WONDER WOMAN BLOODLINES

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided this movie to ageekdaddy.com for free

Marvel Comics have been receiving a lot of fanfare of late for their superhero movies but did you know that DC Comics has also created a dynamic cinematic universe featuring their characters?  No I'm not talking about the live action Batman vs Superman or Justice League movies! But rather the animated motion pictures in the DC Movie Universe.

 I think these DC film's are just as good as the Marvel ones yet haven't gotten as much attention because they are animated instead of live action and straight to home video releases.  In my opinion though Warner Bros. Animation has created a spectacular DC Movie Universe that aren't run of the mill cartoons for young kids but rather combine stories full of depth with great imagery so as to be appealing for more mature audiences. These movies have ratings from PG to R making some family friendly viewing and others more suitable just for moms and dads to watch. So it is important for parents to check the MPAA ratings on these movies. A new addition to the DC Movie Universe, which is one I'm comfortable letting my tweens watch, is WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES.  It is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.

WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES tells the origin story of this iconic DC Comics heroine. In this animated movie, Amazon princess Diana of Themyscira chooses to save fighter pilot Steve Trevor who has crash landed on her hidden island and return him to his home in America. Fulfilling the role of both ambassador as well as protector, Diana soon earns the name Wonder Woman. Equally strong in body, heart and will, she makes it her mission to help a troubled young girl enlisted by a deadly organization known as Villainy, Inc., whose criminal members have their sights set on invading Diana’s paradise home of Themyscira. If you haven't seen a DC Movie Universe presentation yet, WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES is a great jumping in point to start viewing this series of films.



WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES is rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy action and violence and some bloody images. It has a runtime of 83 minutes. The movie features a great cast of vocal talents. Rosario Dawson (Jane the Virgin, Rent, Luke Cage) returns as the voice of Wonder Woman for the sixth time in the DC Movie Universe, leading a sensational WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES cast voicing characters that includes Jeffrey Donovan (Fargo, Burn Notice) as Steve Trevor, Marie Avgeropoulos (The 100) as Silver Swan, Adrienne C. Moore (Orange Is the New Black) as Etta Candy, Kimberly Brooks (DC Super Hero Girls, Mass Effect, Winx Club) as The Cheetah & Giganta, Courtenay Taylor (Regular Show, Fallout 4) as Dr. Poison, Constance Zimmer (Entourage, House of Cards, Unreal) as Veronica Cale, Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as Julia Kapatelis, Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Arrow) as Ferdinand, Cree Summer (Batman Beyond, Rugrats) as Hippolyta, Mozhan Marno (The Blacklist, House of Cards) as Dr. Cyber, and Ray Chase (Justice League Dark) as Lead Bandit.

In addition to viewing the movie, you'll want to watch the bonus content that comes along with it. Included with the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo packs as well as Digital purchases are the following extras:

DC Showcase: Death (Animated Short) – Inspired by Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” Death is produced & directed by Sam Liu (Justice League vs. The Fatal Five) and written by J.M. DeMatteis (Batman: Bad Blood). In the story, Vincent, an artist with unresolved inner demons, meets a mysterious girl who helps him come to terms with his creative legacy … and eventual death. Leonard Nam (Westworld) provides the voice of Vincent, and Jamie Chung (The Gifted, Big Hero 6) is the voice of Death. The voice cast includes Darin De Paul, Keith Szarabajka and Kari Wahlgren.

The Cheetah: Ferocious Archenemy (New Featurette) – Ferocious. Clever. Deadly. It’s the thrill of the hunt and the prey is Wonder Woman. This is the story of The Cheetah, Diana’s greatest enemy.

A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Superman: Red Son – An advanced look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection.

Pick up WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES on 4K Ultra HD or Blu-ray from Best Buy. If you make a purchase using the links above this dad blogger receives a small commission from Best Buy at no additional charge to you. Thanks for your support of ageekdaddy.com!

TEEN TITANS GO VS TEEN TITANS

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free Teen Titans Go! vs Teen Titans movie

One of my kids favorite movies we went to see in a theater last year was TEEN TITANS GO TO THE MOVIES. That film ended with a tease that the Teen Titans Go characters in the movie might be in a sequel featuring the team from another Teen Titans animated television series. That sequel became a reality this year with the straight to home video release of TEEN TITANS GO! VS TEEN TITANS from Warner Bros. Animation.

