Book Review: The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves (Home Repair is Homicide #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and strong narration

Cons: Plot takes time getting going

The Bottom Line:

Well written novel

Mystery is slow to start

Overall it's good

No Cats Were Harmed in the Making of This Book

Former stock broker extraordinaire Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree has traded her life of high pressure trades for the peaceful quite of Eastport, Maine, a quiet town on an island almost as far east as you can go. She's bought an antique home in need of great repair and fills her days trying to fix all the problems, from squeaky doors to leaking plumbing and rotten floors.

One day, Jake goes to her storeroom and finds a man dead, lying on the floor. As if it weren't shocking enough to have a stranger dying in her house, her best friend, Ellie White, immediately confesses to the murder.

The victim turns out to be Threnody McIlwaine, a local boy turned corporate raider billionaire. Even given his worldwide fame, Ellie did have a motive. Threnody had just tricked her family out of a fortune, leaving them bankrupt. With the prosecutors ready to act on the case to keep the media happy, Jake realizes that Ellie is going to be railroaded into a long prison term.

There's just one problem, however. Ellie is too quiet to commit murder. Convinced her friend is innocent, Jake sets out to figure out who really killed the man. Even in a town as small as Eastport, the list of suspects is rather long. It will take all of Jake's abilities to sort through the clues to find the truth.

This is the debut of what has become a highly successful mystery series, and it's easy to see why. Jake is a likeable and capable heroine. This is someone who could easily become a friend in real life, and spending time with her is fun. While Ellie isn't in much of the book, she is a likeable character as well. I look forward to getting to know her better in future books in the series. The other towns people we get to know were nice assets to the plot and created a feeling of community I loved.

The only strike against the book is the plot. It seems to meander a bit at the beginning, taking it's own sweet time getting started. Once it does, however, it tells an exciting story with some nice twists that kept me confused until the very end. The title of the book refers to some stock market jargon. Not only is this a reference to Jake's previous job, but it also has an impact on the case.

Even when the plot is slow, the writing style keeps you pulled into the story with its vivid descriptions and laid-back story telling. It fits a story taking place in a small, cozy town and I wouldn't change it for anything.

The setting itself is great. The small town is warm and inviting, even in the middle of the bad storm they face over the course of the book.

Even in The Dead Cat Bounce, it's easy to see why this series has won the hearts of so many readers. I look forward to visiting Jake Tiptree and Eastport, Maine, again real soon.

TV Show Review: Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - Season 3

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Clever writing keeps you laughing

Cons: R&B logo, repeated segments, lacking extras, but all minor, really

The Bottom Line:

You have to love puns

But what's not to love with puns

Just laugh at the puns

May the Pun be with You

The puns are punnier and the stories are zanier as Rocky & Bullwinkle enter their fun filled third season. It consists of 33 episodes with everyone's favorite animated moose and squirrel as well as their friends and enemies.

The central focus of the show is the continuing exploits of Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose. Each episode features two segments of the current serialized story, and there are four of them this time around.

Missouri Mish Mash finds Bullwinkle and Rocky caught in the middle of a feud being run by Boris Badenov, their arch nemesis. However, when Bullwinkle finds a special hat, things really start to get interesting.

Lazy Jay Ranch finds our heroes moving to Wyoming after they buy a ranch. Turns out it's a worm ranch, and Boris has plans of his own for those worms.

The Three Moosketeers brings our heroes to the country of Applesauce Lorraine after the rightful king is replaced by the scheming Francois Villain. (Something tells me he's a bad guy.) Of interest, this is the first Rocky and Bullwinkle story to not feature Boris and his sidekick Natasha Fatale.

Topsy Turvy World finds the world's axis shifting. With the new North Pole on the Equator, it's up to Rocky and Bullwinkle to right the world before Boris gives Santa a bad name.

Of course, each episode also includes several special features. Either a Fractured Fairy Tale or an Aesop and Son (a fable like you've never heard before), Bullwinkle's Corner (poetry and nursery rhymes for laughs) or Mr. Know-it-All (Bullwinkle shows us how NOT to do something), and Peabody's Improbably History (a dog makes sure history goes as recorded) or Dudley Do-Right (a spoof of melodramas set in Canada.)

