A MERMAID'S TALE

 ** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**

If it is Friday night that means my kids will be in a swimming pool.  That is the evening they spend having their weekly swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School.  My daughter likes to imagine herself as a mermaid when she swims so we picked out a fitting movie for the family to watch together after their class wrapped up this week.  Picking up a pizza on the way home, we ate dinner on the living room couch while watching an advance release DVD of A Mermaid's Tale that Lionsgate had recently sent us.

The movie features a few faces that parents should find familiar in Barry Bostwick (who played the mayor in one of my all-time favorite TV shows Spin City) and Jerry O'Connell (who has had roles in the movies Stand By Me and Jerry Maguire plus is the voice of Superman in several DC Comics Justice League straight to video animated movies) as well as two upcoming young actresses Caitlin Carmichael and Sydney Scotia.  A Mermaid's Tale isn't as much a supernatural adventure as it is the story of two teen's friendship and overcoming the bias of adults to steer their own course in life.  The movie really focuses on the relationship of a lonely human girl and a quirky, curious mermaid whose characters just want to have fun, explore the world around them and be loved by friends and family.  Attributes that most kids are seeking which make Carmichael and Scotia very relatable to young audiences.

When Ryan (Carmichael) and her father (O'Connell) move from San Diego to a small coastal town to help her ailing fisherman grandfather (Bostwick) the teenage girl finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings with no friends.  One day while walking along the boat docks she sees a girl in the water trapped by fishing nets struggling not to drown.  Ryan helps the girl escape and finds out that she is a mythical mermaid!  The two strike up a friendship and pledge to show each other what life is like above and below the surface of the water.  Their friendship creates a predicament for the two though as the mermaid named Coral (Scotia) is forbidden from interacting with humans to protect her kind from being hunted to extinction while Ryan's grandfather has a mysterious connection with these legendary creatures and had devoted his life to capturing one.  This of course creates a predicament!



A Mermaid's Tale is Rated G by the Motion Picture Association of America and has received a "Family Approved" seal from the Dove Foundation that reviews movies for their appropriateness for child and teen audiences.  It will be available on DVD and Digital HD beginning May 16, 2017.  To purchase the movie or for more information, please visit www.lionsgateshop.com

Win a SING Movie Prize Pack

My kids have been wanting to go see SING since they saw its trailer when we saw THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS during the summer and it finally arrives at theaters on December 23rd! To share our family's excitement about the theatrical release of this new animated film from ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT (the studio behind Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets) I'm co-hosting a SING themed giveaway valued at $60! What is included?

• Johnny Plush
• Buster Plush
• $25 Fandango Gift Card

Your kids will enjoy these plush toys and you can use the gift card to take the family to see SING!



About the film

Illumination Entertainment has captivated audiences all over the world with the beloved hits Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Despicable Me 2 and Minions which is now the second-highest-grossing animated movie in history. Following the release of this summer’s comedy blockbuster The Secret Life of Pets, Illumination Entertainment presents SING this holiday season. With its highly relatable characters, heart and humor, the first collaboration between writer/director Garth Jennings (Son of Rambow, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and Illumination's founder and CEO Chris Meledandri marks the sixth fully animated feature from the studio. SING stars Academy Award® winners Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, alongside Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Grammy Award-nominated Tori Kelly. Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, SING is the story of Buster Moon (McConaughey), a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal—some might even say delusional—optimist who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now faced with the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.

SING hits theaters December 23rd!

Connect with Sing on Social Media:

 Official Website: http://www.singmovie.com/
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SingMovie  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SingMovie
 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SingMovie/
Tumblr: http://singmovie.tumblr.com/  
#SingMovie

Enter to win the SING prize pack using the form below. GOOD LUCK!

Entry-Form

Let the kids go wild with these Zootopia coloring pages

I have to admit Shakira's new song "Try Everything" for the upcoming Disney movie Zootopia is pretty catchy.  I've found myself humming it the last few days while working out at the gym.  In this upcoming animated feature film, the Grammy-winning singer voices the role of Gazelle who is the biggest pop star in the world of Zootopia, which is a modern metropolis populated by wild animals of all shapes and sizes.

 The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia which is the backdrop for this new family friendly animated adventure from Walt Disney Studios is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it's a melting pot where animals from every environment live together -- a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything.  But when rookie police officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a force of big tough animals isn't so easy.  Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with fast talking, scam artist fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) to solve the mystery.



My kids have been wanting to see Zootopia since we began seeing trailers for it at the movie theater last year.  It looks to be a funny, upbeat story that parents and children can equally appreciate for a family outing to the movies.  I'm sure all of us adults can appreciate the sloths working at the department of motor vehicles though kids under 16 may not get the humor.  With a cute bunny as its star, comedic moments, and an energetic musical score this looks to be a must see movie for families that have kids at home who are young enough to go out in public without being embarrassed they are spending time with mom and dad.

While you are waiting for the film's March 4, 2016 release date let your kids go wild enjoying these Zootopia themed activity sheets and coloring pages courtesy of A Geek Daddy's friends at Walt Disney Studios. 

#Zootopia