I know we live in a digital world, but sometimes instead of keeping track of your life through an app it is nice to utilize an old school wall calendar. My middle school aged daughter likes to have a wall calendar hanging in her bedroom to markdown things like her schedule of activities, special events and people's birthdays. Plus, she LOVES sloths so in addition to being handy this calendar from Workman Publishing, The Original Sloths Calendar makes a nice decoration for her bedroom wall.
There’s just something about sloths: their gentle expressions, their long, furry arms, their penchant for just hanging around. Not to mention how they set such a good example for the rest of us—slow down and bask in the moment! The Original Sloths Wall Calendar from Workman Publishing features a year of gorgeous, full-color images from photographer and sloth fanatic Lucy Cooke. For example, one month highlights Sweet Darien, saying “hello” from upside down. Another month features best buddies Branston and Pickles, enjoying a tasty floral snack. And another month showcases an irresistible basketful of sleepy sloths. If you know someone who adores sloths, it is time to get a calendar for 2022!
The pictures in the Original Sloths Wall Calendar are accompanied by charming captions and fascinating sloth facts: Did you know sloths’ long claws are not made of keratin, like most animals’, but are actually long, protruding finger bones? Ok that fact might have just made you think ewww but the pictures in the calendar are sure to make you exclaim awww. And these Sloth themed calendars are printed on FSC-certified paper so you don't have to feel guilty about trees being cut down to produce the product. In fact, creating jobs through sustainable forestry helps people make a living in rural environments instead of doing activities to support their families that are more damaging to these habitats and dangerous to the animals the live there.
Interested in something that takes a bit less wall space? There is also a mini version of the Sloths calendar available from Workman Publishing. At 7" x 7" this useful calendar is a great way to add some charm to a fridge, locker or other small space. It also provides a year's worth of sloth photographs from Lucy Cooke to enjoy as well as contains fantastic stories, fascinating trivia and fun facts about these animals. The mini calendar is also printed on FSC-certified paper.
Time is ticking. Get your updated 2022 calendars before too much time goes by. You do want to get the most bang for your buck as there is much more value in a calendar getting it before New Year's Day rather than the Fourth of July after all. And if sloths aren't your thing Workman has numerous other calendar types and themes to choose from. Check them out at workman.com.
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Thanks to Championship Auto Show Incorporated for inviting ageekdaddy.com down to the TCF Center for a tour of the 68th Detroit AUTORAMA. This annual event known as "America's Greatest Hot Rod Show" showcases dozens of custom and classic cars. AUTORAMA 2020 also has two special exhibits on display with one featuring the race cars used in filming the movie Ford vs Ferrari and the other highlighting 5 of the most significant hot rods of the 20th Century.
Detroit AUTORAMA 2020 is sponsored Meguiars, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the Summit Racing Equipment Show Car Series. It takes place February 28 through March 1. Show hours are Friday Noon - 10pm, Saturday 9 am - 10pm and Sunday 10am - 7pm. General admission is $21 with children (6 - 12 years old) costing $8 to get in. Children under 6 years old are FREE. Discounted tickets are also available at O'Reilly stores at $19 for adults and $7 for kids. Go to autorama.com for more info.
THE CARS FROM THE MOVIE FORD VS FERRARI
Two race cars used in filming scenes for the movie Ford vs Ferrari are on exhibit at this year's Detroit AUTORAMA. The #95 car depicts a Ford GT40 in race scenes during the movie. This green race car was also painted during production to also be seen as the red #3 and yellow #8 race cars seen in Le Mans sequences during Ford vs Ferrari.
The red #20 car on display at AUTORAMA was used to depict the Ferrari 330 P3 on-screen in the movie. Both of these vehicles used for filming scenes in Ford vs Ferrari are modern day replicas of the original 1960s era race cars. They were both created by Race Car Replicas of Fraser, Michigan specifically for use in Ford vs Ferrari. Ironically, both of these cars sport Chevy engines underneath their replicated Ford and Ferrari exteriors.
