Merry Christmas Eve!

Enjoy Christmas Eve with your loved ones! We always enjoy these movies on Christmas:

Muppet Family Christmas

Muppet Christmas Carol

John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together

A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

Mickey's Christmas Carol

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

Gift Idea: Ravager Groot

Entertainment Earth has an exclusive version of POP! Funko Dancing Groot! His pot has the Ravager insignia on it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Ravagers Groot Pop! Vinyl Exclusive

:

• Exclusive Pop! Vinyl bobble head features baby Groot!
• Dancing his way out of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
• This exclusive version features a red pot with the Ravagers logo!
• Groot will rock out on your desk or dashboard while you listen to your Awesome Mix.

Entertainment Earth Exclusive! Rocking his way out of the blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy movie, this Guardians of the Galaxy Ravagers Logo Dancing Groot Pop! Vinyl Bobble Head Figure - Entertainment Earth Exclusive is here to save your world… or at least your collection. Cute as he can be, baby Groot boasts a spring and classic bobble head action so he can "dance" away on your desk or car's dashboard while you listen to your Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix. Plus, this Entertainment Earth Exclusive version presents the lovable Flora Colossus in a red pot featuring the Ravagers logo you'll recognize from the film! The Guardians of the Galaxy Ravagers Logo Dancing Groot Pop! Vinyl Bobble Head Figure is an essential addition to any Guardians fan's collection, and it's available only at Entertainment Earth! Ages 14 and up.

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=FU5199R#.VJD-WSj4-PE

For the Groot lover in your life, or the horticulturist, don't forget these other POP! Funko vinyl figures!

And don't forget to top of the Christmas tree with a certain raccoon!

Happy Holidays!

Marvelous Casting

Benedict Cumberbatch has been announced as Stephen Strange, or Doctor Strange, the sorcerer
supreme!

Here's what Marvel said:
“Stephen Strange’s story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity,” said Producer Kevin Feige. “In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character.”

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/news/movies/23754/benedict_cumberbatch_to_play_doctor_strange#ixzz3KzGtHbZD

On top of that, Ryan Reynolds will be Deadpool, the merc with a mouth. The image above was posted to his twitter account.

Tim Miller is directing the superhero film from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Lauren Shuler Donner is  producing.

Disney Trailer Round Up

We've seen a lot of new trailers recently from Disney, now you can watch them all right here!

Cinderella

March 13, 2015

Another of the live-action retellings of Disney animated stories. This time, Cate Blanchett plays Lady Tremaine and Helena Bonham Carter is the fairy godmother. Looks fun.

Inside Out

June 19, 2015

Go inside a young girl's mind and meet her emotions. The visuals seem really cool and the characterizations of emotions seems pretty funny.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

December 18, 2015

What more can I say about this trailer than this - Millennium Falcon. Desert landscape and clunky looking machines. A new lightsaber. Let's see what you got J.J. 

Review: Doctor Who Season Finale

Doctor Who

Dark Water & Death in Heaven

I decided to do the finale of Doctor Who: Season 8 together, as they were best experienced back to back.

Dark Water, the first of the two episodes, finds the Doctor and Clara embroiled in a rather strange scheme that involves the dead, some rather interesting water, and Missy. Danny Pink, a character who seemed a little directionless in the season (besides being a soldier, which foreshadowed events in the finale) is killed off immediately in this episode catalyzing the events that follow. Danny's death leads to Clara acting out towards the Doctor in an attempt get him to change time and bring back Danny. The Doctor agrees, in a wonderful exchange about friendship. 

The Tardis locates where Clara and Danny's timelines were most likely to cross paths again - a building filled with underwater skeletons. Missy is there waiting for them and introduces herself as an android with a heart. We also get to meet the incredibly good looking Dr. Cheng. Here we learn more about the Nethersphere (where Danny Pink is currently learning about the afterlife). We also learn that Missy is up to no good with a plot to harness the dead to create an army.

