#Movies – Rooting to Rise

What better way to spend a Friday night then with my best friend and our two best girls.

I took my reluctant Rebekah and off we went to the movies. She wasn’t so keen on going to see the Jungle Book, she was convinced it would be boring- NO WAY! It’s a Disney movie!

I haven’t been to our local mall’s theater in quite some time and was pleasantly surprised to see we had recliner seats! We settled in, reclined back and started shoving fists full of sodium loaded kernels into our mouths. As the movie began it felt as if Mowgli dashed right past us in attempt to keep up with his wolf pack family, “I know you are not a wolf Mowgli, but you MUST try to act more like one, you must stay low to the ground.”

From that point on the breath taking scenery brought us straight into Mowgli’s world making it easy to forget about the world that lies right outside the theater doors; we traveled through beautiful deserts, the rain forest and to a waterfall. This movie brought the once animated characters of the Jungle Book to life on the screen right before our eyes. At one point I found myself wanting to jump into the screen onto Baloo’s belly along with Mowgli as they floated down the jungle river singing ~ Bare Necessities ~

I don’t want to give away the most spectacular parts so I will go straight to the ending which left us with an amazing message, not only for children but for adults as well.

Be yourself- be who you were created to be. When you are true to your genuine self, the person God made you to be and listening to the whispers of your heart allowing them to guide you in life, you can accomplish amazing feats.

This movie truly touched me in a very special way and Rebekah didn’t think it was boring one bit! She loved it as well~

The debut of Muppets Most Wanted landed on the last day of the school week, Friday. So……. I did what any responsible parent would do; I signed Rebekah out of school for a half day! What a perfect opportunity to have lunch with my best girl and share a movie starring characters that have crossed generational gaps.

Watching the Muppet show was a weekly treat for me As their opening sequence began with Kermit’s introductions, in his usual upbeat approach – I was settled in for a half hour of pure laughter and fun. This was an adolescent’s variety show that had it all, my favorite being – “PIGS IN SPACE!” When the holidays rolled around, I asked Santa for non-other than the Miss Piggy Puppet which became my prized possession at 8 years old.

When Disney invited the Muppets to join their family in 2004, I was thrilled! Combining two childhood memories – a match made in heaven. Last Christmas I gifted Rebekah The Muppets Christmas Carol. She was instantly smitten with the movie and to this day it has remained one of her favorites, once again creating special memories for not only me but her as well.

Part of the Muppets Most Wanted hype was airing previous Muppet movies. One of Rebekah’s recent favorites has become- Muppet Movie. I can’t even count the amount of times I find it playing on our TV. So when March 21^st arrived, of course I only had one thing on my mind, “We’re going to the movies!”

I sent a note earlier in the week to let the teacher know she would be leaving just before lunch that Friday, I am somewhat responsible 😉 The “day” arrived and I set off to gather up my girl. We started our movie premier off with lunch at Johnny Rockets, grilled cheese and burgers topped off with a vanilla milk shake to go- we were off to the movie! Though we were stuffed from lunch we had to get popcorn, it’s a movie goers right of passage to hold that buttery bucket of fluffy corn crunch. We knew the movie was about to start as the lights grew darker, it was time for Rebekah and I to share a moment in time; I knew she was not aware of how special this was for me.

I don’t want to give away too much of the movie since it is newly released in the theater, I will simply present my thoughts.

Something Muppets do very well is present their humor with no age boundaries; Rebekah and I laughed at most of the same scenes but at times for different reasons. For me, this feature was not as upbeat and light hearted as the previous Muppet movies. Rebekah did not stay as connected as she has with the previous films. I am not sure if it was the plot or the particular adult actors- but something was amiss for her. For me it was the plot that didn’t draw me in. Watching Dominic Badguy and Constantine lead the Muppets from one location to the next to seek out and steal the crown jewels of Great Britain, didn’t leave me with that light hearted feeling I usually feel when watching my pals. That aside, there were some great memorable scenes between the Muppets and the guest stars, they worked fluidly side by side. You get to see Miss Piggy in a wedding dress again; you’ll have to watch to find out if she and Kermie finally tie the knot. The finale brought it all together very nicely and was one of my favorite elements in the film. I think the movie will be well received by adults and children alike; this is the Muppets we are talking about- they have found their way into our hearts and I do not foresee it ever changing.

~ Maureen

The Jungle Book ~ What a Great Message!

Muppets Most Wanted and Making Special Memories