Joanne Mallon's Opposable Thumbs

Playing superheroes: Iron Man 3 toys reviewed

As a film fanatic, it has been brilliant as my children get older to be able to share the cinema experience. No longer do I have to sit through some dull, life affirming but soul-destroying cartoon - now I can take my kids to films that I'd actually want to see if I wasn't a parent.

My nine-year-old son and I are really looking forward to Iron Man 3. We have both the first two films on DVD and they are one of the few film series where the sequel is even better than the first film. So by the law of averages the third one should be even better, right? That's what we're hoping.

And we were pretty chuffed to be sent some Iron Man 3 toys from Hasbro to try out in advance of the movie. Because let's face it who wouldn't want a little Robert Downey Jr of their own to keep at home and play with?

 

Just me then.

 

Our previous experiences of movie-based merchandise has been a mixed one. The Batman toys were OK but didn't ultimately inspire a lot of imaginative play.  The Hobbit toys were beautifully recreated but lacking in a Gollum.

How would the man of iron fare when recreated as a man of plastic?

 

We were sent two Iron Man 3 toys to review:

Sonic Blasting Action Figure

At 15 inches tall this is a pretty massive action figure - so much so that the feet don't even fit in the box and have to be attached separately. If you are looking for a big boxed gift to make a mini Marvel fan's eyes light up, this will definitely do it.

It's a solid plastic figure - my son noted that the legs don't move much, so this limits the movement. He's an action hero but he's no Action Man

You will need 3 AA batteries for this (they're not included, which is disappointing for a toy that retails at around £30 ).

Once you insert the batteries, Iron Man's eyes and chest button light up in blue. The weapon attached to his arm turns and fires missiles quite a long way across the room. He can fire 5 missiles at a time, and there are 5 red and 5 blue ones included, so you do have some spares for those inevitable moments when they disappear under the sofa.

 We thought this toy was pretty cool and a lot of fun.

 

We were also sent the Iron Man 3 battle vehicle, which retails at around £20 (no batteries required). This is basically an ejecto-seat type of car. It comes with changeable arms, footplate and weapons, so lots of potential for storytelling and imaginative play.

 

And if you want to see these toys in action, here is my son AKA Mr Turtle, to demonstrate:

 

 

 

 

Hasbro's Iron Man 3 toys are available now online from a wide range of toy shops. Iron Man 3 opens in the UK on the 25th April 2013 and we will be right at the front of the queue. Might have to buy an extra ticket for Sonic Blasting man though - he's big enough to need an extra seat.

John Barrowman - the real star of Zero Dark Thirty

Controversial Bin Laden-hunt drama Zero Dark Thirty opens this week. This latest film from Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow has attracted criticism because of its depiction of torture scenes.

But did you know that it also stars John Barrowman?

Yes THAT John Barrowman. What's he doing in a super-serious Oscar-nominated film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, you may ask?

Of course we love John Barrowman for his turn as Captain Jack in Doctor Who and Torchwood. I have been extra fascinated by JB ever since I picked up his autobiography for 99p on a Kindle spesh, and learnt of his penchant for flossing 10 times a day. He acts, he sings, he presents, he flosses. John Barrowman is a true wonder of our times.

I've seen a screener of Zero Dark Thirty so here is my guide for those of you going to see it for the Captain Jack action alone. I don't think this is overly spoilery because you could very easily blink and miss him.

First 1 hour 30 minutes of Zero Dark Thirty= no JB action. Plenty of torture and CIA chin scratching so if that's not your bag you may want to use this time for a modern dance class or vocal warmups.

1 hour 33 minutes - at last, our hero John Barrowman enters to save the day. Will he disarm Bin Laden by judicious application of jazz hands and a show tune?

Alas not, all he does in this scene is lurk in the background of a meeting. He plants his hands in his pockets in a powerful way and rocks back and forth on his feet a little, as if he's wishing there was a dance number to join in with .

13 mins later, at 1 hour 46 minutes in, he's back! And this time he's got some lines. First of all he sits at a desk looking moody and possibly slightly flatulent:

Then he strides manfully down a corridor, before bracing himself for a swear word that never would've been allowed on Doctor Who:

 

Both of his lines in this scene support CIA agent Maya, played by Jessica Chastain, who had been leading the hunt for Bin Laden but had also been demoted to sitting at the back of the room status. Thus Barrowman can now add Heroic Feminist Supporter of Women to his portfolio of skillage.

