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Coco – The Media Mummy’s review
My last preview screening was just me and my daughter, this time around I ventured into London’s West End with a new addition – my eight-month-old baby boy.
My first trip up West with the two of them and luckily it was well worth it AND we all survived fairly unscathed!
Coco is a heartfelt take on the Mexican Day of the Dead which sees a young boy – aspiring musician Miguel – reunited with his family on ‘the other side’.
Family, death, living life to the fullest and the importance of being remembered are all themes explored in the film.
So, it obviously helps if you’ve had the whole death and dying chat with your little ones…
As well as lots of laughs, there were some sad moments for my seven-year-old (and me, can’t lie!) which I guess is to be expected from the subject material, but overall she really enjoyed the film.
I would also say it caters for all ages – as the music had my baby boy bouncing up and down in my lap!
Just to add – there will be obvious comparisons to 2014’s animation The Book of Life but rest assured Coco, whilst also taking place of the Day of the Dead, is definitely a completely different story!
In cinemas January 19.
Netflix Presents The Christmas Chronicles
CHRISTMAS is coming! And Netflix have the perfect offering for the festive season in the shape of Kurt Russell!
Well, not exactly Kurt Russell himself, but the actor playing Santa Claus in their film The Christmas Chronicles.
And so the chance to watch a special screening of the film saw my daughter and I up early to head into the West End to watch it in the cosy surroundings of the Ham Yard Hotel.
Bonus points already for giving the girl and I a chance for some mummy and daughter time, leaving baby brother at home with dad as the film is recommended for eight and above.
Alongside Russell, there’s Darby Camp and Judah Lewis as warring siblings, who’ve recently lost their father, but agree a truce for one night to attempt to catch Father Christmas in action on Christmas Eve.
The resulting chaos will have you hooked as the kids hitch a ride on Santa’s sleigh and ultimately join forces to ‘save Christmas’.
There were lots of laughs from the audience throughout – from both adults and kids, especially at the current day references (‘fake news’, Uber, elves doing the floss) littered throughout.
I can’t say too much without giving away the film’s many surprises, but I’d recommend it as one for all the family with Russell as the main attraction.
It’s out on Netflix on November 22nd, so don’t forget to add it to your viewing list!
You can watch the trailer HERE, and for more information on the film visit:
netflix.com/ChristmasChronicles
Sammy’s Great Escape – film review
I guess as a mother I should find it easy to judge if my daughter is enjoying a film or not, but during the screening of Sammy’s Great Escape, she certainly had me guessing…
She alternated between loudly naming all the creatures she could see; to jumping out of her skin once or twice; pointing at the screen to say ‘I don’t like it, I want to go home’ and at any pause in dialogue or musical interlude shouting ‘yeah! It’s finished now – can we go home?’
So on this basis, I’ll have to give the film, a sequel to A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures, a mixed review. This time around we follow two turtles who end up stuck in a giant aquarium in Dubai and their young grandchildren who are faced with the task of setting them free.
The bright colours made the movie very appealing, but for my daughter’s age group (she’s just about to turn 3!) I thought at times it was a little too intense with its loud noises and things going wrong, which was made clear by the atmospheric music, so a child of any age would know something scary was about to happen.
I’m glad we stayed to see the film through – as that night I had to contend with her quoting from the film, repeating the words of a crazy fish stuck in an aquarium, ‘They’re all looking at me! I can see them all looking at me!’ (Let’s just ignore the fact that my little one found some sort of affinity with the film’s crazy character…) – but to be honest, if we’d been in a local cinema and not just trekked into Leicester Square, we’d probably have left about 20 minutes in.
So, overall verdict? Sammy’s Great Escape is probably better suited to slightly older kids – maybe 4 upwards – but that’s obviously for individual parents to judge.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ The Musical – competition
HANDS up who remembers reading The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole as a child?
Well now the much-loved novel by Sue Townsend has been adapted into a stage musical and is running at London’s Ambassadors Theatre – and you could be there watching it with your family!
Set in 1980s Leicester, the adaptation of the best-selling book is described as ‘a timeless tale of teenage angst, family struggles and unrequited love, told through the eyes of tortured poet and misunderstood intellectual Adrian Mole.’
For a chance to win a family of four ticket, all you have to do is sign up to follow my blog via email and follow my Instagram account @themediamummy for an additional entry.
Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾ – The Musical runs until 12 October 2019
Ambassadors Theatre, West Street, London WC2H 9ND
Terms and conditions – Ticket competition for a family of four ticket to be redeemed on a Monday-Thursday show, subject to availability during July & August. Name to be drawn on Thursday 27 June, 11pm (UK time).