Dolittle Movie Night
Host your own Dolittle movie night when you bring home Dolittle on Digital tomorrow and on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD April 7 2020! To make your viewing extra fun, I'm sharing one my kids' favorite things I make, cake batter cookie dip. Don't worry parents, it is super easy to make. In fact the kids could definitely do it themselves.
This is the movie all the animals are talking about. You would know that if you were Robert Downey Jr. aka Dolittle. After losing his wife, Dolittle locks himself away behind the high walls of his manor until the royal family comes knocking. The Queen has fallen ill and requests Dolittle's help in finding a cure for her terminal illness.
Helping Dolittle on his adventure to find the cure are his animal friends Chee-Chee, an anxious, self-conscious gorilla; Dab-Dab, an enthusiastic but bird-brained duck; the bickering duo of cynical, neurotic ostrich Plimpton and chilly-but-chill polar bear Yoshi; as well as a headstrong parrot named Polynesia.
If you're looking for a movie the whole family will enjoy while having a good laugh, Dolittle is the one for you. We had fun watching it and also diving into the bonus features. I am always up for some behind the scenes special looks!
Dolittle 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Bonus Features:
- Talk to the Animals- Dolittle is surrounded by a motley cast of characters. Take a peek at all the fun the cast had giving each of the animals their unique voice.
- Robert Downey Jr. & Harry: Mentor and Mentee- Acting opposite a legendary actor like Robert Downey Jr. can be an intimidating experience, but Harry Collett handled it like a pro. See the unique bond the two actors formed on-set, and how Downey took the film’s young co-star under his wing.
- Becoming the Good Doctor- See the process of how this team of talented artists brought this film to life, and how Robert Downey Jr. transformed into the iconic Dolittle.
- Antonio Banderas: Pirate King- Antonio Banderas discusses what attracted him to the project, his experiences working with Robert Downey Jr., and what he brought to the role of King Rassouli.
- The Wicked Dr. Müdfly- Who is the nefarious villain Dr. Blair Müdfly? Michael Sheen dives into his character's motivations for being Dolittle‘s foil.
- A Most Unusual House- It takes a special home to accommodate humans and animals alike. Explore the unique rooms and modifications that allow Dolittle to house anyone or anything – big or small.
Cake Batter Cookie Dip
This cake batter cookie dip is perfect for movie night, birthday parties, or just because. Who doesn't like cake batter? The best part is, this recipe is easy to make and the ingredients are simple.
Make your own cake batter cookie dip perfect for movie night snacks or borthday party fun! I used Stonyfield vanilla yogurt. Some of these recipes suggest using Greek yogurt. You can but this will make the mixture thicker and less creamy.Cake Batter Cookie Dip
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Dolittle is available to own March 24, 2020 on Digital and coming to Blu-ray, 4K, and DVD April 7, 2020. Pre-order Dolittle today!
New SCOOB Trailer
SCOOB! tells the story of how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. Now, with hundreds of cases solved and adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global “dogpocalypse,” the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone imagined.
This trailer has all the nostalgia we could ask for- the Mystery Machine, Scooby Snacks, and a throwback to A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, which hands down might be my favorite Scooby tv series ever. Oh and a guy in a rubber mask proclaiming he would've gotten away with it if it weren't for those pesky kids.
The movie looks like it will flashback to their childhood to explain who they have become as adults. In the Halloween scene, Shaggy is dressed like the Blue Falcon, Fred a knight in shining armor, Vilma as Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Daphne is Wonder Woman. We also meet Dick Dastardly, our bad guy for the film.
Does that name sound familiar old Cartoon Network fans? Dick Dastardly is an old school villain who has shown up in several cartoons by Hanna-Barbera since the late 80s. Here is a little then and now.
Same hunch back and handlebar mustache. Time will tell if he rocks the gloves and weird hat too. Also gotta love Vilma's computer files: Hot Dog Recipes, clearly for Scooby and Useless Clues.
Starring in “SCOOB!” are Will Forte (“Booksmart,” TV’s “The Last Man on Earth”) as Scooby-Doo’s best friend, Shaggy; two-time Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg (“The Fighter,” “The Departed”) as Blue Falcon; Jason Isaacs (the “Harry Potter” films, TV’s “The OA”) as the infamous Dick Dastardly; Gina Rodriguez (“Deepwater Horizon,” TV’s “Jane the Virgin”) as Velma; Zac Efron (“The Greatest Showman,” the “Neighbors” franchise) as Fred; Amanda Seyfried (the “Mamma Mia!” films, “Ted 2”) as Daphne; Kiersey Clemons (“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” TV’s “Angie Tribeca”) as Falcon Fury pilot Dee Dee Skyes; Ken Jeong (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Hangover” trilogy) as the Falcon Force’s Dynomutt; Tracy Morgan (“What Men Want,” TV’s “30 Rock”) as Captain Caveman; Simon Cowell (“American Idol,” “The X Factor”) as himself; and Frank Welker (the “Transformers” franchise) as Scooby-Doo.