Maya's character later goes on to save the day, proving that, like so many things in this universe and beyond, IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT JOHN BARROWMAN.

Of course, the other interpretation is that he's not really playing CIA spook Jeremy in Zero Dark Thirty, it's really Captain Jack in deep cover as Torchwood assist in the hunt for Bin Laden.

 

Of course, it all makes perfect sense now.

The dark knight's New Year's Eve DVD review

We're having a little bit of time off right now, but as a household of film fans this has been rebranded as a Movie Visualisation Experience Opportunity.

Yes, we've been watching films. Lots and lots of films. Most of the films we've been watching I can't really tell you about as they are Bafta screeners of new movies so JMR can vote in the Baftas.

 

{instead I will whisper - Django Unchained! Les Miserables! The Hobbit! Lincoln! Skyfall! Truly Bafta screener season is better than Christmas}

 

But I can tell you about some other movies, as Warner Bros sent us a Christmas stocking filled with their latest releases, plus some sweets.

First I will review the sweets: They were nice and we ate them.

(nb I am not planning to move into food blogging)

Next up, the movies.

 

The Dark Knight Rises  AKA The New Batman Film is a certificate 12, but I was happy to take my 9 year old to see it in the cinema. It's quite a long film at 164 minutes, and if anything we preferred watching the Blu Ray over 3 nights at home. 

There's fighting and plenty of menace in the form of villain Bane which isn't for everybody. Director Christopher Nolan is a class act and this is a good film, though it is very serious and lacking in the humour that gives many superheroes their charm. You have to wait an awfully long time before the big bat actually puts in an appearance.

 

The Dark Knight Rises Blu Ray has a generous array of extras - over three hours' worth; plus a digital copy to download. All in all it's worth watching, worth buying but best suited to older kids and adults.

 

The other film we were sent, New Year's Eve is (in theory) more of a crowd pleaser. It's an ensemble piece (think Love Actually-style multiple storylines) with an all star cast including Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer and oodles more.

 

There are less extras with this one, though you do get treated to John Bon Jovi singing with Glee's Lea Michele.

What you also get with New Year's Eve is a terrible, terrible reputation, as it comes saddled with many Worst Film of 2011 nominations. On its' release, this film attracted some of the stinkiest reviews known to cinema.

So if you're a film fan like me it's worth watching for that fact alone, to see how even with that many stars in the room, a bad script = bad film. It's quite astonishing how charmless it is really. Makes you wonder if the actors signed up to a different script.

On the plus side, with so many plot lines, there's always something happening (though sometimes not that much - one plotline involves Ashton Kutcher getting stuck in a lift). It's passable enough for a wet afternoon movie, just don't make it your big New Year's Eve film.

The Dark Knight Rises is out now on DVD and Blu Ray, priced from around £10. We were sent the Blu Ray which contains over 3 hours of extra material.

New Year's Eve is also out now on DVD and Blu Ray, priced from £10

Gandalf style: The Hobbit toys reviewed

This week Peter Jackson's long-awaited The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey reaches cinemas, and we'll be in the queue to meet it. In fact jammy JMR managed to wangle his way into a preview screening and has given it the thumbs up already.

We got very excited at the prospect of Hobbit toys when we spied Hobbit Lego plastered all over the most recent edition of The Lego Comic. But - my out of stock precious - it turns out this range has only limited availability this side of Christmas.

What's a Hobbit fan who wants to re-enact the film/book with teeny tiny figures to do?

Luckily, a new range of Hobbit toys and collectibles are available now from Vivid Toys, and we were sent some samples from the shire to review.

 

The Hobbit Five Figure Pack by Vivid Toys

It's fair to say that you will need to know your Tolkein pretty well or have seen the film to recognise the guys in The Hobbit Five Figure Pack. This pack includes: Bilbo Baggins with sword, bottle and bag; Thorin Oakenshield with sword and dagger; Kili Le Nain with bow and arrows; Fili Le Nain with hammer and swords and Dwalin Le Nain with three axes and dagger.

So as you can tell, weapon-wise they're totally tooled up. Normally I'm not keen on toys with weapons but these axes and knives are so teeny tiny you're unlikely to get stopped at customs.

The down side to this set is that the accessories are extremely small, so it's hard to keep the set intact without at least one sword disappearing inside the hoover. Also there's no Gollum or Gandalf, though they are available separately. 

