“Finding Entertainment Appropriate for Kids,” or FEAK, runs every Friday and discusses places – mainly the movie theaters – where parents can look to find things for their kids to watch over the weekend.

No matter where you look this weekend, everything is about “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” People are talking about it, lining up to see it and fans, in general, are walking out satisfied. We reviewed the film (and so did our sister site Twirlit) and – long story short – fans will like it and it’s appropriate for your tween daughter. Younger girls might get scared at the imagery though and your sons will probably simply not relate.

So if you don’t want to see “New Moon” this weekend, luckily, there are actually other options. Good ones from the looks of it. With Thanksgiving later this week, Hollywood is rolling out the family friendly fare. Let’s see what is worth seeing.

First up is the animated film “Planet 51″ featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as an American astronaut who finds himself on an alien planet…and he, the human, is now the alien. Let the messages about accepting people who are different begin!

Well, the reviews of the film are decidedly mixed. Among the best are The Hollywood Reporter which said “Kids will enjoy the swift action and slapstick gags, and adult minders can chuckle at a few more suggestive jokes” but ultimately said that it’s not as ambitious or well rounded as some other fare because the aim is solely on kids. Roger Ebert also gave the film a mild 2.5/4 star thumbs up saying that “Although not bowling me over, ‘Planet 51′ is a jolly and good-looking animated feature in glorious 2-D.” Other reviews are down right venomous. The Los Angeles Times calls it “a missed opportunity” explaining that “‘Planet 51′ displays an almost criminal lack of curiosity about the small details that would bring its story to life.”

Still, with its PG rating “for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humor” no one says the film isn’t totally appropriate for your kids.

Laced with slightly more mature themes, and also better reviews, is the Sandra Bullock vehicle “The Blind Side.” The film is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African American boy who is taken in by a wealthy Southern family and turned into an NFL prospect through hard work and family love.

The reviews are, by in large, positive for the film – though most seem to agree it’s basically just a better than average sports movie. “A feel-good crowd-pleaser, but it also drains the film of the kind of subtle nuances that might have separated it from other Hollywood Hallmark-like efforts,” said Glenn Whipp of The Associated Press. The Washington Post was pleasantly surprised by the film but also noted that “Depending on your lens, it either celebrates the colorblind society America should aspire to, or neatly elides issues about race and class that are so often distorted or ignored.”

And that might be a little to much for your kids to grasp. So take them if they like sports movies but don’t forget that the film is rated PG-13 for “one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references”

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is expanding further this week too and, if that’s playing, we highly recommend you check that out.

All in all, it’s a very good weekend to be a parent and take your child out to the movies. Plenty of choices, plenty of variety and even more to come next week.

Your younger daughter will probably love it, your son will probably fall asleep and you’ll definitely be left scratching your head. In a nutshell, that’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” the second film in the “Twilight” film series based on the wildly successful books by Stephenie Meyer.

A disclaimer at the beginning of this review: I’m not the audience for this movie. I’m a single, 29 year old with no kids. I actually have read the first book, but didn’t like the first film. However, I like to think I’m familiar with the franchise and have the Alice like ability to see things – especially movies – from multiple points of view. And with a movie like “New Moon,” that’s necessary simply because it’s a phenomenon that lives beyond the screen.

We find the next chapter of this phenomenon picking up where the first left off. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is still living in Forks, WA and is still in love with perfect, god like vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). However, something happens that makes Edward realize (again) that he’s no good for Bella, so he leaves her. And Bella is sad. So she finds solace in the massive arms of her neglected friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Unfortunately, Jacob turns out to be a werewolf who can only kill vampires and that becomes an issue when Bella leaves him to help the departed Edward.

That’s the basic story. And really, a few twists, turns and car drives aside, that’s pretty much it. The film drags for long stretches basically because the entire series is based on the intense, indescribable emotion that Bella feels towards Edward. Understanding and feeling that emotion in Bella’s every action is essential to the franchise but, unfortunately, is just totally implicit in the movies (In the books, and possibly in real life, it works much better).

So that becomes the biggest of the many problems “New Moon” has. Audience members unfamiliar with the material – or who have had any kind of life experience whatsoever – will find themselves completely unconvinced of anyone siding with Team Edward. Team Jacob, on the other hand, is looking pretty good. Lautner gives a layered, likable performance that truly saves the movie from being unwatchable. Jacob is the kind, charismatic person we are simply meant to assume Edward is. So the scenes with Jacob and Bella are actually kind of interesting. There’s a chemistry and emotion there. Add to that some interesting werewolf lore, and “New Moon” has its share of cool moments (even if the effects don’t really hold up).

But that main story of Bella and Edward keeps rearing its ugly head. Almost out of nowhere, Bella finds herself in Italy in front of vampire royalty called the Volturi, and it’s an okay scene which seemingly serves little purpose other than giving the film something to build to.

All of that, though, won’t matter much to your Twi-hard daughters who can hardly contain themselves at the sight of veiled romance taking place with not-so veiled boys. On the other hand, your sons will probably be rolling their eyes until there’s an action scene and when that comes, be kind of disappointed. And you, as a parent, will be wondering why dumb Bella can’t stand up for herself or make an educated, adult decision. Ever.

Yes, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is going to be a massive hit, just like the first movie. And if your kids can handle the PG-13 material (there are some, but not many, scary visuals to be aware of) then chances are they will want to see it just so they can talk about it with their friends. But on the way out, be sure to educate them that the world of “Twilight,” in oh so many ways, is a total fantasy.

The Wiggles – Getting Strong

Please God, make it stop! My kids love these four Aussies and their dinosaur, but it gets limited play in our house because I simply cannot stand it. The too-short, too-cheerful ditties have no artistry that a grown-up ear can appreciate.

