James Gandolfini)? 

Don’t get me wrong it was beautiful.

The cinematography, the full size Wild Thing puppets and the computer animation were fantastic and really did bring the book to life. 

Your children are going to laugh at the Wild Thing squabbles and the voice talents are exceptional. 

Each Wild Thing also showcases different sides of Max’s personality. 

• James Gandolfini voices Carol the leader who does not want his life to change 
• Chris Cooper is his best friend Douglas 
• Catherine O-Hara is glass half empty Judith who is depressed since the divorce and changes 
• Forest Whitaker voices Ira, Judith’s adoring and always compassionate husband 
• Paul Dano is the goat no one listens too
• Lauren Ambrose is KW the Wild Thing struggling to find herself

But the story fell short….There was no plot other than the escape, building a new home and some dirt fights.   Go see this movie to see the wonder and beauty of The Wild Things but go see a matinee due to the story, or wait for a RedBox night.  Better yet, pick up the original book at your local book store and let your own imagination run wild.