The great part is that the figures are incredibly well detailed - they look just like their film counterparts. They move well too, with up to 12 points of articulation (toy-speak for: their arms, legs and head all move). My son liked that you could manipulate them and found them to be a lot of fun. He has blogged his Hobbit thoughts here.

We were also sent three of the individual packs of collectible Hobbit figures.

Each individual figure comes in gold, pewter or bronze coloured. These come in sealed packs containing one figure, but (like Lego Minifigures) you won't know which one you've got until you open it. Each pack contains one of the 17 figures in the set, a plinth to stand it on and a collector's card.

These are simpler figures whose arms and legs don't move - they're sort of cute and menacing at the same time. Coming to a cinema (and possibly a Christmas stocking) near you soon.

 

The Hobbit toys are available now in toyshops, online and in some branches of Waterstones.

Suitable for age 4+. The single collectible figures are around £2.50 each (best price I found was £1.99 at Forbidden Planet) and the five figure set is RRP £29.99 Amazon have it for £26).

Review: Lego Hero Factory: Savage Planet

Lego's come a long way from when it was just about building things with little bricks. It's books and video games and theme parks and clothing and now it's a range of animated DVDs too.

Warner Bros recently sent us the LEGO Hero Factory: Savage Planet DVD to review. My son recognised the main character on the front from The Lego Book and to a lesser extent, from playing with the Hero Factory toys.

 

So what does a Lego DVD have to offer?

The plot

This animated adventure features characters from Lego's Hero Factory product line (successors to Bionicles). When Rocka answers a distress call from banished professor Aldous Witch he finds himself under attack on the planet Quatros. Heroes Stormer, Furno, Bulk, Stringer and Nex must work together to defeat the Witch Doctor and save Quatros.

Whilst my son enjoyed watching this, I have to say that I'm not madly keen on LEGO DVDs as a concept. LEGO has always been the kind of toy that inspires a child's imagination, that they bring their own stories to. There is no real connection to LEGO in this cartoon - it's not like the LEGO video games where tumbling bricks are a big part of the action. As such, watching this seems less likely to inspire your child to get building and using their imagination.

But my son did enjoy watching it. If you've got Hero Factory toys already then then this will go down well. There's a bit of fighting, leading to a PG rating, but nothing I'd be unhappy for a younger child to watch. It's not exactly a classic of animation, but it passes the time easily enough on a rainy afternoon.

There's even a cheesy message: "Working together as a team is what being a leader is all about!"

Hear that kids? The big plastic guy said it, so it must be true.

And it does have one whopping great retro telly element that parents may get a kick out of - Preston Stormer is voiced by none other that John Schneider, better known as Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard. Stick that piece of trivia in your hat and save it for a pub quiz. See, children's telly is educational after all.

LEGO Hero Factory: Savage Planet is out now on DVD. Priced at £7.49 on Amazon, certificate PG. Running time 43 minutes. Includes Hero Code Red and bonus episode Ordeal of Fire.

Giveaway: Win Arthur Christmas on DVD

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

Arthur Christmas is out on DVD this week. Last year we were sent a Bafta screener of this film and have watched it umpty bumpty times since.

It's a really fun, enjoyable family film, just as you'd expect from Aardman Animation. Lots of films aspire to be Christmas classics, up there with It's a Wonderful Life and The Muppet Christmas Carol, and this one deserves to join them on your Christmas viewing list.

The story concerns that age-old mystery of just how does Santa deliver billions of presents to the whole world in just one night?

Enter Santa's army - one million combat-style Field Elves and a vast, state-of-the-art control centre under the ice of the North Pole.

We also meet the rest of the Claus family, including Santa’s young son, Arthur. Together the family goes on a mission to deliver the last Christmas present, and save the magic of Christmas.

 

THE PRIZE

I have 3 copies of Arthur Christmas on DVD to give away. Certificate U, suitable for all ages, this DVD contains lots of extra exclusive features.

 

HOW TO ENTER

Simply leave a comment below answering the question:

"What does the magic of Christmas mean to you?"

Leave an email or Twitter ID when you enter - this won't be retained or used for marketing purposes, it's simply so I can contact you if you win.

 

EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN

You can have an extra entry if you like this blog on Facebook. Please state in your comment if you are claiming an extra entry.