Choo Choo Soul – Choo Choo Soul

Why do kids love trains so much? This CD/DVD combo was an instant hit in our house. The videos of Genevieve, the conductor, and DC, the engineer, singing and dancing with real kids on an animated train are as colorful and fun as you would expect from Disney. The R&B styled songs about ABCs, 123s and zoo animals are as catchy as anything on the radio, and I don’t even mind when I find myself singing them after the kids are in bed.

Raffi – Singable Songs for the Very Young and The Corner Grocery Store

These are absolute favorites from my childhood, and my kids love them too. Raffi, to me, records perfect children’s music – simple and silly, with an emphasis on vocals rather than instrumentation so kids really can sing along. If these were the only kids’ albums we had, I’d be happy, and I think my kids would be too.

Nana Mouskouri – Pour Les Enfants

Another classic from my childhood, and does this woman ever have a beautiful voice! This is a children’s album sung in French. The melodies are beautiful, even haunting, and perfect for relaxing before naptime or bedtime. Your kids may not understand the lyrics but exposure to another language can only be a good thing.

For the Kids – For the Kids and For the Kids Too

This series of compilations features artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Tom Waits and Cake singing kids’ songs that sound more like grown-up music. That’s great, for the grown-ups. Actually, there are some real gems on both of these albums, and the kids do like them even if they can’t sing along. These may be more accurately considered kid-friendly music for parents.

They Might Be Giants – Here Comes Science

Welcome to geek central! This is an entire album of songs and videos about photosynthesis, evolution and the scientific method. My kids love it, even if most of the science is going over their heads. And if you’re at all familiar with TMBG, you’ll know it’s maddeningly catchy. Really, I can’t stop singing about computer assisted design, for Pete’s sake. This one’s love/hate for me. It’s great music; I just wish it would leave me alone when we turn it off.

The robot is built with a motion sensor to keep track of anyone who enters or exits your child’s room and then respond when someone does come or go.  With over 50 responses, phrases and sound effects, this robot can keep your kids entertained for a long time. When it is in Bank Mode, it can count, store and safeguard your child’s money.  At the push of a button it will let them know exactly how much it has stored, allowing your child a better understanding of money and how to save it.

‘Robot In My Room’ can al read stories to your child as they go to sleep and then serve as their first alarm clock to wake them up in the morning.  The illuminated LCD screen will display the time clearly and then the robot will wake them up with programmable alarms that will keep waking up in the morning fun.  This is an all around cool toy that will keep your younger kids entertained but don’t bother for the older kids.

Robot In My Room Stats

• Price – $39.95 from DiscoveryStore.com
• Requires 3 C batters (not included)
• Does contain small parts and not meant for small children under 3
• An AC adapter may be purchased to save batteries

Robot In My Room Reviews

“My son is seven and into all things Space. He loves the Robot alarm clock and actually jumps out of bed when it sounds to begin his day. He put all of his change into the bank and is looking for ways to earn more money so he can increase his bank account. Functional and fun!” – from a customer review via Discovery.com

“My son loved this clock. He has played with it every day since he received it. My teenage neighbor wants one for Christmas.” – from a customer review via Amazon.com

For fans of Miley Cyrus, which we assume includes many of your daughters, it’s hard to look at her and not see some version of “Hannah Montana.”

Well, the trailer for her new movie “The Last Song” isn’t going to change that. It’s based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks (”The Notebook”) about a young girl who goes to visit her father for the summer, rebels, and meets a boy. To me, that basically sounds like “Hannah Montana” without the wig.

But it’s romance, it’s Miley actually acting and it features all new music. As well as Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear.

So check it out here, thanks to Yahoo Movies, and let us know what you think. It’ll be released April 2 and is rated PG for thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language.

As with all things technology, even your shopping trip can be made easier by the use of an app on your iPhone, and I found a doozy to help streamline your grocery shopping.

Coupons.com has an iPhone app called Grocery iQ which makes shopping and saving at the grocery store even easier.

Instead of searching for coupons, Grocery iQ, which costs $0.99 to download,  searches for you. When you add items to your digital shopping list, Grocery iQ automatically generates coupons for applicable items. Or, if you want to find deals on your own, you can browse Coupons.com’s library of coupons, select which ones you want, and Grocery iQ will load the items into your shopping list.

The grocery list is always a pain, too. You leave stuff off, lose the list itself, skip over and forget items, but this app keeps track of your list for you, too.

You can share your grocery list with others, too, and synchronize the lists. So if hubby is at the store and you forgot to add chicken to list for dinner, you can add it, in real time, so nothing is missed.

Here’s what I think is the coolest feature: as soon as you are finished with a product, use the iPhone camera to snap a photo of the barcode before you throw it away and it’s automatically added to your shopping list – no typing or writing required.

Man, what don’t these iPhone’s do? Pretty soon, they’ll drive you to the store and shop for you while you get your nails done.  Man, hurry up with that one.

Here at KidGlue, we try and give you advice or suggestions to help you be a better, cooler parent. It’s not an easy task, but we do our best. And when we are at our best, we tell you about things that maybe your kids haven’t heard of, but will eventually love if they give it a shot.

Today, we do that again.

A few weeks ago I was at a film festival here in Los Angeles and saw a film called “A Town Called Panic.” It’s a stop motion animation film, much like “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” but it stars inanimate toys like a horse, a cowboy and an Indian. It’s from Belgium, so it’s in French with English subtitles, but the story and characters are so wacky and out of this world that even if your kids CAN’T read, they are sure to eat this film up. It’s one of my favorite of the year and I’m an adult. (I’m not the only one either, most critics love this movie.)

The film will be out in very limited release on December 16 so it qualifies for an Oscar and then slowly roll out to other theaters in January. You can check the full list here to see if it’s going to be in your town. And if it’s not, just click this link and add it to your Netflix queue now. Trust us. “A Town Called Panic” is a blast on multiple levels for the whole family.