The skeletons in the water, Dark Water to be exact, a water that Dr. Cheng says is x-ray water, allowing only organic matter to be seen hiding the exoskeletons that are keeping the skeletons upright, begin to come alive. As the water falls, it reveals the Cybermen! The return of a great foe! Who are working with none other than Missy, who also happens to be the Master! The return of another great foe!

Death in Heaven, the second episode, reveals what Missy's plan is and introduces UNIT back into the series. Missy, also known as the Master (who is wonderfully regenerated into a woman!) is planning on taking the dead of Earth and making them into a controllable army of Cybermen, including P.E. (that's Danny Pink)! This army will be raised by a cloud that rains cyber pollen on the Earth's graveyards, creating a storm of mechanical madness.

The Doctor, in the meantime, has been taken by UNIT to be the President of Earth. Clara stalls for time and is saved by the Danny Pink Cyberman. Missy is held captive and an Eleventh Doctor reference is made (bow ties are cool!). Some deaths occur and a reference to a long lost character is made to delight of fans.

In the end, things work out quite nicely. There is a wonderful monologue by the Doctor that harkens back to a question that has plagued the Doctor throughout this season, "Am I a good man?"

The answer to that question is yes. Yes, the Doctor is a good man, but he is so much more than that! 

Final Thoughts:

This was a good season finale that brought back some old enemies that deserved a revisit. It was especially wonderful to see the Master regenerated as a woman who just wanted her childhood friend back. Logic aside, it was a fun plan with two unlikely allies, the Cybermen and the Master. It also brought up some interesting ideas about the afterlife that left one wondering. 

Big Hooray for Big Hero 6!

Big Hero 6 is a triumph! The new wave of Disney movies proved that Disney can tell a heart-warming story no matter the medium. Action-packed, often hilarious, fast paced, full of heart, and never losing site of the overall message, Big Hero 6 delivers on all levels.

Set in the city of San Fransokyo, Hiro is a boy genius who uses his intelligence to enter bot fights. His older brother, Tadashi, encourages him to enroll into college to use his intelligence for good rather than making money at winning bot fights. Eventually, Hiro enters the colleges science fair and shows off his nanobots: tiny robots that can create anything Hiro imagines. Hiro is then accepted into the college by Prof. Callaghan, who gives him the choice of entering into the college or selling his design to Callaghan's rival, a shrewd tech guru who seeks profit rather than knowledge. After celebrating Hiro's acceptance,the building burns to the ground, where Tadashi goes back in to save Callaghan. Both perish in the fire. I'll let you see the rest of the movie so you can be as surprised as I was.

The story begins here, with the death of Hiro's brother (Hiro and Tadashi are also being raised by their aunt after both their parents death). Introduce Baymax, the lovable, squeezable, primary healthcare giver and Hiro's only link to his dead brother. What begins as an unlikely friendship soon blossoms into something truly special. This is the main focus of the movie, healing and dealing with loss. Not just physically but emotionally. Baymax never lets us forget that with every upgrade Hiro makes, he is deviating from is primary function: a care giver.

I haven't laughed this hard in a movie in a long time. Baymax, with his overly-friendly and marshmallow design offers so many laughs. There is a scene about 10 minutes long that I simply did not stop laughing. Not a chuckle or a snicker, but a good laugh out loud moment. The dynamic between Hiro and Baymax remains fresh throughout the movie and both are dynamic characters.

There are also very heart warming and sad moments. From the death of Hiro's brother to Hiro's need to avenge his brothers death. One particularly horrifying moment is when Hiro changes Baymax's program card from Tadashi's original healthcare one to his karate and defense card. You can feel Hiro's anger, but also your angry for knowing that is not what Tadashi ever wanted Baymax to be capable off.

The supporting cast is sound and doesn't detract from the movie. GoGo, Honey Lemon, Fred, and Wasabi round out the Big Hero 6 team nicely and, as their names suggests, add a lot of unique and appetizing flavors to the mix. There are wonderfully choreographed fight scenes with all the characters and the action and pacing is relentless. Never did I feel I had to wait for something to happen. Constantly things were being propelled forward and pacing was never an issue. If anything, it was too short and I wanted to see more.