The plot of Ford vs Ferrari is based upon a real life story in this movie which is one of the best racing movies to come out of Hollywood in years. It is the story of American automotive designer Carroll Shelby and fearless British race car driver Ken Miles as they battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary vehicle for the Ford Motor Company. Together, they plan to compete against the race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
Can Shelby and Miles get their GT40 over the finish line in triumph over the Ferrari 330 P3 which is known as one of the most beautiful and fastest cars ever built at that time. You will have to watch the movie to find out! Pick up Ford vs Ferrari at Best Buy on Blu-ray. If you purchase the movie through ageekdaddy.com link this dad blogger will receive a small commission at not additional expense to you. Thanks for your support!
You can also get an up close look at the Ford GT cars that are currently competing on race tracks around the world. Ford Performance has a motor sports area at AUTORAMA with a number of engines and vehicles on display. Today's Ford GT are still inspired by the race track success of the model that won Le Mans as seen in the movie Ford vs Ferrari.
MOST SIGNIFICANT HOT RODS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
Look back at the roots of the show, this year AUTORAMA has a special exhibit of some of the most iconic hot rods that inspired generations of gearheads and wrench monkeys. Take a look at five custom cars that are at the heart of hot rod heritage. On display are Norm Grabowski's Kookie T (known for its appearances on the television show 77 Sunset Strip), Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Beatnik Bandit (which was the inspiration for the look of one of Hot Wheels first toy cars) and Outlaw, Bob McGee's Ford Roadster, and Tommy Ivo's T Bucket.
This car showed the fun side of hot rod culture through a full page picture in LIFE Magazine of Norm Grabowski enjoying a hamburger in his car outside a Hollywood Big Boy restaurant. Grabowski used his career as a stunt driver to get his hot rod featured in a number of movies and television shows, most notably serving as the ride for Gerald Lloyd “Kookie” Kookson III in the detective show 77 Sunset Strip (1958 - 1964). The popularity of this car created what was known as the T-Bucket craze of the late '50s / early '60s. This included inspiring the hot rods used in the Munsters tv show (1964-66). I loved that show! Norm Grabowski's Kookie T is considered one of the world's most famous hot rods ever built.
This hot rod by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth inspired one of the original Hot Wheels car designs released by Mattel. The Mattel toy car was released in 1968 as one of the first sixteen vehicles for the Hot Wheels brand. The actual hot rod was built in 1960 off of a 1950 Oldsmobile chassis and was known for its bubble top that served as both a roof and a door to the vehicle. One of the most recognizable hot rods loved by both car aficionados and toy collectors alike.
Ed Roth built more than 40 hot rods with original and futuristic designs during his lifetime. The 1960s was considered the "Roth Era" of Hot Rod design with the cars he crafted inspiring others to duplicate his stylings. The car that started it all was his 1959 Outlaw that itself was inspired by Norm Grabowksi's Kookie T but utilized a brand new technique for the chassis by uniquely crafting it with fiberglass. Known for 6'4" height and 240 pound physique, Big Daddy Roth followed up Outlaw with vehicles that looked like spaceships like the Beatnick Bandit (1960), Mysterion (1963) and Orbitron (1964). Ed Roth created cars that both car geeks and sci fi fans can appreciate and it all started with the Outlaw.
Returning from military service in WWII, Bob McGee crafted what was to become the stereotype for the classic post-World War roadster hot rod. In fact the term hot rod came from the increasing popularity of people calling modified roadsters "hot" thus hot roadster eventually became "hot rod." McGee's discarding parts that didn't improve the speed or appearance of his vehicle, lowering the suspension, supping up the engine, and giving the car custom painting and upholstery provided a check list of details that became a standard for crafting a hot rod. His 1940s innovations soon became standard fare for hot rods in the following decades. He backed this reputation by getting his customized Ford Roadster to be timed at 112.21 mph in 1947. A 1948 cover photo on Hot Rod Magazine ensured that McGee and his Roadster would be long remembered as leaders in car customization.