Want proof? Watch this trailer below.

My husband and I just recently had our third baby.  Once you have three kids it requires a little more of a lifestyle change.  For instance, to make room for the nursery, we had to give up our guest room.  And since our family could no longer fit comfortably in my cute little SUV we had to upgrade to something bigger.  When we bought my last car we had one child and he was about a year old.  I only had grown-up options on my mind–leather seats, seat warmers, power controls, moon roof.  I didn’t even consider that there might be some models that would make it easier to deal with my kids.  Mostly because it was still pretty easy to handle my single one-year-old.  Well, I learned a lot of lessons in that car.  Like a two-year-old likes to kick car doors open with no regard of how close they are to other cars.  And credit cards and coins slide easily into the CD player slot.  With my new found wisdom I was determined to get a family car that fit not only our family’s new size, but our lifestyle as well.  Here are some options that I found to make our backseat passengers a little more comfortable.

1. DVD player- This is kind of a duh! one.  But for good reason, it works.  You may be against inundating your child with television, but that little screen is still going to come in handy when you are stuck in traffic or taking long road trips.  If you make it a rule from the start that the DVD system is for special trips only, your kids will respect the boundary.
2. Backseat controls- Climate controls allow your kids to set their air at a different temperature than what is in the front;  A useful feature in our car since I am always much colder than everyone else.  Radio controls allow your older kids to plug in their headphones and listen to another station.  A useful feature when you don’t want to hear about how lame your listening choices are.
3. Sliding doors- As much as I hope and pray that they would put these on an SUV, for now they are only available on minivans.  Sliding doors are a lifesaver for anyone with small kids.  Not only do they keep your kids from banging into other cars, but they also give you a little extra space.  And as anyone who has tried to squeeze their baby out of a carseat while parked in an LA parking lot (i.e.: crowded with very small car spaces) can attest every little bit or space counts.  Sliding doors was the only pro on my list for buying a minivan, and we still almost bought one because I wanted this feature so badly.
4. Stowaway storage- When you are dealing with cars that have 7+ seats, there is a constant struggle between seating area and storage space.  The answer to this problem is stowaway storage.  Vehicles equipped with this option have large, covered storage bins underneath the feet of the middle row passengers.  This is a must have for big families who like to take road trips.
5. Leather seats- Most consumers want leather seats for the luxury.  Moms like leather seats for their wipeable surface.  With cloth seats and kids you have two options–wrap all of your seats with a protective cover or invest in a steam cleaner.  Even if you don’t allow food in the car, things happen.
6. Safety issues- Last, but certainly not least is safety features.  Check out crash test ratings.  Feel to see how flimsy the body is when you push on it.  One feature I wanted to be certain to get was OnStar.  In addition to all of its convenience (ie: directions, dinner reservations), OnStar can remotely unlock your car if you lock your keys in and they can call for help if you get in an accident.

While there is still about a month and a half left in the year, at this moment “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is my favorite movie of 2009.

There’s just something wonderful about it. It has beautiful unique animation, a strong moral message and exciting film making techniques all rolled into a tight, 88 minute ball that will be as enjoyable for kids as it is for adults.

Based on the classic children’s story by Roald Dahl, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is co-written and directed by Wes Anderson who, in the past, has made more adult oriented films like “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.” Those films, however, always have a strong father figure and that’s certainly the case with “Mr. Fox.” In the book and movie, Mr. Fox (voiced by mega star George Clooney) is a thief who steals from three greedy farmers and gets all of his animal friends in trouble in the process. He then must devise a way to make sure they don’t all starve.

Anderson chose to tell the story through stop-motion animation (made famous recently by films like “Coraline” and, in the past, the “Wallace and Gromit” series) where you have a puppet that you move ever so slightly and then take a photo of it, times 24 times per second of movement. The result is not quite animation, not quite real life – and that happy medium fits perfectly within this film.

Kids are going to enjoy the wacky antics and relate to many of the characters on different levels. Parents will enjoy those things too, but will appreciate the minutia like Anderson’s musical choices (Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, etc.) as well as some sly inside jokes and the prodding of the English language. And all of those things together result in a high energy, crowd pleaser with a unique independent sensibility.

Joining Clooney are Meryl Streep as his wife, Jason Schwartzman as their son, Bill Murray as their lawyer and Michael Gambon, Willem DaFoe, Owen Wilson and others in smaller roles.

Friday, check back here to read a little bit about how the film differs from the book and why those choices were made from the filmmakers and actors themselves. And then, seek out “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” It opens in New York and Los Angeles November 13 and then will continue to expand until Thanksgiving. To search for tickets, check the official site.

Which is appropriate because this is truly a movie we should all be thankful for.

Has your child ever asked you how electricity works?  Well if they haven’t yet, try and think about how you would answer that question.  Instead of straining your brain to come up with something, why not just let them find out for themselves?  Elenco has developed a series of award winning scientific toys that will teach your child how electricity works while allowing them to build numerous gadgets, games and lights to learn from.  Their ‘Snap Circuit’ line of toys has won the National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval, Creative Child –Toy of the Year, the Toy Industry Association’s Specialty Toy of the Year award and many more so snatch this toy up before the holiday rush comes and sells them all out.

With each set they will get many pieces to build circuits to control lights, radios, alarms, bells and much more.  These pieces are small so keep this toy away from young children who may swallow them.  Kids build the gadgets completely from scratch so in the process they will learn how electricity is transferred and how it can be used to power many different things in many different ways.  They will use switches, jumpers, fans, sirens and many others things to make their projects and once they’ve mastered each set they move onto the next set which will include even more gadgets and gizmos to make.  Each set includes instructions on how to build each project but exploration and experimentation is always encouraged.  As they learn more, the difficulty increases and so will their knowledge.