The look and feel is phenomenal. Sanfransokyo is fully realized, with a wonderful colorful pallet both at night and during the day. Neon shines bright, the sun set is awesome, and all in contrast with the darkness of the city streets and buildings.

Overall, Big Hero 6 has a Big Hero Heart and Big Hero Action. It is the perfect balance of action, sci-fi, heart, and laughs that anyone of any age could enjoy. I will be going back again to catch all the action and look for easter eggs!

P.S. Stitch is in the movie, look hard! Oh, and an after end credits scene as well.

Profiles: Baymax

First Appearance: Disney's Big Hero 6

Baymax cares. That's what he was designed to do. The plus-sized inflatable robot's job title is technically healthcare companion: with a simple scan, Baymax can detect vital stats, and, given a patient's level of pain, can treat nearly any ailment.

Conceived and built by Tadashi Hamada, Baymax just might revolutionize the healthcare industry. But to the inventor's kid brother Hiro, the nurturing, guileless but turns out to be more than what he was built for-he's a hero, and quite possibly Hiro's closest friend. And after some deft programming that includes rocket fist, super strength. and rocket thrusters that allow him to fly, Baymax becomes one of the "Big Hero 6."

Note: Based loosely on Marvel's "Big Hero 6," Baymax is a robotic synthformer created by the young genius Hiro Takachiho when Hiro lost his father. Baymax was seemingly built to be just a bodyguard but soon helped fill the void left by his father's death, certainly helped by the fact that Hiro installed many of his father's memories and emotions into Baymax's core programming. When Hiro was drafted into the Japanese hero group, Big Hero 6, Baymax came along for the ride.

Disney Originals out today!

Today marks the release of the Disney Infinity 2.0 Disney Original characters. I'll be picking up all of mine after work today so look for another update later today. Hopefully I get some really awesome power discs! Below are all the characters being released today!

Happy 60th Birthday Godzilla!

The biggest star in the world turns 60 today! The image above honors Godzilla in all his forms and as you can see he's probably had more face lifts than Joan Rivers. 

Review: Doctor Who - In the Forest of the Night

Doctor Who

In the Forest of the Night

This episode of Doctor Who finds Clara, the Doctor, Danny, and some school children facing a home invasion! But this home invasion is of the Earth and not by sinister aliens, but by nature itself.

This episode didn't really do too much for me or move the characters forward too much. The premise was an interesting one, with a massive forest sprouting up over night. At first, no one is sure what is going on and assumes something sinister is about to strike the Earth. 

I quite liked the ultimate idea that came out near the end, that the Earth was fighting back against a solar flare, protecting the inhabitants of the planet by creating excess oxygen that would burn off when the solar flare hit the planet. However, this story was mucked up by some trivial relationship issues between Clara, Danny, and the school children. 

I would have loved to have seen more with the firefly-like creatures that did not get enough screen time or explanation to really understand what they were all about. The addition of children into this series seems interesting, as if to keep some sort of child-like presence in a series and themes that are more adult than previous series. The kids just kind of slow down the action and the story and do not always fit well into this version of Doctor Who. Perhaps there is a bigger message about growing up here that I'm missing. 

Final Thoughts:

I liked the premise quite a bit, but something was off in this episode. The story did not get the attention it deserved and the characters seemed a little flat in this one. But overall, I really like the idea of trees saving the Earth!

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's always fun to celebrate Halloween by carving your favorite characters into a the face of a pumpkin. I'm sure the pumpkin enjoys it, too!

“The wind outside nested in each tree, prowled the sidewalks in invisible treads like unseen cats.
Tom Skelton shivered. Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows' Eve. Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange velvet. Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys like the plumes of funeral parades. From kitchen windows drifted two pumpkin smells: gourds being cut, pies being baked.”
― Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree

Chip 'n' Dale

Here we find Kermit the Frog, playin' his banjo and singing!