These shows are absolutely hysterical, if you can stand a good pun. The writers seem to be at the top of their game, with the puns coming so fast you just might miss one. It breaks all the rules of TV with the characters often talking directly to the audience or making references to their TV show, but it only adds to the laughter. While kids will enjoy watching, it's the adults that will get the word play and the now dated historical references.

Of course, being an animated show from the 60's means the animation isn't up to today's standards. Still, it does a good job of getting the story across and holds up to some of today's TV animation.

I was disappointed to recognize many of the Bullwinkle's Corner and Mr. Know-it-All segments this time around. They are recycled from earlier seasons. I don't know why this is, but I hope the fourth season contains new material.

This set consists of four single sided DVD's. The picture and sound are great, although the occasional bit of dust or grain does betray the show's age. Unfortunately, Sony still sees a need to include the clear R&B logo in the lower right hand corner for a minute of each segment. I hardly notice, but when I do it is annoying.

The set this time has a circus theme to the box, booklet, and menus. The booklet contains a funny biography of villains Boris and Natasha. Also this time around, the booklet contains information on the Bullwinkle's Corner and Mr. Know-it-All segments, something that's been missing in previous sets.

Extras are light. They include some third season intros from the Bullwinkle puppet (including the infamous one where he tells kids to rip off their TV's knobs so they won't miss the next episode), a preview of the next season, and some "best of" moments from the season.

While the extras aren't a reason to buy the set, the shows themselves are still as punny as they were over forty years ago. Anyone with a fond memory of Rocky & Bullwinkle and a strong constitution for puns will love it.

TV Show Review: Mary Tyler Moore Show - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Even though the show is 35 years old, it's still very funny.

Cons: The characters are still growing in this season.

The Bottom Line:

Not this sitcom's best

But still many classic laughs

With great characters

She's Come to DVD After All

One of the classic sit-coms of all time comes to DVD in this wonderful first season set.

Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) is trying to start over in a new town after a long romance comes to an end. Thanks to her friend Phyllis (Cloris Leachman), she's found an apartment in Minneapolis. Her upstairs neighbor, Rhoda (Valerie Harper), quickly becomes a good friend. Soon, she's got a job as associate producer for the evening news at WJM. There she meets her grumpy, sexist boss Lou Grant (Ed Asner), news writer Murray (Gavin MacLeod), and bumbling news anchor Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). Between the two locations, she's got a wonderful support system that will help her through anything, including bad dates and problems at work. And we get to enjoy the laughs.

I'd forgotten just how much I loved this show until I got the set. It was like reuniting with old friends. Season 1 is definitely a beginning, however, as the writers begin to explore the characters and the actors are still getting comfortable with their rolls. Still, there are some classic episodes here:

"Love is All Around" is one of the best pilots ever and expertly introduces us to the characters we'd come to love over the next seven years. Mary moves into her apartment and gets her job. While Mary's relationship with Rhoda is a little sketchy, her job interview with Mr. Grant is hysterical every time I watch it.

"Support Your Local Mother" introduces us to Rhoda's over bearing mother when she comes to visit and stays with Mary when Rhoda refuses to see her.

"TouLouse-Lautrec is One of My Favorite Artists" finds Mary facing the fact that she's a height bigot when her latest date is much shorter then she is. I have never seen so many short jokes slip out in such a short time, and Mary slouching while she walks down the steps in her apartment is funny stuff.

"Assistant Wanted, Female" finds Phyllis becoming Mary's new...co-worker who causes more problem with Ted then she helps Mary get through the work she was hired to do.

In "Second-Story Story," Mary's apartment is robbed twice. Her reactions to the break-ins are classic.

"We Closed in Minneapolis" brings Murray to the forefront when his play gets a chance in Minneapolis, only if Ted plays the lead.

"The Snow Must Go On" is an episode I pull out every year to watch on election night. Poor Ted must go out with the same results all night long when the news room gets cut off from the outside world due to a snow storm.

"Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid, II" (You know, I've always wondered about the title.) was recently named a top Christmas episode by TV Guide. It manages to spread the holiday cheer even after Mary learns she can't spend the holiday with her family because the news show will go on in spite of the holiday. (Classic line - Lou (after he's broken the news to Mary): "Why do I feel like I will be visited by three spirits tonight?")

