If you look back at some of your greatest family experiences, it might include times when you went to the movies together as a family. Maybe it was the first time that you all saw “The Princess Bride” or “Babe”. Or perhaps it was “The Sandlot” or a Disney classic like “The Lion King”. For about two hours of time, everyone was in one space focused on the same thing. Wasn’t that just wonderful?
2012 offers you quite a few opportunities to create some more cinematic memories with the ones that you love and while there are many movie options in every genre (Commonsensemedia.org is a great resource for research age-appropriate films), isn’t it nice to know that there are still family movies being made for everyone of all ages? Yes, it’s true that there are companies like Netflix, cable television services like On Demand and even options like the Bluray duplication service, all of which help you to enjoy movies from the viewing pleasure of your own home, there’s nothing like sitting in front of a big movie screen, in a big movie chair with a big bucket of butter popcorn with your relatives filling up 2-3 rows.
Some great picks for this year include:
*“The Pirates! The Band of Misfits”. This animated feature staring Hugh Grant and Salma Hayek takes you on a wet-n-wild ride as the Pirate Captain sets out to win the battle over every enemy and obstacle in his path. The movie is slated for April 27 release and you can view the movie trailer at http://www.thepirates-movie.com/.
*“Men in Black 3″. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back as agents. This time, Agent J (Smith) is traveling back to the 1960s to keep Agent K (Black) from being assassinated by an alien. Yeah, it might sound like it’s a little heavy, but if you’ve seen the first two films, you know that there are a lot more laughs than gore. This movie is scheduled to be released on May 25 and you can learn more by viewing the trailer: http://www.meninblack.com/.
*“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”. OK, the fact that this animated film is now on its third installment, that should already let you know just how beloved and entertaining that it is. This time the main characters Alex, Gloria, Marty and Melman are still doing all that they can to get back home to New York City. This time they find themselves in Europe. Cast members like Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Cedric the Entertainer are returning and it’s advertised to be a 3D event. June 8 is the tentative premiere for this movie.
*“Dorothy of Oz”. It would seem that Dorothy didn’t get enough of Oz in the movie, “The Wizard of Oz”. It was a magical place, after all. In this computer-animated new story, while living back in Kansas, Dorothy decided to go back to Oz to help some of her friends who once helped her. Lea Michele stars as Dorothy Gale, Martin Short is the Wicked Jester and Kelsey Grammer is the Tin Man. You can find the trailer here: http://www.dorothyofoz.com/. The 3D movie is expected to make its debut in late summer.
*“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”. If you loved “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, then you’re probably ecstatic about the “spin-off” that will be making its premiere just in time for Christmas. In the efforts to reclaim lost treasure, Bilbo Baggins sets off for Lonely Mountain. He, along with some dwarfs will be sure to encounter some magnificent obstacles along the way. Keep Googling the title for further updates.
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