This animated movie pairs together the DC Comics characters from the currently airing Teen Titans Go! television series on Cartoon Network with their similar counterparts from a Teen Titans show that ran from 2003 - 2006. This is an epic combination that not only pairs up characters from these two animated television shows but throws together a whole cartoon multi-verse of Teen Titans! My kids were geeked to see TEEN TITANS GO VS TEEN TITANS for a family movie night!

In TEEN TITANS GO! VS TEEN TITANS, the goofy modern-day quintet takes on their more serious 2003 crime fighting counterparts when villains from each of their worlds join forces to pit the two Titan teams against each other. They’ll need to set aside their differences and work together to combat Trigon, Hexagon, Santa Claus (that’s right, Santa!) and time itself in order to save the universe. My son and daughter were laughing as well as jumping up and down cheering on the heroes throughout the movie. They had a whole lot of fun watching TEEN TITANS GO! VS TEEN TITANS which is available now to view on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital!



Fans of these two television series will appreciate the TEEN TITANS GO! VS TEEN TITANS movie features the same multi-series voice talent that have portrayed these characters for 17 years: Greg Cipes (The Middle, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Beast Boy, Scott Menville (LEGO DC: Batman – Family Matters) as Robin, Khary Payton (The Walking Dead) as Cyborg, Tara Strong (Batman: The Animated Series, My Little Pony, Unikitty!) as Raven, and Hynden Walch (Adventure Time, Groundhog Day) as Starfire. The cast also spotlights Kevin Michael Richardson (The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad!) as Trigon/Hexagon, Robert Morse (Mad Men, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) as Santa Claus, Grey Griffin (Scooby-Doo franchise, DC Super Hero Girls, The Fairly OddParents) as Mrs. Claus, Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords, Voltron: Legendary Defender) as Master of Games, Sean Maher (Firefly, Serenity) as Nightwing, and four-time Grammy Award winner “Weird Al” Yankovic (Milo Murphy’s Law) as Gentleman Ghost and Darkseid.

Because this is a home video release there is also a lot of content beyond just the movie to enjoy. Watch some past episodes of the tv shows and some brand new featurettes. Bonus content available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital includes:

Teen Titans Go! "Legendary Sandwich" - Raven sends the Titans on a quest to find ingredients for a magical sandwich.

Teen Titans Go! "Mr. Butt" - Blackfire pays a surprise visit to her sister Starfire. The other Titans think Blackfire is playing another trick, but Starfire is certain this time Blackfire is serious about reviving their sisterly love.

Teen Titans Go! "Cat's Fancy" - Robin decides to become a cat so that Starfire will finally love him.

Teen Titans Go! "Shrimps and Prime Rib” - The Titans try to remember how to be superheroes and stop The Brain.

Teen Titans Go! "The Scoop" - When Starfire becomes obsessed with an ice cream scoop, the others try to teach her that inanimate objects can't replace people.

Teen Titans Go! "Chicken in the Cradle" - In the Season Five premiere, Beast Boy neglects his responsibilities leaving the other Titans to raise his baby chick.

Teen Titans, "Final Exam" - Slade hires the newest graduates of the H.I.V.E. to take on the Teen Titans.

Teen Titans, "How Long is Forever" - Starfire is accidentally sucked into a wormhole that sends her 20 years into the future.

Teen Titans, "Deception" - When the Titans find out Brother Blood has an academy for young super villains, Cyborg goes undercover to find out more about the operation.

Teen Titans Go! Top of the Titans: The Raddest Songs ( Featurette ) - A Teen Titans Go! special mini-series hosted by Birdarang, who counts down the top 12 "raddest" songs from the show.

Teen Titans Go! Top of the Titans: Titans Dance Party ( Featurette ) - A Teen Titans Go! special mini-series hosted by Birdarang, who counts down the top 13 best dance songs or moments from the show.

Teen Titans Go! Top of the Titans: Best Rivals ( Featurette ) - A Teen Titans Go! special mini-series hosted by Robin, leader of the Titans, who counts down the top 15 best rivals from the show.