The best part of this show is that the humor stems from the characters. A lesser cast wouldn't be able to pull off some of the material, but this cast brings laughs a plenty. Yes, there are one-liners, but many times, the laugh is how a characters reactions to an event, and if the actor didn't do it right, the laugh just would have died.

The set has some interesting extras. The best is the 87-minute documentary about the creation of the series. The audio commentaries on three episodes are ok, but I didn't find them super interesting. Of course, the main reason to get the set is the episodes themselves. Here's they've been preserved with wonderful picture clarity and sound. I doubt they've ever looked better. Each episode has 10 chapter breaks in it, with the credits on each end getting their own chapters. This makes it easy to find a certain scene or get straight to the episode. A play all feature, missing here, would have been nice, but it's not completely necessary.

While not the best this show has to offer, the first season has so many wonderful moments it's hard to complain. Any fan of classic TV will want this in their collection. It's well worth it.

Season 1 Episodes:

1. Love is All Around

2. Today I Am a Ma'am

3. Bess, You is My Daughter Now

4. Divorce Isn't Everything

5. Keep Your Guard Up

6. Support Your Local Mother

7. TouLouse-Lautrec is One of My Favorite Artists

8. The Snow Must Go On

9. Bob and Rhoda and Teddy and Mary

10. Assistant Wanted, Female

11. 1040 or Fight

12. Anchorman Overboard

13. He's All Yours

14. Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid II

15. Howard's Girl

16. Party is Such Sweet Sorrow

17. Just a Lunch

18. Second-Story Story

19. We Closed in Minneapolis

20. Hi!

21. The Boss Isn't Coming to Dinner

22. A Friend in Deed

23. Smokey the Bear Wants You

24. The Forty-Five-Year-Old Man

Book Review: Antietam Assassins by Michael Kilian (Harrison Raines Civil War Mysteries #6)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Characters who make the events of the story seem real

Cons: Battle of Antietam Creek slows down the story

The Bottom Line:

Civil War buffs will

Fictional look at famous

Battle with murder

The Civil War Hits Close to Home

It is August 1862, and Army scout and spy Harrison Raines has decided the Civil War is over, at least for him. Returning from a long trip to the West, Harry wants nothing more then to settle into a boring routine raising and trading horses on his farm in the western part of Virginia.

Unfortunately, that is not to be. The morning after his return, Harry finds the local minister hanging from the tree. Oddly enough, he had been shot and was already dead before he was hanged. Also curious is the note found pinned to his shirt accusing him of being a Lincoln man. Reverend Ashby was quite vocal from his pulpit in his support of the Confederacy. So, what's really going on?

Intending to put this behind him, Harrison ventures into Washington DC to return some gold and offer his resignation to his boss, Allan Pinkerton. Because General Lee is marching toward Antietam, near Harry's farm, Pinkerton traps Harry into staying in the secret service so he can scout the area he knows so well. Since General McClelland's forces so far outnumber the Confederates, this should be an easy victory and could end the war. If only he'd actually move.

Meanwhile, the trouble over Reverend Ashby's death is only beginning. If Harrison survives the upcoming battle, he's going to have quite a mess on his hands.

These books are always a mixed bag for me. I love the historical detail and context each book brings. The government, press, army, and so on from 140 years ago sounds remarkably just like today. How little things have changed. I love history, and feel I have learned some about this particular battle of the Civil War that I did not remember hearing about before. The mystery is well done as well. I had no clue what was happening until the end.

The problem is the middle. Once again, the battle takes up quite a bit of space in the book. While parts of it were interesting, it serves to slow the story down in the long run. I was quite ready to move on by the time the story started advancing again. Those who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy the detail while those reading this book for the story will get bored.

On the plus side, because Harry has returned to his home turf, we get to see many secondary characters who have been noticeably absent in the last two books. Former sidekick "Boston" Learhy is reduced to a cameo in favor of new sidekick Jack Tantou. While I like Jack, I would have liked to see more of Boston as well. New or old, these characters are real people who help draw you into the story and keep you coming back to find out what will happen next. Their pain at the events unfolding around them helps make the history very real to the modern audience.

Besides the generals, several other real people wander through the pages of the story. While the idea that one man would know so many people on both sides isn't likely, it does make for a remarkably fun read.

