Jonas Rock stars the house

 DVD Review of Season 1, Volume 2

The Jonas Brothers are an American Boy Band promoted and given  greater popularity through their Disney Channel Television Show and subsequent DVD releases. They are best known for their wholesome, but overly Christian lifestyle and outlook on life;  one which most families would be more than happy to have promoted within their own walls. 

The series follows the daily lives of the three brothers, throughout school and band practice. There is a large amount of brotherly teasing and plenty of songs sprinkled through the episodes which reflect the mood or message being promoted.

The rest of the cast are made up by their father and two friends, Stella and Macey. These two innocent and adorable lasses provide fans an accessible connection to the brothers.Any plot line which may steer into a girlfriend/boyfriend situation is quickly focused on the communication and friendship aspect. 

The show balances between shots of the boys on tour or practicing and them having to undergo normal teenage chores and homework. Its refreshing to see the scriptwriting focus on gratitude and manners; where the boys acknowledge that they are lucky to live the incredible life they do and that it has to do with hard work and dedication.

The Partridge Family started the TV series formula and Disney has seen no reason to fix or alter a recipe which works as well as it does. The basic template which made Frankie and Annette movies, The Monkeys and countless others  sees Disney successfully plugging new talent to an eager audience.

Although shot into relative fame after appearing in Camp Rock in 2008, the Jonas brothers have been committed musicians for most of their lives, thanks to the tireless efforts and passion from their father. 

The Jonas Brothers are an inoffensive, charming group who promote strong family friendly themes. With the plethora of questionable moralistic tween - ager shows out there, this is one I would be more than happy for my children to continue to watch.

TINKER BELL and the GREAT FAIRY RESCUE.

Ever since she burst onto the scene scolding Peter Pan, I’ve been entranced by Tinker Bell. She’s a little bit naughty, courageous, passionate and loyal; qualities which any child, particularly girls should aspire to possessing.  I was delighted to have the excuse to revisit my fascination with fairies with my small daughter.

Tinker Bells newest film is a long awaited event in our household.  I’ve been sent a link to  a very cute piece that showcases the beginning of a very unique friendship between Tinker Bell and a human. 

Tinker Bell is being released to Disney DVD and Blu-ray ( in Australia at least ) on 15 September (its circled on the calendar) and is featuring in cinemas nationally in August. The Fairy Series featuring Tinker Bell is every little girls dream - so make sure you keep the date in mind for your little princesses.

About the Film:

What would you do if you met a fairy? Witness the historic moment when Tinker Bell first meets a human being, and it’s not who you think.

Years before meeting Wendy and the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell met Lizzy, a little girl with a steadfast belief in the power of pixie dust and the magic land of fairies.  During the fairies’ summer visit to the flowering meadows of England, two very different worlds unite for the first time and Tink develops a special bond with a curious child in need of a friend.  As her fellow fairies launch a daring rescue, Tinker Bell takes a huge risk, putting her own safety and the future of all fairykind in jeopardy.

Experience Disney’s astonishing all-new movie about the true power of faith and friendship. Bursting with excitement and imagination, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is magical entertainment for the whole family.  You might even learn to fly.

 The film features the voices of Mae Whitman as Tinker Bell, Pamela Adlon as Vidia, Kristin Chenoweth as Rosetta, Lucy Liu as Silvermist, Raven Symone as Iridessa, Lauren Mote as Lizzy and Michael Sheen as Dr. Griffith (Lizzy’s Father).

Old Dogs .... chews a tired old bone.

Old Dogs has all the hallmarks of a formulaic family comedy produced by Disney. John Travolta and Robin Williams team up as two friends who run a successful marketing business and are on the brink of the biggest deal of their careers before their past catches up on them.

The story of a hapless and clueless father whose children suddenly appear and are dumped on him for a fortnight had the potential to comment on a number of things; most importantly ageism and the role of absentee fathers, but is so full of cliches that it ends up being an embarrassing tumble  of formulaic slapstick scenes. Travolta never quite makes it believable as the personable playboy, Williams apologetic in his role as a financial brains behind the business.

The plot quickly falls apart with the introduction of too many themes and variables. With half of the film based in the boardroom and the other in fairgrounds; its difficult to decide on what audience its trying to reach, and at the end ensuring its not accessible to neither children nor adults.

Most of the cultural faux pas may have been amusing ten years ago; but one would hope that we as an audience have matured beyond making fun of the asian culture, of same sex marriages and of toilet humour.  The plot is so full of improbable and outrageous situations, the audiences belief needs to be completely suspended before any enjoyment can be obtained.

Despite its hit and mostly miss plot, this film is (embarrassingly) full of belly laughs.  Although most gags can be seen building a mile away, they are still enjoyable when they peak. Particularly amusing are the references to getting older, the creaks and groans ones body makes informing all it is not as young as it used to be and of the blunders young parents make.  If you are a sucker for predictable gags, shots of cute animals adding their silent comments on the action, then this film will fit your bill perfectly.

As to be expected with a Disney film, the main characters see the errors of their ways, make extraordinary efforts to right the wrongs they have committed and the family unit is reunited once again. 

Although Old Dogs is flawed in many ways, its undemanding on the mind and perfect for a Sunday afternoon session for the whole family.


An interesting aside - For the 30th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, Old Dogs was nominated in four categories: Worst Picture, Worst Actor for John Travolta, Worst Supporting Actress for Kelly Preston and Worst Director for Walt Becker, but did not win any of them.. in fact , despite its negative feedback and criticism, it ended up being a minor box office success.


Film Poster via Wikipedia.


For the record, I did enjoy it, laughed alot; but was kind of embarrassed afterwards....