Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Though each individual episode of the hit Disney Channel TV show "Wizards of Waverly Place" is fun and quirky in its own right, all the material (acting, plot, witty one-liners) seems to fly by so fast that the viewer isn't left with much real emotion. It's almost as if the show gets so caught up in the formula (Alex does bad but prevails, Justin does good but never gets rewarded, etc.) that it doesn't take enough time to slow down and really examine the relationships between any of the characters. Luckily, the "Wizards of Waverly Place" movie solves that problem.
For a basic plot summary, the magical Russo family begins the film with Mom and Dad dragging the kids off on a vacation to recreate their honeymoon. The usual eye-rolling and complaints begin, but Alex (played by the always-entertaining Selena Gomez) takes things one step too far by metaphorically wishing (while holding the family's magic wand) that her parents had never even met, thus they wouldn't be on this "stupid vacation" in the first place. Of course, thanks to the wand, that wish is granted, and suddenly the Russo siblings are no longer part of a family, as Mom and Dad don't even recognize each other. The rest of the film, then, centers on the kids' quest to find the "Stone of Dreams", a magical, enchanted item that can grant any wish or reverse any spell.
With the expanded feature-length runtime, the plot and character development of the film are able to be realized much more deeply than in any previous episode. We get to learn more about both parents and why they are like they are, as well as how the Russo children (namely Justin and Alex) view each other and what can be done to better those relations. In a touching scene that just might make you start to see through some mist, both Alex and Justin come to terms with each other involving the sometimes-bitter sibling rivalry that has existed between them from the very beginning. This plot line is also a great message for younger children, promoting the values of family and working together.
As usual, the acting is also spot-on. Dad (David DeLuise) and Mom (Maria Canals-Barrera) are at their over-the-top best, while Alex (Gomez) and Justin (David Henrie) are constantly involved in a brilliant give-and-take that will have you both laughing and misting over at different occasions. Even youngest brother Max (Jake T. Austin) hits all the right buttons as the somewhat dumb-founded, yet very innocent bringer of the more physical comic relief.
So, considering this film's ability to delve deeper into the relationships between each character, I consider it to be a rousing success and look forward to great things from the show going forward. Plus, the climax of the final results in the long-awaited "Wizard Challenge", which will determine the Russo child who will come away with the magical powers into adulthood and thus set the stage for Season Three on the Disney Channel.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009)

The most magical event of the year is now even bigger, with more thrilling adventure! Wizards Of Waverly Place The Movie Extended Edition features exclusive footage, behind-the-scenes bonus and awesome extras that take you deeper into the mysterious world of wizardry!

Embark on a supernaturally exciting adventure as the Russos, your favorite family of wizards-in-training, join together on a quest full of heart-stopping action and hilarious magical mishaps! While on vacation, Alex (Selena Gomez) accidentally casts a spell that threatens her family\'s existence! Max (Jake T. Austin) tries to keep his parents together while Alex and Justin (David Henrie) use every trick they know as they search for the "Stone of Dreams" to reverse the spell and save their family. You won\'t want to miss one extraordinary moment of this extended, magic-filled and action-packed movie!

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009)

The Color of Magic (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the second attempt to make a movie out of a Terry Pratchett novel and it succeeds rather well. In this case, the movie is based on the first two novels in the 'Discworld' series, 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic'.
Rincewind (David Jason), an inept wizard, is expelled from Unseen University. On a dare, he snuck a look at the Octavo, the book used to create the world, and one of the eight great spells lodged in his head.
At the same time, Twoflower (Sean Astin) arrives in Ankh-Morpork to "look at it". He's the Discworld's first tourist and he travels with the Luggage, a box made of sapient pearwood that moves about on hundreds of little legs and will follow it's owner everywhere.
After conning Twoflower, Rincewind is dragged to the Patrician's palace and ordered by Lord Vetinari (Jeremy Irons) to guide Twoflower safely through the city.
Twoflower, introducing the concept of fire insurance to Ankh-Morpork, inadvertently causes the entire city to burn down and he and Rincewind escape and Rincewind is plunged into several life threatening situations which he survives by sheer luck.
The good parts of this movie are Jeremy Irons as the Patrician and Tim Curry as Ymper Trymon, second in command of one of the eight orders of wizardry at the university. Both play their roles with relish and Curry's performance is as good, if not better, than that of Cardinal Richelieu in 'The 3 Musketeers'.
The bad parts? Well, a lot of the good scenes in both novels are left out. There is no travelling shop, no Hrun the Barbarian, no flying rock and no Tethis the sea troll. There is also no gingerbread cottage or broomstick flying.
Also, they unfortunately chose a white actor to portray Twoflower, when it's made clear in both 'The Colour of Magic' and 'Interesting Times' that Twoflower is Chinese. A real shame, but Sean Astin does a fantastic job at portraying Twoflower's attitude of looking at the world through rose coloured glasses.
And they got Cohen the Barbarian's (David Bradley) teeth wrong.
Although this movie takes a while to get going, it does get funnier as it goes along and there are some great one-liners. "I am having a near Rincewind experience."
Christopher Lee reprises the voice of Death, as he did in the animated versions of 'Soul Music' and 'Wyrd Sisters' and he has some of the best parts in the movie.
Aside from the little annoyances, the movie is quite good, the actors are superb, it's got all the wittiness you'd expect from Pratchett, and I loved it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Color of Magic (2008)

Inside a magical realm known as Discworld, a naive tourist is on holiday until a terrible fire breaks out, forcing him to flee along with an incompetent wizard.As the clueless pair set out on a magical journey across the disc, neither realizes that they are merely pawns in an elaborate board game being played by the Gods. After encountering a pair of barbarians, they take a trip to an inverted mountain housing dragons that only exist in imagination, survive a fall off the edge of the disc and attempt to beat the wizard\'s former classmate to a collection of spells that could save Discworld from total destruction.

Click here for more information about The Color of Magic (2008)