Thank you 20th Century Studios for providing ageekdaddy.com with a free digital movie code for Ron's Gone Wrong
We had an enjoyable family movie night watching the animated flick Ron's Gone Wrong and my 12-year-old twins especially appreciated the film because they found it very relatable to where they are in their lives right now as middle schoolers. The movie's parody of a technology company very similar to Facebook that launches a product with the goal of promoting people abandoning in-person interactions to instead socially connect with others solely through technology rings true in both a funny and also somewhat scary retrospect of today's times. Why talk to someone face-to-face when you can do it instead through an app, or in the case of this movie a robot, is a central theme of this comedy which explores if technology may be devolving our humanity rather than accomplishing goals of actually bring people closer together. While this may seem a heavy topic, Ron's Gone Wrong addresses it in a humorous way through a heart-warming story.
Middle school can be a tough time where people are changing both with puberty and in developing a sense of who they are with their personality and place in the world. My own kids are struggling with being bullied and finding themselves in uncomfortable social situations navigating through school hallways during the tween and early teen years of middle school. Many of the troubles the main character faces in the movie are similar to circumstances my son and daughter have also faced when it comes to navigating friendships in middle school. They both expressed while we watched Ron's Gone Wrong how much they appreciated how the scenarios in the film hit home with struggles they themselves personally are going through and were appreciative of the inspiring positive messages portrayed in the story. Plus, they were laughing throughout the movie; so this comedy hits the mark when it comes to being funny based upon all the giggles floating around the room.
In Ron's Gone Wrong, things go hilariously awry when Barney, a socially awkward middle schooler, receives a malfunctioning, digitally connected device that’s supposed to be his “best friend out of the box.” In this action-packed animated story set against the backdrop of the social media age, a boy and his robot discover the wonderful messiness of true friendship. Ron's Gone Wrong is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America and has a run-time of 1 hour and 47 minutes.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie because it didn't get a lot of buzz. When hitting play to watch it we didn't have a lot of expectations. I was pleasantly surprised with Ron's Gone Wrong being a totally enjoyable family-friendly flick full of laughs and characters that are developed so the audience cares about them and is invested in the film's conclusion. Ron's Gone Wrong captured the whole family's attention throughout the film making for a great movie night selection.
While the critics didn't provide rave reviews of Ron's Gone Wrong, audiences seem to agree with this Geek Daddy as the film has been certified FRESH on Rotten Tomatoes with a 94% audience approval score. Taking into consideration all the laughs and positive messages incorporated into this family-friendly adventure/comedy, Ron's Gone Wrong has absolutely earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval. Watching it made for a great movie night with the wife and kids!
Ron's Gone Wrong is available to add to your home entertainment video library now on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. Buy Ron's Gone Wrong through a Geek Daddy affiliate link and this dad blogger will receive a small commission at no additional expense to your purchase. Your support of ageekdaddy.com is appreciated!
In addition to being able to watch Ron's Gone Wrong when-ever and where-ever you want with your own copy of the film, you also have to appreciate that home video releases of movies also include bonus content that you can't see at theaters in addition to the feature presentation. Ron's Gone Wrong on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital includes the following bonus content:
A Boy and His B*Bot: When Jack Met Zach – Zach Galifianakis and Jack Dylan Grazer, the voices behind Ron and Barney, sit down to chat about a fun assortment of topics. From social media to skateboarding, the two actors from two very different generations tell us all about when Jack met Zach.
Making Ron Right – Join cast and crew behind the scenes as they reveal the skill, dedication and friendship it took to bring this film to life. From writing the script to the voice-over booth, Locksmith’s artisans detail how they made Ron right.
“Sunshine” Music Video – Song from the motion picture Ron’s Gone Wrong, performed by Liam Payne.
