Book Review “Planes: Fire & Rescue – Dusty’s Big Job”

Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Grade Level: Preschool – Kindergarten
Series: Planes
Board book: 24 pages
Publisher: Disney Press
Release Date: June 3, 2014

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Today I have completed three reviews on various new releases all focusing around “Cars” and “Planes”. I know that I love this franchise because I could easily do ten more! “Planes: Fire & Rescue – Dusty’s Big Job” is a dive into the new film in the series, which comes out this July in theaters. This hardcover book is only 24 pages but it is still a great read for kids, who love the series.

The pages have that hard stock, so it is great for little flyers as well without worries of ripping the pages. This book follows the thrilling adventures of Dusty Crophopper and all his pals. Also includes with this release is the “Planes” Storybook Deluxe app for iPhone and iPad! I love how Disney includes these bonus app because they are really nice addition and make the book only more worth wild to pick up.

Blu-ray Review “The Nut Job”

Starring: Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Dunham, Gabriel Iglesias
Directed by: Peter Lepeniotis
Distributed by: Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Running Time: 86 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

I remember the first time I saw the trailer in theaters for “The Nut Job”, I was literally laughing out loud. The film is made for kids but it is filled with tons of great adult jokes that makes this enjoyable to watch with your kids. The film was released this past January which was perfect timing for kids and parents looking for something new since “Frozen” took over the marketplace and it became a nice little hit. The story itself does not have the most meaty plot but it is entertaining for sure and the jokes are very sharp. Plus you can already expect “The Nut Job 2”, when it gets released in January 2016.

Official Premise: Surly (Arnett) is a mischievous squirrel with a mission: to find the tastiest nuts for winter. When he discovers a whole store filled with his favorite food, he plans a heist of nutrageous proportions. But the place turns out to be owned by ruthless bank robbers so it’s up to Surly and his furry friends to stop the nearby bank heist and save the town.

The film is not only funny and entertaining but also packed an all-star cast, Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”) is tearing up the voice-over world with this film and also stealing the show in “The Lego Movie”. Along with him there is Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy), “Liam Neeson (“The Grey”), Katherine Heigl (“Knocked Up”), Maya Rudolph (“Bridesmaids”), Jeff Dunham (“Spark of Insanity”) and Gabriel Iglesias (“Magic Mike”). Tons of great talent.

Universal released this film as a Blu-ray Combo Pack including a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet. I am a little bummed since this was released on 3D Blu-ray also and you can tell that there are some good in-your-face moments in the film. The 1080p transfer is really solid. The animation is not Pixar quality but it is well-done. There is no shortage of color in the film for sure, especially having a purple squirrel. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks works with the comedy, as well as the action and music.

The special features included are pretty good, especially for kids. There are a few deleted scenes that didn’t make it into the final version of the movie. You are able to watch key scenes from the film brought to life from the original sketches in the “Storyboards” section. “The Great Nut Heist” features Will Arnett, the voice of Surly the squirrel talking about the role. “Dance-Off End Credits” is a fun way to get the kids off their feet. Lastly there are two new animated shorts including “Surely Squirrel” and “Nuts & Robbers”.

Chickenfoot Debuts Music Video for “Three and a Half Letters (I Need a Job)”

CHICKENFOOT DEBUTS MUSIC VIDEO FOR “THREE AND A HALF LETTERS (I NEED A JOB)”
GROUP TEAMS WITH FEEDING AMERICA TO MOTIVATE FANS TO HELP THE NEARLY 49 MILLION AMERICANS FACING HUNGER

LOS ANGELES, CA—October 18, 2011—Chickenfoot, the supergroup featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith, and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar, debuts their music video for the song “Three and a Half Letters (I Need a Job)” today.  The song, from their recent release, Chickenfoot III ( eOne Music/Edel/EarMusic), is  motivated by the dismal economy, which has led to problems such as hunger and job loss, and features letters that were sent to Hagar as pleas for help.  Chickenfoot is partnering with Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, to encourage fans to help alleviate some of the effects of the economy.  The band will perform “Three and a Half Letters” on Jimmy Kimmel Live on the evening of November 3rd.

“I received a lot of letters from people over the years who were looking for help or work and recently I received one from an Afghan War Veteran that ended with ‘Can you help? I need a job.’  That really hit me and the song came together,” said Hagar.  “We really want to encourage people to help where they can, and I think one of the easiest ways is by making contributions to a local food bank. I hope we get this message across in this video and while we are on tour.”

“I Need a Job,” directed by Arthur Rosato (Springsteen, Bonnaroo), features the real life letters received by Hagar and closes with a call to action from the band and Feeding America.  Beginning today, the band is inviting fans to post their own letters and stories to their website in hopes it will help them find employment and continue to shed light on the critical condition in America.  The band is also planning on additional outreach to bring more awareness to the issue in each city on their upcoming “Road Test Tour.”  While those who are better off may not be able to offer actual jobs, Chickenfoot believes that contributions to food banks in their hometowns is one simple way, among many others, that fans can help those struggling on a local level. To find your Feeding America member food bank, visit http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank.

The band is set to embark on the recently announced “2011 Road Test Tour,” beginning November 1st at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco.  The tour will take the band (Satriani, Anthony, Hagar and touring drummer Kenny Aronoff) through five US and five European cities in support of their most recent release Chickenfoot III, which debuted on the Billboard album chart at #9.   Chickenfoot III, has continued to receive critical acclaim:

“It’s a rare case of a group that’s equal to – or perhaps even greater than – the sum of its parts…this is an album that really wins hearts with its granite thump’n’roll.”  – Gary Graff, Billboard

Chickenfoot III features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen.  Colossal, stadium-shaking riffs abound on earth-movers such as “Alright, Alright,” “Last Temptation” and “Lighten Up.” Tradition meets innovation on the Nashville pop-tinged “Different Devil,” the Delta-blues flavored “Something Going Wrong” and the aching rock ballad “Come Closer.”  Chickenfoot III follows the band’s 2009 debut album, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 100 and was certified gold for sales of over 500,000 units by the Recording Industry Association of America.

THE 2011 ROAD TEST TOUR DATES:
November 1                       Warfield Theatre              San Francisco, CA
November 2                       Avalon Hollywood           Los Angeles, CA
November 4                       The Pageant                       St. Louis, MO
November 5                       Metro                                   Chicago, IL
November 8                       Webster Hall                      New York, NY

**European dates available at www.chickenfoot.us

For the “Three and a Half Letters (I Need a Job)” music video, more information about Chickenfoot, please visit the band’s webpage www.chickenfoot.us, as well as their podcast http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/chickenfoot-podcast/id306051384, YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ichickenfoot, Facebook www.facebook.com/chickenfoot and Google+ pages.  

About Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.