The writing style of this book stays true to the others. It's adequate to get the story across but nothing special.

This series will mostly appeal to Civil War fans with historical mystery fans enjoying it as well.  If that's you, I recommend Antietam Assassins, but only after you've read the Harrison Raines Civil War Mysteries in order.

Movie Review: Once Upon a Mattress (2005)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Tracey Ullman and Carol Burnett's performances

Cons: Few great dance numbers

The Bottom Line:

The two leads are great

Dance numbers could be better

Overall, it's fun

Fun Musical Retelling of "The Princess and the Pea"

A long time ago in a kingdom far away, or something like that, there lived Prince Dauntless (Denis O'Hare). His one desire is to marry, but his mother (Carol Burnett) has no desire to see her only son married, so she has devised a series of tests that any bride-to-be must pass before she marry the prince. Officially, they are to keep the bloodline pure by making sure Dauntless marries only a true prince. Of course, they are so hard that no person would ever be able to pass them.

The prince's unmarried state also weighs heavily on the rest of the court, for the queen has decreed that no one may marry before the prince does.

This especially hits close to home for Lady Larkin (Zooey Deschanel) and Sir Harry (Matthew Morrison). Not only have they fallen in love, but they are expecting. In order to keep Lady Larkin from being exiled in shame, Harry heads out to find the perfect princess.

Who he comes back with is Princess Winnifred (Tracey Ullman). At first glance, she seems to be the worst princess yet with her brashness and klutziness. The Prince is immediately smitten with her, but the queen devises her most fiendish plan yet. A true princess would notice a pea hidden under a pile of mattresses, right? Will the Prince ever get married?

I've heard of this musical for years, but had never seen it until this version came out. It's a fun retelling of the classic fairytale of "The Princess and the Pea." Humor abounds and I laughed the entire way through. Carol Burnett originated the roll of Princess Winnifred, but here she really digs her teeth into the roll of the queen, making her appearances on screen very memorable. Tracey Ullman also steals scenes are Winnifred.

There were a few things that put me off a little. Most noticeably, the prince and princess are much older then I thought they would be. It adds a creepiness to the relationship between the prince and the queen. The song "Man to Man Talk," while not having anything offensive in it, will certainly lead to questions from curious kids who don't know about the "facts of life." I was surprised it was present in a musical always marketed toward families.

Of course, the thing that makes or breaks a musical is the musical numbers. There were several memorable songs here, most notably "Shy," which Tracey Ullman does an excellent job belting out. Her "Happily Ever After" was a nice tender song while "Song of Love" is very funny. With the exception of the wonderful "Spanish Panic," the dance numbers weren't quite as inventive as I would have liked, but they were enjoyable as well.

Rushed out after the movie ran on TV, the DVD has only a couple behind the scenes featurettes to its credit. Nice, but nothing to get excited about.

Since I have never seen another version, I can't compare this to other portrayals and have no opinion on songs that got left out of the show. While not a perfect musical movie, Once Upon a Mattress will entertain for an hour and a half.

Movie Review: The Producers (2005)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Memorable performances by a talented cast, some funny scenes

Cons: Songs only ok, dance numbers needed more creativity, too much sexual humor

The Bottom Line:

A talented cast

In a funny musical

Wish it were better

"Stop the World.  I Want to Get on!"

Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) is a down on his luck producer who hasn't had a Broadway hit in years. In fact, they've made a special sign for him so that they can flip it over and turn opening night into closing night with hardly any effort.

After his latest show collapses, accountant Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) comes to Max's office/apartment to go over the books. In an off handed comment, Leo mentions that a great way to make money would be to put on a guaranteed flop, raise lots of money, and they keep the difference. Max immediately jumps on the idea, but Leo wants no part in the criminal plan. Eventually, however, Leo's desire to be a Broadway producer gets the better of him, and he partners with Max.

The two are certain they've found the perfect piece when they read "Springtime for Hitler," a piece that makes the evil dictator out to be a nice guy. Getting the Nazi loving author (Will Ferrell) on board is a bit of a challenge, as is signing Roger De Bris (Gary Beach), the worst director in town, and his male harem. Now they just need to sit back, relax, and watch the money roll in. Right?