They’ll start off with the ‘Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100,’ the beginning of their scientific exploration.  With the Jr. your  child will be able to make 101 cool gadgets and gizmos.  They will make burglar alarms, police sirens, music alarm, strobe lights and more than 90 other projects to get them started with their mad scientist skills.

Once they have gone to the limits of ‘Jr.s’ ability they can move up to the ‘Snap Circuits PRO SC-500‘ which will have even more things for them to build and experiment with.  This toy will expand on your child’s understanding of the workings of electricity with more challenging things to make.  Includes over 75 additional parts and a full instructional manual to teach them how to make 500 cool, new projects.

If they are still wanting more electrical fun then they can move onto the ‘Snap Circuits Extreme SC-750‘ where their skills will be put to the test.  They will build a sound activated switch, a lie detector, adjustable light controller, radio, rechargeable battery and much more.  This time the board can also be hooked up to a computer for even more projects.  Includes 80 additional parts, an instruction manual and 73 computer-interfaced experiments to truly make your kid a scientist.

Reviews of Snap Circuit Products

“Bought this set for my son’s 6thbirthday. He has been fascinated with electricity since he was two.This was probably the best present he has ever received. He puts together his own inventions. It really teaches the young mind a lot about how the world of electricity in every day life affects us. A few parts did not work when we opened the set. However upon calling the company I have never been more satisfied. You speak to a live person immediately. Very courteous.  I would recommended this and all snap circuits sets to any young scientist in the making.” – customer review for Jr. model via Toysrus.com

“I bought this for my son’s 9th birthday after we noticed a friend of his had a smaller version of this product. (the SC-300, I think).  The product arrived with a little damage to the box top surface, but all parts inside were in good condition.  There are A LOT of projects that any kid over 8 would love to make.  It is a good parent/child inter-action toy that never gets old and boring.  The projects start easy and become more complicated in size and scope.  My son loves playing with it and it is now one of his favorites.” – customer review for PRO model via Amazon.com

“I bought this for my son’s 12 year birthday. He LOVES it and does the most amazing things with it. I would say the only negative to this item is that that some of the parts can “blow” or break when used and must be replaced. It is not frequent, but wanted people to go into the purchase knowing there are some, almost consumable parts to the set. This toy is genius and has allowed my little budding engineer to build electronics and see them operate. Very cool!” – customer review for Extreme model via Amazon.com

When you are a stay-at-home mom your days can get a little…well, boring.  There is little adventure aside from finding the occasional action figure in the toilet or latest artwork on the wall.  When I find myself getting excited to see the mail truck drive by, I know it is time to get out of the house.  One of my favorite websites for finding fun things to do with the kids is www.gocitykids.com

Now part of Nickolodeon’s Parents Connect Web site, GoCityKids gives you a calendar of events for any major city you choose.  You can search a day on the calendar and it will show you virtually every kid-related event going on in your neighborhood.  You can also search by category.  For instance, I just finished doing a search for holiday events in the month of December.  Other categories include concerts, museum exhibits, storytimes, workshops, farmer’s markets and much more.

It is one of my favorite tools for planning our family vacations because not only can I find fun events, but I can also find things like kid-friendly hotels and restaurants and even certified child care if we want a night alone.  Complete with website links and parents’ reviews GoCityKids will help you find the perfect activity for your next family outing.

Call me stupid, but I’ve voluntarily taken on the task of finding something I would eat that would be a healthy choice at an establishment that in my house is known as “Taco Hell.”  As far as fast food Mexican goes, there are definitely healthier options. I envision only two scenarios in which I might ever eat at Taco Bell: one involves heavy drinking and late night desperation and the other involves a firearm and my temple.  Still, if you or your kids want to “make a run for the border,” there are definitely some menu pitfalls and lesser evils.

Makes Me Sick: Nachos Bell Grande

“Grande” is right: that’s what your cholesterol count and your bootay are going to be after indulging in these calorie bombs.  760 calories and 42 grams of fat make this “Fifth Meal” a terrible choice.

Healthy Pick:  Bean Burrito

Short of just sucking “mild sauce” straight out of the packets, this is what I would eat at Taco Bell.  With only 350 calories and 9 grams of fat, you definitely could do worse.  For example, a taco named after a casino game:  Black Jack Taco, anyone?

The sleep deprivation was really getting to me. I mean, seriously, I was at the point where I would have welcomed a coma just to get some shut-eye.

All my baby books and mean friends who were parents had warned me about this, the fact I apparently wouldn’t sleep for the first three months of my new son’s life. I was ready for it. But what I didn’t anticipate was developing a dirty little habit I could tell no one about until now: During this time, I became a Lifetime Movie Network junkie. For those keeping track at home, that’s only slightly less embarrassing than still watching that “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ farce or beauty pageants.

It started innocently enough. It was in the wee hours of the morning and my son had just closed his eyes for his two-hour sleep session. I flipped on the television and realized there wasn’t much on that wasn’t an infomercial.  Then I hit the Lifetime Movie Network – LMN to those in the know.  I remember thinking, “Oh, hey, wow. It’s ‘Casualties of Love: the Long Island Lolita Story,’ that movie where Alyssa ‘I look nothing like Amy Fisher’ Milano was cast as Amy Fisher.” It took me back to high school, when Amy and her beau Joey Buttafuoco-Over-Here became tabloid royalty after the jealous teen girl attempted to kill his wife, Mary Jo. The whole scandal gave Zubaz-pants-and-sleeveless-shirts-wearing men everywhere hope they could land their own young thing.

I was hooked.

I swore it would just happen the one time. But then I found my butt glued to the couch, soaking in “Gospel of Deceit” starring that dark-haired chick from “Baywatch.” The basic plot line follows a preacher who tries to get his wife to cheat on him, then he tries to kill her. I won’t ruin the rest for you, but the end of the movie features a hil-ARIOUS showdown in the church.