This hot rod gained a following in the 1950s because its owner Tommy Ivo was known for both being an illegal street racer in Los Angeles with a reputation for never losing on the drag as well as competing in sanctioned motor sport track events by the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). An appearance by the T Bucket (inspired by the Kookie T) in Hot Rod Magazine as well as in the 1956 movie Dragstrip Girl fueled the popularity of this hot rod and its bucket style chassis. Having reached speeds of up to 119 mph drag racing at San Fernando Speedway, Tommy Ivo's T Bucket absolutely earned its cred with hot rod enthusiasts!
In addition to these exhibits, there are also numerous classic automobiles, customized vehicles, tricked out trucks, and race cars to check out. Plus don't miss out exploring the basement exhibit area of TCF Center which is showing a gritty collection of cars from exhibitors like the Deadlast Car Club. This area is featuring live music and car renovation demonstrations as well as showing any car can get a new life. Even a postal truck!
One of my favorite cars at AUTORAMA was this hot rod based upon a Prohibition era rum runner. Now that is a sweet ride!
There is sure to be a vehicle on display for anyone to geek out over at AUTORAMA as you wander through its galleries of cars. You can even get autographs and pictures with WWE Legend Ric Flair, Cody Walker from the Fast & Furious movies, race car driver Lyn St. James and Marvel Comics' Spider-Man. Have some Motor City fun by visiting Detroit's AUTORAMA 2020!
Activision is bringing back one of their most popular video game characters from the '90s! Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will let Playstation 4 owners play a fully-remastered high definition collection of Activision's original collection of Crash Bandicoot™ video games. In the updated version of the games, Crash's sister, Coco, joins in the action coming to her brother's rescue. In Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Coco has decided to hack into the Time Twister to travel back in time to help Crash in his previous adventures.
Players can switch between playing as Crash or Coca as both are fully playable characters. Each has their own set of N. Sane special attacks that flaunt their own style. Where Crash body slams enemies, Coco takes them out with a double leg drop. Checking out all of Coco's animations and moves adds a fun new twist to the game.
Developed by Vicarious Visions, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy takes advantage of Playstation 4's capabilities to provide brand-new lighting, animations, textures, models and recreated cinematics. You're going to want to see Crash Bandicoot in dazzling N. Hanced Fur-K! The game also provides full analog stick support and a unified save and checkpoint system making it easier to enjoy these classic games. Activision and Vicarious are honoring the original game's in a variety of ways in N. Sane Trilogy including a revamped soundtrack packed with all the didgeridoos, xylophones, and thumpin' bass lines you can handle, as well as newly recorded dialogue from some of the original voice actors.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the original Crash Bandicoot games here is a summary of what you'll be experiencing when playing them in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy:
Crash Bandicoot
– Dr. Neo Cortex has a plan to take over the world, and he wants to
create
genetically engineered animals to do his bidding. To create his
minions, Cortex kidnaps as many animals as he can; Crash Bandicoot’s
girlfriend just happens to be one of his victims. Take control of Crash
as he runs, jumps, and spins through 30 levels of intense
action on three different Australian islands. Only you can help Crash
save the animals, save his girlfriend and foil Dr. Cortex’s plot. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back –The evil Dr. Neo Cortex is back…out this time to save the world?
And he’s asking for help from his arch nemesis, Crash Bandicoot? Is
this just a conniving plan to lure Crash into Cortex’s next dastardly
experiment? Can Crash win again or will he join
Cortex’s mindless zoo? Bigger free-roaming 3-D environments, all-new
animations and a whole host of colorful characters – watch as our hero
Crash, ice-skates, rodeo-rides a polar bear and jet-packs through
zero-gravity in the continuing adventures of
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back – This time he ain’t joking!