Villains Release Dates - Disney Infinity 2.0

According to the Disney Store online, the Villians, Yondu, and Falcon now have release dates. While January and especially March seems a long way off, we still have the two unknown characters to join the game in 2015. Hopefully that will tide us over until we can get our hands on Loki and the Green Goblin.

Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron" - Teaser Trailer (OFFICIAL)

It's here. It's mind-blowing. It's awesome. It's Ultron. It's the Avengers!



Take a gander at the beginning of the end. We get some good looks at Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Ultron. As well as a haunting version of Pinocchio's "I've Got no Strings."

Disney's Moana for 2016

Ron Clements and Jon Musker (the guys responsible for Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog, and our childhoods), are back with a brand-new film for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Moana. The film tells the story of Moana, a spirited teenager on an impossible mission to fulfill her ancestors’ quest. It’s set in the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, and Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.

“Moana is indomitable, passionate and a dreamer with a unique connection to the ocean itself,” Musker said. “She’s the kind of character we all root for, and we can’t wait to introduce her to audiences.” Well, Mr. Musker, we cannot wait to see more from the film and meet Moana as well! The film comes to theaters in late 2016.

Review: Doctor Who - Mummy on the Orient Express

Doctor Who

Mummy on the Orient Express

A murder, a train, and the Doctor, all in one place. This episode finds our heroes on their last hurrah together, as Clara had decided previously that she couldn't keep traveling withe the Doctor. It was strain on her and a strain on her relationships on Earth. Their last hurrah, however, would prove to bring them back together.

An ancient curse is running rampant on the Orient Express in space. A confined little setting that allows, what looks like, folks from the 1920s to witness bizarre events that lead to the deaths of a few passengers. A curse known as the Foretold, a mummy that only appears to its victims and kills in 66 seconds. It's a fun little curse, but we don't get much explanation about the curse and the wrapped cadaver's motivation. I quite enjoyed the idea of a fear that only you can see that is truly real. What do you do with your last 66 seconds? Does it really matter how you behave when you know your in danger? 

Clara ends up trapped most of this episode away from the Doctor, perhaps allowing her to reflect on her travels and how much she really enjoys them, even though she's in danger much of the time. 

The theme of soldiers comes back up again as we find out a little bit of information about the Foretold's origins and the train conductor. Both soldiers of some kind. The Doctor sure has been running into a lot of them this season! Is that important? Yes. Yes it is.

Even though things work out just fine, the Foretold disappears (ending a 5000 year old fairy tale) and the artificial intelligence known as GUS, who is the mastermind with vague motivation behind the Foretold and the voice of the train itself, is destroyed, many things remain unanswered. Who is GUS? What did the Foretold really want? Why 66 seconds? 

In the end, Clara decides to continue traveling with the Doctor. And who wouldn't?

Final Thoughts:

It was a fun episode with a great setting and an interesting challenge to overcome. I find that this Doctor is all about slightly morbid Curiosity as a theme (the insides of a Dalek, the creatures that live in the dark, etc), whereas the Eleventh Doctor was mostly about Hope. Let's see where this curiosity takes us!

Profile: Battra

First Appearance: Godzilla Vs. Mothra: Battle for Earth

Twelve thousand years ago, the spirit of Earth created Battra. Battra was created to destroy a device built by an ancient civilization to control Earth's climate. Battra began to do his job well beyond his purpose and Mothra was forced to intervene. There was a huge battle between Mothra and Battra. When Mothra finally won, Battra was laid to rest in the North Sea, while Mothra survived in the mountains with the Cosmos. Unlike his benevolent twin Mothra, Battra sees humanity as a blight on Earth, and won't stop until humanity is removed from the planet. It's because of this that Battra came into conflict with Mothra, who seems intent on protecting humanity.

