Smallfoot- Movie Review

There are a few slight spoilers in this review.

Smallfoot (c) 2018 directed by Karey Kirkpatrick etc.

Smallfoot was a fun movie for both kids and adults, and which I enjoyed. I feel I should say that some people might see it as an attack on religion, because of the many false beliefs that the Yetis hold onto, including the belief that "Smallfeet" don't exist, which we "smallfeet" know to be not true. I can understand why some people would see it that way, but I don't. I see the underlying message as being that it's okay to find things out; that real truth isn't something to fear; that learning facts about the world around us is not just okay, it's great. In other words, curiosity didn't kill the cat, curiosity educated the cat! A person can know all sorts of facts and truths about the universe and the world and still believe in God, and understand that having and living a moral code (even when it's hard and others are pressuring us not to follow our consciences) leads to positive consequences.

The yetis, in particular Mego and his gang of friends, were fun, and the way he developed his friendship with the main human character Percy despite their language barrier was funny and entertaining.

I liked that Percy had a change of and heart, and learned the value of friendship and integrity, even when it made him look bad to others.

The movie is rated PG for a few scenes of mild peril.

Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Performed by Patrick Stewart, Audiobook Review

Christmas Carol (c) 2006
performed by Patrick Stewart

The audiobook, Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, performed by Patrick Stewart, is a wonderful rendering of the book!

The original text is not read word for word, but what is left out is mostly the purple prose, and other wordy, reduntant stuff that Dickens and other Victorian authors were fond adding into their stories. The meat of the original story is still there, and Dickens' rich, descriptive word choice is also still there.

Patrick Stewart does a wonderful job bringing the story to life, and adding voice, depth and personality to the several characters of the story. This is an audiobook that I highly recommend! It was published by Simon and Shuster Audio in 2006.

Christopher Robin- Movie Review

Christopher Robin (c) 2018 by Marc Forster

Christopher Robin, directed by Marc Forster, starring Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, and Bronte Carmichael, and produced by Disney, is a fun, family movie about the adventures of a grown-up Christopher Robin with Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, and the rest of the gang from the Hundred Acre Wood.

Having married, survived the horrors of the Great War, and become a father, Christopher Robin is working at Winslow Enterprises, a company that makes suitcases, to support his family. He has lost his imagination, and is more often than not, working hard to impress his ungrateful supervisor, which takes time away from his family.

After having been order by his supervisor to work all weekend to find a way to cut costs, or cut employees, Christopher Robin doesn't know what to do. This unexpected assignment has taken him away from a trip to the country he had planned with his wife and daughter, and the two have to go without him. Feeling bad about the situation, he's sitting on a bench in a small park, when he hears a familiar voice. Who could it be, but Winnie-the-Pooh, come from the Hundred Acre Wood, looking for him! Thus begins an adventure with Christopher Robin and his Hundred Acre Wood family, and which eventually involves his wife and daughter, as well!

But what is the group going to do about that annoying supervisor who wants nothing more than to fire Christopher Robin, and his whole department? Watch this great family movie to find out!

The movie is rated PG for a few scenes of mild angst, and in my opinion, is appropriate for the whole family! Ewan McGregor and the rest of the cast do a great job, and I highly recommend it.

Dragonwatch Book 1 by Brandon Mull

Dragonwatch book 1 (c) 2017
by Brandon Mull

The first Dragonwatch book by Brandon Mull is an exciting continuation of the adventures of siblings Kendra and Seth, who began their adventures in the first book of the FableHaven series. In this story, Kendra is 15, and Seth is 13. This time, the two siblings and their grandparents are dealing with some recalcitrant dragons at a dragon reserve called Wyrmroost. (I'm guessing the spelling, because I listened to the audiobook.) Celebrant, the dragon king and his fellow dragons are tired of being kept in the reserve where they were put by humans because they'd been a danger to the humans in the past (burning, looting, etc.)  The dragons claim that they should have the right to roam free. But the people who are in charge of the reserves, of course, disagree.

