Tag Archives: animation

Jul9

Groovy Movies: Toy Story 5 Edition

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Groovy Movies: Toy Story 5 Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Groovy Movies. In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing Toy Story 5! There is nothing better than going to the movies with my nieces and Johnny, my brother, and I were chomping at the bit to take them to Toy Story 5. Toy Story was a franchise that I could have taken or left but it was Johnny and my brother’s absolute favorite. After this past weekend, however, I am a huge fan and even watched the two that I have never seen, Toy Story 3 and 4. I laughed, I cried, and enjoyed my three movie Toy Story extravaganza so much! In fact, I would happily see the fifth one again in theaters! Let’s discuss:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!

Bonnie is eight years old now and loves to play with her toys – especially Jessie! With her vivid imagination, she creates the most wonderful stories for her crew of toys that were gifted to her by Andy when he left for college. The only problem? Bonnie doesn’t have any friends to share in play time with her. All she wants is to play with her neighbors but she just doesn’t know how to do that and it breaks her parents’ hearts. In an attempt to get Bonnie to have more friends, they get her the latest hot new toy – the Lilypad. It is a frog shaped tablet for kids where you can play learning games and chat away with your friend group. Bonnie promptly becomes addicted to the high tech toy and her real toys fall by the wayside.

Jessie and Lilypad clearly have different ideas of what it means to make friends. While Jessie chastises Lilypad for not helping children make connections, Lily shows her up. She friends three girls from Bonnie’s dance class and she is immediately invited to a sleepover from the device. Bonnie is ecstatic and packs her suitcase with her clothes, Jessie and Bullseye, and Lilypad too. However, as soon as she arrives at the slumber party with her two favorite toys, the girls begin to mock Bonnie for still playing with them. Rather than stand up for herself, Bonnie gives her dolls back to her dad and the girls spend the remainder of their evening on their Lilypad tablets.

Jessie and Bullseye aren’t going to stand for this and manage to escape before being taken back home. Unfortunately, they are going to have a long journey as an elderly couple finds them, sees the address of Jessie’s old owner, and takes them back to that location. Jessie’s old owner no longer lives at this home and they meet a family with a young daughter named Blaze instead. And Blaze? She could be the perfect friend for Bonnie because she still loves to play with her toys too! All Jessie needs to do is get them to meet.

This is going to be no easy feat in this unfamiliar location with strange new toys and Jessie is going to need all of the help she can get… Even if it comes from tech. Through the help of long forgotten tech toys from Blaze’s youth, the plan to get Bonnie and Blaze to be friends is a go. And, of course, Jessie is so eager to get back to Bonnie – her best friend in the world. Will Jessie and her new companions finally get Bonnie to have a friend that she deserves? Watch Toy Story 5 to find out!

From start to finish, Toy Story 5 was an absolute joy. The story of a little girl who wants nothing more than to make friends is enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings. I don’t know about all of you, but I have felt like Bonnie in my youth and even as an adult, creating a character that is perfectly relatable to any age group. And, of course, the toys versus tech dilemma that children of this generation face was such a smart story line choice because we see it every day – kids on phones and tablets rather than playing with an action figure or riding bikes. Toy Story 5 truly encouraged everyone to get back to using their imagination and playing the day away.

If you are a seasoned fan of Toy Story 5 you will surely love this flick. And, even if you’re like me and haven’t seen all of them, you are still going to love this flick because of the themes it covers. I enjoyed every minute of this movie and then some. It was hilarious, heartwarming, tear jerking, and packed with adventure. In fact, I think Johnny, my brother, and I liked it even more than the children in the audience. We were definitely the ones who were laughing the loudest and it was just the best time!

I am going to award Toy Story 5 with the coveted ten out of ten stars. It is a must see for ages young and old and you are in for such a huge treat!

What is your favorite Toy Story movie? Who is your favorite character from the movies (I love Jessie!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul4

5 Below Clothing Haul

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5 Below Clothing Haul

Hi! Johnny and I are the Fun Aunt and Uncle and have been looking forward to taking our nieces to see Toy Story 5. Taking them to the movies is one of our favorite things because it’s just pure fun. Loading up on snacks, determining what movies to see next from the previews, and taking in the movie magic altogether. Because I am the most extra aunt on the planet, simply going to see Toy Story 5 isn’t good enough. I have to dress the part and knew just where I needed to go – 5 Below to shop their Toy Story collection. I walked away with Toy Story toys for the girl squad and some treats for me too:

^^^ Lol, it’s not Toy Story themed but I wasn’t going to not get a Sean Paul T-shirt!

