More Delightful than the Jet Set
359446
This has always been one of my favorite Tracy-Hepburn films, and it's an extra pleasure to know that the screenplay (and the play on which it's based) were written by Nora Ephron's parents, Phoebe and Henry Ephron. The banter between the leads is very smart and very sophisticated, and it's interesting to have the movie remind us  what the early days of computers were like.
3729420
Down in the dumps?  Need to laugh?  This set is perfect for you.  Goofy is sure to bring a smile to your face and will provide a laugh or two as well.
Featuring 46 animated shorts from Goofy's solo cartoon career, there's something on here for everyone's comic tastes.  My favorites tend to be from the "How To" series and the sports shorts and include "The Art of Skiing," "How to Swim," "How to be a Sailor," "How to Play Golf" ("Contrary to popular opinion, golf is not a waste of time."), "The Olympic Champ," "How to Be a Detective," and "How to Sleep."  There are some others I liked that fall outside these boundaries and include "Victory Vehicles" (talk about creative), "African Diary," "Californy'er Bust" (always in the mood for a good pun), and "Father's Lion."  These, of course, are just some of the highlights.
Goofy works best when he's trying something easy and failing in imaginative ways.  Some of the cartoons near the beginning of the second disc feature him in more ordinary situations, and I didn't find them nearly as fun.  But these are few, and the rest make up for them.
As is the case with the other sets in the series, Leonard Maltin has my dream job of playing host.  He provides some interesting introduction to the character and times that produced short cartoons.  I'll agree that his introduction on potentially controversial cartoons don't add much, but if that's the price we have to pay to get to see them, I don't really care.  Both discs have background material that any Disney or animation fan will love.
As other's have noted, this set is missing a couple shorts.  Why remains a mystery, although those missing "How to Ride a Horse" can find it on the "Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studio" set also released in 2002.  A "play all" feature would have been nice, but I found I enjoyed the shorts in small doses, so it really made no difference to me.
Goofy is one of the Disney Studio's signature characters, and it's nice to see them treating him and their history with respect.  While it could have been better, it's certainly enjoyable the way it is.  I will enjoy laughing with this set for years to come.
2010586
I originally saw the movie at the theater, where you get to enjoy the images of flight much more. But it is still great fun on the big screen at home. (:-)) I have friends (adults) that did NOT use to go view animated films at the movies (no kids). But I like to, and this movie and Up! have convinced them of the wonderful world of animation and its capability to carry the emotional content. The animation excels on the breathtaking backgrounds, specially during flight scenes. The story seems directed to the early teen, feeling awkward in his world and discovering girls (viking girls, lol) for the first time. I also had a chance to view the movie with my brother and my nephews and niece (ages 8 to 16) and they ALL loved it.
1279481
Tim Burton's movie without Tim Burton turns out to be quite charming family fare. The flair is there, just toned down a notch and the characters benefit from it. I have never considered Alice books to be children's books and this is another proof. The delicious depth of tripy nonsensical whimsy of the origina can never be reached in a PG 13 movie. However, enjoyable ride, most likely going to be turned into one, the whole movie feels like a visit to Disneyland.
351598
Disney's sequel to its' popular sci-fi adventure, "Escape to Witch Mountain," is even more entertaining than the original.  Kim Richards and Ike Eisemann reprise their roles as Tony and Tia, the super power siblings that have just returned to Earth in their shiny disc shaped flying saucer.  The kids are now in their teens and are once again preyed upon by criminal masterminds, this time Christopher Lee (of Hammer Studio's Dracula fame) and the legendary Queen of the Silver Screen herself, Bette Davis.  Disney did itself proud with this sequel, which has lots more special effects, lots more kid actors (including Brad Savage who played Kim's brother in Disney's "No Deposit, No Return.") and a great story with fine performances by all, especially Kim and Ike.  The dvd special edition has a clean transfer and great audio, featuring entertaining interviews with Kim and Ike, plus three of the "kid's street gang," Brad Savage (Muscles), Christian Juttner (Dazzler), and Poindexter Yothers (Crusher).  I highly recommend "Return from Witch Mountain," as well as it's predecessor, "Escape to Witch Mountain," to young viewers and Disney live-action movie fans.  These movies may not be able to compare with today's computer generated CGI effects, but they make up the difference with the more important ability to entertain with performances by a fine cast and to project that "Disney charm" which the new Disney films sadly lack.

