New on DVD: The Dregs and a Gem

What has Hollywood dished up for this week before Thanksgiving? Well, it's not a feast. It's more the DVD equivalent of clearing out the old ground beef and half eaten chicken from your fridge to make way for the turkey. There is one gem in the mix, though, even if you do have to sift through old spaghetti to find it.

The Last Airbender

Children's Adventure Movie

The Gist: A little boy wakes up from a long sleep to find the monks he lived with gone. He's the last person who can bend air, which is a sort of superpower, and he's the only one who will stand up to the mean, nasty fire benders. You guessed it. They can control fire.

The Ups: Some of the special effects are too cool for school, blending martial arts with big walls of air, earth, water, and fire.

The Downs: Too bad the story couldn't keep up with the special effects. It's confusing, convoluted, and not at all engaging. Your kids' play about the five food groups has superior acting and your kids' essay about their summer vacation has better writing. But at least it's cheaper. This mess cost $150 million. Ouch.

The Verdict: Skip it.

Be Aware: Rated PG, this movie is entirely appropriate. Not advisable,but appropriate. 

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Children's Comedy

The Gist: Cats and dogs - talking cats and dogs no less - must put aside their ancient rivalry and work together to defeat Kitty Galore in a sort of James Bondish secret agent society. If James Bond were a dog.

The Ups: Some kids just love talking cats and dogs, no matter how bad the movie is. Kids will laugh at dumb jokes and enjoy goofy antics. Really. I've seen them do it.

The Downs: Adults will want to bang their head against the wall to make it stop.

The Verdict: Although we don't usually advocate using movies as a babysitter here at SixSeeds, we have to admit this is the perfect movie to put in to keep the kids busy while you get that turkey in the oven. It's harmless, mindless fun that will appeal to little ones and won't make the grown-ups feel like they've missed a thing.

Be Aware: Rated PG for animal action and humor. Alleged humor.

A Christmas Carol

Animated adaptation of Dickens’ story

The Gist: Ebenezer Scrooge has been a naughty boy and the three ghosts of Christmas are going to convince him to change his ways.

The Ups: This movie sticks very close to the plot of the original story. There are no quacking ducks or mice or anything to make it more palatable to modern tastes. This is a good thing. The motion capture CGI animation makes the expressions on the characters' faces come alive. It's very well done and deserved more success than it received.

The Downs: Because it faithfully follows Dickens' story, with moaning ghosts and eerie trips in graveyards, it's spookier than most kid fare. Be aware of this when you show it to kids.

The Verdict: Rent it. With Dickens, close adherence to the original is best. The wonderful story of selfishness and redemption still rings true today.

Be Aware: Rated PG for scary sequences and images.

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