SCOOB is in theaters May 15, 2020
Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Review
Sonic The Hedgehog is a live-action adventure comedy based on the Sega game franchise. The film follows the adventures of Sonic as he navigates life on Earth with his newfound best friend Tom Wachowski, played by James Marsden. Sonic and Tom join forces along with Tom's wife Maddie, the talented Tika Sumpter, to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik. Robotnik, perfectly portrayed by Jim Carrey, is out to capture Sonic and use his powers for world domination.
The film opens and we meet a kid hedgehog named Sonic. He has these awesome powers and lives on a planet that looks familiar to anyone who has played the game before. Sonic is happy to run and like any child refuses to follow his guardian's rules about showing off his secret power. This leads to trouble and Sonic is forced to use a ring to travel to another world to stay safe.
Related: Sonic the Hedgehog Post Credit Scene
Welcome to present day Earth and to a little town called Green Hills Montana. Green Hill is the first zone in the Sonic The Hedgehog video game. Green Hills is the quintessential small town where nothing ever happens. That is until Sonic decides to make himself known to the local Sheriff and an evil genius bad guy shows up with nothing but malicious intentions.
What follows is a fast-paced, buddy movie full of laughs, awesome effects, and heartfelt moments that will put a smile on even the toughest critic's face.
When a video game makes the jump from console to big screen the results can be either amazing or disastrous. The first glimpses of Sonic, before the fixes made most of us physically recoil. It was going to be bad. Like Super Mario Bros bad.
Fortunately for everyone involved, the studio listened. Sonic was redesigned and a new trailer released. Although the new trailer was 100x better than the first, as a gamer, big screen adaptations make me wary. Turns out, the skepticism was not warranted. Sonic the Hedgehog is an entertaining ride from start to finish.
Whether you are a hardcore Sonic fan or have no idea who he is, this film is a whole lot of fun. Who wouldn't want to see a cute, funny, anthropomorphic character run super fast, crack jokes, make friends, and save the world?
Paramount and Sega accomplished making a video game movie that did not feel like a video game. Sure it has a lot of callbacks to the source material, but it avoids the trap of trying to make something look and play out exactly like a game. That is where other films of this nature have failed…miserably.
Visually the team knocked it out of the park. Sonic looks like he's suppose to, acts like himself, and yes dons the classic red shoes. The special effects while heavy in some parts aren't murky and are grounded nicely by the real locations that dominate the majority of the film.
Instead of creating a plot that centers around Sonic leveling up and doing nothing but run around, they gave the little guy a backstory, goals, and emotions that the audience can relate to. Feelings such as loneliness, grief, happiness, and determination make up this ball of blue energy. The audience will feel for Sonic, want to be his best friend, and protect him at all costs.
Who would Sonic need protection from? The evil Dr. Robotnik, aka Eggman. This 1 dimensional video game baddie comes to life thanks to the incomparable Jim Carrey. Robotnik leaps off the the screen in a way only Jim Carrey could accomplish. It might remind viewers of the Mask and Ace Ventura days in Carrey's career.
Rounding out the human cast are James Marsden and Tika Sumpter. James and Tika play a devoted and loving couple who support each other no matter what. Even if that means helping a blue hedgehog looking alien get away from a weirdo sent by the government. The chemistry between them, as well as with Sonic, is believable and sincere. These characters genuinely care for one another and have nothing but the best intentions.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a charming, entertaining film that the whole family will enjoy. For fans of the video game it has just enough nostalgia to make you happy. While those who have no attachment going in to this blue creature will leave loving him just as much as us gamers.
At the end of the day, Sonic is just a lot of fun. With the potential there for a sequel, I hope we see more adventures of the fastest and funniest hedgehog around.
Is Sonic The Hedgehog Kid Friendly?
100%, Sonic the Hedgehog is kid friendly. Like adults, even if your child has no idea about Sonic the game character they are going to enjoy seeing an adorable blue hedgehog run around causing laughter and chaos in his wake.
The PG rating is for action, some violence, rude humor, and brief mild language. The brief language is just that, brief. The words used are “hella,” brain fart (which maybe more of the rude humor than language), hell, and son of a that is cut off before the other word is said.
Also note to parents there is an entire scene shot in a bar. Sheriff Tom Wachowski is seen drinking beer and the word drunk is used in conversation to describe the behavior of certain characters.
Sonic the Hedgehog is in theaters February 14, 2020
Rating: 10/10 for being a great family film
This is your spoiler warning.
Is there a Sonic Post Credit Scene?
Yes, there is a Sonic post credit scene. In fact there are two, sort of. One happens right after you think the movie has ended, so technically it is part of the movie and not the credits. However it feels more like a post credit scene that teases what could be coming in a sequel.
The good news is, there is nothing at the very end of the credits. Once the mid-credit Sonic scene plays out you are free to leave the theatre. The rest of the credits after the throwback gameplay ones are regular old scrolling text so you are not missing anything, at all.
Related: Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Review
Sonic the Hedgehog Post Credit Scene
Before discussing the actual stinger, lets talk about that flying fox that shows up in Green Hills at the end of the movie. Tails is Sonic's best friend. He is a fox that was born with two tails. Tails is adept at flying, being a pilot, and is also a mechanical genius whom might even rival Robotnik.
