Dora the Explorer - Fun for all the family Movie Review 8 amigo's out of 10 Family Rating There is nothing in here to stop anyone from watching Last week three generations of the Duffus family celebrated our son's birthday by going to watch this genuinely entertaining movie. The characters will be familiar to all those who watched the animated series of the same name, as children or with their children, from 2000 on. Dora and Diego, Boots, Backpack, Map and of course Swiper. Dora, who is now a teenager, is played by the very talented young actress, Isabel Moner (Instant Family). Still rocking a bowl haircut, Dora has to leave the jungle for the city where she is reunited with her cousin, Diego. Adjusting to suburban life is difficult for this native girl and the first couple of scenes address the challenges of being different and how to deal with it. While Dora is away, her parents go missing while searching for an ancient Incan city of Gold. A kidnapping takes Dora and three school friends back to the jungle where they race against the evil villains to rescue her parents.  The four teenagers learn how to work together and trust in each other with Dora's perky nature lifting them to achieve things they had never imagined. Throughout the movie, the characters reflect their animated characters, with asides to the audience, a fascination with pronouncing words in Spanish and of course keeping the treasures away from Swiper. Our granddaughter was entertained throughout by the antics of Boots the monkey and the fart and poo jokes which had her laughing out loud. There is nothing innovative or ground-breaking in the story or production but it is so refreshing to have a movie that kids from 8 to 80 can watch together and enjoy. With school holidays upon us, this is the one movie that you should take the time to see.

Ad Astra - to the stars and back? Movie Rating 7 stars out of 10 Family Rating It is an adult drama but has limited coarse language and some violence. I would not recommend it for children as it is slow-moving and driven by adult themes. After watching so many Marvel movies I was looking forward to Ad Astra as it was noted as a film with a slower pace and more thought-provoking than the smash and bash of recent months. The film is very much a vehicle for Brad Pitt who is Roy McBride, accomplished astronaut, who is seen to have a passion for space that is stronger than all other relationships. We learn that Roy's love of the planets and beyond comes from his famous father Clifford, played by Tommy Lee Jones, who led Lima Project group to Neptune seeking life beyond our own galaxy. However, no one has heard from the expedition for many years. When a mysterious power surge hits the earth with devastating effect, Roy is enlisted to assist as it is believed that the surge has been generated from the outskirts of the galaxy. Having proven himself as a talented astronaut and sharing a link with his father he is sent on a mission to find the source of the power surge and to nullify any future damage. To achieve this he has to travel to the moon, then Mars and on towards the last planet of the solar system (we all know that this is really Pluto!!). It is understood that space travel has many perils and Roy has a number of these to contend with, but this movie is not a high action sci-fi story of the Star Trek variety. Brad Pitt is very much the centre of the film and spends much of it alone with his thoughts. The story is conveyed through Roy's voiceovers as he ponders his relationship with the Universe and the lack of relationship that he had with his father, who he idolised but also never really knew. As the film progresses he struggles with his own beliefs as he grows to understand the real intent of his mission. The musical score is hauntingly beautiful and there is a calming effect as you watched Roy travel through space. At the same time, the tension builds towards a conclusion that you sense will not be a happy ending. In playing Roy McBride, I saw glimpses in Brad Pitt of a middle-aged Robert Redford but I don't believe Pitt has the charisma to hold the story together. Tommy Lee Jones, as Clifford McBride, struggles to portray, with any real depth, the role of a man who's soul is broken so badly by what he discovers that he loses all hope in humanity. As a film about space travel, Ad Astra's tone is reminiscent of…