Disney Chimpanzee Blu-ray DVD Movie Review

When Disney makes a movie about Nature I always want to see it. They make great movies! Chimpanzees have been something I have loved watching on nature shows since I was little. The way the interact as a family and are individuals is fascinating. When we go to the zoo my son and I watch the Chimpanzees for the longest time of any animals we see. To see them in a wild environment like the movie Disney Nature Chimpanzee was amazing.

The star of the movie is Oscar. He is a little chimp with his mama. This movie is about the adventures of little Oscar and his family in the jungle. Note: Some parts did make me cry! :) I was amazed at the clarity of this movie. It was like you were there! I giggled a bit to hear Tim Allen as the voice over, for me he is Tim the Toolman Taylor lol. I would have maybe liked a different person to voice over but thats just me. My son liked the "monkey movie" as he calls it. I told him they are Chimpanzees and he just looked at me and said "Mama its Monkeys".  I love that he likes animal movies like I did as a kid.

Film Synopsis:
From Disneynature, the studio that brought you “Earth,” “Oceans,” and “African Cats,” comes “Chimpanzee” — a remarkable story of individual triumph and family bonds. Journey deep into the African forest and meet Oscar, an adorable young chimp with an entertaining approach to life. The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps who love creating mayhem. His playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom. Stunning hi-definition images bring you up close and personal as Oscar and his family navigate the complex territory of the forest. It’s an inspiring and life-changing adventure that overflows with courage and charm. And it will capture your heart.


 
Bonus Features:
DVD:
• “See ‘Chimpanzee,’ Save Chimpanzees”—This feature details the “See ‘Chimpanzee,’ Save Chimpanzees” conservation program and how for every copy of the film purchased until August 27, 2012, Disneynature will make a donation to JGI to protect chimpanzees today and tomorrow. The feature also includes an interview with Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace.
• Disney’s Friends for Change—This feature highlights Disney's Friends for Change, a program that showcases steps that kids and families can take to make a positive impact on the world and the people and animals that live there.
• Disney’s Conservation Legacy—This feature provides a look at the conservation efforts that Disney sponsors around the world.
BLU-RAY:
Everything on the DVD, plus …
• ON LOCATION: THE MAKING OF “CHIMPANZEE” is a series of exciting short features that delve further into the incredible lengths the filmmakers went to tell the story of Oscar and his chimpanzee family.
o 30 Years in the Making—The story of the team of researchers who have been observing chimpanzees in the Ivory Coast for 30 years.
o The Heart of the “Chimpanzee”—A behind-the-scenes look at how and why the film was made.
o Piece of the Puzzle—A cameraman’s two-hour daily trek through the forest to get to the chimpanzees.
o Don’t Blame the Tool—An observation of the chimpanzees’ daily lives and how they use rocks as tools to prepare their food.
o Scar’s Army—An inside look at the struggles between the film’s two rival chimpanzee groups who share the same forest home.
o Camp Invaders—A featurette on all the creepy, crawly creatures found at the filmmakers’ forest camp.
o Forest of Bees—A feature detailing how the crew spent two days wading through a sea of bees that inhabited their filming location in order to capture 20 seconds of footage.



Movie Disc Info:
Feature Run Time: Approx. 78 Minutes
Rating: G (U.S. and Canada) Bonus Features not rated
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: Blu-ray = English 5.1 DTS-HD MA; French/Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD = English/French/Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Languages: English/French/Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH/French/Spanish


The conservation program tied to the theatrical release will help protect 129,236 acres (202 square miles) of wild chimpanzee habitat through infrastructure investments in the expanded Tchimpounga Nature Reserve in the Republic of Congo (Congo); educate 60,000 schoolchildren about chimpanzee conservation; and provide food and medicine for nearly all of the orphaned chimpanzees at JGI’s Tchimpounga chimpanzee sanctuary for at least the next year.
 

ABOUT THE “SEE ‘CHIMPANZEE’ SAVE CHIMPANZEES” CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Disneynature will contribute $.50 to the Jane Goodall Institute for the Disneynature Tchimpounga Nature Reserve Project per Blu-ray DVD Combo Pack and Digital purchase through August 27, 2012, with a minimum of $30,000 pledged to this program. Information concerning the Jane Goodall Institute can be obtained, without cost, by writing to JGI, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22203, or by calling 703-682-9220, or by visiting www.janegoodall.org. This purchase is not tax deductible.

Stay connected with the latest “Chimpanzee” information:
• “Like” the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Disneynature
• Follow on Twitter www.Twitter.com/Disneynature
• Website and Mobile Site: www.Disney.com/Chimpanzee

You can order a copy of Disney Nature Chimpanzee online at the Disney store. 


 *I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free a copy for my review.

