Max

If you like dog movies, go see the movie Max!
maxposter

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!

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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snoopy-001
(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

Mr. Peabody and Sherman Giveaway!

It is time for a giveaway!

With Mr. Peabody & Sherman opening March 7th, we are giving away movie themed prizes!

Three readers can win a set of Mr. Peabody themed glasses and bow tie. Perfect for you or your pet! The set includes one plastic pair of Mr. Peabody glasses and one red fabric bow tie.

Here is what they look like:
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The amount in the picture is not related to the number I have to give away.

Here they are on an adorable dog model named Leo:

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How cute is that? Fun for you and your pet, whether you wear them or not! A perfect, and adorable, photo op.

Two lucky readers can win a Dog IQ kit. Have you ever wondered just how smart your dog is? Think he could be more intelligent than Mr. Peabody?

The Dog IQ kit includes Mr. Peabody themed instructions, score cards, stop watch, cups, leash, bath size towel, Natural Balance treats, My Dog is a Genius bumper sticker, and a set of the glasses and bow tie.
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I always wondered how smart my dog was, I think he knew more than he let on. The items that went missing around the house seemed proof of that.

How do I enter?
This giveaway is only open to those who live in the continental United States, and starts when I post this today at 9 pm est (February 21). You can enter your information until March 6th at 9pm est, when the giveaway entry period will close.

All you need to do is enter your info into the form below and five winners will be randomly chosen from all the names entered on the 6th. We will contact you then by email to let you know you won and get your shipping information. It is that easy!

Thank you to everyone who entered, the giveaway period is over.

I will contact the winners via email to get your mailing address.

Note: None of this information will be saved after the giveaway or used for any other purpose than to contact you about being chosen for a prize.

 

At the Movies: Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Are you or your family looking for a movie to see soon at your local theater? Do you love dogs, or wish they could talk?

Then you will love “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” a new movie from DreamWorks Animation which will be out in theaters on March 7th!

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Do you remember Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman? Mr. Peabody is an incredibly intelligent beagle, the smartest dog in the world, while Sherman is the boy he adopts. The animated characters got their start in the 1960s as part of “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show” in the Peabody’s Improbable History segment. They looked like this:

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(about.com)

In the show, Mr. Peabody had accomplished many things but was lonely and ended up adopting a human boy named Sherman after finding out he was an orphan. For Sherman’s birthday he gifts the boy his invention of a time machine called the WABAC, and they travel together through history fixing things that have gone wrong.

The upcoming film has similar themes but follows Sherman and a girl named Penny (along with Mr. Peabody) as they travel back in time in the WABAC (pronounced “way-back”). It is a story of self discovery as the kids learn lessons on friendship and understanding, and Mr. Peabody learns how to be a better father figure. All of this while working through historical events like the Trojan War in an attempt to not change history because of their interference. Mr. Peabody is voiced by Ty Burrell. Max Charles voices Sherman and Ariel Winter voices Penny Peterson. Penny was not a part of the original cartoon segments but looks to be a great addition for the animated movie.

Inside the WABAC:
WABAC

Max Charles and Ariel Winter recently sat down for a quick Q&A session about the film. Not surprisingly, neither of the two young stars had seen the cartoon prior to being cast. While Charles could look for inspiration in the classic cartoon for Sherman, Winter had a bigger challenge since Penny was not part of the original storyline. However, this didn’t seem to bother her, “It was basically like they handed me a book and it was empty and I got to write the pages,” she explains. “I thought it was pretty cool that I got to create my own character.” Winter also joked that she brought her own real life sass to the role. Penny’s assertive personality is what drives Sherman to defy orders and take Penny in Mr. Peabody’s WABAC.

Penny with Sherman and Mr. Peabody in ancient Egypt:
penny

Winter believes Penny’s behavior and actions go deeper than just a desire to pick on Sherman. She explains, “Penny gets the most attention at school for being smartest in class, and when she gets threatened by Sherman a little bit because he comes in and kind of takes her place, she acts out, to take back what she feels is her’s. In the end Penny really realizes some things about herself and we see that she has a huge heart and she ends up caring for Sherman and Mr. Peabody.”

When asked about his favorite scene in the movie, Charles described a sequence where King Tut smashes into the windshield of the WABAC — a very appropriate response for a 10–year-old boy.

Overall, the movie is really about relationships. The friendship that develops between Penny and Sherman is just as important as the father and son relationship between Peabody and Sherman. As a dog, Mr. Peabody has to deal with this in trying to be a boy’s father on top of the normal difficulties of parenting. This is a strange but interesting dynamic to be sure. As a kid I often wondered what it would be like to have intelligent talking dogs and what that impact would be like. How much more crazy would it be to be adopted by one? For those who love dogs like a part of the family, “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is sure to be enjoyable given the film’s depiction of the love, loyalty and companionship we share with our four-legged best friends.

I think the movie sounds fun and heartwarming! Don’t miss Mr. Peabody and Sherman when it comes to theaters March 7th!

Rhosgobel Rabbits

The Hobbit is now out in theatres and it is an amazing movie! A little long if you are not a tolkien lover, because they split the story into three movies. But if you are like me and always wanted more out of the Lord of the Rings movies, you will love this one!

The_Hobbit

This post comes with a little spoiler alert if you have not seen any of the trailers for the movie, or the movie itself.

Here is a trailer if you would like to see:

Radagast the Brown, a wizard like Gandalf, has a small part in the movie! He is merely referenced in the Hobbit, and has return appearance in LOTR (not in the movie version). Radagast’s job was to take care of nature. I am not too fond of the make up job that he has in the movie (mainly the bird poop running down his face).

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(image found here)

But in the trailer you get a glimpse of something not mentioned in the books, but is a wonderful and fitting addition to Radagast’s character: a sled pulled by giant rabbits!

Here are some screen shots:

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(screen capture found here)

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(screen capture found at theonering.com)

They are adorable giant rabbits, and are very fast in the film. In the movie Radagast refers to the rabbits and being outrun by wargs: “These are Rhosgobel Rabbits. I’d like to see them try!”

Rhosgobel is the name of the place where Radagast lives – so it is fitting to refer to the rabbits as being from there. His home is described as being fenced in, and lying on the western edge of Mirkwood. You can read a bit more about Rhosgobel at tolkiengateway.net.

I will update this post once better pictures of the rabbits come out.

Alvin!

Last night I went and saw Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I would suggest seeing it if you enjoyed the first movie.

I did not have a clue what this sequel would entail, except the Chipettes. But I liked it. The plot is decent, funny, it has enjoyable music, and the addition of the Chipettes is awesome.  Plus, I think the chipmunks are adorable. My favorite is Theodore because of his personality and chubby cheeks.

My Favorite:

Bolt!

If you are looking for a good movie to see, Disney’s Bolt is amazing! A good story full of laughs and very cute characters, suitable for people of all ages.

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If you want to read more about how the movie was first going to be “American Dog,” or to see clips from Bolt visit: bolt–trailer.blogspot.com.

Also for more information, see the official Disney site: disney.go.com/disneypictures/bolt