The video game “Spore” passed briefly through our household, but others like “World of Warcraft” took hold and stayed. Still, I can see the appeal of the cute little amoebic creatures, and apparently, so does Twentieth Century Fox.
The studio is pairing up with Electronic Arts to turn “Spore” into an animated feature film, with “Ice Age” director Chris Wedge attached to helm. Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, who also penned the upcoming “The Princess and the Frog” and “The Return of King Doug” are writing the screenplay.
Released in September 2008, “Spore” the video game lets players create their …read more

Movie: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: Sept. 18, 2009

Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Phil Lord

MPAA Rating: PG for brief mild language
Gecko Rating:

 
 
Based on the popular children’s book by Ron and Judy Barrett, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” is a cute movie, but rather forgettable in the big scheme of things.  The graphics and animation are interesting, not to mention the idea of being able to order up whatever food you want and have giant amounts of it fall from the sky. So there’s that. But truth be told, it was more boring …read more

That fabulously fun food film (like that alliteration?) “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” cooks into theaters this Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, and the stars hit the red carpet to talk up the movie.
The big screen version of Ron and Judi Barrett’s classic children’s book features the voices of Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, James Caan, Tracy Morgan, and Mr. T. Looks like good fun! Check out the trailer here, and watch the stars on the red carpet. 

Movie: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: July 1, 2009

Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Carlos Saldanha

MPAA Rating: PG for some mild rude humor and peril
Gecko Rating:

 
They’ve really mined everything they can out of these "Ice Age" movies, haven’t they? That’s not to say they’re not cute and fun and all that stuff. Just that maybe they’ve come to the end of the line on these particular characters and stories. Then again, they’ve added a few new characters in this movie, and let’s face it, they’re just at the dawn of the dinosaurs, which …read more

When my kids were little, one of our favorite books was “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi and Ron Barrett. I think I liked it probably more than the kids. Just the idea of having food raining down on you whenever you’re hungry is a pretty entertaining idea. Ok, my adult-self thinks it would get really messy, but my kid-self says bring it on!
The animated big screen version hits theaters Sept. 18, 2009, and features the voices of Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, James Caan, Tracy Morgan, and Mr. T. Yes, Mr. T! It’s directed …read more

The first trailer for Disney’s "The Princess and the Frog" aired during Friday’s episode of "Wizards of Waverly Place." The animated fairy tale centers on a young princess named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose – love her in HBO’s "The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency") who lives in the French Quarters of New Orleans during the Jazz Age.
Directed by Ron Clements, the Disney romance features the voices of Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Keith David, and Oprah Winfrey. It’ll hit theaters just in time for Christmas, on Dec. 11, 2009.

Here’s the most recent trailer for "Up," an animated movie from Pixar that looks beautiful and creative and full of interesting characters. It’s from the same people who created "Finding Nemo," "Monsters, Inc.," and "Toy Story," and tells the story of an old man (Ed Asner) who ties a bunch of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilderness with a 9-year-old stowaway (Jordan Nagai). Directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, "Up" sails into theaters May 29, 2009.

Movie: Monsters vs. Aliens * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: March 27, 2009

Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Rob Letterman / Conrad Vernon

MPAA Rating: PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor, and mild language
Gecko Rating:

There’s really only so much you can do with a kids’ movie these days. There’s usually an evil guy, a main character with issues, some kooky supporting characters, and a big crisis that needs to be stopped.
"Monsters vs. Aliens" has all of these elements, but what puts it a notch above most kids’ movies is the animation. The movie is offered in both 3D and …read more

The stars came out in force, including Seth Rogen, Reese Witherspoon, Keifer Sutherland and Judd Apatow, hitting the red carpet for the premiere of "Monsters vs. Aliens," blasting into theaters this Friday, March 27, 2009. Are you taking the kids to this movie? Heck, just go see it yourself. It looks really cute!

Not a whole lot new on DVD this week, unless you’re a fan of Barbie or the "Punisher" series. Then you’re in luck! Read on…
Punisher: War Zone (2-Disc Special Edition and Widescreen/Full Screen Edition). This sequel to 2004’s "The Punisher" brings back Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson), a vigilante-hero who goes after a mob boss out for vengeance. [Official Site]
Barbie Presents: Thumbelina. A sweet story about a little Twillerbee named Thumbelina and Barbie’s efforts to save their habitat. [Amazon]
Elegy. Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley star in this film about a college professor and a beautiful young woman – and their …read more