Movie Reviews

Join Us Friday For a Twitter Party for "The Lorax"

Get ready for a fun-filled Twitter party this Friday night at 8:30 pm ET/7:30 pm ET when we celebrate the March 2 premiere of "The Lorax." Our Twitter event will simultaneously take place with a fun filled cocktail party at Blissdom, which kicks off in Nashville this weekend. So if you're home with your kids, make sure you log onto Twitter to join in on the fun! We've got tons of prizes that we'll be giving away compliments of "The Lorax" and Seventh Generation. Take a look...

Prizing
(5) $50 Fandango Gift Cards
(5) The Lorax Gift Bags (Tote filled with Soundtrack, Seedling, Water Bottle, Lunch Bag, Fuzzy Mustache, Activity Card, Book and Bookmark)
(2) $100 Fandango Gift Cards
(3) Seventh Generation Green Clean Kits (featuring The Lorax)

It's simple to join the party. Make sure you fill out this form, follow @TheLorax @RoleMommy on Twitter enter the #LoraxBliss and get ready to test your Dr. Seuss and Lorax trivia!

ABOUT THE LORAX
From the creators of "Despicable Me" and the imagination of Dr. Seuss comes the 3D-CG feature Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax," an adaptation of the classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic youth who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted's dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O'Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted's wise Grammy Norma.

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax is the third feature created by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Hop). www.theloraxmovie.com

If you're a huge fan of the trees, then make sure you Like The Lorax Facebook page and visit their Pinterest page for tons of fun green tips.

Posted in: Blog, Movie Reviews, Role Mommy Recommends, TV on 02/23/2012

Bridesmaids Movie Review

It's about time Hollywood finally produced a movie made for women with a sense of humor - and sometimes gross humor at that. Last week, I got the chance to catch a screening of the new Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up") and Paul Feig (creator of "Freaks and Geeks") comedy "Bridesmaids," starring Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig and all I can say is ladies, RUN don't walk to the nearest theater showing this film.

I don't care if your spouse or partner isn't the mood for a chick flick. Trust me when I tell you that even a guy will love this movie. The reason - the women in "Bridesmaids" capture the essence of what it's like to be in a wedding party, mixing with women who you probably wouldn't be friends with at any other time in your life and combining it with physical comedy that will literally have you laughing so hard your sides will start hurting.

When single, down on her luck former bakery owner Annie learns that her best friend Lillian is engaged, everything in her own life seems to spiral out of control. No matter how hard she tries to impress Annie and her new rich friend Helen - who seems to be completely buttoned up and connected to the good life - something inevitably goes terribly wrong.

There are so many uncomfortably funny moments - from the engagement party to the bridesmaids dress scene to Annie's drunken stupor on an airplane, that you won't even have time to take a break between laughs.

For me, the breakout star in the film is Melissa McCarthy ("Mike and Molly"), who plays Megan, the over-confident overweight sister of Lillian's fiance. Megan is the most unpredictable character in the film and reminds me of Zach Galifianakis from "The Hangover." Honestly, every time she was in a scene, she lit up the screen and had the audience howling.

Annie's over the top cousin who complains about her sex life, her kids and every other aspect of being a stay at home mom, also had me laughing out loud and Kristen Wiig, as Annie, turns in a winning performance too, rivaling Lucille Ball and Debra Messing with her mastery of physical comedy.

Let's not forget Maya Rudolph, whose scene stealing moment occurs when a bout with food poisoning causes her to squat in the middle of the street while wearing a wedding gown. Honestly, that moment alone will have you groaning and laughing until you cry.

So what are you waiting for? Visit Moviefone and book your ticket to see Bridesmaids. The film opens nationwide in theaters May 13 and all I know is it's the only movie I'm totally going to see twice. For more fun with the "Bridesmaids" cast, visit their interactive website that's full of online games, interactive videos and more. You are going to love the custom Bridesmaids trailer that you can insert you and your friends in - the perfect game for brides and bridesmaids and those of us who have been there way back when!

And if you want a sneak peak of the film, then check out the "Bridesmaids" trailer now!

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Role Mommy Recommends, TV on 05/13/2011

Rio Premiere: Anne Hathaway Chats About Glasses, Babies & Birds

HaveUHeard's Shari Von Holten had the honor of attending the premiere of Rio starring Anne Hathway and Jesse Eisenberg...take a look at who she got to meet!

The premiere of the movie holds special meaning, as this was the first time I have been to a movie premiere. Since I have been on the red carpet for other events - I knew what to expect. The red carpet comes down to getting a prime spot. The one where you get the photos and maybe even an interview. Since we were on the end of the carpet, the stars of Rio had to pass us to get into Grauman's Theatre. Jesse Eisenberg, Will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Leslie Mann (who stopped to take photos with us) were all in attendance. I was standing in a key spot. So much so that Access Hollywood and Extra TV needed to squeeze in so they could interview Anne Hathaway.