Crash Bandicoot Warped
–
Oh
yeah…he’s back…AND he’s ready! It’s a Whole New Time-Traveling
Adventure! All new-style gameplay action – scuba dive, ride a motorcycle
or a baby T-Rex and go free-roaming airborne in a plane! Play
as Coco! Gallop along the Great Wall of China on a tiger, go extreme on
a jet-ski and other high-flying surprises! Prove your skills with the
new Super-charge Body Slam, Super Slide, Double Jump, Death-Tornado Spin
and a Laser-Guided Bazooka. All new enemies
include a new Big Boss, Uka Uka, N. Tropy, a menacing Dingodile and of
course, the return of some favorites like N. Gin and Tiny. More Action.
More Fun. More Puzzles and Secret Levels. And you didn’t think it could
get any better!
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be available on June 30, 2017 for the suggested retail price of $39.99. For more information about
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, please visit www.crashbandicoot.com or follow @CrashBandicoot
on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
I've had a lot of fun recently introducing my kids to one of my favorite video games characters from the '90s, Crash Bandicoot; who was recently added to the Skylanders video game along with his arch-nemesis Dr. Neo Cortex as part of the new Imaginators edition's lineup of Sensei characters as fully-playable toys. Now I'll be able to replay the zany marsupial's classic video games with my kids as well because Activision is releasing Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy which is a fully-remastered high definition collection of the Crash Bandicoot™, Crash Bandicoot™ 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot™ :Warped video games from my youth.Spin, jump, and wump your way through the epic challenges and adventures that started Crash Bandicoot mania when the updated video game collection is made available for Playstation4 launching globally on June 30, 2017 for $39.99.
Crash Bandicoot® N. Sane Trilogy has brand-new lighting and recreated cinematics in stunning
“N. Hanced Fur-K” and PS4 Pro HD.
New animations, visual effects and environmental details let players
spin, jump and jet pack their way through the lush—and furriest—Wumpa
Island yet! Here are a few more updates that highlight how these revisions are enhancing the games:
Bringing Back the Beat–
The new collection features a fully-remastered game soundtrack, packed
with all the didgeridoos, xylophones and thumpin’ bass lines fans can
handle!
Original Story, New Tech
– Full analog stick support, a unified save system and unified
checkpoint system
make it easier than ever to enjoy the classic adventure. Plus, improved
bonus levels and time trials everywhere will make this an epic trilogy
for the hardest of the ‘Coot core!
New Cinematics
– All the beloved cinematics in this trilogy are being lovingly
re-crafted. In the intro
cinematic, Crash Bandicoot’s origin story shows our villains, Dr. Neo
Cortex and Dr. Nitrus Brio, try to evolve Crash into an evil mutant
general, but it doesn’t go quite as planned!
Say What? – Fans of the
Crash Bandicoot games may recognize some familiar voice actors appearing inCrash Bandicoot® N. Sane Trilogy, such as Jess Harnell and Lex Lang.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the original Crash Bandicoot games here is a summary of what you'll be experiencing when playing them in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy:
Crash Bandicoot
– Dr. Neo Cortex has a plan to take over the world, and he wants to
create
genetically engineered animals to do his bidding. To create his
minions, Cortex kidnaps as many animals as he can; Crash Bandicoot’s
girlfriend just happens to be one of his victims. Take control of Crash
as he runs, jumps, and spins through 30 levels of intense
action on three different Australian islands. Only you can help Crash
save the animals, save his girlfriend and foil Dr. Cortex’s plot.
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back –The evil Dr. Neo Cortex is back…out this time to save the world?
And he’s asking for help from his arch nemesis, Crash Bandicoot? Is
this just a conniving plan to lure Crash into Cortex’s next dastardly
experiment? Can Crash win again or will he join
Cortex’s mindless zoo? Bigger free-roaming 3-D environments, all-new
animations and a whole host of colorful characters – watch as our hero
Crash, ice-skates, rodeo-rides a polar bear and jet-packs through
zero-gravity in the continuing adventures of
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back – This time he ain’t joking!