The Toy Story collection has been at 5 Below for a while and I kept thinking to myself that I had to buy the adorable Jesse crop top and hoodie but never did. On Monday, I visited the best 5 Below in my neck of the woods to make the purchase and was so disappointed to be too late. They were all sold out! I didn’t have high hopes for the other nearby 5 Below because it’s way smaller and not as good but I was close to it on Tuesday and decided to check it out. It was the definition of a GREAT SUCCESS because they had one left of the crop and hoodie and they were both in my size. Freaking SCORE!!

I honestly can’t get over how cute both the crop and the hoodie are as well as the price. Combined, I spent twenty dollars and you simply can’t beat that. I couldn’t imagine how much a similar item at Disney World would cost! I have several crop tops from 5 Below and I absolutely love the way they fit. The crop will be perfect for this summer and I can’t wait to bust the hoodie out in the fall. Although, I have a confession to make… I haven’t seen Toy Story 3 or 4. *Gasp*. It might seem silly to buy clothing from a franchise that I haven’t seen in its entirety. However, I am the extra aunt and I knew the girls would get such a kick out of it. I think Johnny and I will have to backtrack and watch 3 and 4 after we see 5 just so I can say that I have seen them all. 🙂

And, finally, the Sean Paul T-shirt lol… This shirt geeked me out because me and my sister were literally addicted to his song Temperature when it first came out and we still are. It is our jam! The song we quote, dance along to in the car, and sing at the top of our lungs to. Temperature is our past, present, and future and I wasn’t about to slap the 5 Below gods in the face by not adding this beautiful keepsake to my cart. I am SO excited for my sister to see it!! 😀

As always, 5 Below is the best. Stay tuned for my Toy Story OOTD coming soon!

What is your favorite discount store? What is your favorite Toy Story movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Groovy Movies: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Edition

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Groovy Movies: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Edition

Howdy! This past weekend we had a fun afternoon out with our nieces to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. We watched the first one when it came out with our biggest niece and we all loved it so we were most excited! Although I liked the first one a bit better than the sequel, it was still a hoot. The Mario Galaxy games are my favorite so it was way cool to see it on the big screen! In a spoiler free setting, as always, let’s discuss this family friendly flick:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!

Princess Rosalina lives up in the stars and is mom to the adorable Lumas that reside there. They are colorful, silly little stars and their world revolves around the princess. However, their world is turned upside down when Bowser Jr. kidnaps her to drain her power and have the Bowser family reign supreme. Princess Rosalina always told her Lumas to find Princess Peach if anything were to ever happen to her and that is exactly what one brave Luma does. The Luma travels far and wide to reach the Mushroom Kingdom to request help from Princess Peach and she agrees while leaving the Kingdom in the care of Mario, Luigi, and a new Yoshi friend too.

Of course, Bowser is still tiny but has changed a lot for the better. In his little castle he paints pictures, cooks soup, and trims bonsai trees. His son, Bowser Jr., misses him fiercely and just wants to make his old man proud. So he attempts to free him from Princess Peach’s castle. The plan is a bust, but it puts Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Bowser on the path to reunite with Princess Peach in space. All they need is a space ship!

Thanks to a delightful cameo by Fox McCloud, the heroes arrive in the Space Junk Galaxy to defeat Bowser Jr. and foil his plot to create an all destroying cannon with Rosalina’s power. Their problems have doubled, though, as Bowser was so inspired by his son that he returned to the dark side once more. If the canon is created, the Bowsers will have complete power over any and everything. Will Princess Peach save Princess Rosalina? And will our heroes defeat Bowser and Son? Watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to find out!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was a short and sweet flick that was barely over an hour and a half. In that short time, it was jam packed with a whole lot of fun! The visuals were striking, the Lumas were the literal cutest, and who doesn’t love Yoshi?! There were plenty of quick witted jokes, nods to games of the past, and wonderful cameos by beloved characters. Mr. Game And Watch, anyone? There was just one thing that Johnny and I could not get behind…

Why, exactly, was Chris Pratt cast as Mario? Especially when the voice actors for Mario in the games are both living and available? It truly makes no sense to us lol. Not only does Chris Pratt actively suck as a person but his voice work for Mario was just not it. Pratt’s vocal acting did absolutely nothing for us and it weighed the whole movie down. That was our opinion for the first Mario movie too and our sentiments have only amplified. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was a total blast and the overall casting decisions were great. Just not this one.