My low point came when I found myself mesmerized by the acting talents of one Tori Spelling in “Mind Over Murder.” Yes, Tori as a D.A. with ESP. Apparently, getting smacked upside the head by a car gives you the ability to read people’s minds (that was only slightly less believable than Tori as a prosecutor). But oh, wouldn’t you know it, her “gift” almost gets her killed!

I tried to rationalize my addiction. A good portion of LMN movies are about women who, for some reason or another, want to harm their husbands. What new mom recovering from childbirth couldn’t relate to that? The movies are also mindless fluff – perfect viewing for the sleep-deprived brain.

Somehow, I managed to break the addiction. I think the defining moment came when I hit the info button on my remote and saw something called “Stranger With My Face” playing next on LMN. I couldn’t do it anymore – for the sake of my husband, for the sake of my son. I’m sorry, Tracey Gold, Yasmine Bleeth, Shannen Doherty, Scott Bakula. You’re just going to have to find someone else to watch your engrossing drivel.

Corey Wild has some interesting friends:  Poisonous snakes, huge spiders, man-eating tigers, flying lizards, gigantic crocodiles, basically all the animals you would never want to be near.  But Corey has been interacting and adventuring with these very animals all of his life and he has no qualms about picking any of them up and showing you just how unique and special they are.

He has traveled throughout the world in search of these animals, along the way visiting local villages and people and experiencing many cultures in ways not many get too.  Luckily he packs cameras along on his travels and now the adventures are available for your family’s enjoyment.  With plenty of information coupled with lots of animal action, these videos put Corey Wild right up there with the likes of Jack Hanna and Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin.

Corey previously introduced us to his friends the giant saltwater crocodile but now he will delve further into the continent of Australia and show other animals not found anywhere else on the Earth.  Australia’s trademark animals the kangaroo and dingo show up all over and Corey doesn’t hesitate to tell you everything about them as he interacts.  He shows us the deadly cassowary, the crazy emu, wrestles with a python and goes searching for spiders in the dead of night.  Corey really loves his native wildlife and he shows it in these amazing videos.  This is his latest video and it is his time to display what he loves about his country and he honestly wants you to see it all and love it just as much as he does.

To see even more adventures with Corey, check out his trek through Asia in ‘Corey’s Wild World’ – Volume 1 , Volume 2 , Volume 3 and Volume 5.  Watch him explore the jungles and villages in search of some of the world’s most venomous and aggressive snakes.  Creepy crawly fun for everyone in your family.

For more information please visit his website CoreyWild.com and for a chance to win a collection of his DVDs please stay tuned to KidGlue for our Corey Wild Give-Away.

“Finding Entertainment Appropriate for Kids,” or FEAK, runs every Friday and discusses places – mainly the movie theaters – where parents can look to find things for their kids to watch over the weekend. This weekend, there is one movie that towers above the rest….

For the most part, parents probably frown on buying their kids candy or soda at a movie. It’s expensive, it’s full of sugar and it gets them bouncing off the walls not only in the theater, but on the car ride home.

Well, you are probably going to have to make an exception for Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” for two simple reasons. First, you are almost assuredly going to see it. The fact that it’s Disney, the holidays and 3D animated with Jim Carrey seems to make it a can’t miss for the whole family. Second, though, is the unfortunate fact that the movie simply isn’t that engaging. It drags. And if your kids are pumped full of sugar, maybe they’ll pay more attention.

That’s not to say the movie is bad. It’s far from bad. I mean, it’s Robert Zemeckis – who did “Back to the Future,” “Forrest Gump” and “The Polar Express” – doing Charles Dickens’ most famous story, “A Christmas Carol.” The story and filmmaker are both iconic.

However, the film is way more about the visuals than the story. Instead of truly honing in on the moral lessons Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) learns when he’s visited by three ghosts, Zemeckis’ vision is more about the jaw-dropping animation. He is absolutely in love with his motion capture 3D and it looks beautiful. But he throws in totally pointless action scenes in favor of the poignant moments that are present in another Disney production of this story, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.”

Your kids will probably love that, though, IF they can get through the interesting, but too immaculate character set ups that start the film. That stuff is very drawn out – yet it has to be, because once the ghosts start popping up, the film moves at a breakneck speed and hardly lets up. That pace ultimately makes “A Christmas Carol” more akin to an action movie than a nice holiday drama.

And while he begins amping up the action, Zemeckis seems to attempt to stay close to Dickens’ original text. There are a lot of big words and eloquent sentences (and did I notice an anti-Catholic slam in there?) that will go over kids heads. Not that that matters as images whiz out of the screen in glorious 3D but, if they don’t already know the story of Scrooge, Cratchet, Tiny Tim and more – kids might be a little bit confused.

For parents, Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” is going to be a let down. It won’t transport you back to your childhood or make you super excited to put up the tree this year. Your kids, though, will find plenty to enjoy with the film and maybe that’s all that matters. One only wishes though that this film lived up to its superstar pedigree.

Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” opens in theaters, Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D today. For tickets, click here.

Marvel Comics has become a huge hit in the motion picture box office and is slowly but surely starting to release a number of animated features direct to DVD with their most popular characters.  Besides Wolverine and Spider-Man, the biggest of the big in the Marvel Universe is the super powered team The Avengers which features all of Earth’s most powerful heroes teaming up to fight anything that may be threatening our planet.

Marvel has already released two titles featuring this cool team and each of them is perfect for that superhero lover in your home.  Yes, they are rated PG-13 for the violence but like ‘Superman/Batman: Public Enemies,’ it is nothing they haven’t seen before.  This violence is what kids read comics for so you really can’t have a good comic feature without someone getting knocked through a wall, punched across two counties or explosions aplenty.  The PG-13 is warranted but if your kids know the characters or watch other superhero stories, these movies will be fine (and perfect) for them and your family.