I should have known what I was getting into before I saw this movie. It is a Mel Brooks story, and he seems to go for the sex joke any chance he gets. I was tired of them long before the movie reached the half way point. Some scenes also went on way after the last sexual joke had been milked from the situation.

The story itself is very entertaining. I never could decide if I wanted Max and Leo to be caught or get away with their crime. There were lots of scenes I found amusing, but I was rolling at the scene near the end where everyone reacts to the play's opening night.

The actors all do amazing jobs with the rolls. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick originated their rolls when the story became a Broadway musical, and their familiarity with the material is an asset. Will Ferrell, not part of the Broadway cast, is hilarious as the politically motivated author. He steals most every scene he is in. Uma Thurman is simply amazing as Ulla, the secretary/starlet/Leo's girlfriend. I had no clue who was playing her until the credits.

The songs in this musical are fun, but there is nothing here particularly catchy. I didn't find myself leaving the theater humming anything, and there was nothing special that caught my ear that made me want to go out and buy the soundtrack.

Susan Stroman, who did the choreography for the Broadway version, directs the movie. She also did the choreography here. And there in lies the problem. While a few of the numbers near the beginning show some creativity, most of them fall into the stage trap. They look like a dance routine created for the stage version of the show but filmed for the big screen. Of course, not every song needs to involve many locations, but this film began to become trapped by its sets in the second half, and an inventive musical number would have gone a long way toward saving it.

Even leaving my distaste for much of the humor aside, The Producers falls short of what it could have been. A little more creativity could have made this movie rise to the level of the performances the actors gave.

Book Review: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Interesting story, strong main character

Cons: Pacing slow at the end, writing style needed some polish

The Bottom Line:

Famous noir novel

Doesn't quite stand up today

But still a good read

A Genre Defining Novel

It's a normal afternoon when a beautiful woman walks into the private eye office of Sam Spade and his partner Miles Archer. She shared with them a tale of woe about a sister who has run off with a horrible man. The woman hires them to follow this man, and Archer jumps at the job.

Spade is awakened that night to learn that Archer has been murdered. A little while later, their target is also murdered. The police are intent to place the blame for one of these to crimes squarely on Spade's shoulders, a thought he doesn't relish in the least.

It's the next morning when the client walks back into the office. Sam quickly learns that her real name is Brigid O'Shaughnessy. But she still claims to be in real trouble, with men after her. It's very slowly Spade learns that she is involved in a quest to gain a statue worth millions. Many people would kill to gain this statue. Is Sam in over his head? Who has the statue? And who really killed Miles Archer?

Anyone who reads my reviews knows I prefer the cozy or comic mystery over the noir genre. But my curiosity about this classic got the better of me, so I listened to it on tape on a recent car trip. There were parts I enjoyed, but over all, it felt a little empty to me.

Of course, part of that could be the time difference. When the book first came out in 1930, the loner PI who struggles with his conscience while smoking and drinking his way through a case wasn't a cliche. In fact, Spade has many literary sons in the PI's of page and screen over the last 65 years. Even though he's now a cliche, I found I actually grew to like Sam and wanted him to find a way out of this mess alive. His quick wits and smart deductions made me like him, even if his moral flaws turned me off.

The storyline was interesting as well. There were several nice twists that I halfway expected but wasn't completely certain about. Others caught me completely off guard. There was enough action to hold my attention most of the time. Ironically, as the book neared its climax, the story seemed to slow down. The last two chapters, especially, were much slower then I would have liked.

The writing style seemed choppy to me as well. Since I listened to the book instead of reading it, some of the fault may lie with the reader. Still, the final scene seemed overly melodramatic to me. And at times, the dialogue was choppy as one character was monologing when it felt natural for another person in the scene to respond to what they were saying.

Of course, I'm more then willing to admit, the biggest problem with The Maltese Falcon could have been me. My natural dislike of PI novels could have made me pickier when evaluating it. Those who enjoy the genre should certainly give this undisputed classic a chance. The rest of us will likely not be as enthralled by the tale, although there's certainly no harm in its consumption.

Movie Review: The Music Man (2003)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: A great version of a classic American musical.

