Max

If you like dog movies, go see the movie Max!
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Max is not your average little kid dog movie, lots of action and suspense. The plot focuses on a military dog named Max who’s handler is killed in the line of duty and what becomes of him and his family. It is a fictional story, but it makes you think about and appreciate the dogs and their handlers serving in war. It is a story of sadness, family growth, and triumph.

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(Warner Bros.)

Here is the preview:

Being that it is a movie for families with older kids there are a couple moments that did not seem very realistic, but overall the movie is great! The movie may be too dramatic for younger children. This is well worth seeing!

More about the dogs that played Max in the movie:
Five different Belgian Malinois played the star dog Max. The main dog who acts in most of the movie is named Carlos, who stood out from other Malinois because he has light markings around his eyes which makes it easier for the camera to pick up the dog’s expression. The four other dogs are: Jagger, who was the main understudy, Dude, who was used for jumping scenes, Pilot, who was trained to knock people down and play fight, and Pax, who was good at running and bearing his teeth. All of these dogs had their faces dyed to resemble Carlos.

To read more about the dogs and their training see USA Today.

Here is Jagger on the red carpet:
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(Inside Edition)

Max is in theaters now!

Marvel Phase 9

Take a peak at Marvel Phase 9, or in other words, the April Fool’s joke that I missed but still wanted to share in case you had not seen it yet either.

Take a peak at what Marvel has “planned” for phase 9 – dogs and the evil villain LoKitty!

Take a look at that team:
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With Archie as Captain America:
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Rutabaga as the Hulk:
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Zelda as Black Widow:
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Robot as Iron Man:
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Appa as Hawkeye:
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Mr. Miles as Thor:
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The Avengers movies are simply awesome, so I cannot assume a dog team could do it better. It would however be very adorable should this ever actually become a thing.

– Staff

And The Academy Award Goes To – 2015

Two cute Academy Award winners need to be recognized from the 2015 Oscars!

1. Best Animated Short – Feast
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This short features an adorable dog who figures out life is more than food, it played before Big Hero 6.

2. Best Animated Movie – Big Hero 6
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Because Baymax is adorable!
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(All images Disney)

Fitting for Big Hero 6 to win after Feast won earlier in the evening. The previews for the movie made it look like a funny action movie, but it has a lot of heart and great characters. I highly suggest checking it out if you have not seen it yet.

However, How To Train Your Dragon 2 would have been a great best animated movie as well.  I also suggest seeing this one if you have not seen it.

Hope you are enjoying the Oscars!

– Fizz

Review: Dolphin Tale 2

The human went to see Dolphin Tale 2 and told me what she thought of it, so I figured I would pass it along. Guinea pigs don’t really watch movies after all.

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If you enjoyed the first Dolphin Tale movie you should find this movie just as enjoyable. You might not find it necessarily as good as or better than the first movie, but still inspirational and worth watching.

The movie follows Winter as she loses her female friend and poolmate Panama, and what the marine hospital has to do about the situation because according to USDA regulations Winter cannot be kept by herself. This leads to the introduction of a couple new dolphins including Hope, the second dolphin on the above poster. A warning when taking younger viewers, there is a brief moment of showing a “deceased” dolphin at the bottom of its pool and a few dolphins in distress throughout the movie but nothing gory. These moments might just upset younger kids or lead to questions you might want to be prepared to answer. Further ideas the movie explores is whether it is okay for a healthy dolphin to be kept at a marine park when their goal is rehabilitation, what is in the best interests of such large marine mammals even when humans have personal attachments to them, and what it means to let go of fears to be able to move on in life.

Winter and Hope, the new dolphin star of the sequel:
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(seewinter.com)

The major cast members from the first film came back for the squeal. That adds a lot to the quality and consistency of this movie. Where the first movie focused on coping with a disability, this movie is more of a story of growing up. The kids from the first movie are not really kids any more, and the plot does a good job of dealing with their growing desire for independence and decision making. The only real downside was that because of their age a suggestion of love interests and conflicts was thrown into the plot. While it doesn’t feel forced, and is kind of cute, it also feels completely unnecessary to the overall story. The movie would have been just as compelling without it, and it is possible for boys and girls to simply be friends even at their age. But if that is an element you enjoy or require in a movie than you will not be disappointed.