‘Ultimate Avengers: The Movie‘ is Marvel’s first adventure with this team and they start it out beautifully by introducing America’s greatest hero: Captain America.  The film follows Cap from his sacrifice at the end of World War II to his “reincarnation” in modern time by Colonel Nick Fury and his government agency S.H.I.E.L.D.  He is thawed out just in time to stop the Chitauri, the same alien menace he sacrificed himself for decades previously.

The Chitauri have returned to take over Earth and Colonel Fury is assembling a team to stop them.  Captain America will lead them along with Fury’s top soldier, The Black Widow, and they will need to recruit other heroes to help.  Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Giant Man and even the Hulk are eventually brought into the mix and once they become a team they will be able to stop the invaders.

In the ‘Ultimate Avengers 2‘ the Chitauri have returned, in greater numbers and with a different plan.  They attack the secret civilization of Wakanda, a mysterious city cut off from the rest of the world deep in the heart of Africa.  They want to steal some powerful and ancient technology that keeps Wakanda safe and protected.  While the Wakandan leader, The Blank Panther, is initially able to hold off the invaders, he is soon forced to ask for outside help and that’s when The Avengers step in.  But without the Hulk (Bruce Banner is locked up for his previous actions) will the Avengers be able to hold of the powerful alien race a finally end the threat once and for all?  A great sequel that adds more to the characters and introduces cool new ones that everyone will love.

These movies are both available to buy at you local retailers and if you get the Blu-Ray version you get both movies on one disk.  If your universe has any superhero lovers flying around in it, these movies are for them.  I promise they will not be disappointed and neither will you when you get an entertaining and action packed movie.

As my son continues through kindergarten, it never ceases to amaze me how much more is expected out of kids academically these days.  He has many bilingual kids in his class who already have a leg up.  So I am always looking for ways to give my kids that advantage too.  I found a great tool at www.gogolingo.com.

GoGo Lingo is a website that “tricks” your kids into learning a new language.  You child gets a little pet to take care of called a lingo.  They play learning games to earn stars.  They can then use those star as currency to take care of their lingo by buying them things.  They also have to love and play with their lingo by doing activities that teach Spanish.  There is a whole lingo town to explore complete with a store, a library, a movie theater and more.  It is very inviting and easy to use for little ones.  I set my 3 year old up on it and had to tear him away from the computer an hour later.  And a little to my surprise, he had picked up the activities pretty well.

I was really impressed with how much they encourage parental involvement.  I received an email that detailed what my son had done online and how well he did at it.  There is also a parents link with progress information.  As well as a forum for questions and discussion and helpful links and data.   There are 2 levels of membership, free and premium.  The premium is $6 per month or $42 per year.  You can only enroll one child under the free membership.  And your customizations are pretty basic, but it still gets the job done.  The premium membership gives you 12 additional learning categories and many extra offline printable benefits.

My kids haven’t been using it long enough to tell how much Spanish they have learned.  But they are learning and having a great time doing it.  You can’t ask for much more than that!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***

With the fall winds rolling in, what perfect way to keep you little girl’s hair at bay than with adorable hair accessories from Bugalugbaby.com?

Bugalugbaby.com offers the cutest hair accessories you and your child will love- everything from no-slip barrettes, soother clips, pony loops to headbands in colorful designs.

The headbands are even adjustable up to adult sizes, so you can share!

Bugalug and Kidglue.com are giving away a $25 gift certificate for the winner to spend on any Bugalug products!

Here’s how to enter:

You get one entry for each of the above, so the more you enter, the more chances you have to win!

Note: Please use a valid e-mail address.  Open to US and Canadian residents only.  

The lucky winner will be chosen randomly. Giveaway ends Wednesday November 11, 2009. Winner will be reached by email, and announced on the blog 11/11/09.

Good luck!!

We’re crazy about Chipotle in our house.  Any restaurant that lets you custom make your meal is a godsend in a house full of non-meat eating, some dairy-eating, very independent minded females who want to do everything for themselves.  So what if two of those females are under five?  There is something for everyone at Chipotle, and their “Food With Integrity” approach of using sustainable, fresh, chemical and hormone free food is refreshing.  Still, you can build your meal as healthfully (or non-healthfully) as you wish.

Makes Me Sick: Steak Burrito with the Works

A steak burrito with beans, rice, veggies, cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole and a side of chips will set you back a staggering 1,965 calories and 87 grams of fat!  Even it your burrito has “integrity,” this is by no means a healthy choice.

Healthy Pick: Vegetarian Burrito Bol

A much healthier choice that stills allows a bit of indulgence is a Burrito Bol with beans, veggies, lettuce, salsa and guacamole.  At only 315 calories, even with that glop of guac, you won’t have to roll yourself home after a night out.

Corey Wild has some interesting friends:  Poisonous snakes, huge spiders, man-eating tigers, flying lizards, gigantic crocodiles, basically all the animals you would never want to be near.  But Corey has been interacting and adventuring with these very animals all of his life and he has no qualms about picking any of them up and showing you just how unique and special they are.

He has traveled throughout the world in search of these animals, along the way visiting local villages and people and experiencing many cultures in ways not many get too.  Luckily he packs cameras along on his travels and now the adventures are available for your family’s enjoyment.  With plenty of information coupled with lots of animal action, these videos put Corey Wild right up there with the likes of Jack Hanna and Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin.