**UPDATE!**  "Escape To Witch Mountain" and "Return From Witch Mountain" are now available both on one DVD disc, and sadly missing ALL of the movie trailers, commentaries, and extras that were part of the 2003 individual single disc "Special Edition" releases. If your only interested in the movies themselves (which are a lot of fun!) then this "2 Movie Collection" version is the way to go. I'm glad I got the "special edition" versions when I did, however, you can still get them from Amazon sellers, and no doubt for a sweet deal, too!
715457
I was not previously familiar with Lionel or even the classic Hot Wheels track building sets. But that's okay, I think, as I've read some other reviews here that seem to lament that this set isn't enough like the classics, but I think I might have a previously untainted view of such track building and racing toys, yes? Oh well. Suffice it to say that when this set arrived I was a little overwhelmed. All the pieces! I gathered my kids (8, 5, and 3) and set out to build the track that the manual shows. It took up the whole dining room table!

I sent my husband to get a 9v battery at the store for the remote (it says battery included, but we couldn't find it) while I clamped and pieced together this thing. The kids were no help at all. This set isn't for little ones, necessarily. The blue track pieces are so flexible that I wasn't certain it would hold the rail car. But it did! That is to say, not without some bouncing around on the track. The car is heavy and when you add in momentum, it can really throw some heft into the flexible tracks--hence the table clamps!

We all ooh'd and ahh'd over it for a good 40 minutes while all the kids had their turns going backward and forward and moving the track around a bit. It strikes me that this set would be a lot of fun for an older kid 8 to kidult, and offers a lot of track building options. Once you get the track set up, it does the same old thing--speeds around the twists and turns, occasionally falling off the track when it comes to certain degrees and angles (did not happen with the manual's basic track set up). We thought it was pretty neat and then put it away and went to bed and I forgot about the set.

Until the next day after my husband went missing for 30 minutes, came upstairs with a gleam in his eye and announced that he had something to show us in the basement. He was quite proud of his track, set up in the air between the treadmill, the weight machine, and our futon. No table necessary, apparently!

So I think this is a fun, original sort of track building racing toy that can be built upon and added to (I hope) that will excite those like my husband, who has an engineer's mind. I think it's well designed and can provide hours and hours of track building and race testing. I'd be interested in expansion packs to make this set even more elaborate. I'm also thinking of setting it up at my son's birthday party next month along with the other yard games for guests to play with.
2659351
Not only are these fun and entertaining for younger children, and very robust as well, but practical for older ones as well.  I teach a flight science class for talented youths and they not only enjoyed building, decorating, and flying them, but by warping the wings could observe the effect on the flight path of the aircraft.
Made of robust foam, they are safe to fly indoors, but robust enough to use outside as well; and will more likely be lost or misplaced than ever broken, unless intentionally abused.
And, not only do my students love them but so does my two year old son as well!  While I didn't allow him unsupervised access to the markers and stickers that come with the kit, once assembled he can safely, and freely, use the airplanes as he wishes.  And the original box of 5 I bought him have lasted 5 months now!
While I have one box in reserve for him, and have given them as gifts to friends and relatives, I will certainly use them again as a teaching aid.
My one complaint was a 40% increase in the price between my purchases in the summer of 2013, and the late fall of the same year (from approximately $8 to $13), but in the intervening period I also saw them marketed to office workers in packs of 2, so I presume that they've become a favorite of the cubicle set; something that doesn't surprise me...
1118099
Around the Field was simply a delightful read.  I have never been to Oshkosh and I don't know if I ever will go, but between this book and the annual Uncontrolled Airspace podcast coverge of the event I feel as if I get a taste of it from afar.