Overall, if you are looking for a quality family movie with some good discussion points this is a great choice. It does provide an entertaining and endearing story, and it helps to point out some issues surrounding the welfare and treatment of marine wildlife.

Dolphin Tale 2 is now in theaters!

– Fizz

Winter and Hope, the dolphins featured in the movie are real dolphins that you can visit at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater Florida. You can learn more visiting them in person at Seewinter.com.

Lassie and Luna at Strut Your Mutt

Sorry for the lack of posts recently! The human took a break due to the loss of a friend, and we didn’t think it pertinent to write without her. But, we are back with an exciting picture!

Lassie, the Collie of tv and movie fame, and Luna, a Boston Terrier star in the new movie “Hector and the Search for Happiness,” appeared at the Best Friends Animal Society’s fundraising walk Strut Your Mutt in California.

Here are the two dog stars together!
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Luna is making appearances to help promote “Hector and the Search for Happiness.” The movie is about a psychiatrist, Simon Pegg, who is searching for the true meaning and formula for happiness everywhere he can look. Luna is the dog star of the movie. Other human actors are Rosamund Pike, Toni Collette, Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno, and Christopher Plummer. “Hector and the Search for Happiness” opens September 19. You can find out even more from the movie’s Facebook page.

Lassie is out and about making appears to reestablish her name and prominence in the public eye. The human is dictating another post all about Lassie’s return which will be on FT in the near future.

Strut your Mutt is a fundraising event that happens all over the country to raise money for local shelters and rescues to help homeless dogs and cats. It was awesome to have two famous dog stars make an appearance for a good cause!

– Cola and Fizz

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Toys

There is a lot more cute and interesting merchandise available for this movie. We lamented the failings from the toys for the first movie four years ago. Some of that was fixed as show merchandise came out, but it wasn’t until this movie that things really improved.

Plush toys:
The first movie’s toy line failed here, the plush toys didn’t look anything like the actual movie characters. Come on, stuffed dragons basically sell themselves unless they look ridiculous. And they looked really bad.

The official plush available everywhere are still really bad. Super low quality and mass produced, but at least they look more like the actual characters for this movie.

Small (8 in) and Large (14 in)
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This Toothless is from the show line, better but not great:
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There is now a plush pillow available, which has the best wings out there but the oddest face:
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The best by far for this movie is the Build a Bear Toothless:
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The wings are not permanently attached, Toothless wears them like a backpack and you can take them off to dress him up. Why they made this choice I will never know, they have other plush toys with permanently attached wings so it is disappointing but the toy still looks way better than other yet produced.

Unfortunately he is sold out on their website and in most stores, but you can sign up here to be notified when they get a new shipment.
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The basic figures are about the same, with new ones for the new dragons. I won’t show those because you can find them in all stores with merchandise for the film.

However, they do have some really cute mini figures for around $6 depending on what store you get them at:

Toothless
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Cloud Jumper

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Funko Pop also has cute collectible figures, which are for sale at Hot Topic and should be available where other Funko figures are sold.

Toothless
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Stormfly
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There is also a set of Mystery Mini figures from Funko which are smaller than their regular figure line and come in a closed box so you do not know which one you will get.

Two different versions of Toothless (of four different designs):
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Hookfang
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Keep an eye out if you want to add to your How To Train Your Dragon collection, there is a lot of new merchandise worth looking into!

-Cola and Fizz

How To Train Your Dragon 2 – Review

If you enjoyed the movie How To Train Your Dragon, you need to see the sequel! How To Train Your Dragon 2 is exceptional!

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If you never saw the first movie, How To Train Your Dragon is the story of an island town of Vikings plagued by dragon attacks. However, it turns out dragons are much more than they appear. The main story revolves around a viking named Hiccup, the son of the town’s leader, who befriends a powerful and playful dragon which he names Toothless. Their friendship changes everything. It is a story of understanding, growth, friendship and family. Dreamworks did an excellent job on this movie with quality animation and story.