** A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free**
We received a special delivery of back to school goods when a stork left us a surprise on our front porch. It appears #Storks have gotten out of the baby delivery business and are competing with Fed Ex and UPS delivering consumer products now. Check out what arrived at our doorstep:
STORKS is a family-friendly 3D animated comedy that is arriving at movie theaters across the United States on Friday, September 23, 2016. In this movie, Storks have stopped delivering babies and now deliver packages for a global internet retailer. Junior, the
company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he
accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable
and wholly unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this
bundle of trouble before the boss gets wise, Junior and his friend
Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain, race to make their first-ever
baby drop – in a wild and revealing journey that could make more than
one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in the world.
STORKS features the voices of Andy Samberg (“Cloudy with a Chance
of Meatballs,” “Hotel Transylvania”), Kelsey Grammer (“Toy Story 2,”
“The Simpsons”), Katie Crown (Cartoon Network’s “Clarence”),
Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele (Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele”),
and Danny Trejo (“The Book of Life”). The film is directed by
Nicholas Stoller (“Neighbors,” BAFTA nominee for “Muppets Most Wanted”),
and Doug Sweetland (supervising animator on “Cars,” Oscar-nominated
director of the animated short “Presto”). STORKS was produced by Warner Bros. Animation Group which also created THE LEGO MOVIE.
It seems like we're always wondering when the next kid friendly film will be arriving at theaters so we can go on a family outing to the theaters. Unfortunately when you have young children there aren't always a lot of options for movies that the whole family can go together to see without worrying about violence, sexual situations, and other mature themes being portrayed on the big screen in front of your little ones. So I've compiled a calendar of the more kid friendly motion pictures that will be playing at theaters in 2016 to keep track of when some of the best times throughout the year will be to consider a family trip to the movies.
NORM OF THE NORTH - January 15
A polar bear of many words, Norm’s greatest gripe is simple:
there is no room for tourists in the Arctic. But when a maniacal developer
threatens to build luxury condos in his own backyard, Norm does what all normal
polar bears would do…he heads to New York City to stop it. With a cast of
ragtag lemmings at his side, Norm takes on the big apple, big business and a
big identity crisis to save the day.
KUNG FU PANDA 3 - January 29
When Po's long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the
reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new
panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across
China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to
train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate
band of Kung Fu Pandas!
ZOOTOPIA - March 4
The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia 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 optimistic Officer Judy Hopps
arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police 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 a fast-talking,
scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.
THE LITTLE PRINCE - March 18
The story centers around a young girl who befriends an eccentric old neighbor. The elderly man shares with her his tale of being a pilot who crash-landed in the Sahara
desert and came across a little boy who says he is a prince fallen to Earth
from his home on an asteroid. As the pilot repaired his plane, the little prince
regales him with stories about his home and the foolish inhabitants of nearby
asteroids.
THE JUNGLE BOOK - April 15
The Jungle Book is an all-new live-action epic adventure
about Mowgli, a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of
wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome
tiger Shere Khan, who bears the scars of Man, promises to
eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever
known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by
panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera and the
free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli
encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart,
including Kaa, a python whose seductive voice and
gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie, who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to
the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.
RATCHET & CLANK - April 29
Ratchet & Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes
as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every
planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind -- a foolhardy
"lombax" who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family
of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. When the
two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they
must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in
order to save the galaxy. Along the way, they will learn about heroism,
friendship, and the importance of discovering one's own identity.
ANGRY BIRDS - May 20
A feature-length movie based on the popular downloadable
game in which birds try to attack pigs who stole their eggs.
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - May 27
In this sequel to Alice in Wonderland, Alice Kingsleigh has spent the past few years
following in her father’s footsteps and sailing the high seas. Upon her return
to London, she comes across a magical looking glass and returns to the
fantastical realm of Underland and her friends the White Rabbit,
Absolem, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter (played by Johnny Depp), who is not
himself. The Hatter has lost his Muchness, so Alice embarks on
a quest to borrow the Chronosphere, a metallic globe inside the chamber of the
Grand Clock which powers all time. Returning to the past, she comes across
friends – and enemies – at different points in their lives, and embarks on a
perilous race to save the Hatter before time runs out.