I have loved airplanes for as long as I can remember, but getting to learn the stories of so many individuls is so much richer an experience than merely geeking out over aircraft.
1569991
I have always enjoyed flight sims, but I was never big into reinacting historical combat or being locked into strict physics modules.  I have always like creative stories and fascinating ideas, but it is becoming harder to find such creativity.
So when I say that Crimson skies has really grabbed me and consumed enourmous amounts of my spare time, it should be apparent that it is soemthing special.
This game has managed to take a wonderful story- involving alternative history, a style of story-telling that echoes of '40's radio drama, swashbuckling action and wonderful voice work- and combine it with a flight engine that is close enough to real physics to feel real but far enough removed to be fun, easy to learn and challenging without requiring you to be a pilot.
Atmosphere is the byword to describe this game.  The designers adapted the concept wonderfuly and it is totaly engrossing and enjoyable.  I heartily recomend this game, which I feel is one of the best and possibly THE best, in the genre of action flight games.
872190
Very reminiscent of the modernized classic Tie Fighter Hasbro released several years ago. The electric laser sounds and lights of the original Tie Fighter toy of 1977 have been replaced with the now ubiquitous shooting laser darts Hasbro has been using in Star Wars toys for years. On the plus side, the solar panels are still spring-loaded and pop off at the push of a button. The buttons are now located on the underside of the pylons. In addition, a new rotating turret has been added below the cockpit. It doesn't fire any projectiles, so you'll have to make your own "pew pew" noises. The cockpit itself is slightly larger than the old toy, allowing for a second seat - presumably the turret gunner. Action figures can be put inside the cockpit using a single-piece hinged hatch on the top of the Tie, a huge improvement over the double-door style hatch of the old Kenner toy. It seems sturdy with lots of play value, but I do miss the electronic sound effects and lights, and I'm not a fan of the shooting darts used in their place - they seem like just more small parts which are easily lost.

The included First Order pilot figure is well done, with a removable helmet and pistol. Better than I expected for a pack-in figure.
725303
I bought this more-or-less on spec, on the strength of a couple of sentences of recommendation from Michael Chabon (for which many thanks, Michael).  The funny thing is that now that I have it, it is immediately obvious that while Chabon covers a fair bit of ground in his intro. one thing that he doesn't know is that Red Orm is alive and well, and familar to any six year old german boy (e.g. my two sons), in Vickie und die strken Mnner (''''''''''''), an old japanse-german animated TV series that tells the adventures of the clever red-haired Viking boy Vikkie, his girlfriend Ylvi (his mother is Ylva) and his enemy Der Schreckliche Sven, and which has been repeating forever on german TV.  It's pretty obvious, as soon as you pick up the book, and then  you run into Ylvi (and the Swedish entry for Vicke Vicking, the original book, on Wikipedia confirms it). This only makes The Long Ships even more fun to read, and is precisely the sort of configuration that MIchael Chabon of all people would appreciate.

Adventures, ships, galley slaves, friends and roasted lamb round beach campfires, pretty girls, fights, axes, toledo swords, more adventures, more fights, and, of course, baddies that cry out to be played by Alan Rickman in the movie.  In short, a very superior ripping yarn for literate small boys of all ages (and sexes).  You can imagine Orm, late in life on his estate, settling down to a copy of Beowulf, ale-cup beside him, and not being terribly impressed.
4926991
My greatest enjoyment of this trilogy has come from the reading of the original books, which I did many times as a boy, and perhaps twice as a man.  I also liked the movie cycle, which I saw once in a theater and perhaps two other times on DVD.

This radio play was, to me, considerably more engaging and imaginative than the movie cycle.  Its power derives from effective use of basic ingredients like spoken voice, sounds, music and silence. I do like the spectacular visuals in the movies, but I shall probably return more often to this radio play than to the movies.

A great companion on the commuter bus and train, when perhaps at the end of the day I may not feel like reading.

A sentimental element - the Frodo here is wonderfully played by Ian Holm, who appeared some 20 years later as Bilbo in the movies.

I have not heard the later edition of this radio play, so my comments pertain only to this product in its own right.

BTW this edition is in the collection of several public libraries in my region, which are not exceptional in other respects, so it is probably widely available for free listening.
2281853
FIRST OFF:

Beautiful, soft, colorful animation with incredible detail brings this character driven doggie-tale to life. The songs, like all great animated classics work into the plot and are a great aid in telling the story, making the film entertaining and making children of all ages happy.

BUT THERE IS MORE -- MUCH MORE: DOG'S TELL THEIR OWN TALE!

Dog's tell their own tale in this one. Unlike "101 Dalmations", which Disney also made several years after this film, the humans are basically not substancial characters. The humans' role is simply as a background setting for the tale of the Lady and the Tramp, which is completely appropriate for this kind of tale.

WHAT MAKES "THE LADY AND THE TRAMP SO DARN GOOD"?

1]- The 9 "Old Men" were really at the top of their game when they animated the major characters of the film. In the featurette, in the 50th anniversary edition, we see exactly what these very talented guys were aiming for and some of the interesting stuff they came up with for Walt Disney.