Thousands of years later, Battra was awoken by a meteorite in Siberia. Battra swam to the coast of Japan and burrowed, reappearing and attacking Nagoya. The JSDF fought Battra but were no match, and Battra left a wrecked city behind as he burrowed again. Battra appeared in the waters off the archipelago of the Philippines, where Godzilla and Mothra were battling. Battra engaged Godzilla, who was the bigger threat. The two monsters battled down to the sea floor in the Philippine Trench, where a volcanic eruption supposedly killed them. But Battra and Godzilla lived on, appearing near Mount Fuji, with Godzilla exiting an erupting volcano and Battra emerging from the ocean's depths. Upon metamorphosing from his larval form, he flew to Tokyo to exact his revenge on Mothra. The sinister moth seemed to have an upper hand against his less violent counterpart, but soon, in the heat of the battle, Godzilla appeared. Mothra and Battra teamed up to combat Godzilla together in defense of both Earth and humankind. Once Godzilla was defeated, Battra and Mothra carried him out to sea. However, Godzilla, still conscious, killed Battra by attacking him with an atomic ray at point-blank range while he was being transported. Godzilla and Battra dropped into the ocean below. Mothra then flew in a circle and placed a seal over the final resting place of Battra, honoring his sacrifice.

"Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy" Animated Series - NYCC Test Footage

As if we couldn't get enough of Dancing Baby Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Disney let's this little raccoon out of the trash can! 

Guardians of the Galaxy is coming in 2015 as animated series to Disney XD. Test footage was shown at New York Comic Con by Marvel Entertainment. 

Any thoughts? Yay or nay for this one. I'm indifferent. I've been pleasantly surprised by The Avengers: Earth's Mightist Heroes, Avengers Assemble, and Ultimate Spider-Man. I'll wait to watch it before I judge it.

Review: Phineas and Ferb - Night of the Living Pharmacists

Phineas and Ferb: Night of the Living Pharmacists

"Lots of Me."

I had thought that Phineas and Ferb was not coming back for more episodes. I'm happy to say I thought wrong! After one new episode, the Halloween special aired. This episode finds our heroes battling an army of Doof replicants, Isabella tries to finally tell Phineas how she feels to earn a patch, Candace wants to be more nonchalant and cool, and Stacy is hooking up a home entertainment system with lots of remotes.

The episode has a wonderful opening sequence that is very much reminiscent of Saul Bass and his work on Hitchcock films. The whole plot revolves an evening in which Doofenshmirtz creates an -inator that will make his brother, Roger, repulsive, allowing him to take over the Tri-State area. However, things turn ironic and everyone starts turning into Doof replicants, complete with lab coat. These replicants can only say "Lots of me." And, if someone is touched by a replicant, they become a replicant, too!

As this repulsive disease is spreading across Danville, everyone quickly ends up in trouble. Except Stacy, who is safe inside hooking up her new home entertainment system with a back-up generator, oblivious to what is happening outside while watching Grievance movies. I love that the fictional movie franchise crops up again here.

Phineas and Ferb, in the meantime, have built a device that makes you rubberized so you can bounce like a ball. It turns out their rubberized skin prevents them from becoming a replicant, as the rubber protects against the static shock that transfers the repulsiveness, though it does wear off.  Eventually, the boys to have come up with another method of protection. Why? Because Isabella has disappeared and no one can find her! In a race to find Isabella, things quickly go down hill. It may be the Dawn of the Living Pharmacists!

The episode has four new songs, including one about triangulation, which was very entertaining. There are a few cameos as well. George Romero is a newscaster and Shaun and Ed, from Shaun of the Dead, discuss the implausibility of non-living clothing being part of the transformation. They all turn into Doof replicants.

Final Thoughts:
The episode was a lot of fun, poking fun at horror films in general with clever dialogue and observations. The story moved along at a good pace and tied all of the subplots together nicely. It even had a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek ending. Overall, a great Halloween special to add to the other amazing Halloween Phineas and Ferb episodes!

Review: Doctor Who Kill the Moon

Doctor Who

Kill the Moon

This episode finds the Doctor and Clara traveling to the moon to change the course of mankind. But this time is a little different - the Doctor stays out of it! 