Lucky me. I now had the opportunity to see Anne Hathaway up close and hear the real reason she was sporting her glasses to the movie premiere. As Anne said sarcastically - it was a really exciting story. Anne also spoke about the filming of Rio and what it meant to her.

Posted in: Blog, HaveUHeard, Movie Reviews, Role Mommy Movies on 04/13/2011

Get Ready for Rio!

HaveUHeard's Shari Von Holten was our Roving Role Mommy Reporter at the Rio Premiere in Los Angeles...

I recently had the opportunity to attend the movie premiere of Rio in Los Angeles, California. This was the first movie premiere I have attended and being thisclose to two of the stars of the movie, Anne Hathaway and Leslie Mann was an added benefit - and has nothing to do with my praise for the movie.

Rio is a family movie with something for everyone - comedy, action, adventure and romance. Rio is about Blu, a rare macaw that is saved from the jungles of Rio de Janeiro and lives with his companion Linda for years in Minnesota before being asked to return to Rio to help save his species, which is almost extinct. Blu is truly a one of a kind bird - domesticated and flight challenged.

Rio is set in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro and the flourishing rainforest of Brazil. The 3D animation centers on Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and another macaw, Jewel (Anne Hathaway). Blu and Jewel are "set up" to create little macaws. If it was only that easy. Kidnapped, the two macaws embark on an adventure of a lifetime, where they find out about friendship, love and courage. 'Rio' also brings fun, laugh out loud characters (George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Will.i.am and Tracy Morgan), a heart-warming story, some great Latin & modern music, and family-friendly song & dance.

The movie is a sure fire hit and definitely a must see for kids and adults alike!! Rio opens in theaters nationwide this Friday, April 15. Stay tuned for Shari's interview with one of the film's stars, actress and mom, Leslie Mann. In the meantime, check out this slideshow from the "Rio" blue carpet premiere.

Posted in: Blog, Movie Reviews, Role Mommy Recommends, TV on 04/12/2011

Role Bubbe Movie Reviews

A guest post by one of my favorite people on the entire planet, my mom, Lenore Stoller

As a retiree living in Florida, going to the movies is part of our social calendar. We try to see at least one movie a week and with the cost at $5 per person, you can imagine why we spend many date nights at the local theaters. In addition, most of the theaters we frequent have stadium seating so we don't have to worry if a tall person or someone with a big head sits in front of us. Plus, since we typically hit the Early Bird special for dinner, we normally are pretty full by the time we get to the theater, which means we save money on the popcorn and soda!

But enough about the movie experience in Boynton. Here are my honest reviews of a few blockbusters I've have seen since this season with my husband, sister and close girlfriends:

Black Swan: This was an excellent movie. Natalie Portman definitely deserves an Oscar for her performance. But ladies, do not take your husband or your children to see this very dark, sad and frightening movie. I recommend that you go with a few of your female friends and then decide if your daughters would understand the story line. There are some sexually explicit scenes and some very disturbing moments - which hopefully does not resemble the lives of young ballerinas.

The Fighter: The story in this movie is based on the life of a real fighter.It was a very good movie, one that husbands will enjoy and children over the age of 10 might like too. This story of a truly dysfunctional family really gets one to thinking-that inspite all these obstacles, a person can achieve their dream no matter how old they might be! It is unfortunate that Mark Wahlberg wasn't even nominated for an Oscar because he definitely deserves it!

The King's Speech - This movie was outstanding. Colin Firth deserves an Oscar as does the co-star who played his tutor. Once again, this movie is based on a true story. It is the story of King George VI (Queen Elizabeth's father) who had a terrible stuttering problem. Husbands can enjoy this movie as well as children 10 and older. However, they might need a little history lesson before going to see the film.

True Grit -This movie was pretty good (even if you're not a fan of cowboy westerns) - It's a remake that originally starred John Wayne and Robert Duvall. Jeff Bridges was great as Rooster Cogburn , a tough hard drinking marshall hired by a 14 year old to find the man responsible for murdering her father. The young lady who starred in this role was also excellent and deserves recognition. This could be a movie for the entire family- but once again the children might have to be 12 years or older. Although there are no sexually explicit scenes, but there is a great deal of violence. Another issue was that sometimes the dialogue was mumbled and garbled. I thought it was the fact that I might be starting to have a hearing problem - but on our way out "young" members of the audience had the same complaint.

The Social Network- Another good movie that's okay for adults and children who have hit texting age (12 and over). Since this movie is already out on DVD, I highly recommend that you rent it and discuss the themes of genius, greed and duplicity with your partner or kids.

That's it for now. Mom does add that there are other movies they've seen - however, they were so bad, it wasn't worth sharing those reviews with you. Bottom line, if you only have two hours to spare, spend your money on the films she just recommended. Otherwise, wait for the rest to come out on DVD. Our time is precious...no need to waste it!

Posted in: Blog, Movie Reviews, Role Mommy Recommends on 01/30/2011