FINDING DORY - June 17
Finding Dory takes place about a year after the events that transpired in the Finding Nemo which won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Finding Dory addresses the one emotionally open-ended issue that remained from
the first movie: Where is Dory’s family, and will this overly-optimistic fish
with short-term memory loss ever be able to find them again? This movie's setting moves from the Australian backdrop of the first movie to to the California coastline in this one and features a that welcomes a host of
new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of
Dory’s life.
BFG - July 1
The BFG, while a giant himself, is a Big
Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing
24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly
dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler and Fleshlumpeater on the other hand, are twice
as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the
BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country,
Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of
the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize
that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a
giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where
he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic
and mystery of dreams.
Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for
one another quickly grows. But Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted
the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more
bothersome. Sophie and the
BFG soon depart for London to see Queen Victoria and warn her
of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come
up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.
Adapted from Roald Dahl's 1982 novel, which was illustrated by Quentin
Blake this film marks Steven Spielberg’s first time directing a Disney-branded
movie.
SECRET LIFE OF PETS - July 8
Set in a Manhattan apartment building, after the two-legged
residents head for work and school, their pets gather to start their day, which
consists of hanging out, trading humiliating stories about their owners, and
helping each other work up adorable looks that will lead to more snacks. The
head hound is a quick-witted terrier rescue, whose
position at the epicenter of his master’s universe is suddenly threatened when
she comes home with Duke, a sloppy mongrel with no
polish. The two soon find themselves on the mean streets of New York, where
they meet the adorable white bunny Snowball. It turns
out that Snowball is the leader of an army of pets that were abandoned and are
determined to get back at humanity and every owner-loving pet. The dogs must
thwart this plot and make it back in time for dinner.
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE - July 22
Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into
the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that
transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny,
Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest
full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a
host of colorful new characters.
KUBO & THE 2 STRINGS - August 19
Clever, kindhearted Kubo ekes out
a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including
Hosato, Hashi and Kamekichi. But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally
summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an
age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey and Beetle,
and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of
his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With
the help of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument - Kubo must battle gods
and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King and the evil
twin Sisters to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his
family and fulfill his heroic destiny.
STORKS - September 23
Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they
deliver packages for global internet giant Cornerstore.com. Junior, the
company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally
activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly
unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before the
boss gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain,
race to make their first-ever baby drop – in a wild and revealing journey that
could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in
the world.
TROLLS - November 4
Not much has been released about this animated movie yet except that it revolves around those creatures with the funky hair that old ladies keep as lucky charms while playing Bingo.
FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM - November 18
Set in New York roughly seven decades before Harry Potter’s
saga starts, Fantastic Beasts is based on the Hogwarts textbook of the same
name and follows the adventures of its author, Newt Scamander.
MOANA - November 23
In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born
navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible
journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse
the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures,
breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.
SING - December 21
Matthew McConaughey voices "Buster Moon," a dapper
Koala who runs a once-great theater now fallen on hard times. Seeing the thing
he loves most in his life coming to ruin, Buster connives to restore the
theater’s fortunes by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.
The last few years the lineup of family friendly movies during the summer has really been ho-hum with most of the best films coming out during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. 2016 could reverse that trend with what appears will be some of the year's best Kids Movies being released in June and July. My wife is really excited about going to see Finding Dory, in fact probably more excited than my kids are, and the two movies my 7 year old twins appear to be most excited to go see, Secret Life of Pets and Ice Age: Collision Course are coming out in July. Just like when Frozen, we don't know much about Disney's big animated feature Moana in advance of its release. People went into Frozen not necessarily knowing much about what it was about and fell in love with it. Could Moana have the same Disney magic? If so than the holiday season could again overtake the summer as the blockbuster time of year for kids movies. Also keep an eye out for Sing which comes out at the end of the year from the studio that brought you the Despicable Me and Minions movies. Moana, Trolls, Fantastic Beasts and Sing could make for some great end of the year movie watching if these films all live up to studio expectations.
So what kids movie is your family most looking forward to seeing this year?