Toothless the Night Fury is simply irresistible, cute for a dragon, and just the right amount of attitude:
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The sequel continues that story with the same characters five years later.

Hiccup then and now:
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(source)

This movie has more mature themes than the first, but right in line with the aging of the main characters and what life can bring. The movie can make you laugh, cry, and feel triumphant. There are new dragon species in the movie, and the world really expands beyond the main Island of Berk. You can learn more and watch videos on the How To Train Your Dragon website.

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I was a bit unsure of what this movie would be, given that sequels are hardly ever as good. This was exceptional, just as good as (if not for some viewers even better than) the first. It was everything I could want from a sequel, especially given that it took 4 years to make. The animation is beautiful, I would say almost Pixar quality.The textures, lighting, scale, and landscapes seem even more real and very well done. The dragons appear as if they are flying, and the scale differences between them never seem unbelievable. If dragons are in scenes with humans talking front and center they will be doing interesting things in the background, a very nice touch. Toothless has even more personality and you learn even more about Night Furies. I loved the movie and went into not knowing too much so I don’t want to ruin any of the actual story, you will just have to see it to find out even more!

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I also wanted to note that I saw the movie twice, once on a regular screen and once on IMAX, both were 3D. It is worth it to see the movie on a larger screen! The 3D is also very nice, it adds to the perception of the landscapes, flights, and action rather than taking away from it or utilizing cheap gags to make it “worth” the experience.

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Go see How To Train Your Dragon 2, I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Our Review Score: 4.9/5 paws
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– Cola and Fizz

 

Never saw the first movie? You can buy it now on Amazon (DVD or Blu-ray):

Dolphin Tale 2

Dolphin Tale 2, the sequel to the first movie about Winter the tail-less dolphin, will be in theaters September 19, 2014!

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(wikipedia)

Here is the preview:

Another Dolphin Tale movie?!? The first movie was very inspiring, and I expect the same of the second. The original featured the story of Winter the dolphin who lost her tail, the people who went to great lengths to save her, and those who were inspired by them all.

Dolphin Tale 2 will also have Winter in it, but will feature the story of another rescued baby dolphin named Hope. Both were rescued by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and both can be visited there! It is also the principle filming location for the dolphins. Winter played herself in the first Dolphin Tale and will return for the sequel. Hope will also play herself in the upcoming movie. More amazing still, Hope came to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium during the wrap up of the Dolphin Tale movie. She was injured and separated from her mother, found in same area where Winter was previously discovered.

Here is Winter without the prosthetic tail designed specifically for her:
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Here she is wearing the new tail:
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(Barcroft Media)

And here is Hope with Winter – Hope is the one with a full tail:
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(DEMASKE/Times)

I am really looking forward to seeing this movie!

If you live anywhere near Clearwater or are going their for vocation maybe consider visiting the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to visit these two dolphins!

– Cola

Also, if you have not seen the first Dolphin Tale I highly suggest it. Inspiring and heartwarming.

Disneynature Bears

Disneynature’s new movie Bears is out in theaters today!

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The movie follows a mother brown bear and her two cubs as the cubs experience life in Alaska outside their den for the first time.

If you see Bears opening week Disney will make a donation to the National Park Foundation to help protect wildlife and the places they call home. This corresponds with Earth Day, which is next week Tuesday.

Here are a couple more images from the movie:
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You can see even more pictures and read more about the movie at nature.disney.com.

Go see Bears this week and help support our National Parks!

-Fizz

New Movie – Peanuts

A new movie featuring the Peanuts will be coming to theaters in 2015! Blue Sky Studios is behind the movie, and the look is very different than previous Peanuts animation because it will be in 3D.

Here are a couple stills:
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(coming soon)

While it is 3D, it still manages to keep the look of the original animation. Snoopy even has a fuzzy look to him which is interesting. I am kind of excited for this one!

You can check out the teaser trailer here:

-Cola