Crash Bandicoot Warped
–
Oh
yeah…he’s back…AND he’s ready! It’s a Whole New Time-Traveling
Adventure! All new-style gameplay action – scuba dive, ride a motorcycle
or a baby T-Rex and go free-roaming airborne in a plane! Play
as Coco! Gallop along the Great Wall of China on a tiger, go extreme on
a jet-ski and other high-flying surprises! Prove your skills with the
new Super-charge Body Slam, Super Slide, Double Jump, Death-Tornado Spin
and a Laser-Guided Bazooka. All new enemies
include a new Big Boss, Uka Uka, N. Tropy, a menacing Dingodile and of
course, the return of some favorites like N. Gin and Tiny. More Action.
More Fun. More Puzzles and Secret Levels. And you didn’t think it could
get any better!
Don't miss out on the looney, wacky, fast paced fun Crash Bandicoot's video game adventures when they become globally available to play on Sony's Playstation4 beginning June 30, 2017.
I always enjoy watching holiday themed television shows and movies between Thanksgiving and Christmas so the news that Nickelodeon is debuting a brand new original animated TV movie that puts a fun twist on this season was nice to know about. ALBERT is the story of a tiny Douglas fir tree who goes on a journey to become the city’s most famous Christmas tree ever. Premiering Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT), the one-hour, CG-animated holiday tale stars the comedic voice talent of Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) in the title role along with a supporting cast that includes Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live), Judah Friedlander (30 Rock) and Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street).
Albert has big dreams of becoming Empire City’s most famous Christmas tree. When the search for this year’s tree is announced, Albert believes he has found his calling and hits the road with his two best friends, Maisie (Zamata), the persistently positive palm tree, and Gene (Friedlander) the abrasive and blisteringly honest weed, to fulfill his destiny. With a few prickly situations along the way, and Cactus Pete (Riggle) out to stop him, Albert learns the true meaning of Christmas. The hour-long TV movie will also feature two original songs, “The Best
Thing That Can Happen to Christmas” and “Christmasiest Christmas,”
performed by the voice cast.
In addition to being able to watch the movie on the Nickelodeon cable network, ALBERT will also be available on Nick.com and the Nick App, as well as available as a digital download on platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Google Play, Vudu, Playstation, and Nick On Demand. In addition, an illustrated adaptation by Random House Children’s Books, Albert: The Little Tree With Big Dreams, is currently available.
** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**
During The Toy Insider'sHoliday of Play event unveiling their annual hottest toy selections, each of the members of the Parents Panel were asked to spotlight a favorite toy from the list. My selection is Play Monster'sRoominate Cotton Candy Carnival. I'm a big fan of toys that combine educational components with entertaining elements so that kids are learning and having fun at the same time. Roominate construction kits fit that mark perfectly as they are specifically designed to inspire girls to have an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) concepts through being able to construct doll houses, vehicles and in the case of theCotton Candy Carnival playset actual working amusement park rides.
Using circuits, motors and modular building pieces, girls can build and
create their own unique and original structures or vehicles that can be
joined together or taken apart and remade into something completely new
and different every time they play with Roominate toys. As the father of a daughter whose aspirations and dreams I want to be limitless these toys that inspire girls creatively and intellectually are appreciated. Roominate construction kits let girls build the world they want to play in!
I had the opportunity to meet Alice Brooks at The Toy Insider's Holiday of Play event, who along with her Stanford roommate Bettina Chen, created Roominate toys. The two engineers met while earning their Master’s degrees and they found that their interest
in engineering had mutually been born out of their love of toys. The two women
created Roominate to inspire girls to maintain an interest in building,
innovating, and learning about the STEM fields as they grow up. They pitched their idea on the television show Shark Tank and gained a new partner in their efforts as Mark Cuban invested in their company. Cuban assisted with selling the women's company to established toy company Play Monster which has established Roominate products as its own designated toy line within the company.