Corey seems to be a snake-magnet as he ventures further into the Asian jungles of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand to find more of these creatures and plenty of others along the way.  Watch as he travels on the back of an elephant around the countries, through the villages and into the heart of jungles to find wildlife for you to learn more about.  He’ll encounter hissing, striking and even spitting cobras, tarantulas that he just allows to crawl all over him (flashbacks to “Arachnophobia”) and even a pack of rambunctious monkeys that get in his way.  Throughout the way he will interact with the animals and pass along great information that any animal lover will love.  Travel with him through the villages and get an up close glimpse into the culture and traditions of many Asian peoples.  He’ll even find his way into the deserts to search the dunes for elusive lizards that almost seem to glide across the sand as they try to escape.  All these creatures and more are this Volume 5 DVD for you and your little herd to love and watch over and over.

To see even more adventures with Corey, check out his trek through Thailand in ‘Corey’s Wild World – Volume 1 , Volume 2 and Volume 3.  Watch him explore the jungles and villages in search of some of the world’s most venomous and aggressive snakes.  Creepy crawly fun for everyone.  Or you can watch him wrestle and tangle with giant saltwater crocodiles in Australia on his Volume 4 DVD.

For more information please visit his website CoreyWild.com and for a chance to win a collection of his DVDs please stay tuned to KidGlue for our Corey Wild Give-Away.

While 2009 still has plenty of family movies out in theaters and scheduled for released, the movie studios are already gearing up for 2010. One of the first major family movies out next year is “How to Train Your Dragon,” from DreamWorks, who also did “Shrek” and “Kung Fu Panda,” out in March.

The trailer, just out today, is above thanks to Yahoo Movies. It features the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, and Craig Ferguson in a story of a young man who discoverers that Dragons are not as evil as everyone in his town thinks.

Personally, the movie doesn’t look very exciting. Does this look like something your kids will want to see? Do they respond at all to the trailer?

A few weeks ago, I was elated that the Disney Channel had designated Sunday nights as “Family Movie Night,” kicking off the tradition with “Handy Manny’s Motorcycle Adventure.”  I suggested that Disney keep up the tradition by continuing to show quality shows/movies that could capture the interest of every family member, much like the “Magical World of Disney” did while I was growing up, showing movies such as The Love Bug and The Shaggy Dog.

So I was extremely excited when I saw that the Disney Channel would be showing another hour long episode of one of their shows: “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’s Choo Choo Express.”  We grabbed our bowl of kettle corn and settled into enjoy the show.

Unfortunately, the show only managed to keep my girls’ interests for about fifteen minutes.  For me, it was about half that.  The first problem was the plot, which had Mickey and the gang constructing the train so they could go retrieve snow from Mistletoe Mountain.  Along the way they even met up with Santa and Mrs. Claus.  Hello, Disney?!  We haven’t even had Halloween yet!   Do you think you could wait until, I don’t know, maybe November before you get my kids hyped up for Christmas?

The bigger problem, though, was that there was really nothing in it to capture an adult, or even an older toddler’s attention.  I’m not saying every movie has to be like Shrek, wherein the plot is for the kids with a random joke or pop culture reference thrown in for the grown ups.  But counting, picking out shapes and naming colors isn’t really something my four year old and I get jazzed over.  We’ve been there, done that.  When we sit down to watch a show together as a family, we want to be entertained.

I’m optimistic that maybe when the next Disney “Family Movie Night” comes around they’ll show something friendly to the WHOLE family, and not just trying to stimulate their Christmas sales.

“Finding Entertainment Appropriate for Kids,” or FEAK, runs every Friday and discusses places – mainly the movie theaters – where parents can look to find things for their kids to watch over the weekend.

We’re back to a regular format this week after two FEAK columns were specific to family oriented movies: “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Astro Boy.”

This weekend chances are you are going to be totally Halloween preoccupied. And that makes sense. Who doesn’t love dressing up, getting crazy and eating candy? If you want to stay in that scary mood, we did an article on Halloween movies that you can watch with the whole family.

But let’s say it’s Sunday and you want to go to the movies or check out a DVD to unwind with the kids. Well, that’s where FEAK comes in.

The two movies mentioned above, “Wild Things” and “Astro Boy” are still in theaters so you can check those out for sure. That’s about it in the theaters though. In fact, the only major release this Halloween weekend is the Michael Jackson documentary “This Is It.” While at first glance this might not seem like a film that’s appropriate for kids, this concert documentary is in fact rated PG for “some suggestive choreography and scary images.” So if your kids like music, dancing, or if YOU just want to see it, the film is definitely something you can take the kids too – as long as you are comfortable explaining the unique circumstances around the film.

Two huge family movies also came out on DVD this week. First is “Ice Age: Age of the Dinosaurs,” the latest in the super successful “Ice Age” series. It once again follows Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) as they try and survive that wild ice age. This time, though, Sid steals some dinosaur eggs and when the mother comes after them, our heroes are faced with a “Jurassic Park” type situation. If your kids liked the first two, there’s no way they aren’t going to like the sequel.

Finally, Disney also has a brand new movie out this week. “Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.” In this direct to DVD movie, Tinker Bell is tasked with the responsibility to build a new scepter by her Queen, but when she asks a friend to do it for her, it gets all messed up and sends Tink out on an adventure that will teach her a multitude of important lessons. It features the voices of Kristin Chenoweth, Anjelica Huston, Jesse McCartney, Raven-Symone and others. Online reviews of the film seem to be positive so definitely seek it out.

And that’s about it. Next week we’ll we’ll highlight Disney’s “A Christmas Carol.” But if you read the KidGlue Twitter page, you might already have an idea what we are going to say about it.

If you’re not in the mood for a full length movie, check out these Top 10 Halloween TV Specials

For Kids – PG

Casper

One of the few cartoon to live action adaptations that was actually worthwhile and a good film.  This 1995 film tells the story of Casper the friendly ghost and how he tries to become friends with a living family and help them solve the mysteries of a huge mansion. Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman star as Kat Harvey and Dr. James Harvey who move into the mansion because Dr. Harvey specializes in ghosts and hopes to rid the mansion of any.  But Casper’s three uncles have other plans for their mansion and will spook who ever tries to step in.  A heartwarming tale of accepting people (or ghosts) for who they are, while providing laughs and haunts for the entire family.