2]- The music and lyrics are well timed, entertaining and really help set up the many varying moods of the individual scenes. The soundtrack also furthers the plot, and helps us to really like who and what we are seeing on the screen. In short, the tunes help to humanize the doggies, and in that way assist in telling a multi-level tale that means something to kids, something to adults, and something collectively to everyone. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Incredibles" also clearly illustrate that multi-level trait.

3]- The story itself is well constructed with clever while appropriate dialogue, and a very eclectic blend of characters with dogs and humans both being from a very broad and diverse background.

The small town, on the verge of the modern age, still is a special and desirable place to be in this film. Things like telephones and early automobiles are just barely hinted at in a few scenes.

4]- Cinemascope was used, for one of the first times in this film, and simply put it makes for a larger, broader world with a lot more background animation. Disney actually filmed two completely drawn versions of this film, Cinemascope [widescreen], and Full-Screen, because many theatres were not equipped to play cinemascope films in 1956.

DVD FEATURES: THIS 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION HAS ALL THE FEATURES & IS THE ONE TO GET!

LAST WORD:

Get the 50th Anniversary Edition if you want features and a remastered Cinemascope picture. We did and we are delighted.
627400
Okay, so there's not much need for another review of Lego's Millennium Falcon (#75105), but I like this set too much to not write about it.

I've loved Legos and Star Wars since I was a kid, but I felt I was getting a little too old to indulge in Star Wars Legos when they first came out in 1999. With all the excitement over the past two years with the new films, and the really cool sets coming out, I finally gave in. I bought the U-Wing, Poe's X-Wing, and the TIE Striker. Now, the Falcon sits next to them in my living room.

The build is really enjoyable. After the first ten minutes, a couple of plates snap together to give you the iconic Falcon shape. That was a really inspiring moment that just furthered my excitement and anticipation. I ended up building the model over a few days, maybe one to two hours a day. There are a few repetitive parts, such as the sections that form the sides of the ship, or the triangular pieces that make up its dome. But the interior is a lot of fun to build, and every step closer to the finished ship is really satisfying. The instructions are clear, but I found myself needing to flip back to previous pages a few times because I had missed some pieces, or connected things incorrectly. The build definitely takes focus. Lots of counting bumps and second-guessing. One technique I eventually hit upon was to set aside all the pieces illustrated in the box on each page before starting to connect them. That way I knew if I had completed the page.

The finished ship is amazing. It's really sturdy and heavy. I do wish the top panels fit together a little better, with smaller gaps. The interior could also be a little deeper. It's really expansive and has several areas, but it feels shallow to me. I also wish the gun turrets were a little more impressive. I'm not sure how to do that, but the completed section just makes me go "Oh. That's it." But I really do like the set. I love all the colors inside; they make me think about how the Falcon, especially at the time of THE FORCE AWAKENS, is held together by duct tape and hope. It's patchwork and spliced together.

The minifigures also need mention. I'm really excited to have Han, Chewie, Rey, and Finn as part of my little collection. The two Kanjiklub Gang members are also cool, but why do they have the old pirate guns I used to play with when I was a kid?
3654064
Bugdom 2 is a clever and fun family game for Macintosh users. The hero is Skip the Grasshopper. A bumblebee has stolen his knapsack, and you will take him through a variety of tasks in a wide array of environments to get it back. There are ten levels, and the renditions are beautiful and charming. You start in The Front Yard (aka the scene of the crime), and this is a good level in which to acquire skills such as jumping, flying and kicking. Levels include The Back Yard; Fido's Fur (where you stamp out ticks and fleas); two levels in which you "surf" down a pipeline past obstacles; outrageously fun levels in the house's Playroom and Closet (with terrific details and thrilling action -- dodging vacuum cleaners! riding cars on a toy racetrack! completing a jigsaw puzzle! -- that leave our young 'un screaming with delight); a bombardier trip on a model airplane; and finally, a jaunt through The Park, fleeing ferocious frogs and gape-mouthed fish, battling picnic-crashing ants and ultimately retrieving your knapsack from the bumblebee's hive.

Along the way you'll kick acorns to find valuable clovers and extra lives, and collect powerups from the ubiquitous butterflies, who shower you pleasantly with flowers as they deposit strawberries and blueberries or arm you with "buddy bugs", who can assault the resident flies and fleas from a distance.

