Moana
Blu-ray l DVD l Collector’s Edition
Director: Ron Clements and John Musker
Screenwriter: Jared Bush
Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, Jemaine Clement
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG | 113 minutes
Release Date: March 7, 2017

Last year, Disney released two Oscar-nominated animated films: Zootopia and Moana. Choosing a favorite between the two was no easy decision. Both had gorgeous animation and both and beautiful stories to tell. The former had themes of inclusion and welcoming diversity, while the latter focused on a spirited young girl who strived for independence but also wanted to pay respect to her family’s history and culture. In the end, Zootopia came out the winner, but you can make an argument for Moana being the better film.

Now you’ll be able to make a comparison with Moana hitting Blu-ray shelves this week. The film, of course, comes chalk full of bonus feature goodies which include deleted scenes, an animated short, and the Polynesian culture that helped inspire the film in more ways than one. Check out the full review below.

The BFG
Blu-ray Combo Pack | DVD | Digital HD
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay By Melissa Mathison, Based On The Book By Roald Dahl
Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG | 118 Minutes
Release Date: November 29, 2016

Roald Dahl is one of the greatest children’s book authors of all time, and the films made of his stories are usually very good to all-time classics. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was written by Dahl himself back in 1971, and before the bizarre Tim Burton big screen adaptation starring Johnny Depp, there was the beloved Gene Wilder version, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Since then we’ve gotten excellent work in films like The Witches, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and James and the Giant Peach. Take the finest child author and combine him with the greatest living director, Steven Spielberg, and you get a the potential for a classic in the making: Disney’s The BFG“¦ Big Friendly Giant.

Moana
Director: Ron Clements and John Musker
Screenwriter: Jared Bush
Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, Jemaine Clement
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG | 113 minutes
Release Date: November 23, 2016

These are trying times. With an unknown future ahead of us, there is no doubt in my mind that we will need more movies like Moana. Not in terms of just needing more animated features, even though I really do love those, but in terms of delivering a powerful message of searching for identity, female empowerment, never forgetting where you come from, and remembering that not only do princesses come in just more than one color and they too can do a man’s job as well.

Moana reminds us just how far Disney Animation has come, and with a great voice cast and some catchy tunes, it will be a film that is recognized for more than just its animation, but also for celebrating and honoring a culture. Just don’t forget to bring idiotic chicken along with you, because they are good for more than just a few laughs. My full review below.

Based on our coverage of Moana, we know that Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) is a rather arrogant demi-god who needs a lesson in humility. Enter Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho), a natural born navigator who is on a quest to save her native home island of Motonui.

It will be very interesting to see how a young teenager will put up with someone who is as obnoxious and confident as Maui, and we start to see just a little bit of the chemistry between the two in two new clips from the film. One which will showcase Johnson’s talents as a singer, and the other when the two meet each other for the first time. Check it out below.

As far as comedies go, the Taika Watiti – who is currently busy directing Thor: Ragnarok for Marvel – film What We Do In The Shadows was one of the best in 2015. The success of that film sparked talks of a possible sequel, which was then confirmed to be true earlier this year when it was announced that it would be followed up by We’re Wolves starring Rhys Darby and Stuart Rutherford. Now the world of What We Do In The Shadows is about to get a little bigger as it has been confirmed that it will also be getting a TV spinoff called Paranormal Event Response Unit. More on the story below.