 

RESTRICTIONS

UK entries only. One entry per person.

 

CLOSING DATE

This giveaway closes at Midnight on Wednesday 12th December and 3 winners will be chosen at random as soon as possible after that.

 

AN EXTRA TREAT FOR ALL

Everybody gets to feel a little Arthur Christmas love as I have two activity sheets for you to download. Simply click on one to expand it to full size and print it out by right-clicking on your mouse and selecting 'print picture'.

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS WAS RELEASED ON DVD & BLU RAY ON 19th NOVEMBER, PRICED FROM £9.99

You can find more competitions to enter at ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions and Loquax Competitions

Giveaway: Win Disney's Peter Pan on Blu Ray

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED

Out of all the jobs I've done in my time, the only one that my kids are ever impressed with is the time I spent 6 months as a Cast Member in The Disney Store.

This is more impressive to my children than if I were able to fly.

When I worked in The Disney Store, it was very firmly emphasised that Disney films were only ever available to see at home in a strictly limited release. So when they appear you have to snap 'em up quick, or else they'll be gone.

And from this week Disney's classic Peter Pan is getting a short-lived outing on DVD and Blu Ray, priced around £14.99. We've been scouring second hand shops for this one - we did manage to get hold of a copy on video but our ancient machine chewed up the tape. Naughty VCR machine. I shall send you to see Captain Hook, he knows what to do with varmints.

I had a look at a preview of the Peter Pan Blu Ray and it's been beautifully restored. Sixty years on from its original release, story-wise it does show its age a bit - Peter is a bit of a misogynist, declaring Wendy to be a "Big ugly girl" the first time he sees her. And the depiction of Native Americans singing What made the red man red? is a long way from being politically correct.

But it is a product of its time, and as a classic film it still holds up and is captivating to watch. You and your family will love it and be wishing You Can Fly too.

 

THE PRIZE
I have 3 copies of the newly released Blu Ray of Disney's Peter Pan to give away. Certificate U, suitable for all ages, this Blu Ray contains the original film plus lots of extra bonus features.

 

HOW TO ENTER
Simply leave a comment below answering the question:

"If you could fly with Peter Pan, where would you go?"

Leave an email or Twitter ID when you enter - this won't be retained or used for marketing purposes, it's simply so I can contact you if you win.

 

EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN

You can have an extra entry if you like this blog on Facebook. Please state in your comment if you are claiming an extra entry.

 

RESTRICTIONS

UK entries only. One entry per person.

 

CLOSING DATE

This giveaway closes at Midnight on Sunday 2nd December and 3 winners will be chosen at random as soon as possible after that.

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED

PETER PANIS AVAILABLE ON SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY™ AND DISNEY DVD NOW!

All images (c) 2012 Disney

You can find more competitions to enter at ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions and Loquax Competitions

May the DVD be with you: Star Wars The Clone Wars Season Four review

We are starting to think about Christmas. I ask my favourite 9 year old if he's had any thoughts on the matter.

I only want one thing for Christmas, Mummy

Phew, that's a relief.

What's that son?

The Force

Oh.

I see.

I'm not sure which shops sell The Force, or if Father Christmas can conjure it up in his workshop.

I've just been sent a Star Wars DVD to review though, will that do?

 

And so we approach Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 4. My son was already a fan of this series, having had the box set of seasons 1-3 for Christmas last year.

Star Wars The Clone Wars is an animated TV series created by George Lucas, first screened in 2008. It's set amid the time between Star Wars episodes II and III.

It's the sort of thing that adult Star Wars purists can be a bit sniffy about, but which kids love.

Along the way it's featured guest voices from George Takei (don't think about that one too much, it's a bit meta), Liam Neeson, Simon Pegg and Jon Favreau.

Many familiar Star Wars characters crop up including Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and *shudders* Jar Jar Binks.

This fourth season was critically acclaimed as the best yet when it initially aired on TV. And even if you've seen it on TV, the DVD and Blu Ray release features plenty of bonuses to make it worth investing in.

The big focus of Season Four is the resurrection of Darth Maul, that red faced, horny headed Sith dude last seen being sliced in half by Ewan McGregor.

Bonus materials include a poster and five new video commentaries. Additionally, the Blu-Ray includes The Jedi Temple Archives, a really fascinating selection of extras including special effects footage, early test animations, concept art, 3D visuals and deleted scenes.

