TV as babysitting; Turtly Necessary

I'm going to come straight out and say it; we're in Wk 4 of The Summer Break and I'm not Superwoman. So I have, on occasion, resorted to tv as babysitting over the last couple of weeks to let me get a few things done (like write the odd blog post, for example).

That's why I was delighted to be sent a copy of 'The Turtle's Tale' to review with The Boys on this blog. Here's some of what the blurb says about it;

'A TURTLE’S TALE: SAMMY’S ADVENTURES 3D is an epic global adventure story, an animated family feature made spectacularly real by the latest in 3D technology. A young sea-turtle’s romantic quest for his first, lost love, a fellow hatch-ling, born on the same Californian beach, takes him on a marathon voyage across the seven seas, to the furthest corners of the earth.'

We watched it together, and the Boys loved it. So much, in fact, they've watched it twice since and would have done so more but for the strict embargo we have in place on watching more ANY film more than once a week (it was the excessive Star Wars viewing that forced the introduction of this rule, your Honour).

In brief then, it's great entertainment for the children for an afternoon, it's heart is in the right place, there are plenty of positive messages about the Environment and taking care of it throughout, fun characters, good role models, and The Boys - given the re-enactment currently taking place in the living room - rate it highly, so I'm more than happy to recommend it to you as suitable holiday entertainment...

A TURTLE’S TALE: SAMMY’S ADVENTURES 3D will be released in 3D on DVD and Blu-ray by Optimum, on 18th July 2011

This was a sponsored post.

Scooby Dooby Doooo... What the hell were you on about?

Were you a Scooby Doo fan as a child? I have to come clean and say that I wasn't, particularly. Scooby and Shaggy just seemed clueless, Velma reminded me a bit too much of myself, and as for Fred and Daphne's sickly relationship, well, that one went right over my head. (Although even then I knew that purple outfits and red hair were not an automatic match...).

The Boys, however, are not concerned with any of that boring back-story or plot stuff. All they're interested in are the chases, the jokes, and the fact that Shaggy and Scoob always get their man in then end. This is why, when I was offered the chance for them to review the latest DVD - 'Scooby Doo - Abracadabra-Doo' - I said yes.

Normally, when we get a review copy of something in this house, I make sure to sit and watch it with the Boys (the first time, anyway). As a result, I have sat through both 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' (more times than I care to admit as the mother of boys) AND 'High School Musical 3'for my sins, so I figured that even though Scooby Doo is from a different film house (Warner Bros instead of Disney), I have more than paid my dues. God forgive me, I let the Boys watch this one in another room whilst I did important internet 'stuff' (aka; reading other people's blogs when I should have been catching up on correspondance etc) next door.

This is long-winded way of admitting that I can't tell you much about this epic movie, other than that the Boys LOVED it. And in case you never cracked on to the basic Scooby Doo plot line of 'Gang happen across weird mystery. Gang investigate. Gang discover and unmask the monster / ghost who is in fact a disgruntled employee of the person who owns the haunted house', here is Boy #1's summary of Scooby Doo - Abracadabra Doo. Make of it what you will...

"There was a big bird, a lion bird. Someone controlled it - it was a big giant puppet. Then everyone came and everyone ran, and they catched a little girl that was Velma's sister, and then at the end they did a big show. Then Daphne came up and Velma's sister arrested her to make her do magic and make her a lion, and then she appeared next to Fred, like magic.

"No wait, the lion/eagle caught the little girl that was Velma's sister. Then - this is so funny - Shaggy came with Scooby, and guess what Shaggy was,? A knight! With... and then, and then, and then, I don't remember."

And would you like to see it again some time?

"Yes!

I'm bored. What do we do now?"

Note - this was last Saturday. Since then they've watched it again - twice. I think, Mr Warner Bros, that this one does the job...