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Recently, Nancy posted the news that Johnny Depp will be starring as Dr. Seuss in a forthcoming movie. But unfortunately, that movie has yet to be written, filmed, edited, etc. So that’s sadly way, way, way in the future.
But never fear — in just a few months, Seuss will meet the silver screen in another way: the film adaptation of his beloved book The Lorax! The animated movie will hit theaters in March 2012, and two — count ‘em, TWO — trailers have recently been released!
First, check out this official trailer:
Hmmm, seems a bit sweet and light-hearted when you consider that this is a tale about how greed can wreak great devastation on the environment. Oh, you couldn’t tell from the trailer that that’s what The Lorax is about? Well, that’s my point! Sure, it looks gorgeous, but what about the story?
Cue this trailer that was released more recently in Australia:
That’s better! You still don’t get the whole eco-angle, but it does seem closer to the set-up in the original book. After all, The Lorax the book starts this way:
At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows and no birds ever sing excepting old crows… is the Street of the Lifted Lorax.
And that’s basically how the trailer starts too!
So, which trailer is a more accurate depiction of the final movie? Guess we’ll have to wait until March to find out! Nancy and I will definitely be in the audience. Will you? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the trailers and the film!
— Karen
Karen has to admit she’s really excited about this movie not just because it’s based on a Dr. Seuss book, but also because it stars Zac Efron. Well, his voice anyway. Too bad his face won’t be making an appearance!
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Back before we started Kidsmomo, Nancy and I often spent our Friday nights doing activities such as trying new NYC restaurants with friends and attending dinner parties. Now, we spend our Friday nights seeing movies where we are inevitably the oldest people in the audience without children of our own.
Evidence?
Exhibit A: Our Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie review from last week. Exhibit B: Our Judy Moody movie review from the week before.
Exhibit A: Our Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie review from last week.
Exhibit B: Our Judy Moody movie review from the week before.
And it looks like we’ve got some more kidlit movie nights on the horizon, given two recent announcements:
No release date yet, but a movie version of Lois Lowry’s The Giver has been announced. It’s being produced by actor Jeff Bridges, who will also play the Giver himself. Apparently, he first discovered the book when his daughter was reading it in high school, and he thought his father (also an actor) would be perfect for the Giver role. But now, years after he first tried to get the movie off the ground, he’s decided to take on the part himself. And you know what? I think he’ll do a good job! Check out the resemblance, at least:
Jeff Bridges photo from Variety.com
While we wait for The Giver to hit theaters, we can catch the film adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, which comes out on December 28. Not familiar with the story? Well, I could tell you a little about it, but why don’t you just watch the newly-released trailer:
I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of horse movies. But this one is directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. And did you see that moment where all the soldiers emerge from the field and climb onto their horses? That looked AMAZING!
Well, what do you guys think? Are you excited for either of these movies? Leave a comment and let me know!
Speaking of kidlit movies, Karen is thinking of dressing as a Hufflepuff when she goes to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. Do you think a robe is too hot for summer?
What’s black and white and red all over? An embarrassed penguin!
Ha ha ha ha ha! Aren’t we hilarious?
Okay, to be honest, we found that joke on the Internet. But we really did create the video review below, for the new film Mr. Popper’s Penguins, starring Jim Carrey. So take a look and see if we found the movie positively perfect, partially pleasant, or plainly putrid!
(PS – If you’re on the go — or busy practicing a penguin dance routine — don’t worry, you can still listen to our review. Just download the audio.)
Have you seen the new Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the book? And what was YOUR favorite penguin moment?
Are you ready to have an absolutely thrill-a-delic summer? That’s certainly what Judy Moody is after in the new movie, Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, based on the book series by Megan McDonald (and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds).
But will Judy get the double-rare experience that she wants? And more importantly, if you watch this movie, will YOU? Watch our video review to find out!
(PS – If you’re on the go — or you’re just in a mood — don’t worry, you can still listen to our review. Just download the audio.)
Have you seen the new Judy Moody movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the books?
Greg. Rodrick. Rowley. Fregley. Chirag. And, of course, that embarrassing diary… They’re all back in the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, based on the book Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney.
And surprise, surprise — Nancy and Karen were also back in the theater on opening night to watch the story come to life on the big screen. But did it live up to the book? Or should the film be avoided like the Cheese Touch? Watch our video review to get our take on the movie:
(PS – If you’re on the go — or too busy being tormented by your older sibling — don’t worry, you can still listen to our review. Just download the audio.)
Have you seen the new Wimpy Kid movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the book and the earlier film?
A while back I posted that the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald is going to be made into a live-action movie. The movie’s going to be titled Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer and not only have they cast the film, they’ve already started production!
(I think Jordana looks like a GREAT fit! Judy Moody illustrator Peter Reynolds should be proud.)
In other news, a new books series by William Joyce, The Guardians of Childhood, is coming out next fall. We’ll be keeping an eye out on The Guardians of Childhood series, because unlike most series, it’s going to be seven picture books and six chapter books! It tells the tales of iconic characters like Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman. And if picture books AND chapter books aren’t enough for you, a movie is also in the works!
Check out the cast:
So, what do you guys think of these casting choices? I’m particularly curious about the Easter Bunny one…
— Nancy
Nancy’s very intrigued by the Guardians of Childhood series and can’t wait to read the picture books, then the chapter books, and then watch the movies! It’ll be like traveling through childhood, very quickly.
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It’s the final trip to Narnia for the Pevensie children in the new movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, based on the book by C.S. Lewis. And it’s certainly an amazing adventure for THEM — but is it worth the journey for YOU, the moviegoer? Nancy and Karen aren’t so sure…
Watch our video review to find out what we liked and what we didn’t like, and whether we’d recommend climbing aboard — or jumping ship:
(PS – If you’re on the go — say, sailing the seas of a magical kingdom — don’t worry, you can still listen to our review. Just download the audio.)