With the Roominate Cotton Candy Carnival, kids can design and build amusement rides for the two included dolls, Bettina and Jenna, to enjoy. An enclosed motor that doesn't allow its parts to be exposed for safety and durability reasons, allows children to build battery a powered functional carousel, giant swing or ferris wheel for Bettina and Jenna to ride on. A personality profile for each of the dolls is also included, which features the
character’s hobbies and favorite foods, as well as favorite scientists
and career aspirations to give girls a nudge towards being interested in a STEM-based field. Stickers are included so that kids can decorate and personalize their Cotton Candy Carnival that in addition to the dolls and amusement rides also allows for a game tent and snack booth to be built.
While Roominate toys are marketed to girls, my son also really enjoyed joining his sister in playing with the Cotton Candy Carnival. This fun carnival theme and demonstrates to kids that, while
riding a ferris wheel or carousel can be fun, so can the experience of
being involved with building these attractions. For introducing STEM topics in an amusing way, the Roominate Cotton Candy Carnival gets gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval.
The Roominate Cotton Candy Carnival is available at Amazon, Fat Brain Toys, Kmart, Toys R Us, Walmart, and through playmonster.com. It requires 2 AAA batteries that are not included. The toy is recommended for children 8 years old and up. From our experience parental involvement may be necessary in assisting younger children with building some of the more advanced projects within Roominate construction kits. In addition to the fun of playing with this motorized toy set, kids will equally appreciate the satisfaction that they built the functioning carnival rides themselves.
** A Geek Daddy was provided the featured product for free to review**
My kids and I ventured over to the neighborhood park to play around with launching a Stomp Rocket. No need for gasoline or batteries to fuel this toy as the Stomp Rocket is 100% kid-powered. The energy created from stomping on a launch pad will utilize air pressure to have rockets soaring up to 150 feet into the sky. Foam tips on the rockets provide for a safe landing when the rocket returns back to Earth.
We had a competition to see who could get our Stomp Rocket to fly the highest in the air. The harder you stomp on the launch pad the higher the rocket will soar! So I have to admit with my weight advantage, dad probably had a bit of an advantage over the kids in this contest.
Ha Ha - Yeah I won! A Geek Daddy wins in the end!
Stomp Rocket is easy to put together and simple to use but also introduces children to some complicated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) educational concepts such as gravity, force, and trajectory. Discuss with children while they are launching their rockets about how what goes up must come down through gravity, that force which is created by stomping on the launch pad determines how high the rockets fly, and that through setting the launcher at different angles the trajectory can determine if they'll fly higher or farther. Plus Stomp Rocket will get kids out of the house getting exercise running and jumping in the fresh air. Our whole family enjoyed playing around with the Stomp Rocket. A product that has kids learning and exercising while having fun has to get a thumbs up!
The complimentary Stomp Rocket pack we received to test out from D & L Company LLC, home of the Original Stomp Rocket, was the ULTRA LED version. Along with the launching pad came four rockets, each containing an LED light within the tube -- batteries included -- that lit up as they shot up into the night sky making them fun to play with after dusk. You can pick up STOMP ROCKET ULTRA LED by heading to select Dick's Sporting Goods stores. Visit DicksSportingGoods.com to find a store near you.
For more then 25 years, Stomp Rockets have been encouraging kids to have fun by running, jumping and stomping through selling more than 5 million of the toys. More information about this toy is available at StompRocket.com
I took my 7 year old daughter to go see FINDING DORY and she found the movie absolutely adorable. In this sequel to 2003's FINDING NEMO which won the Academy Award for "Best Animated Feature", the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish Dory is on a mission to reunite with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way. It is a touching, well-done film that is perfect for a summer family outing to the movie theater and will definitely be a contender for its own Best Animated Feature Oscar.