When Clara tries to get the Doctor to apologize for calling a student "not special," the Doctor makes a bold decision to prove himself. Clara, the Doctor, and Courtney are whisked away to the moon in the Tardis where something universe altering is about to occur.

This episode is mostly about decisions. People are making a lot of decisions, from deciding to go to the moon, to explode 100 nuclear bombs, to save the moon, or to just run. Many things hang in the balance in this episode - future of mankind and the moon, as well as a relationship that was already slightly strained between the Doctor and Clara.

We find that companions are probably the best when traveling with the Doctor, rather than trying to live two lives. Clara begins to realize, or perhaps Danny Pink has had some influence, that the Doctor's life, and therefore her life, are difficult to balance. Hard decisions must be made and the Doctor will not always tell you the right way.

I really liked that the Doctor stepped out of this episode for a little bit. He left everything up to three humans who, right or wrong, were going to make a very human decision. One that would change the course of the universe.

This episode brought up some interesting ideas about what the Doctor knows and doesn't know. Did he know that Courtney was special and was just saying she wasn't to help push her along? Contrary to what the Doctor claimed about grey areas in his mind, he seemed to clearly know the outcome of the situation, but not how the decision was going to be made perhaps. This Doctor is a keeper of secrets, mores than any other. He is dark and brooding sometimes, but all for good reason. 

Final thoughts:

I liked the episode just fine. This season is really driving home the idea of what it is like being a companion to the Doctor. It affects you. Inside and out. Your decisions. Your life. Your way of thinking. Clara has a lot of thinking to do now. She's a wonderful companion and brings  avery human soul to the show, much like Donna Noble did.

Inside Out Teaser Trailer

Disney*Pixar has finally released a little more about Inside Out! This time, in teaser trailer form. In true Pixar trailer fashion, we get a quick recap of why we love Pixar movies so much and then jump into the  new film.

It's a fun trailer that doesn't tell us too much, but does show some neat visual representations of the mind. Such as orbs that contain memories that are somehow moved and stored in the brain. We're looking forward to this movie!

Directed by Pete Docter and with a cast that includes Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith, and of course, John Ratzenberger, with music by Michael Giacchino (one of our favorites!), Inside Out premieres on June 19, 2015.

Profile: Cri-Kee

First Appearance: Mulan (1998)

Cri-Kee is one lucky bug. At least, he wants you to believe that. Loyal companion to Mushu and Mulan, Cri-Kee is a side-kick no one would want to be without. Either caught or purchased by Grandmother Fa, Cri-Kee is given to Mulan during her matchmaker session. However, the lucky bug proves to be anything but lucky, causing chaos during the session and ending in Mulan bringing dishonor to her family.  Cri-kee, having sympathy for Mulan, joins Mushu in trying to get Mulan back after she flees to take her father’s place in battle. Eventually he proves to be lucky, narrowly escaping every peril and dangerous event that befalls the unlikely cast of characters and eventually bringing down Shan Yu.

Here’s hoping Cri-Kee eventually makes an appearance in Disney Infinity 2.0. I’m sure Spider-Man could use a lucky bug side-kick.

Review: Doctor Who "The Caretaker"

Doctor Who

"The Caretaker"

"The Caretaker" is an appropriate title for the themes expressed in this episode of Doctor Who. This episode finds the Doctor posing as a human caretaker at, of all places, the school where Clara and Danny Pink teach. 

This episode introduces a deadly assassin called Skovox Blitzer (a very cool name for a cool looking creature). Skovox Blitzer is the deadliest assassin in the universe and wants to destroy humanity. To do so, Skovox hides out on Earth in an abandoned building, waiting to strike. 

While Skovox is stalking around, the Doctor and Danny Pink meet. Causing much tension between the Doctor, Danny, and Clara. Words are fired at each other fairly quickly and it all boils down to who is the real caretaker of Clara - the Doctor or Danny. Danny also recognizes in the Doctor his affinity for giving orders and how similar the Doctor is to military types. A comparison I'm sure the Doctor doesn't love.