Have you seen the new Narnia movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the book and the earlier films?
In case the holiday music, ornament-laden store windows, and decorated classrooms haven’t already tipped you off, I’m here with a public service announcement for all Kidsmomo readers: It’s almost Christmas! Did you know? Surprise!
Last year, we dedicated a theme to holiday books and came up with a whole list of suggested reads. So this year, I’m focusing on just one story for the season: Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies.
Yes, the classic movie is also a book! It was penned by the same guy who wrote the original screenplay, and it was published as a novella at the same time that the film came out (in 1947). And as you can imagine, if you’re a fan of the movie, I guarantee you’ll enjoy the book. The novella is a close match for the movie, almost scene for scene — and you’ll find that even exact dialogue is represented! I was particularly delighted to see that the book closes with the precise words that Fred speaks at the end of the movie.
And this year, I was especially happy to have the book because for the life of me, I can’t find the movie playing on TV! What’s wrong with this world when they show the 1994 remake instead of the beloved 1947 original?! Thankfully, the book saved me from becoming a Grinch!
Karen actually has a copy of the movie — but on VHS. (Do you guys even know what that means?) Now that she no longer has a VCR, perhaps it’s time to invest in a DVD of the film…
Gulping gargoyles! It’s here! It’s here it’s here it’s here it’s here it’s here! A new trailer for The Deathly Hallows: Part I, based of course on the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling!
But seriously, if you didn’t already know that, then you’re wasting your time reading this post. On the other hand, if you’re as big of a Harry head as I am, well, then you’re REALLY wasting your time by reading this instead of watching the video! So, here it is:
Video courtesy of Warner Bros., via The Leaky Cauldron
Sweeter than a Chocolate Frog, no?
I definitely clapped my hands and squealed out loud while watching the new trailer (yes, all by myself in my apartment). And then, of course, I watched it all over again. And again. And now I’ve watched it four times — which is how many times I’ve experience the book, btw: twice reading it and twice listening to the audiobook. (What? Me? Obsessed? I don’t know what you’re talking about.)
Obviously I’m head over heels for the whole trailer, but I think it really gets going around 1:06 when Kingsley’s patronus arrives at the wedding to announce, “They’re coming.” Just like in the book, that’s when all heck breaks loose, and I love it!
I’m also impressed by the segment at 1:27, when Harry and Ron are fighting. Comparing their acting to the early movies, it looks like they’ve really improved — which will be incredibly important for capturing all the intense stuff that goes down in Book 7. For example, this image of Harry and Hermione visiting Harry’s parents’ graves is very touching.
Speaking of which, for a better look at all your favorite scenes, check out the image gallery at The Leaky Cauldron. It’s definitely worth its weight in galleons!
ZOMG, I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE! Unfortunately, I guess I’ll have to, since I can’t travel into the future. So now my big question is: should I re-read the book right before I see the film? That’s what I’ve done for all the others, but it does kind of ruin the magic (pun intended) because then I end up comparing the movie to the book while I’m watching. What do you guys think?
And, of course, leave a comment telling me YOUR opinions on this new trailer. Love it? Hate it? Favorite parts? Surprises? A knut for your thoughts! (Hee hee.)
Karen saw the first Harry Potter movie when she was in college. So that makes her how old? Let’s just put it this way: she’s waaaaaaaaaaay older than you, but she ain’t got nothin’ on Dumbledore!
Okay, so remember how I posted a while back about how Hollywood executives don’t seem to have any new ideas because all their films are based on books? Well, I still think it’s true — but now I’ve decided it’s a good thing.
Before, I was like, “Can’t they have some original ideas?” But now that I think about it, children’s books are AWESOME. So it’s great that there are lots of movie adaptations of children’s books, right? Because that way, we get to see our favorite stories come to life!
The only problem is that sometimes the adaptations are not very good. And I gotta say, I’m little bit worried about that happening in the case of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, based on the book by Richard and Florence Atwater. Because guess who they cast as Mr. Popper. I’ll give you a hint: he’s played such other literary characters as Count Olaf (from A Series of Unfortunate Events) and the Grinch. Now do you know who I mean? The answer: Jim Carrey.
Now, I think Jim Carrey did a wonderful job as Count Olaf. He was just as over-the-top maniacal on screen as the villain is in the original books. But Mr. Popper is not a larger than life character. And although I know Jim Carrey is perfectly capable of turning in a toned-down performance, I just don’t know if he’ll be allowed to do that in a children’s movie. Because for some reason, people in Hollywood seem to think that kids only enjoy weird facial expressions and yelling. And that just doesn’t fit Mr. Popper’s character. So let’s hope Jim Carrey gets to actually act in this movie, not just run around like a crazy person.
The other reason I’m kinda worried is because apparently, the story is changed quite a lot from the original. In the book, Mr. Popper is a quiet house painter who gets sent a penguin. He then decides to get a second penguin, and this leads to a whole bunch of penguins. So to pay for all this, he trains the birds to perform. In the film version, Mr. Popper is a New York businessman who receives a bunch of penguins that turn his life upside down.
Hmm… Totally different, but I guess that could work. And as a New Yorker, I’m very much looking forward to when they start filming on location in the fall. Penguins in the city, y’all!
But what do you guys think of this news? Any fans of the book want to weigh in? Leave a comment with your opinion!
— Karen If penguins came to live with Karen, everyone would probably get along really well. Karen’s favorite thing in the world is sushi, and penguins eat raw fish — a match made in heaven!
