Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, the heroic Jedi Knights – including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master Yoda and padawan Ahsoka Tano – struggle to maintain order and restore peace. But despite the best efforts of these brave protectors, more and more planets are falling prey to the sinister forces of the dark side… Star Wars: The Clone Wars features the voices of Matt Lanter (“90210”) as Anakin Skywalker, Ashley Eckstein (“That’s So Raven”) as Ahsoka Tano, James Arnold Taylor (“The Spectacular Spider-Man”) as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Tom Kane (“Wolverine and the X-Men”) as Yoda.

Created and executive produced by George Lucas, the first-ever TV production from Lucasfilm Animation explores the tumultuous time between Episodes II and III of the live-action saga, expanding the scope of Star Wars beyond anything seen in the feature films. With the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, the heroes of the Republic – including the valiant Jedi Knights and their loyal clone troopers – fight bravely to repel the attacks of the evil Separatists and their droid army.

“The live-action saga was just the beginning. The universe is vast, and there are so many more stories to explore beyond Anakin’s fall and redemption,” said Lucas. “The scope of the war gives us the perfect vehicle for a weekly series, allowing us to look at how the conflict has affected the farthest reaches of the galaxy, including characters, creatures and races we only glimpsed in the feature films. Animation has allowed us to visualize the worlds and characters of Star Wars in all new ways.”

“I’m a longtime Star Wars fan, and the same’s true for a lot of the guys working on the show,” said supervising director Dave Filoni. “And as a fan, I know that Lucasfilm can be pretty secretive. They’re famous for it. But we’re all so proud of the work that’s gone into The Clone Wars, and we wanted to share some of our production tricks, and open up the vault and reveal our efforts. You’re going to get unprecedented access, to see the nuts and bolts of our series – from concept to finished animation

Uniquely packaged with an exclusive 64 page production journal, the four-disc set contains all 22 episodes from the groundbreaking first season – including seven extended Director’s Cuts – as well as companion featurettes for each episode. And exclusive to the Blu-ray disc, The Jedi Temple Archives provides in-depth access to an extensive database of creative materials. Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One is presented in widescreen with English, Spanish and French 5.1 DTS audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Possibly the best of all the Ice Age movies is Ice Age 3 Dawn Of The Dinosaurs. It’s time to focus on the family with the Ice Age gang as Manny and Ellie are about to give birth to their first baby mammoth. Meanwhile, Sid adopts three eggs that he finds not knowing that they are baby dinosaurs, and their mama is going to come looking for them. In this sequel, the Ice Age gang finds a world of dinosaurs previously unknown to them. With witty repartee that keeps you laughing and adventures that keep you wondering what is going to happen next, this is truly family entertainment. Though, some viewers might not appreciate some slightly crude humor. Most will appreciate the overall message that friends stick together and family does not necessarily mean that everybody looks and acts the same. “Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” promotes a balanced appreciation of self and others and exhibits artistic excellence.

KIDS FIRST! Child Juror Comments: Very imaginative. Funny for all ages. They went into a dinosaur land all because of Sid. You know he’s clumsy, but not that clumsy so it’s surprising. Mammoths were small compared to some of the other dinosaurs. It focused a lot more on relationships than on the element of adventure. The music was great and the animation was fantastic. I like how they came back with their baby and the baby loved the snow.

Synopsis: Manny and the herd discover a lost world of ferociously funny dinosaurs, including a cranky T. rex who’s got a score to settle with Sid! Meanwhile, Scrat goes nuts over the beautiful Scratte, but is she trying to win his heart – or steal his acorn? Features hilarious performances from Ice Age veterans Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), John Leguizamo (The Happening), Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”), Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees), Seann William Scott (Planet 51) and Josh Peck (“Drake & Josh”), along with newcomers Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”), Jane Lynch (“Glee”) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).

Purchase at Amazon.

We have seen a host of new Halloween titles come out this year for younger viewers. Here is a perfect one for your preschooler:

The Berenstain Bears: Halloween Treats! This only goes to show what little (bears) can do. Halloween is an adventurous time for little cubs, and there are all sorts of things that might get scary. Join in the fun as the bears celebrate the season with bats and pumpkins and tales of ghosts. Through it all, remember that the scariness is all in fun, as the Berenstain Bear cubs know. The little ones use their bravery and know-how to debunk all the thumps in the night. Some viewers might not appreciate the way the father constantly seems uncaring and selfish and mean and ignorant. However, viewers will most likely appreciate how each episode ends with a simple, yet good moral lessons such as getting along with others and not letting your fears get a hold of you. “Halloween Treats” assists children in working through problems or emotional issues and promotes pro-activity instead of reactivity. KIDS FIRST! Child Juror Comments: Really good. All the episodes were good. The characters treated each other good except for the weasels. They were friends with all the animals. It wasn’t very scary.
Purchase at Amazon.