As is the norm with movies from Disney's Pixar Animation Studios, a short film is shown before the feature presentation of FINDING DORY. Called "Piper" it tells the story of a hungry sandpiper hatchling who ventures from her nest for the first time to dig for food by the shoreline. The only problem is, the food is buried beneath the sand where scary waves roll up onto the shore. This short directed by Alan Barillaro and produced by Marc Sondheimer was delightful to watch and was a wonderful themed pairing to the sea life themes of FINDING DORY. On the drive home from the movie theater my daughter told me that Piper was her "favorite pre-movie movie" she's ever seen.
Since seeing FINDING DORY my daughter has been constantly asking me "Who is Sigourney Weaver?" The movie begins with Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), still forgetful with her short-term memory problem, living happily on the Great Australian Barrier Reef with clownfish Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and Nemo (voiced by Hayden Rolence). When an event triggers Dory's memories so that she begins to remember glimpses of her family and where she came from, the blue tang fish heads off to rediscover her past. This leads her to travel across the ocean to the Marine Life Institute (MLI), an aquarium and fish hospital on the coast of California, searching for her parents. Marlin and Nemo follow in close pursuit hoping to catch up to their friend and keep Dory out of trouble and danger. As Dory swims towards the MLI aquarium she is warmly welcomed to visit the place by the cameo voice of Sigourney Weaver. In the film, Weaver welcomes the aquarium's human visitors and narrates educational points at its exhibits projected through loud speakers. All the kids in the theater who apparently had no clue who the actress is were looking at their parents wondering why the adults were chuckling at the repeated references to Sigourney Weaver throughout the movie. This very well could become the signature gag of FINDING DORY.
The MLI serves as the principal location for the adventures in this film as Dory, Marlin and Nemo explore it looking for clues to Dory's past. FINDING DORY is not as much about searching to physically locate a missing Dory but rather about rediscovering her past so she can find elements of her life that she has been missing. Since the MLI plays such an important role in this movie here are some fun educational activity sheets that you can incorporate into your FINDING DORY movie experience that tie into it.
Dory, Marlin and Nemo are assisted in exploring MLI by a new cast of characters that include Hank (voice of Ed O'Neill), a cantankerous "septopus" -- an octopus who only has seven tentacles because he lost one in an aquarium incident -- who frequently escapes his tank; Bailey (voice of Ty Burrell), a beluga whale who is convinced his biological sonar skills are on the fritz; Destiny (voice of Kaitlin Olson), a nearsighted whale shark; Flake (voiced by Idris Elba) and Rudder (voiced by Dominic West), a pair of lazy sea lions; and a pack of very cute otters. For the most part these new characters are entertaining and likeable but to be honest are just frankly not as interesting as the supporting crew from FINDING NEMO. With the exception of Hank who is a great addition to the movie, really steals the show and is better than any of the supporting characters from FINDING NEMO. I found all the scenes involving Hank very funny and entertaining. Hank was by far my favorite character in the movie. Plus you'll want to watch all the humorous sequences involving him that they incorporate into the credits. My daughter didn't agree with me though on Hank being the best part of the movie giving that honor to ... baby Dory.
I have to admit that I never found Dory that endearing of a character in FINDING NEMO and was wondering how well her being the main character in a film would work out. In FINDING DORY, the movie creates a connection between the audience and the character through flashbacks featuring an adorable baby Dory that made everyone in the theater go "awe" every time she appears on the screen. These flashbacks combined with heartwarming story elements really allow Dory to stand on her own as a successful lead character for the movie. My daughter LOVED baby Dory and to be honest I did too.