Ghostbusters

This “horror” classic is one of the funniest movies ever made and if you or anyone in your family has not seen this then make them watch this movie.  Featuring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson as some eccentric scientists who find a way to capture ghosts and become New York City’s ghost exterminators.  Also staring Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis who complete the great cast of characters along with the featured ghouls and ghosts.  Even though it is rated PG I would keep the younger kids away, it did scare me as a kid and I couldn’t watch it until 10 or 11.  Keep an eye out for the third Ghostbusters movie currently in production.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

This 1949 Disney movie is a great Halloween film, not so much for the Mr. Toad adventure but for the fantastic telling of the classic tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”  The story is not watered down and cheery, it is actually pretty dark and true to the story, right down to the frogs croaking “Ichabod.”  The Headless Horseman is truly menacing and the suspense his presence creates can be felt even in the cartoon.  It won’t scare the kids but it will definitely show that it was a dark and spooky tale worthy of  Halloween.

For Teens – PG-13

Beetlejuice

This Tim Burton movie from 1988 stars Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, a crude and crass undead ghoul who is looking for a way into the real world and finds a way through an unsuspecting family and a ghostly couple all trying to live in the same house.  If you like the design and look of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” then you’ll be happy to know that entire look all started with this movie.  Some vulgar language and humor but otherwise a harmless fun movie that will keep everyone laughing but still in the Halloween spooky spirit.

The Addams Family

Fantastic performances by everyone involved including the late Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci make this feature film of the old television series a good watch for anyone.  Language and themes may keep the younger kids out of the room but for the most part this movie is safe for the whole family.  Discover all creepy, spooky and the all together ooky mysteries of the Addams’ house and how they are still just a family that needs each other to be happy.  Another plus is getting to hear MC Hammer’s rap about the Addams at the end.

The Sixth Sense

The film that made us think M. Night Shyamalan could actually make decent movies because it was the only good one he did.  This film stars Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, this suspense filled, supernatural horror story uses tension and off camera techniques to make you hold your breath and wait for what’s next.  The spirits that haunt this troubled child and the psychiatrist who tries to make sense of it all, help build up to a shocking ending that everyone should see before it gets ruined by hearing about it from someone.  The classic movie line “I see dead people.” is from this film too.

For Adults – R

Frailty

A movie that mostly went unnoticed while in theaters in 2001 but it is directed by Bill Paxton who stars along with Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe in this creepy and suspenseful film.  What would you do if you seemingly normal father burst into your room in the middle of the night and proclaimed that your family has been empowered by God to kill demons?  Well young Fenton Meiks finds himself in that exact situation and worse when his father starts bringing home “demons” and cleansing the world.  Very eerie with its use of music and off screen violence but it tends to move a little slow and makes you think.  Highly worthwhile just for the ending and may make you think twice about shaking hands in the future.

Dawn of the Dead

(2004)

A remake of George A. Romero’s classic zombie movie but with modern special effects and a different director with a knack for gore.  Zack Snyder (director of  “300″) tells the story of what happens when the dead start to rise and begin eating all living things on the planet.  The gore is nonstop but once you get used to it, the story and characters begin to show their true faces and you get to see what happens to society when all Hell really does break loose.  Great characters you really start to care for (and hate) along with some really cool zombie deaths and violence.  Good for scares and jumps from unsuspecting watchers.

Interview With the Vampire

Vampires are so popular these days so this should be easy to find in stores now.  This star filled film tells the story of the vampire Louis (Brad Pitt), from his creation at the hands of Lestat (Tom Cruise) to his time with the young vampiress Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) and Armand (Antonio Banderas) as told by Louis to an interviewer (Christian Slater) in the present.  A century spanning tale filled with many macabre scenes, gore and a different perspective of the vampire world that you will want to watch again later.  Watch just to see all those actors drink some blood.

Corey Wild has some interesting friends:  Poisonous snakes, huge spiders, man-eating tigers, flying lizards, gigantic crocodiles, basically all the animals you would never want to be near.  But Corey has been interacting and adventuring with these very animals all of his life and he has no qualms about picking any of them up and showing you just how unique and special they are.

He has traveled throughout the world in search of these animals, along the way visiting local villages and people and experiencing many cultures in ways not many get too.  Luckily he packs cameras along on his travels and now the adventures are available for your family’s enjoyment.  With plenty of information coupled with lots of animal action, these videos put Corey Wild right up there with the likes of Jack Hanna and Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin.

This time Corey adventures to his homeland of Australia to show off all of the exotic and dangerous creatures that the continent holds.  Mostly it’s an excuse for him to interact with the world’s most dangerous reptile, the estuarine saltwater crocodile.  This ferocious and powerful animal gives a true glimpse at what a dinosaur might look like if they were still around.  See its powerful jaws in action as it performs death rolls when Corey induces it to attack mode and watch as it rips apart a dummy used as an example.  Corey will also show you a crocodile in each stage of life from egg to adult and he isn’t just showing, he’s interacting and demonstrating at the same time.  This DVD is pretty much dedicated to these crocs so for any crocodile lovers out there, this is a DVD that just can’t be missed.  Educational, fun and a great video for any animal lovers in your pack.

To see more adventures with Corey, check out his trek through Thailand in ‘Corey’s Wild World – Volume 1 , Volume 2 and Volume 3.  Watch him explore the jungles and villages in search of some of the world’s most venomous and aggressive snakes.  Creepy crawly fun for everyone.

For more information please visit his website CoreyWild.com and for a chance to win a collection of his DVDs please stay tuned to KidGlue for our Corey Wild Give-Away.