Disney Princesses

It kind of bothers me how pictures of the Disney Princesses almost always shows just Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White and Belle. We're lucky if Ariel's there; we're even luckier if Jasmine's remembered.

But what about Mulan or Pocahontas or Anastasia. Heck, there's Megara and even Nala! Yes, I'm ranting and I'm well aware that these four princesses on the picture are the original Disney Princesses.

My favorite Disney movies are Mulan, Pocahontas, The Lion King and Hercules. It's mostly the story plus the different approach to the artwork that drew me in. The other Disney Princesses movies all have the same plot: a girl meeting her prince charming. Quite boring, actually.

What about you guys? Your favorite Disney Princess?

Cute Dinosaurs!

Land Before Time -- A 1988 animated movie directed by Don Bluth, Land Before Time is a movie about 5 baby dinosaurs who were on a journey to find the Great Valley after their home was destroyed by an earthquake.

The five dinosaurs are:
Littlefoot - Apatosaurus
Cera - Tricerotops
Ducky - Parasaurolophus
Petrie - Pteranodon
Spike - Stegosaurus

Littlefoot is the main character in the Land Before Time, the rest are his friends who help him go through any ordeal he encounters. The story basically revolves around Littlefoot...and for a dinosaur as young as he is, Littlefoot sure went through a whole lot.

Oh the antagonist here is a Tyrannosaurus Rex, otherwise known as Sharptooth. Well I guess it's pretty obvious by now that the names of the characters in Land Before Time describe, or at least is associated with the type of dinosaurs who own the name.

Land Before Time made me cry - both as a kid and as a 20-something kid-at-heart. The story is simple, but how they portrayed it moves a viewer to tears. It really does. I guess it's because anyone can relate to Littlefoot and his four friends. There's also a moral to the story, and it doesn't take an adult to explain it to a kid for the kid to understand it. Just by watching the movie, the kid would be able to understand what the movie is trying to teach.

Also, since the first movie was quite popular (my parents bought me a VHS copy when I was young and I actually memorized their lines from start to finish), so they made a sequel. Plus several other sequels after that. To date, there are around 12 Land Before Time movies and a television spin-off. I wasn't particularly fond of the TV spin-off, but the movies are quite amusing. They're more light-hearted as compared to the first Land Before Time movie, but nonetheless entertaining.

The Pagemaster

Pagemaster -- I remember watching Pagemaster when I was around 9 years old (this was released on 1994, btw). I loved the whole live-action and animation combination throughout the movie. Well, it wasn't so much of a combination as compared to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? or Space Jam since the movie switches between live-action and animation, plus majority of the story is animated.

For those of you who haven't heard of the Pagemaster yet, it's a movie that stars Macaulay Culkin as Richard. He was a timid boy who was fearful of a lot of things. His father decided to make a tree house for him but he's too scared to climb up and help his dad. So one day, his dad runs out of nails and asks Richard to buy some for him. On the way home, rain starts to pour heavily and Richard is forced to seek shelter at the library.

There he meets the librarian, played by Christopher Lloyd, who quickly assumes that Richard is looking for a fiction book and sends Richard off to find one. He slips on the floor at the center of the building and as he wakes up, and suddenly a huge wave of color engulfs him, turning him into a cartoon character.

He then meets three books, Adventure, Fantasy and Horror, in their respective sections. They encounter the Pagemaster who tells them that they have to find the exit, and thus begins an adventure for Richard.

It's a great movie for both kids and adults. I mean, a lot of the grown-ups would recognize literature references all throughout the movie more than the kids would do. Well there's a moral too, just a simple lesson for Richard to face his fears. It was a lot of trouble for that one piece of advice, but at least, he was able to learn how to do just that.

Let's All Take A Trip To...

The Magic School Bus -- Does anyone actually remember this show? It's been aired so long ago that I doubt kids these days remember it at all. I watch Magic School Bus when I was a kid and I learned a lot about science. Just the basic, kid stuff.

(Looking back, I realize that the Magic School Bus creators must be high at that time.)