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Charming new version

Filled with laughs and great music

To enjoy again

No Trouble Right Here in This Remake

"Professor" Harold Hill (Matthew Broderick) has come to River City, Iowa, to get them to start a boys' marching band. He claims he can teach the students to play; all the parents need to do is buy the instruments and uniforms. In reality, it's a con, and he plans to leave town the instant he gets the final payment. Only the mayor (Victor Garber) and Marian (Kristin Chenoweth), the local librarian and piano teacher, seem at all suspicious of this fast talking smooth salesman. Can they find the proof they need to stop him from swindling the rest of the town? Will they want to?

I'm almost ashamed to say that this was my introduction to this classic American musical. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it, however. Since I had nothing to compare it to the first time I saw it, I thought it was wonderful. I have since seen the original film, and I can see differences. Matthew Broderick plans a toned down version of Harold Hill, but I find his charm more appealing as a selling point to the town's people. I find Robert Preston's performance in the original to be over the top, but Mr. Broderick finds the right balance to make his Professor Hill believable. Kristin Chenoweth shines as Marion. That woman can sing and brings real warmth to the roll. Of course, I enjoy seeing her every chance I get, so I might be a little biased. The rest of the cast is wonderful as well, especially Victor Garber as the mayor and Molly Shannon as his wife. Considering Mr. Garber's past musical experience, I was surprised at how small his part here really was, but he makes every appearance memorable.

And the story is wonderful as well. The romance between Harold and Marion is heart warming. And the story is told is just a clever enough way to make you not know who is fooling whom. Watching the changes in the town over the course of the movie brings a smile to my face.

A big complaint I had with the original was the dance sequences, which were small in scope, almost like the actors were on a stage. This version takes better advantage of the format for some truly inventive, fun dance numbers, especially in "Seventy-six Trombones" and "Marian the Librarian."

Those hoping for some nice bonus features on the DVD will be disappointed. There is only a short (7 or 8 minute) documentary on the making of the film that barely scratches the surface and a special recording of Kristin Chenoweth singing "Till there was You." The movie itself is presented in full frame, which makes sense considering it was made for TV. Picture quality and sound are top notch throughout the DVD.

So, which version is better? That's really a hard call. Those raised with the Robert Preston version will probably find flaws here and reasons to like the original. I think I lean a little more toward this one, mainly for the dance numbers and favorites in the cast. Both are excellent, however, and capture the charm of The Music Man well.

Movie Review: Freaky Friday (2003)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun story with a heart warming ending

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Some body switching

Leads to hilarious scenes

Wonderful remake

Nothing Freaky About it - This Movie is Wonderful

Mother and daughter Tess and Anna Coleman just don't get along. Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) embarrasses teenage Anna to no end and is so busy planning a wedding she doesn't realize her daughter is growing up. Anna (Lindsay Lohan) resents her mother's fiancee and wants to be treated as a grown-up, even if she's not responsible enough yet. She also gets into trouble at school and her mother just doesn't get her band.

Then one Friday, they wake up to discover they've been transported into each other's bodies. Now Tess has to go to school and see what Anna's world is really like. And Anna must act like a grown-up whether she wants to or not. But can they figure out how to switch back before Tess walks down the aisle?

I actually have never seen the original or read the book, but as soon as I heard about this movie, I had to see it because of Lindsay Lohan. I became an instant fan with her work in The Parent Trap remake, and this movie impressed me even more. She made a grown-up trapped in a teen's body completely believable. Jamie Lee Curtis is equally wonderful as a grown-up who really isn't. The supporting cast is wonderful as they try to coup with the weirdness going on around them that they can't possibly understand. Mark Harmon especially makes the thankless task of the fiancee fun and Chad Michael Murray adds laughs as Anna's love interest who finds himself falling for Tess. I laughed the entire way through the movie and choked up with tears at the end. (I cry at the drop of a hat, what can I say?)

What impressed me most was the family relationships in this movie. While Tess had lots to learn about what her teenage daughter's life is really like, it's ultimately Anna who has to grow the most. I liked the idea that living like the other person for a day can make that much difference. Yes, it's fiction, but it's feel good fiction. That’s my favorite kind of movie.