Sing-along ( Featurette ) - Join in and sing-along with "We are Teen Titans" and the "Worlogog" tunes featuring Cyborg, never before on video!

Pick up TEEN TITANS GO! VS TEEN TITANS on Blu-ray or DVD from Best Buy. If you purchase the movie from a link above this dad blogger will receive a small commission at no additional expense to you. Thanks for your support of ageekdaddy.com!

MINECRAFT BIRTHDAY PARTY

My kids love playing the video game MINECRAFT which lets them build their own customizable fantasy worlds from pixelated three dimensional blocks that can be moved and transformed. So I'm sure they would go bananas over a Minecraft themed birthday party like this one shared with me by Wholesale Party Supplies.  With ideas like these, you can have a fun celebration at home rather than feeling as if you need to host birthday parties at a restaurant or entertainment venue. That could save you some serious dough compared to going to someplace like an arcade, roller rink, or water park.

Find a theme the birthday boy or girl will be thrilled about and combine your own creativity with items from Wholesale Party Supplies to transform a space into someplace special. In this case that is a Minecraft world complete with decorations, treats and activities that let kids imagine they've stepped inside the video game. These party suggestions from Wholesale Party Supplies are sure to delight young Minecraft fans:

DECORATIONS

Transform a wall of a room into the blocky façade of the Minecraft world with a stone wall backdrop. Drape a jointed banner across the façade with a “happy birthday” message on it. Tip: separate it to create a double line. Use fishing line and command hooks to display it.

Create a desert space under the banner by decorating a table with boxes made to look like Minecraft blocks. Add a Minecraft Creeper Pinata that can serve both as a decoration and an activity. Toss on some favors like these party hats to add some flair.

Next create a place to eat with a Minecraft tablescape. Drape a tablecloth base, top it with a personalized activity mat, and add  themed plates and cups as well as your own DIY touches. Then cover party goers seats with no-sew DIY Minecraft chair covers of the creeper character using fabric and hot glue. Tip: Click here for DIY instructions on how to craft these Minecrafter creeper chair covers.

DESERTS

Brownies with green icing look a lot like grass blocks within the video game. Throw in some Hershey’s nuggets to represent gold and powdered donuts for snowballs. Of course you need a birthday cake so make a square one decorated with smaller red block shapes made from fruit roll-ups. Tip: add some fruit into the mix like watermelon slices to balance out the sweets and give a healthy alternative for guests to snack on.

ACTIVITIES

Minecraft's vibe is all about blocks and pixels. With that in mind put together a melty bead station where guests can build based on pixels. Download printable design sheets, lay out clear boards, plenty of bead colors and let everyone complete their favorite Minecraft character or icon. Tip: have an adult using the iron to avert arguments and injuries.

Break out the piñata that was decorating the desert table after the craft project. Each guest holds a string and they all pull it at the same time. Only one opens the door to release all the treasures inside, but no one will know who actually gave it a go! This avoids anyone getting batted in the head, stomach or other um sensitive places but the kids still have fun opening the piñata.

Finally it is time to send your birthday party guests home. Send them off with some nice party favors. Fill a Minecraft Tote Bag with a few of the suggestions below and tie on it a personalized tag thank you message:

Minecraft stickers – shift them left or right to see a hologram design;

Minecraft tattoos – they will be able to show off being fans of the video game for everyone to see;

Minecraft inspired pencils and pencil toppers – if you got to do homework might as well make it fun!

TREERUNNER ADVENTURE PARK OU

A Geek Daddy received complimentary passes for this review

Soar through a forest of trees as you climb and zip line your way through aerial obstacle courses at the TREERUNNER ADVENTURE PARK in Rochester Hills, Michigan.  Located near the intersection of Walton and Adams roads on the campus of Oakland University, you'll feel like an American Ninja Warrior as you test your mettle on a variety of exciting elevated rope courses. Your adrenaline is sure to get pumping tackling more than 60 exciting obstacles and zip lines at TreeRunner Adventure Park OU.

Looking to get your kids and their friends away from television and video games for some outdoor fun? TreeRunner Adventure Park is a great way to get children and teens geeked about going outside for some entertainment and exercise. Open to children 7 years and older, TreeRunner Adventure Park is a great spot for families to play together. With three difficulty levels, and five different courses, moms and dads will have as much fun as their kids in exploring the TreeRunner Adventure Park at Oakland University.