Anyway, as I mentioned, the Magic School Bus is a kids' show that featured different science concepts with each episode. The multi-cultural children and their teacher, Ms. Frizzle, all go on a field trip every time to learn the concepts presented during class. They board the Magic School bus and then the fun begins.

The Magic School Bus can be anything: a space ship, submarine, shrinking machine... Anything that the class needs for them to learn the lesson. How COOL is that, right? Right? RIGHT?

It's actually a good way to teach your kids science before the internet was easily accessible to anyone.. But then, who wants to read long articles with graphs and charts right? I'm sure very little 8-year-olds would want to do that. So here is another option: Magic School Bus! It's not boring, it doesn't force kids to eat veggies (that discourages them from watching, trust me) and the best part is... Magic School Bus is a cartoon series! How COOL is that, right?!

Okay, so here's a list of episodes for all 4 seasons...just try to make out what each episode is about. Enjoy!

Season 1

• The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space
• The Magic School Bus For Lunch
• The Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie
• The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten
• The Magic School Bus Hops Home
• The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad
• The Magic School Bus All Dried Up
• The Magic School Bus in the Haunted House
• The Magic School Bus Gets Ready, Set, Dough
• The Magic School Bus Plays Ball
• The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed
• The Magic School Bus Gets Ants in Its Pants
• The Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm

Season 2

• The Magic School Bus Blows
  
• The Magic School Bus Flexes Its Muscles
• The Magic School Bus: The Busasaurus
• The Magic School Bus Going Batty
• The Magic School Bus: Butterfly And The Bog Beast
• The Magic School Bus Wet All Over
• The Magic School Bus in a Pickle
• The Magic School Bus Revving Up
• The Magic School Bus Taking Flight
• The Magic School Bus Getting Energized
• The Magic School Bus Out of this World
• The Magic School Bus Gets Cold Feet
• The Magic School Bus: Ups and Downs

Season 3

• The Magic School Bus In A Beehive
• The Magic School Bus In The Arctic
  
• The Magic School Bus Spins A Web
• The Magic School Bus Under Construction
• The Magic School Bus Gets A Bright Idea
• The Magic School Bus Makes A Rainbow
• The Magic School Bus Goes Upstream
• The Magic School Bus Works Out
• The Magic School Bus Gets Planted
• The Magic School Bus In The Rainforest
• The Magic School Bus Rocks And Rolls
• The Magic School Bus Holiday Special

Season 4

• The Magic School Bus Meets Molly Cule
• The Magic School Bus Cracks A Yolk
• The Magic School Bus Goes To Mussel Beach
• The Magic School Bus Goes On Air
• The Magic School Bus Gets Swamped
• The Magic School Bus Goes Cellular
• The Magic School Bus Sees Stars
• The Magic School Bus Gains Weight
• The Magic School Bus Makes A Stink
• The Magic School Bus Gets Charged
• The Magic School Bus Gets Programmed
• The Magic School Bus In The City
• The Magic School Bus Takes A Dive

Enjoy ;)

I Want A Gazillion-Bajillion Wishes!

Fairly Oddparents -- Wouldn't it be nice to have fairy godparents who can grant your every wish, no matter how many and with no strings attached? I'd probably wish for everything I can think of and maybe make some things (and people) disappear too while in the process. That would be more than super.

Which brings me to today's TV show review. Meet Timmy Turner - a 10-year-old who must probably be the unluckiest kid in Dimmsdale. His buckteeth always gets noticed and he always gets picked on by the neighborhood bully. Then his parents almost always ignore him and leave him at home with the vile babysitter, Vicky, whose life's primary purpose seems to be to torture Timmy.

Due to Timmy's unfortunate life, two fairy godparents were sent to him from Fairyland. So why is the title Fairly Oddparents? That's because they're odd, no other reason. Cosmo, the green-haired fairy, is always in space, so it's up to his wife, Wanda, the pink-haired one, to bring him back. Since no one is supposed to find out about them, Cosmo and Wanda usually transform into various objects or animals so they can freely go with Timmy.

The Fairly Oddparents follows no single storyline, meaning it's more or less random, but there are some occurrences where you had to have seen some earlier episodes and such. Although even if you didn't, the 30-minute cartoon would still be funny. Sometimes, one word can leave me laughing throughout the whole show and after, as I keep remembering it. Oh and it's also funny how Timmy gets tortured by Vicky. I know it's mean, but it makes me laugh.