There is action as well as problem solving with no killing, though you do kick enemies.  A wonderful Kids Mode turns most of the dastardly villains into neutral observers so that little ones can play without getting freaked out. I'd say a 5- or 6-year old could play unassisted, but our toddler loves playing the game with us and performs many of the actions. Use the arrow keys to move, the Space Bar to jump or fly (and it's really fun to be able to fly!), Control to kick, Tab to send a buddy bug out, and Option to pick up or drops objects (so you can get maps from Sally Chipmunk or complete errands for Sam the Snail). An electronic manual explains things well.  The Return key lets you switch between four perspectives that vary in your distance behind Skip's shoulder.  The levels are large with occasional checkpoints, but you can only save the game at the end of the level.

We've found two problems with the game that are annoying but surmountable, and will probably be fixed with a patch: the Garbage Can task of popping all the soda can tabs does not seem to work -- you have to pop them all then leave the game sitting for a while and come back in order to find the key you need; and sometimes when you are trying to jump to reach the top of the picnic basket the flowers are not solid but drop you through.

Pros:  Fun, interesting, immersive environments.  Flying.  Volume, music and perspective controls at the keyboard so you can make immediate adjustments easily.  Kids Mode tames the villains for younger players.  Pleasant music.  Good electronic manual. Developed on Macs for Mac users.
Cons:  A couple of annoying bugs in the program.  No key reassignment.  Not being able to save except at the end of levels.

Caveats aside, our child has enthusiastically learned to use the arrow keys and now performs multiple key stroke maneuvers.  I am an old first-person shooter player but I still find this game fun, and I've found my husband playing when he thinks we're all asleep.  Fun for the whole family!
2845582
Love the sets, the music and of course the cast.  It's like taking a mini vacation in another time and place
1147746
As a senior who once started a petition to bring back Star Trek on NBC for a third season, I have loved the show for fifty years.

So when this Enterprise quadcopter went on sale, I couldn't resist the temptation.

I'm happy to report that this is the ultimate toy for Trekkers, better even than the various phasers, tricorders, and communications pins we've seen over the years.

First, though, a word about Amazon's poor packing.  The shipping box contained NO air bags or packing of any kind, so the product box inside was susceptible to shifting about and therefore looked as if it had been the victim of a front-end collision.

I feared what was intact inside the product box, and my fears were not alleviated when I saw various items -- the remote control and a plastic bag containing a USB cable and the snap-together plastic stand -- loose in the box.

Amazingly, though, the Enterprise and the other parts emerged from the carnage unscathed.  Apparently if baddies like Khan and the Borg couldn't take the good ship down, neither could Amazon or UPS.

As with most toys these days, it took some careful work to release the Enterprise from the plastic tray surrounding its main dish.  If you are buying this for your kids, you will probably want to unpack the toy yourself.

Then it was easy to install the four AA batteries in the remote -- no screwdriver needed, I'm happy to say -- and to charge the Enterprise with the USB cable plugged into your computer.

The blue light on the front of the Enterprise's warp engine flashes while the ship is charging and then extinguishes when charging is complete.  A full charge takes about an hour, which yields about seven minutes of flight time.

One joystick on the remote controls altitude and the other direction. There are pairs of trim buttons to adjust for spinning and drifting -- I haven't had to use these yet, although I might want to try the spin buttons to get the Enterprise to do a U-turn in my modest-sized living room.

There are also two collar buttons, one for "warp speed" -- yes, the Enterprise zips forward accompanied by the warp sound -- and the other to activate a variety of other famous sound effects from the show.  These emerge from a speaker in the remote, keeping weight down in the ship.

Most amusing is the way the "red alert" alarm sounds whenever you lose control and crash the ship!  I almost expected to hear McCoy say, "Damn it, I'm a doctor, Jim, not a pilot!"

Otherwise, the Enterprise has a plastic main dish section, while the body and nacelles are made of foam.  In addition to the warp engine light, there are also two blue lights in the front of the nacelles, and the central column of the dish lights up in white.

As I have only flown my Enterprise indoors, I can't comment on its flight abilities outdoors.  I can say it's a good thing that the fan blades are encased in the plastic body of the dish, protecting them from harm when you crash.

I also can't speak about durability or reliability.  Needless to say, the foam parts will probably break at some point...

But for the moment, I am tickled that the Enterprise has come to dock in my humble home, and I imagine other Trekkers will feel the same, especially if you get the celebrated starship on sale...

PROS:

* It's the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A!
* Full-function remote.
* Fan blades protected from harm during crashes.
* Lights and authentic sound effects.
* Seven minutes of flight after a one-hour charge.
* Snap-together clear plastic display stand serves as launch platform.

CONS:

* Khan, of course (not included!)