I find this story interesting, because unlike many books where the antagonist doesn't have a clear motive for what he does, I can actually see the dragons' point of view. The situation reminded me of incoming Europeans confining Native Americans to reservations. Though the motives are different, and so are the species. It isn't a matter of cultures clashing, or me being greedy for someone else's land. It's about me not getting eaten by something one hundred times bigger than myself. It's about raw survival. So I see the real necessity of keeping dragons away from humans; because from the destruction that dragons can do, I, as a tiny, chewy human, don't want them roaming free. Neither do Kendra, Seth, their grandparents, and others. But Celebrant doesn't like to be confined. While I can see the point of view of the dragons as a group, I really don't like Celebrant. He's a plain all around jerk. I am certain that with his character, he would be a jerk in the best of situations. He's the kind of guy who is looking for a reason to be mad, and if he didn't have the excuse of complaining about being confined to a dragon reserve, he'd find something else to be mad about. I don't see him as a noble but wronged leader, like Sitting Bull, or Crazy Horse. He's just a bad leader all around, and his fellow dragons would be better off picking someone who  wasn't as inherently mean-spirited, and was better at negotiating. He belongs in dragon prison, not leading other dragons.

The book, like Brandon Mull's other books, is very well written, and the characters believable and multi-faceted. I highly recommend it to young readers of fantasy, and to adults as well. It's the kind of book that that can be read and enjoyed by more than just its target audience. And I look forward to the other books in the series!

The Wizard of Oz presented by Duchesne High School

Duchesne High is currently performing The Wizard of Oz and will be performing it tonight and tomorrow night at 7:00 pm both times. I attended on Saturday, and enjoyed the performance very much. The play is based on the book, written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum.

The main character, Dorothy, and her dog Toto, need to find their way home after her house is picked up by a tornado and set down in the land of Oz. Glinda, the good witch, tells her to seek the help of the Wizard of Oz in order to get back home, and she sets off on the yellow brick road to find him. On the way, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion who decide to help her on her quest. But they are hindered by the Wicked Witch of the West. Will they get the Wizard's help? Or will the Wicked Witch of the West get to them first?

Duchesne High's Drama department has done a great job, and I recommend the play!

Treasure Island, by Robert Lewis Stevenson

Treasure Island (c) 1882
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is a classic adventure story for many reasons. The plot is fun, the characters are likable (or dislikable) in fun ways, and the adventure, going after buried treasure, is fascinating for all sorts of age groups.

Jim Hawkins is the main good guy, a young man in his early teens, who first meets Billy Bones, a salty old sailor who has a secret. After old Billy Bones dies, Jim and his mother find a treasure map in his sea chest. This begins his adventure, pitting him and the other good guys against the main (and satisfyingly dislikable) bad guy, Long John Silver, and his dastardly minions.

The crew sails off together in the Hispaniola, Jim not knowing at first what John Silver and his minions have planned until he overhears their evil schemes while hiding in an apple barrel. 

Will Jim Hawkins and the other good guys be able to defeat the bad guys, or will the bad guys get them, and steal the treasure as well? Read the book and find out!

Ferdinand, Movie Review

Ferdinand (c) 2017, Blue Sky Entertainment

The movie Ferdinand (2017) starts off with little Ferdinand, a young bull who would rather take care of flowers and be kind than fight the other little bulls, saying goodbye to his father who is about to head off to the arena to fight the matador. But when the trailer returns without his dad, Ferdinand becomes confused and frightened. A door left ajar in his barn gives little Ferdinand the chance to escape, and he runs away from the farm that raises bulls just to fight. He makes it to the countryside, and to the flower farm of little Nina and her father. They welcome him into their home, and there Ferdinand grows up in peace and tranquility. But when he becomes an adult, an innocent visit to the local town's flower festival turns things bad for Ferdinand after he has an unfortunate run in with a bee.

While things become difficult for Ferdinand, he never lets go of his principles to be peaceful and kind to others, and he uses these personal standards throughout the movie.

The 2017 version of Ferdinand is based on the children's story The Story of Ferdinand first published in 1936 by Munroe Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson.

I like this story, as well as the book upon which it is based, and the short movie Ferdinand the Bull produced by Walt Disney Productions in 1938.

I think the message of this story is an inspiring one. Ferdinand's example shows us that it is possible to have great power and yet use it wisely and in kind ways to help others, rather than to hurt them. This is a good message for children and adults, and I strongly recommend this movie as well as the book and short movie.

Ferdinand was directed by Carlos Saldanha and produced by Blue Sky and Twentieth Century Fox Animation. It is rated PG for action scenes, and has no bad language. It is suitable for young children and up.