I love this one song from The Fairly Oddparents, so I'll share it with you!

Icky Vicky

V! I! C-K-Y!
The sound of her name makes the little kids cry
OHHHHHHHH!

Hey Vicky!
You're so so icky
Just the thought of bein' round you
Makes me oh, so sicky

Hey Vicky
Won't you please explain
How you get so much enjoyment
Outta causing kids pain?

A chick who's just plain mean
A sour sweet sixteen
She a fire-breathing dragon
In a pair of black jeans!

Once Upon a Forest (1993)

Once Upon a Forest -- This is one of my favorite animated movies when I was a kid. It's funny and heartwarming and the story just grows on you when you watch it. Also, Once Upon a Forest' s characters are really cute!

The main characters of Once Upon a Forest are the ones on the picture to your left.

First there's Cornelius, a badger who is known to be the wisest in Dapplewood (the forest where they live in). He is responsible for teaching the Furlings, the baby-kid animals, all about the forest and the dangers outside the forest. Cornelius also likes to invent flying machines..

Then there's Michelle. She's a very very cute and sweet little badger who happens to be Cornelius' niece. Michelle's parents died in a gas accident in the forest which is why Cornelius is taking care of her. She is very fond of her uncle and she's always curious about everything.

Edgar is a little mole that is brilliant yet his brilliance can be surpassed by his shyness and oftentimes, he is not too courageous either. Although even if he acts this way, he still knows when to stand up against other people: when his friends get caught in a bit of a jam.

Then we have Abigail. She is a woodmouse who seems to act like a tomboy since she's so adventurous, with spunk but she cares for her friends a lot. Oh and obviously, because of her character and age, she is the leader of the Furlings.

Lastly, there's the hedgehog called Russell. He comes from a very big family so they have lots of food all the time. That's probably the reason why he loves eating so much and why he grows really fat.

The story? Uhmmm... Once Upon a Time is basically just a story of a bunch of forest animals who called their forest, Dapplewood. They were always taught to avoid the humans since they were the ones who were destroying the forest and killing off the families of the animals. One day, these gases were released into the forest and somehow Michelle, Cornelius' niece, inhaled them and got sick. The Furlings that Cornelius taught wanted to save Michelle so they built one of Cornelius' flying machines to get to the mountain that has the flower which can cure Michelle. Once Upon a Forest is a story of how three brave Furlings were able to save their friend and their home from those who want to destroy it.

Balto (1995)

"The true story of an American Hero"

Balto -- Balto is a canine, half-husky and half-wolf to be more exact, who is known for his heroic act of saving children in Nome, Alaska by bringing them the medicine that they need despite the weather. He leads a group of huskies in a 600-mile trip across Alaska to get the supplies. The story of Balto really happened back in the 1920s and has inspired a lot of people because of what he did.

Balto was an outcast just because he was different from all other huskies: he was half-wolf. I think a lot of people, both kids and grown-ups, can relate to this situation. How Balto was able to manage it was really extraordinary. He was able to make friends, but with the weirdest, truest and most loyal lot (a bunch of animals that included a goose and a mother and child polar bear). He was finally accepted by the town through his heroic and self-less act of bringing supplies to save the children.

The movie made me cry in the end. Happy tears, mind you. I'd make my kids watch this (if I have kids) because they'll learn a lot about values that should be applied by every human being here on earth. You'll get to learn acceptance, respect, understanding, compassion, loyalty, sacrifice and being self-less. I think everyone needs these things.

Balto is one of my favorite Disney movies ever. When I was young, I kept wishing I had a companion (not a pet) like Balto. Hmmm... maybe I should buy a husky and name him Balto instead ^_^

When there's something strange in your neighborhood...

"Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!!"

Ghostbusters -- Remember (L-R in the picture) Winston, Ray, Peter and Egon? Slimer and Janine? Well if you do, then you grew up during the 80s and Ghostbusters was part of your daily (or weekly) TV schedule.