The Kindergartener

Guess who started Kindergarten? This guy!! JJ has embarked on the wonderful world of Elementary School! He started Kindergarten this week and couldn't be more excited! He was so excited to use his new backpack, his new clothes and new shoes. Growing up the first day of school was a special day in our family. We got to wear all of the new stuff that had been hanging in our closets just waiting for the "special" first day. My sister and I would model our new clothes almost daily until the first day was upon us. Having two sons, things are a little different. They are not so much into the clothing part but the school supplies and backpack were all the rage!! Definitely looking forward to all of the fun this school year will hold! Elementary school is such an important milestone in his life, one that we are truly going to enjoy.  

Champions for Kids September Simple Service Project: Nickelodeon Book Drive

As far back as I have memories books have been front and center in my life. My mom read to us all the time and made sure there were plenty of books for us 5 kids. Birthdays, Holidays and just because books were given to us. I have wonderful memories of trips to the book store to meet authors to sign our books, even Babar the Elephant at one book event. Books are very important to my family and its a love I now share with my own son. Not only is my son learning as I read to him and he "reads" in his own way back to me (he is almost 3 years old) but its a time we can bond as a family.

Libraries were something we were lucky enough to have access to. Once we even lived next door to a huge library it was Awesome!!! Sadly this is not the case in many homes. Many families and educators do not have the resources to buy books for their own children or students. The thought that kids do not have the chance to sit down and read a book at home makes me beyond sad. Books not only teach kids to read but they teach them to be creative and to see the world through a different perspective.

Here are some facts about Children's Literacy in America from Champions for Kids:

• Students who do more reading at home are better readers and have higher math scores. Students with more types of reading materials in the home also demonstrate greater reading proficiency.
•  67% of fourth graders in the U.S. are reading below a Proficient level, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.
• 61% of low-income families have no books for children in their homes, and more than 80% of the preschool and after-school programs serving at-risk children have no books at all.
•  Approximately 8.7 million fourth through twelfth grade students struggle with required reading and writing tasks in school. For many adolescent students, ongoing difficulties with reading and writing figure prominently in the decision to drop out of school.

For the month of September Champions for Kids Simple Service Project will be a Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I am so excited to be a part of this project. Books are so special to me and I feel like every home should be full of them.

 My son and I headed to Walmart to shop for books to donate. I found many cute Nickelodeon books with the characters we know. There was Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go and Sponge Bob. I was looking for Blues Clues too but did not spot him. We found many great books to donate at low prices.

 My son loves books as much as I do and had a blast helping me pick out the books for us to buy. Our book section had many books to select from. I wish it was bigger but that's just because I LOVE books!

These are the books I have collected just in the last few days for my Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I have the books I purchased at Walmart and a few others that neighbors have given me. I have only just started to collect donations and I look forward to seeing how many books we can collect for a local charity. I have selected a local charity that I know could use these books. They house families in transition from being homeless to independent living in sustainable environments. These families could be any of our neighbors that have lost jobs and then lost their homes with no where to turn. I feel this charity can use the book donation to give to the children that live there. There can be as many as 30 kids living at the charity transitional homes that need these books to make sure they can get the quality reading they deserve.

I encourage all of you to participate in the Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive in your own communities and to report it on the Champions for Kids website. Together we can be the one of millions to help Champions for Kids meet their goal of helping 20 million people by 2020. It can be as simple as asking friends and family to help you by collecting gently used books. So many of us have kids or grandkids that have books they have outgrown that other kids would cherish. Or get together and have a donation jar for change for whatever money people have to spare for money to buy new books. You can participate by having community group or kids sports teams make a group donation of a few books too. There are so many ways each and everyone of us can find a way to help kids get the books they need. #NickCFK

Here is a short video from Champions for Kids about the Nickelodeon Book Drive:




For more ideas on what types of books Walmart has to buy for your donation, including the awesome Bargain Bin you can read my Google+ Story.



*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids. #NickCFK #CBias All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Wordless Wednesday - Chocolate Beard (PLUS LINKY)

Labor Day Fun: Sacramento Gold Rush Days

 I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day weekend. Its warm here in Northern Cali but that could not keep us away from the Sacramento Gold Rush Days. I have heard so much about this event I knew we needed to go this year.


This was the first time my family and I attended the Sacramento Gold Rush Days. I have to say it was really fun. Much more than I expected. I can see why it is a Labor Day tradition for many families. There was so much to do we did not get done everything we wanted to. We now have more to look forward to next year.

 We took a fun train ride along the American River. The train ride was bumpy and fun. My son loved the train whistle and watching the river as we passed by. We even saw cowboys doing a Wild West show.

I would recommend attending this event next year for Labor Day weekend if you are a Northern CA local or plan to be in the area. There were so many live action shows going on, hands on activities, great food, lots of stores to shop at, all the people were nice and it really did feel like we were back in the 1800s.