Eenie Meenie Miney Movies: April 2011

Eliot thought April was the cruellest month but this year it has some very kind signs for parents (and kids) who love movies.

Notable Theatrical Releases in Austin (April)

Hop (In theaters now, PG, wide release) -- This movie has been flying pretty low under my personal radar but Russell Brand -- who voices the teenage son of the Easter Bunny in this animated/live-action hybrid -- has been making the talkshow rounds and my curiosity is piqued. I'm curious to see whether Kaley Cuoco shows promise outside of the sitcom world of Big Bang Theory, and even more curious to see what the film does with a cast that includes Hank Azaria, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, David Hasselhoff, and Hugh Laurie. Hop opened on the first of the month and should be around until Easter at least.

African Cats (April 22, G, wide release) -- I can only imagine that the latest in Disney's "Disneynature" series is aimed squarely at the Lion King demographic. Here's the official plot summary:

"An epic true story set against the backdrop of one of the wildest places on Earth, African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother's strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion."

African Cats debuts on Earth Day, April 22 ... and is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson.

Muppets and Other Family-Friendly Alamo Programs -- The Alamo Drafthouse has a number of kid-friendly options this month, the largest number of which center around a celebration of the Muppets. If you have kids six or older who dig the Muppets, it's a good month to get yourself to the theater.

Muppets: Commercials & Experiments -- April 6 at 7 pm, Alamo Ritz

The Muppet Movie Sing-along -- April 7 at 7 pm and April 14 at 7 pm, Alamo Ritz; and at Alamo Village on April 6 at 7 pm and April 10 at 7 pm

Sesame Street at 40 -- April 9 at 1:30 pm, Alamo Ritz

Muppet Fairytales -- April 10 at 1:30 pm, Alamo Ritz

Zzang!! presents The Dark Crystal -- April 24 at 7 pm, Alamo Ritz

The Valley of Gwangi --April 30 at 11 am, Alamo South Lamar -- Alamo's free Saturday Morning Kids Club this month is a classic 1960s cowboys-and-dinosaurs flick featuring stop-motion creatures from animation maestro Ray Harryhausen. If your kids love the dinosaurs like mine do, it's kind of a can't-miss. (Here's a review at Stomp Tokyo.)

Notable Home Video Releases

Tangled (Available now) -- April started out with a bang with the video release of Disney's reimagining of Rapunzel. Given that it features the first Caucasian Disney princess in nearly 20 years, the stakes were pretty high and I have to say they did it right. I think I've mentioned it in almost every Eenie Meenie column thus far but hey -- it's that good. (Mike's theatrical review)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (April 15) -- With the release of the second part (and the completion of the series as a whole) due in July, Harry Potter mania seems to be winding down. I'm a fan of the books but I usually find the film adaptations to be dull and perfunctory. (Exceptions to that included Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire.) It's always nice to see Alan Rickman vamp around as Severus Snape but other than that, the movies usually just feel like visual shorthand for people who have read the books. This film was one of the dullest in the series, mostly because the first half of the story contains a lot of angst before the magical ass-kicking begins (and which will presumably make Part 2 a heckuva lot more exciting.) Anyway, Muggle completists: here it is. (Jette's theatrical review)

TRON: The Original Classic and TRON: Legacy (Available starting today) -- I don't know anyone who loved the sequel to TRON, but I'm sure kids dig the visuals in both films and I'll want to watch the two films back-to-back just to compare. If you're just nutty for TRON, dig the super-duper combo pack with the special packaging. (Mike's theatrical review)

H.R. Pufnstuf: Complete Series (April 12) -- See, now we're getting to the good stuf. Er, stuff. If you're not familiar with Sid & Marty Krofft's signature TV series, just imagine the Muppet band Electric Mayhem with a little more acid and much lower production values. I'm a fan but if I'm honest that's how I have to describe it.

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (Available now) -- I did not know that someone was producing a new Peanuts special. The reviews seem mostly positive but I have some trepidation. Here's the quick synopsis: "Nothing can separate Linus and his beloved blue blanket, but with the news that disapproving Grandma is coming to visit, the Peanuts gang tries everything in their power to persuade the independent-minded boy to let go."

Netflix Instant Picks:

A couple of gems new to Netflix Instant streaming video:

Toy Story 3 -- The final chapter in Pixar's Toy Story trilogy should need no introduction, and I'm feeling lazy. If your remote control has been hiding under a rock and you haven't seen this yet, now is the time.

Madeline animated series -- I'm always nervous about letting my daughter start a new animated series, especially one based on a beloved book (the adaptation of Eloise was particularly disappointing), but Madeline scores highly with daughter and dad alike.