For those who aren't aware, The Real Ghostbusters was a cartoons series based on the 1984 film of the same title, minus "Real". The Ghostbusters are in charge of cleaning up the city from paranormal entities by catching ghosts with their proton packs and trapping them in ghost traps where they will all be transfered to the containment unit back in HQ.

The Real Ghostbusters series follows the lot and their day-to-day proton-blasting adventures. It's really fun watching them catch all those ghosts (and sometimes, those ghosts get away and you wait for the Ghostbusters to re-capture it). They had cool weapons and even cooler transportation that they all make themselves.

Oh right, who are Janine and Slimer? Well, Janine's the loyal secretary in the Ghostbusters' HQ. She handles all calls regarding ghosts and tells the callers if the Ghostbusters are available and whatnot. She also does paperwork..well all the stuff normal secretaries do. She's amazing, being able to handle 4 guys and a lot of ghosts. Speaking of ghosts, Slimer is one. He was captured by the Ghostbusters but things happened (and I won't tell what -- spoilers) and he ended up being like the Ghostbusters' pet/mascot. He loves food and he's green and slimy...make the connection with his name ^_^

I definitely recommend Ghostbusters to anyone and everyone no matter what age group you belong to. Ghostbusters is for everyone. It has action, drama, adventure, humor, creeps - you name it! The Real Ghostbusters is a cartoon classic, so if you have kids and you grew up watching it, why not share it with your children? ^^,

Who are Beavis and Butt-head?

"I am Cornholio! You will bow down to my bunghole!" - Beavis

Beavis and Butt-head -- For those of you who were (un?)fortunate enough to miss this show, Beavis and Butt-head are from a cartoon series (of the same name) made by MTV.

Beavis is the blond dude while Butt-head's the brown-head. They're teenagers who live in Highland and go to Highland High School.

Each episode of Beavis and Butt-head centered on their "hobbies" which are almost exclusive to TV, junk food, malls, music, getting wasted and "scoring" chicks. They talk in a language most grown-ups never understand, which almost always began with, "Uhh..." or "Hey, hey..."

They watch music videos and criticize the video, the song and the artists. They are known for giving the worst comments and no one is spared from this humiliation. Butt-head can come up with lewd words like "ass-munch" and "fartknocker", which he derives from any normal sentence that he hears. Beavis on the other hand, has an alter-ego called Cornholio who surfaces whenever Beavis takes in sugar or caffeine. Cornholio has a distinctive Spanish accent and he never stops saying phrases like: "I am Cornholio", "I need TP for my bunghole" and "Are you threatening me?"

Beavis and Butthead are no longer aired these days (some attribute it to the controversies surrounding the show), but they will always be icons to the MTV generation who can still recall the boys' antics to this day.

Rainbow Brite

Rainbow Brite is probably known only by people who grew up during the 80s.

Rainbow Brite -- During the time when Rainbowland was stripped of color by The Kind of Shadows, a girl named Wisp was brought from Earth by Lady Brite to save the colorful world.

In Rainbowland, she meets and befriends a sprite named Twink who advised Wisp to run away to save herself. Wisp refused and made it her mission to save Rainbowland from The Dark One. Twink agreed to take Wisp with him and during their journey, they found a horse frozen in ice. With the joint efforts of Twink and Wisp, they were able to free the horse, Starlight, who joined them in their quest to save Rainbow land.

During a stormy night, Wisp found a baby and helped it seek refuge in a cave. Inside, Wisp discovered the Color Belt and realized that the baby she rescued was the Sphere of Light. She was able to contact the Color Kids who asked Wisp to rescue each one of them from the seven corners of the planet. Wisp, together with Twink and Starlight, was able to save the Color Kids but they had to face the King of Shadows.

They all fought together, eventually defeating the King of Shadows and Wisp was given a new name: Rainbow Brite. She was given the responsibility of protecting the colors in Rainbow land and later, in Earth and its galaxy and Rainbow Brite gets help whenever she needs it from the Sprites and the Color Kids. Not all the inhabitants of Raibowland are happy with the changes that happened: Murky Dismal and his sidekick Lurky continuously plot to rid Rainbowland of all its colors.

Even if they do so, Rainbow Brite will still save the day!