The DVD is well worth buying. Not only do you get the fun movie, but you get a few cool extras. They have a deleted scene with director commentary (and he was right to delete it), and two alternative endings. The bloopers reel was fun, as were the two music video's from the soundtrack. There is a seven minute back stage featurette this is also worth checking out. I would have loved to see an audio commentary or two, especially one including Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, but it's not to be found. The movie itself is presented in both widescreen and full frame formats, with a wonderful picture. The full surround sound is great as well.

Truly fun movies the entire family can enjoy together are a rare treat. Jump on Freaky Friday while you can. Everyone will have an evening of pleasant entertainment.

TV Show Review: Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: 26 hours guaranteed to tickle your punny bone

Cons: Clear "R&B" logo in lower right hand corner, middle segment not in booklet

The Bottom Line:

Some more funny puns

Provide plenty more great fun

For young for and old

The Pun Continues

Back with their second season of groan inducing puns, it's the cartoon adventures of Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle the Moose!!!

This time around, we get 52 half hour episodes on 4 double-sided DVD's. That'll keep you watching and laughing for quite some time. Each episode features two segments starring our heroes. There are seven plots for our heroes this go around.

Upsidaisium, by far the longest with 36 segments, tells the story of Bullwinkle's inheritance of a anti-gravity metal. Trying to get it to Washington proves dangerous when the pair must deal with their old nemesis, Boris and Natasha.

Metal Munching Mice finds our heroes facing a horrid terror in the form of six feet tall metal mice who eat television antennas. The horror!

Greenpernt Oogle finds Bullwinkle kidnapped to take the place of an island's oogle bird. Now he must accurately predict the weather or else.

Rue Britannia once again deals with Bullwinkle inheriting something. This time, it's an English estate. The catch? He has to live in Abominable Manor for a week. Even though he's been living in an abominable manner all his life, he still faces danger since the other heirs have hired Boris and Natasha to do him in.

Buried Treasure Frostbite Falls is running a contest to increase it's circulation. Soon, the entire town is searching for the treasure. But Boris wants to use it as an excuse to rob the local bank.

The Last Angry Moose, the shortest with only 4 segments, finds Bullwinkle in Hollywood trying to make a movie for a director bearing a remarkable resemblance to Boris.

Wailing Whale Ships are disappearing and it's up to Rocky and Bullwinkle to find the fearsome whale Maybe Dick and put a stop to the whole thing.

Of course, each 30 minute episode includes other fun segments as well. It has either a Fractured Fairytale (a take off of some well known tale or fairytales in general) or an Aesop Fable (fable like stories with a humorous twist); Bullwinkle's Corner (poetry acted out and mocked), Mr. Know-It-All (Bullwinkle trying to show us how to do something and failing), or a Rocky and Bullwinkle Fan Club segment (actually, these are rather stupid, so fortunately there are only a handful); and Dudley Do-right (a riff melodramas set in a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Camp) or Peabody's Incredible History (Mr. Peabody, a dog, and his boy Sherman travel back in time and make sure history actually happens). In fact, this set contains my favorite Dudley segment, "Saw Mill."

The show was low budget TV from the 60's, so its animation isn't going to impress anyone. It's simple and often slightly off from one shot to the next. However, it serves its purpose to tell the story, and the dialogue is so funny you really won't care.

The set this time around has a Sherman and Mr. Peabody theme with the cover art and they get a couple page write up in the included booklet.

The set includes 16 minutes of extras on the final disc. The highlight of these is an interview with June Foray, voice of Rocky, Natasha, and countless other characters in the show. There are also three Bullwinkle commercials for Cheerios, a segment from "Kirwood Derby," part of the next season set, and a downright hysterical spoof ad for "Moose Calls: The Best of Bullwinkle Sings."

Purists will note that the opening and closing from the last season set is once again present for almost all of episodes. It changes for the final 9 - no idea why. Personally, I didn't grow up watching the show, so these don't mean much to me. A little more annoying is the presence of the mostly clear "R&B" in the lower right hand corner for a couple minutes each segment. My biggest complain is that the middle segment (Bullwinkle's Corner or Mr. Know-It-All) isn't included in the episode guide in the booklet. On the plus side, the full frame picture is super clear and practically free from dust. The mono sound, while not impressive by today's standards, gets the job done perfectly.

This show's wit and puns tickle my funny bone every time I watch it. With a great low price for what you get, you won't find a better deal then this second season set.