 And this is my junior jedi's verdict on Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 4:

"I think that this is a very good set of DVDs because it takes you to universes unknown. Each episode is about 20 minutes long. So far my favourite episode is about R2D2 and C3PO when they get trapped down a well, and the people who own the land are tiny cute creatures. Although there are wars there is not too much fighting and a lot of it is space ships fighting. It's quite easy to follow, very exciting and some bits are very funny. I think this would be a good Christmas present if you like Star Wars."

 

The details:

Certificate PG, Contains 5 discs, with around 500 minutes total running time across 22 episodes. Suitable from around age 6. Thumbs up from us! But keep your light saber handy.

 

Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 4 is released on 22nd October in DVD and Blu Ray formats, currently priced from around £30. There's also a box set of Seasons 1-4 available currently priced at £57.77 on Amazon.

 

 

Rock of Ages - party on dudes

If you go down in the tweets this week, watch out for some bloggers behaving badly.

For on Tuesday 9th October from 8.30pm UK bloggers are going to ROCK as we watch Rock of Ages and tweet about it.

It's the modern way.

Our parents would never have understood and that's what ROCK is all about. I think. Plus you don't have to leave the sofa and can monitor proceedings via the #RockofAges hashtag.

So it will come as no surprise to learn that the tweetalong is celebrating the release this week of Rock of Ages, the Eighties-themed musical stage show turned movie that nobody saw at the cinema. To get us in the mood for the film, Warner Bros have sent out a useful pack of accessories:

I bet that looks very attractive on:

I have no idea who that is, but she does a nice line in geek/rock hand movements.

I couldn't wait until the Tuesday tweetalong and must confess that I have already watched the film. It's great fun and highlights include: a monkey with a gun, and Tom Cruise in bed with 5 women. I still don't know which is more surprising.

Tom Cruise plays the rock god leader of a band called Arsenal. You never get bands called Sheffield Wednesday, which if you think about it is a much better name for a band.

But I don't want to spoil the plot, so have instead devised a simple game to add to your enjoyment.

 

Points, or a beverage if you're thirsty, if you spot:

• Tom Cruise's nipples staring at you menacingly. Actually, that happens a lot. You might want to have a precautionary snifter.
• A character asks a question and another character replies by belting straight into song. THIS IS WHY MUSICALS RULE
• Rock being betrayed, possibly by a saxophone
• Which accent Russell Brand is attempting. Could be Midlands, could be one of a number of areas of the UK
• World's most unprofessional interview, which could result in getting kicked out of the NUJ
• A song which was also in The Muppets film. Clue: it's not Man or Muppet.
• Haircuts that should be AGAINST THE LAW. Perhaps they fought the law, and the hairspray won.

So tweet up and enjoy the #RockofAges party. And never forget what they say about the Eighties - if you can remember it then you probably have a bad back and a better haircut now.

Rock of Ages is out this week on DVD & Blu Ray, priced from £10, with £2 off if you order before 21st October and use the code ROCKAGES. You'll have to supply your own frightwig though. 

 

Giveaway: The Muppets on DVD - COMPETITION CLOSED

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED

When I went to the Tesco Christmas event, they gave us a lovely gift bag with lots of chocolate and goodies from Tesco Direct.

I was forced by law to eat all the chocolate, but as it turns out I already had one of the goodies so I thought one of you might like it.

It's a DVD copy of what surely has to be one of the films of the year - The Muppets.

We must've watched our copy dozens of times and it's still funny. My son watched it nearly every day in the school holidays, and eventually fessed up that he'd been getting up early to watch it in the morning as well. Good lad.

LOVE this film.

Come on, are you a man or a Muppet?

HOW TO ENTER

To be in with a chance of winning a copy of The Muppets on DVD, simply leave a comment below stating:

 

Which is your favourite Muppet?

 

EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN

You can have an extra entry if you like this blog on Facebook. Please state in your comment if you are claiming an extra entry.

Leave an email or Twitter address so I can contact you if you win - this won't be retained or used for any other purpose.

RESTRICTIONS

I am happy to post this DVD anywhere. However, please be aware that it is a region 2 disc and therefore may not be playable outside Europe.

CLOSING DATE

This giveaway closes at Midnight on Sunday 14th October 2012. A winner will be chosen at random as soon as possible after that.

You can find more competitions to enter at ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions and Loquax Competitions