Overall, I am going to rate The Super Mario Galaxy Movie with a six out of ten Lumas. It was a solid sequel but was definitely one that you could take or leave.

Have you seen the Mario movies? What did you think about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan24

Groovy Movies: Zootopia 2 Edition

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Groovy Movies: Zootopia 2 Edition

Hi! This past weekend was full of entertainment for me. Some excellent and some that actively sucked – just take a look at yesterday’s Stereophonic review lol. On Friday, I took my big nieces to see Zootopia 2 together and we had the best time. My bestie girls and I love going to the movies. Of course, we all love the snacks but that time spent watching a show together on the big screen, laughing, and cheering the characters on can’t be beat! I have to admit that I don’t remember the first Zootopia very well as it has been several years since I watched it with my oldest niece. However, that did not deter from my enjoyment of its sequel one bit. It was such fun! Let’s discuss:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!

Thanks to the ingenious invention of weather walls to control the climate, Zootopia is a home for all creatures big and small. All creatures except for snakes, of course. Snakes have not been seen in Zootopia since forever and any member of the reptile family is looked down upon. However, after Judy and Nick make a bust at a loading dock, they believe that a snake has touched down in Zootopia after finding its shed skin. No one believes their discovery as a snake being in Zootopia would be simply impossible, but Judy and Nick work the case anyway. Through their detective work, they learn that the snake might be going to a gala to celebrate Zootopia’s centennial anniversary. It’s time for them to go undercover.

The party is hosted by a powerful family of lynxes who are descendants of Zootopia’s original founder. Our snake friend named Gary would say otherwise and that is why he is in Zootopia. To prove that the lynx family are frauds and to help his own family who has been in hiding since they took something very important away. A journal that would show where the original patent for the weather walls is located. A patent not created by the lynxes at all. Gary manages to get the journal back but in the chaos Judy and Nick are accused of aiding him. Now, they are all on the run to clear their names.

With the help of countless new friends, the unlikely trio sets to work to solve the mystery of the missing patent. They race across Zootopia seeking information about how it was founded and just what happened to all of the reptiles. And, wouldn’t you know that there was a time when they coexisted with the other animals peacefully despite their differences? Little does Judy and Nick know, the real snakes are not the snakes at all. If the patent is not found, there will be nowhere safe for the reptiles to go and the powerful will remain so based on a farce. Will Judy, Nick, and Gary save the day and make Zootopia a home for all once more? Watch the movie and find out!

From start to finish, Zootopia 2 was an absolute blast. It was hilarious, exciting, and had an all star cast to voice all of Zootopia’s inhabitants. Not to mention that the adults in the audience would find shocking similarities to our current political times. It was incredibly apparent and I was living for it. But the best thing about Zootopia 2 is its message. That being different isn’t a bad thing. It’s a beautiful thing that makes the world colorful and special. And when you dare to be different and let your true self shine is when magic and changes can happen.

I wasn’t sure if my girl squad was going to sit through Zootopia 2 in its entirety without getting the jitters. It was a bit longer at one hour and fifty minutes and I sometimes get the jitters with too long movies! That was not the case in the slightest. This movie completely held our attention and I think we were all a little sad when it was over. Zootopia 2 was an amazing family flick that will be just as enjoyable for the adults as it is for the children. Highly recommend!

My Zootopia 2 outing was a ten out of ten stars experience hands down. We all loved it and are planning on watching the first one together next time!

What is your favorite animated movie? Have you seen anything at the theater recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan8

Groovy Movies: Moana 2 Edition

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Groovy Movies: Moana 2 Edition

Hello!! This past weekend, I spent a lovely afternoon with my dad and two of my nieces to see Moana 2 at the theaters. I was really excited about this for a few reasons. 1) I was with my eldest niece for her first movie theater experience and this was her little sister’s first time seeing a show. 2) My eldest niece and I watched Moana during our very first slumber party. It was her suggestion because I hadn’t seen it. I absolutely loved it and it instantly became a special movie for the both of us. And 3) Movie theater food is the best lol. I know Moana 2 was not as well received as its predecessor, but we enjoyed every minute of it! In a spoiler free setting, let’s discuss:

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video!