While the Doctor clearly doesn't like Danny (but much prefers that Clara's boyfriend be the Matt Smithish teacher), Danny helps save the day and the Doctor now might be persuaded to sing a different tune. We'll see how this new relationship turns out. After all, after "Silent," there are some new threads binding the Doctor to Danny Pink, and possibly into the future.

Final Thoughts:

The episode excelled with bringing in some new dynamics between characters and creating some tension with the Doctor. It also introduced a very visually appealing villain, who I hope returns to show off what it can really do.

Magic Band in Disney Infinity 2.0

Small World Facade

Like Disney Infinity, the 2.0 edition offers a special item if you have a Disney Magic Band. In this edition you unlock the Small World Facade! This item has a button that when pressed plays a fanfair and the sided open to reveal "it's a small world" dolls! This is just like the attraction when the the clock reaches the hour or half past the hour.

It's a great little surprise! I think it totally makes sense for the magic bands to unlock park attractions. Let's hope we get Splash Mountain and other great attractions to add in the future! 

Disney Infinity 2.0 First Impressions

Disney Infinity 2.0 arrived on Tuesday. Along with it came the release of the much anticipated Marvel Heroes and playsets including The Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy! The Disney Infinity family grew not only in number but in strength and quips (thanks, Spidey and Rocket!).

My first impressions upon turning on the game were really positive. The opening sequence really sets the player up for success, utilizing the Disney Originals properties quite effectively. You almost forget that the Marvel characters are in the game. It's fun, it's imaginative, and it gets you right into the amazing world (or worlds) that is Disney Infinity.

Things have changed quite a bit, but the heart of the game is still present. Sure, the controls have changed (based on player feedback) and it looks a little different, but the game is still entirely intact and retains the thing we loved about the first game - making new worlds for our favorite characters to play in and explore!

Going through the tutorials that are presented by the hosts of the Toy Box, you quickly learn all you need to know, from improved helicopter controls to building INteriors. The best part though, you get Marvel characters interacting with Disney items like the Enchanted Bed from Bedknobs and Broomsticks! Speaking of which, the Toy Store has some really amazing surprises, like new terrains and skies and structures. The townspeople are new and varied, including some more Muppets and other favorite characters from both Disney Originals and Marvel, like the Lizard!

The Playsets are very fun. Spider-Man introduces some fun mechanics and missions with a great opening sequence with Goblin and Mysterio. Guardians of the Galaxy opens up right into the action and gets you going right away.

The Marvel characters are a blast to play. I've been hooked with Spider-Man and Rocket Raccoon. I haven't played them all, so that might change. The characters do feel very different from each other, in movement, strength, and style. The abilities of each character feel and look much better this time around. Not every character throws a ball as a weapon.

Overall, I really enjoy the game so far! I like that it looks and feels like Disney Infinity, just upgraded. It has all the charm, enjoyment, and beautiful aesthetics of the first game, and greatly improves the players experience. 

Profile: Little Godzilla

First Appearance: Godzilla Vs. Space Godzilla (1995)

No kaiju even comes close to how adorable Little Godzilla is. Having grown from Baby Godzilla, Little Godzilla  is plump, round, and google-eye compared to his fearsome father. His big red eyes are expressive and his roar is small, high-pitched, and short. Growing up on Birth Island, Little Godzilla pretty much has the run of the place with no other kaiju around. He enjoys toddling around, walking on the beach, and doesn’t quite know how to avoid tear gas mines. he can blow radioactive bubbles and dust, but not a concentrated beam weapon.

Eventually SpaceGodzilla comes to birth island and scares Little Godzilla. Curiosity does get the best of the little monsters and he eventually comes out of hiding to investigate. SpaceGodzilla grabs the Little Godzilla with his telekinesis and traps him in a crystal prison. Godzilla attempts to defeat SpaceGodzilla but he is just too powerful. After a fight alongside MOGUERA, Little Godzilla is freed and reunited with Godzilla. This would mark Little Godzilla’s only appearance in the Godzilla series.