My ten year old twins and I spent an afternoon having a blast at TreeRunner Adventure Park OU! We started off doing the basic course which is about seven feet off the ground but as we progressed to increasingly more challenging courses eventually found ourselves three stories up in the canopy of the aerial adventure park's trees. We had such a great time my son and daughter excitedly asked me as we were leaving when we could come back again.



No special skills or experience is required to engage in this activity and have a good time. After spending about fifteen minutes participating in a training orientation and a few moments on the course, my kids had it down when it came to climbing and zip lining through the courses. Safety is a priority at TreeRunner Adventure Parks (they also have locations in Grand Rapids and West Bloomfield) with every participant wearing mandated harnesses which are doubly secured to safety cables using an “always locked on” system of interlocking safety clips. When it comes to these aerial obstacle courses the only thing to fear really is fear itself.

Because TreeRunner Adventure Park had my kids enjoying being active outside, it has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval. I also liked that it provides an opportunity for families to have fun together doing something out of the ordinary. It also gets a positive nod because TreeRunner Adventure Park is a place we are likely to be visiting over and over again based upon how much my family enjoyed our outing there.

For more details, go to TREERUNNEROU.COM 

TreeRunner Adventure Park -- Oakland University provided my family with complimentary passes for ageekdaddy.com review. Opinions expressed are honest and my own. Thanks TreeRunne OU for providing us with an exciting family adventure!

Water Safety Tips for Summer Fun

** This is a sponsored post by Goldfish Swim School **

Summer has just started and already a rash of children drowning across the nation are being reported.  This topic hit especially close to home for us when a young family member of one of my son's classmates  recently drowned.  While having fun in and around the water is a really great way to enjoy the summer please remember to always take safety precautions to help ensure that an enjoyable time doesn't turn into a tragic moment.  Chris McCuiston, co-founder of Goldfish Swim School, shared with A Geek Daddy water safety tips for when you are having some summer fun at the pool or beach:

Never leave a child unattended in or around water.  Make sure there is a designated watcher on duty and that kids aren't swimming alone.  Drowning can happen in the time it takes to send a text message or answer a phone call so don't let yourself be distracted when it is your responsibility to safeguard children in the water.

No matter what your age or skill level, always swim with at least one other person.  If something happens you know there is someone else in proximity to help out or go for help.

Making sure kids know how to swim is the best way to stay safe in the water.  Even for kids who "know" how to swim, lessons are still beneficial.  One key lesson taught at Goldfish Swim School is if a child falls in the water, have them turn around to look where they fell in, keep their head above water and swim to the edge where they came in.  Kids have a tendency to think the easiest way out is across the pool when they might be closer to the edge than they think.

Goldfish Swim School has programs for children as young as infants and toddlers that get them comfortable in the water and provide some basic safety skills for them and their parents.  Swim lessons are also offered for children 4 to 12 years old that range from providing basic skills necessary for swimming to mastering a variety of strokes.  Focused on providing lessons to children, Goldfish Swim School provides a highly personal experience for each student within a family-friendly facility.

Whether you are boating or swimming, make sure there are life preservers and U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vests available for all swimmers.  Plus have a first aid kit handy as well.

While you shouldn't be on the phone while kids are swimming make sure you have one nearby so you can quickly call 911 if you need to.

Every second counts in an emergency!  Knowing CPR and other first aid skills can be a real life saver in an emergency while waiting for medical professionals to arrive and provide assistance.

No matter if you are an adult or a child it is always important to be cautious and respect the water.  Cramps, undertow, and other unexpected situations can put even the most skilled swimmer in jeopardy.  As much fun as it is to play and swim in the water it is important to always keep in mind that a dangerous situation can arise at anytime.

Spending time in and around the water is a part of summer that many people love.  Don't be afraid of water! Just make sure you're prepared to be safe by following these safety tips for summer fun and are always vigilant about being cautious around beaches and pools.  For more safety tips and information about swimming lessons, please visit goldfishswimschool.com.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU

Hope you enjoy Star Wars Day with someone special in your life!  May the 4th be with you!