It is a joyous day on Motunui because wayfinder, Moana has returned after a three day exploration mission. She is greeted by her precious family (including adorable little sis, Simea) and the island population in its entirety to welcome her home. Moana dreams of connecting the people in surrounding islands and thinks she might have found her first clue to achieve this on her expedition. Little does she know, her next adventure is already on the way. During a special ceremony that evening, Moana has a vision from her ancestors. The message is grim: The people of Motunui will not survive if Moana cannot raise the island of Motufetu from the depths of the sea. Motufetu was sunk by the angry storm god, Nalo, and used to join all of the islands together. Without it, any connection between islands is impossible and the people will slowly fade away.

With no time to spare, Moana assembles a crew of experts to assist in her voyage – a farmer, an inventor, and a historian. However, they are missing a BIG piece of the puzzle: Maui. Proud demigod Maui had his own problems with Nalo and wanted to raise Motufetu himself out of fear that Moana could die. During his efforts, he was captured by Nalo’s enforcer and let’s just say he is currently… tied up. A rescue mission is in order and after some help from an unexpected ally, it is full steam ahead to Motufetu. Can Moana and her team connect the islands and save the day? You’re just going to have to watch the movie!!

Moana is my GIRL and it was so exciting to reunite with her together with my bestie squad. We were hooked from the very start and remained glued to our seats for the whole movie. I know that many people felt like Moana 2 wasn’t as good as the first, but I thought it was just as good. The plot was a fantastic quest, it was visually stunning, the new characters introduced were great, and I could not get enough of the music. The soundtrack for Moana 2 is straight banger after banger. My favorites were “Beyond” and “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?”. The best song for me, though, was “Get Lost”. It was pure jazzy, villainous fun and, like all of the music in the movie, enhanced the scene and location beautifully.

One of the things that I loved the most about Moana 2 other than everything was the nods to the first movie placed throughout the film. The real ones will know and every time a tip of the cap happened, my eldest niece and I confirmed “it’s just like the first movie” lol. And, of course, the bond between Moana and Simea was the sweetest and it felt like watching my two “big” nieces in animated form. The fact that they called each other “big and lil sis” melted my heart because my nieces call each other “sissy”. Like me, my eldest niece thought Moana 2 was a hit. The jury is still out on her lil sis, though, because she slept the whole time lol.

It was such a gift to see Moana 2 with my best girls and I cannot recommend it enough. I know sequels can be hit or miss, but this one was excellent!

What was the last movie you saw in theaters? Is there anything coming out that you would like to see? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar12

Happy Day!

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Happy Day!

Hello! This past Sunday was a wonderful, happy day with my family because we celebrated my niece’s third birthday. It seems like just yesterday that my sister brought her home from the hospital and I was in all of the feels. I didn’t think I would be so emotional but then I found myself crying not once or twice but THREE times when we took Val to her first movie at the theaters to see Sing 2.

Prior to seeing the movie, Val enjoyed a huge present haul from her TT and Uncle “Ohnny”. She loved all of her new Mini Mouse gear, pop up books, and a ukulele from Johnny. He got her a purple one and a black one for himself so they can have lessons together. How sweet is that?!

After lunch and lots of playing, we headed to the movie theater for Sing 2. None of us have seen the first one but that didn’t matter much because what is there to know about animals singing? I must admit that Johnny and I weren’t chomping at the bit to see this movie. We were definitely more excited about Val’s first movie theater experience. However, by the end of the flick we were eating our words because it was pretty much the cutest movie ever.

Long story short, a musical theater group are putting on an intergalactic themed show for a not so nice entertainment bigwig. The songs in the movie are mostly current popular hits including songs by Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, and Shawn Mendes. Not to mention that Bono of U2 (our family favorite band) does a voice in the movie which we were all stoked about.

Sing 2 opened with “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince and we were all hooked from there. I was getting super invested in this movie and when Bono’s reclusive character had some struggles, I couldn’t help but shed a few tears. THEN, Johnny and I were surprised to hear one of the characters singing “Could Have Been Me” by The Struts. We absolutely love them and I started crying again not because it was sad but I was just so happy lol.