Check out some of the new characters from FINDING DORY in these fun coloring pages:
So will Dory, Marlin and Nemo along with their new found friends at the MLI find Dory's parents? You'll have to go to the movie to find out! I will say though that you need to stay through the credits to see one final scene that really brings FINDING NEMO and FINDING DORY together full circle in a humorous way. Just Keep Swimming to your local movie theater to see FINDING DORY while it is at the cinema as it really is worth the big screen experience.
FINDING DORY is rated PG and is 97 minutes long. The PG rating is attributable to scenes that include a potentially scary incident with a one-eyed squid and a horrific moment with Dory trapped in a bucket full of dead fish that could be disturbing for some children. For more information, visit movies.disney.com/finding-dory
Flying into cinemas across the United States on September 23, 2016 is STORKS; a new family friendly animated movie from the studio that delivered THE LEGO MOVIE. Storks deliver babies...or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for a global internet retail giant. 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. Check out this trailer for the upcoming movie:
While you are waiting for this movie to drop into your local theater have some fun playing the STORK DELIVERY DASH game on your PC. Join the exciting world of winged delivery service and find out what it takes to soar into the spot of top delivery stork. Fly through neighborhoods delivering packages by air in STORK DELIVERY DASH. Can you perform with flawless timing and stork-like precision in this video game? CLICK HERE to play it now.
STORKS is directed by Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland featuring the voice talents of Andy Samberg, Kelsey Grammer, Katie Crown, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Danny Trejo, Ty Burrell and Jennifer Aniston. For more information, visit storksmovie.com.
It's become an annual family tradition that we swing by the
local comic book store on the first Saturday morning in May to enjoy FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.
This is a special event hosted by comic book retailers and publishers
to entice new customers and reward existing ones for their loyalty.
Free Comic Book Day provides a selection of specially printed issues for this event that provide a sample of a publishers work or
an interesting one-shot story to promote a particular character or
series. This year there will be 50 free comic books that people can
select from and pick up from participating locations on Saturday, May 7, 2016. A nice aspect of this annual event is that there are always a variety of comics to select from that will be of interest to children, teens and adults so there is something for everyone in the family to pick up and bring home to enjoy.
Comic books catering to children this year include DC Super Hero Girls, the Pink Panther, Strawberry Shortcake, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pokemon. Boom Studios always provides a nice comic book for youths to enjoy and this year's Summer Blast 2016, which features original stories of Dave Peterson's Mouse Guard and Jim Henson's Labyrinth, continues their streak of providing quality content on Free Comic Book Day.
Tweens and Teens will want to get their hands on Bongo Comic's Simpsons, IDW Publishing's ROM, Marvel's Avengers and Captain AmericaFree Comic Book Day editions, and Image Comic's Camp Midnight.
Adding an educational aspect to Free Comic Book Day, March provides a historical look at the 1960s civil rights movement from Congressman and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient John Lewis, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund provides a social studies lesson about the First Amendment in Defend, and Science Comics contains non-fiction stories that help explain how the world works.
The highlight of Free Comic Book Day is always picking up the special issue published for the event featuring one of my all time favorite super hero characters THE TICK. He's back again in 2016 with a 32 page full-color comic book featuring a brand new lead story that is being published for the first time in honor of Free Comic Book Day. SPOON!!!
2016 is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY'S 15th Anniversary and will be the fifth year in a row our family will be stopping by our local comic book shop to enjoy some freebies. To participate yourself, visit FreeComicBookDay.com and use the website's Store Locator to find local participating retailers in proximity to your zip code. Because of the increasing popularity of the event, you should contact participating locations in advance to confirm their hours, what their rules are (some stores let you take one of every available title while others limit peoples' selections to just 1 or 2 of the Free Comic Book Day publications), and if they are hosting any special events in conjunction with the comic books giveaway (artist signings, character appearances, costume contests, store discounts, etc.) to be prepared. Throw on your favorite sci-fi or super hero t-shirt, grab the kids and have some fun enjoying the comic book genre on Saturday, May 7, 2016.
