A Mexican baseball team tries to make history in this heartwarming film. Those who have seen it agree that The Perfect Game is a homerun.
Based on the true story of the 1957 Monterrey Industrials Little League Baseball team, The Perfect Game is an inspiring tale about faith and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds.
Living in the poverty of Monterrey, Mexico in 1957, a group of boys discovers the joy of sandlot baseball under the guidance of their coach, Cesar, an aspiring Major League coach who faces discrimination at every turn. Even though they don’t have a lot of money or high-tech equipment, they have a dream to play in the Little League World Series.
Relying on faith, a kind priest (Cheech Marin) and a love of the game, the team starts an incredible winning streak that leads them across the border to Texas and all the way to Williamsport, PA where they have the chance to become the first foreign team to ever win the Little League World Series. Against all odds, can this team make history?
This is a touching sports movie about a time where the world was a very different place to live. Clifton Collins Jr. is great as the troubled coach, and Cheech Marin adds some laughs. The young cast impresses as well, especially Moises Arias (from the show Hannah Montana) and Jake T. Austin (Wizards of Waverly Place). If you like baseball, history, or both, you’ll really like this movie.
Rated PG with a runtime of 118 minutes. Visit the official site of The Perfect Game.
Not all aliens are scary looking big-headed, beady,
black-eyed creatures who've come to Earth to take over the world. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is the
story of an alien who accidentally gets left behind when his spacecraft visits Earth.
E.T. was
originally released in 1982 but aside from a few bad '80s hairdos, clothes, and
old-school toys, you can't really
tell the film is 20 years old. This timeless story of a young boy who befriends
an alien takes you on a wild adventure, makes you laugh and might even make you
cry. Elliot, the young boy played by Henry Thomas,
finds a special connection with E.T. which helps fill the void since his dad
left. Despite the friendship that's grown between the pair, E.T. must return to
his home in outer space.
For the 20th anniversary release of
E.T., director Steven Spielberg did some movie-magic touch-ups and upped the
special effects on E.T.'s facial expressions, E.T.'s spaceship, and the famous
flying bike scene.
E.T. The
Extra-Terrestrial definitely gets two alien thumbs-up.
It's fun, adventurous, heartwarming, and humorous. What else could you want in a
flick? Oh... before you hit your movie seat you'll definitely want to have a
box of Reese's Pieces on your
lap! You'll understand why before you can say, "E.T. phone... home!"
Rated PG with a runtime of 120 minutes. Read more about E.T.
The Extra-Terrestrial at IMDB and be sure to visit E.T.’s official site.
In this animated film appropriately titled “Space Chimps” two NASA chimps are sent to a galaxy far, far away. One chimp has "The Right Stuff," and the other, a good natured goofball, has "The Wrong Stuff." The simian slacker becomes a reluctant hero and learns the true meaning of courage as he and his crewmates, the fearless Lt. Luna and their uptight commander, Titan, risk everything in an effort to save the peaceful inhabitants of a distant planet from the evil dictator Zartog.
The New York Times has this to say about “Space Chimps”: ‘If "Wall-E" pushes the boundaries of what can be done in an animated movie, Space Chimps proves that the old formula is still pretty effective when executed well.’
In other words, this movie offers some good-natured, fun animation, but it is nothing new and not done nearly as well as Pixar’s masterpieces such as “Wall-E” and “Ratatouille”. But if you like space and love monkeys, then you can’t go wrong here.
Rated G with a runtime of 81 minutes. To read more about “Space Chimps” and read what movie critics have to say about the film, visit Rotten Tomatoes. Check out its trailer below.
This heroic coming-of-age story follows the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king of the jungle. As a carefree cub, he is both excited and anxious to become king, and spends his days frolicking with his pal, Nala. His father, King Mufasa, the revered ruler of Pride Rock and the lands that surround it, teaches him about the "Circle of Life"--the delicate balance of nature which bonds all animals together, and prepares him for the day when he will be called upon to lead. However, Mufasa's evil brother, Scar, hopes that day will never arrive and schemes to do away with the king and Simba so that he can assume the throne for his own tyrannical purposes.
After Scar convinces Simba that he is responsible for the death of his father in a wildebeest stampede, he flees into exile where he befriends wacky but warmhearted characters like the warthog named Pumbaa and the meerkat name Timon. Under the guidance of this odd couple, Simba adopts their "Hakuna Matata" (no worries) attitude towards life--taking things one day at a time. The cub matures into a young adult and is able to forget his past until a beautiful young lioness--who turns out to be his childhood friend Nala--arrives on the scene. She tells him of the hard times and suffering that have come to the Pride Lands under Scar's reign, and begs him to take his place as king. With the help of Rafiki, a wise shaman baboon, Simba realizes that his father's spirit lives on in him and that he must accept the responsibility of his destined role.
The Lion King is truly one of the best Disney films ever made. This movie has it all – it’s funny, emotional, has family drama, and above all, great animation, memorable characters, and outstanding songs!
The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a graphic novel told without words. It is simply a beautifully illustrated novel whose wordless narrative gives readers an insider’s view of what the immigrant experience is like. The story follows one central character as he leaves his wife and young daughter to make the long and arduous journey to a world that is completely unfamiliar in attempts to create a better life for his family. Courageous and brave doesn’t even begin to describe the sacrifice that it takes to leave your family behind and to rebuild your life someplace new.
He struggles to find a job, a place to stay and a sense of meaning in his new existence. Along the way he befriends other, more established immigrants. He listens to their stories and benefits from their kindnesses. The young father reunites with his family as “The Arrival” draws to a close, and the distant land finally becomes home.
This graphic novel may lack words but it speaks a universal language in conveying the confusion, the frustration and the sense of displacement of living in a new country. The illustrations serve as an artistic representation of the strangeness that an immigrant encounters no matter where he moves: there are barriers of language, food, and finding work; there is loneliness, isolation, and longing for loved ones. But at every turn, there are those who will help; those who have their own stories of leaving, abandonment, and exile.
I highly recommend checking out The Arrival at your local library or bookstore. Examining the human emotion so brilliantly portrayed by Shaun Tan will deepen your thinking about immigration and help you understand how central the immigrant experience is to the way America defines itself.
A Mexican baseball team tries to make history in this heartwarming film. Those who have seen it agree that The Perfect Game is a homerun. 
In this animated film appropriately titled “Space Chimps” two NASA chimps are sent to a galaxy far, far away. One chimp has "The Right Stuff," and the other, a good natured goofball, has "The Wrong Stuff." The simian slacker becomes a reluctant hero and learns the true meaning of courage as he and his crewmates, the fearless Lt. Luna and their uptight commander, Titan, risk everything in an effort to save the peaceful inhabitants of a distant planet from the evil dictator Zartog.