Tails shows up with a device in his hands that seems to have allowed him to track down Sonic. Whether he is just looking for Sonic to reunite with his best friend or because he needs his help remains to be seen.
Stay until the classic video game play credits are finished to catch up with Dr. Robtnik. We all knew we would not see the last of him. Sure he is losing what little sanity he possesses but that just makes him more intriguing for the next Sonic film.
Robotnik is still stuck on the mushroom planet with only a rock for a friend. But it is never wise to count out a maniacal genius, and with Jim Carrey on board for another film, Robotnik maybe down but he is definitely not out. Also game fans will notice he looks more like his animated counterpart here.
Is the Sonic stinger worth staying for? To be fair I stay for post credit scenes and sounds (looking at you Avengers Endgame) no matter what but I know some moviegoers want to know if they are missing anything by not watching these post credit scenes.
For Sonic the Hedgehog, the post credit scene is completely worth waiting for. Not only does it happen fairly quickly, but it is also the big lead in to the future of the Sonic franchise. This scene is also a big bonus for Sonic game fans, with an iconic bad guy on a familiar looking playing field.
Sonic The Hedgehog is in theaters February 14, 2020
Jumanji The Next Level Review
Jumanji: The Next Level picks up two years after the events of the film film. The four main characters have now graduated high school, starting their new lives in various locations, although they remain friends- sorta.
It is clear from the beginning of the film that Spencer is struggling to find his place in the world. He continually ignores the group text and ditches on brunch with his friends Fridge, Bethany, and Martha. The latter is no longer his girlfriend but the reasoning is unclear. When they all realize that Spencer has grown distant since graduation they decide to confront him at his house.
Once there, they find that he has somehow fixed, or tried to fix, the Jumanji game and has been sucked back in. After some arguing, the three agree to go in the game to save him. However this won't be like the last time they played. Unfortunately, Jumanji has other plans for them.
Inside Jumanji they discover that one, they could not pick their avatars and two, Bethany was left behind and instead Spencer's grandfather Eddie and his former best friend Milo Walker have been pulled into the game. Bethany scrambles in the real world to try to get to her friends, while the rest set out to find Spencer and conquer the latest level of Jumanji.
Running alongside the “save Spencer” plot is the Jumanji needs help again storyline. Another jewel needs to be returned, Jumanji's name needs to be called out, and to do that the team has to fight a big bad. Like the first, this plot line isn't the main draw of the film although fans of a certain HBO show will be happy to see it play out. The heart of this story is once again friendship, albeit this time around it is more about Eddie and Milo than Spencer and his friends.
Like the title suggests, The Next Level takes us into new terrains like the desert, a jungle oasis, and up into snowy mountains all while dealing with the consequences of a broken game. The scenery combined with the addition of Milo and Eddie means more opportunities for Kasdan to show off his film making style- one that takes viewers into the scene for an immersive experience.
We get a lot of heart racing, fight-for-your-life moments, which one expects with these style of Jumanji films. The monkey chase in particular is stunning while the ostrich stampede is visually incredible and comedic gold. Stakes are high and everyone knows it. Although the overall tone echoes that of the first film, the in-game deaths are more violent, with several eliciting shocked responses from audience members.
Other than the violence, the language and crude moments also were kicked up a notch which is something parents should be aware of going into this one. The PG-13 rating is well earned and I would caution against bringing younger children until you have seen the film yourself.
Kasdan once again balances the intense with a lot of laughter. The comedy is mostly fed by The Rock embodying the grumpy, spit-fire Danny DeVito and Kevin Hart becoming slow-talking, calm Danny Glover. However, one does a better job at accomplishing this than the other.
Playing a grouchy old Jewish man does not come naturally to Johnson but fortunately it seems this weak point was noted by the filmmakers. For most of the film, he took a step back allowing Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart to take the spotlight and carry the majority of the scenes. All three do an amazing job, and it was nice to see Gillan's character take charge and get more time showing off her fighting skills.
Another standout character was Awkwafina's Ming Fleetfoot. She always manages to bring something memorable to any character she plays and Ming is no exception. Awkwafina is a scene stealer and proves she has the range to take on any character type thrown at her. If Ming Fleetfoot is not in the third film (or fourth if you count the original 1995 Jumanji) it would be a disservice to the fans.
The chemistry with this group of actors is one of the best things about the rebooted Jumanji and one of the reasons the first film did so well. Awkwafina and Nick Jonas show that they belong in this franchise just as much as The Rock and Kevin Hart.
Despite the fact that Jumanji The Next Level retreads on the last film, it a must-see for fans of the franchise. It is an overall exciting journey, full of laugh-out-loud moments with surprising truths about friendship and self-esteem.
Whether The Next Level proves to be as successful as Welcome to the Jungle remains to be seen. However the Jumanji The Next Level post credit scene offers a glimpse into where this film trilogy may be headed in the future. It is something that will have audiences invested in this new trilogy and clamoring for the final film. And for fans of the original, it feels nostalgic in all the right ways.
Jumanji The Next Level is in theaters now. It is rated PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language.
Rating: 7/10