Finally, I cried three times a lady at the end when the space themed musical wrapped up with “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2. We were all singing along, including my little niece and it just melted my heart. My dad even shed a tear or two! Meanwhile, Johnny just laughed at me because I literally cry during ninety percent of the movies we watch. It truly doesn’t take much!

We all had the best day celebrating my best girl and I have been looking back on it fondly all week because it was such a Beautiful Day… See what I did there, U2 fans? By the way, if you are looking for a fun family movie, I can’t recommend Sing 2 enough. Just have some tissues at the ready because you may or may not cry too!

What is the first movie you saw in theaters? What is your favorite animated movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar20

Netflix Top Ten Picks Pt. 3

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Netflix Top Ten Picks Pt. 3

Helloooo everyone and happy Tuesday! Today, we are going to discuss ten more of my top choices on Netflix. With the always expanding amount of movies to choose from on Netflix, sometimes it can feel impossible to pick which flick to watch. Luckily, you can choose from some Lil Red Guaranteed films below for movie night made easy:

  1. Return To Sender: I have to say, I am not the biggest Rosamund Pike fan. I find that all of her characters are exactly the same and her performances are very flat. HOWEVER, I didn’t completely hate Return To Sender. It was a pretty intense tale of a seemingly level headed woman taking total control of seeking revenge against her recently released from jail rapist. 7/10
  2. The Imitation Game: If you have not seen this movie and are a Benedict Cumberbatch fan, then SHAME ON YOU. This is actually one of my favorite movies. A true story about the closeted Alan Turing who cracked Enigma during World War II. Bursting at the seams with emotion and a riveting story line, you can’t go wrong with this one.
  3. I Love You, Man: This movie is easily one of my favorite comedies. Featuring an all star cast Of Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, and Rashida Jones, you get to live through the cringe worthy moments of man dates as newly engaged and friendless Peter tries to find groomsmen for his wedding. Freaking hilarious and oddly heartwarming, I Love You, Man is a definite crowd pleaser.
  4. Meet The Parents: This used to be one of my favorites when I was younger. Early Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro are a match made in funny movie heaven. There are definitely some cringey parts in this movie – like finding out that “Greg” is really named Gaylord Focker, but it’s a lot of fun with some early 2000’s flare.
  5. Sing Street: I LOVE THIS MOVIE. 10/10 WOULD WATCH SEVERAL TIMES. If you are a fan of Irish cinema, good music (The Cure, anyone?), and a heart wrenching tale of the younger boy falling for the mysterious older gal then, please do yourselves a favor, and watch this movie. You’ll thank me later.
  6. The Little Prince: This animated flick is nowhere near as good as the claymation one featuring Gene Wilder – I’m warning you now. But, The Little Prince is one of my favorite books and this sweet retelling still does it justice.
  7. The Prince Of Egypt: And, speaking of animated films, this is one of the BEST animated flicks of all time. Someone, please try and change my mind. I’m not even religious and I flipping LOVE this movie. A banging soundtrack, an interesting Bible story of Moses, and visually stunning, The Prince Of Egypt rules.
  8. Raw: Certainly not the best French movie I’ve ever seen, but definitely not the worst, either. A young vegetarian veterinarian hopeful discovers a taste for meat after a hazing event at school. Like I said, not the best but not the worst – but, I still enjoyed it. *Shrugs*
  9. Changeling: As a huge Angelina Jolie fan, this movie is pure perfection. In a too crazy to be true but based on a true story … I can’t give anything away! It is a longer movie than most, but if you’re looking for a sad, shocking, inspiring movie, then tuck in for the night with Changeling.
  10. Creep 1 & 2: Both the first and the second Creep movies were very good. I’ll call it a horror flick even though there’s nothing too “scary” about it in the something is going to pop out and kill you sense. Shot documentary style, a lonely man lures videographers to remote locations to film his wolf mask wearing weirdness. I wouldn’t call these movies scary – but, they are definitely creepy!

Your next movie night is a go, with my above top ten selections! Turn on Netflix, grab your popcorn and blankets, and enjoy!

What are some of your top picks on Netflix? Which of the above movies do you plan on watching next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah