http://www.ratinghq.comRatinghq Category Comments Feed for Family & KidsRatingHQ (http://www.ratinghq.com)enThis children's program is a great combination of live-action and computer-animated characters. Blue, the adorable bright blue puppy dog with floppy ears, helps her friend Steve play games and learn about their environment by leaving him clues. Steve uses his notebook to record all the clues -- great memory and logic skill-builders for children. And then there's the catchy Blues Clues theme song, which Steve sings whenever he starts the game. Great fun for ages four and under. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-173/blue-s-clues-tv-series-.html2008-05-14 12:12:14Parents can introduce children to the spirit of the season with Barney's Halloween Party. Barney uses his usual squeaky-clean energy to infuse fall with a wholesome air. Fourteen songs are included in Barney's celebration and all are designed to stick in the brain. In lieu of haunted houses and ghoulish masks, the Barney team have fun with pumpkin carving and paper-bag owls, while spiders and piñatas serve as substitutes for trick or treating. In a side story, BJ and Baby Bop try their hand at door-to-door begging, but end up regretting the whole thing. Overall, Barney gets down with his fellow costumed guests and teaches viewers the value of old-fashioned fun. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-174/barney-barney-s-halloween-party.html2008-05-14 12:14:27When the big purple dinosaur cleans out his closet, he finds 23 different things that remind him of songs he performed with his friends. Each song is a clip from past Barney episodes, and preschoolers will love seeing favorites like "If You're Happy and You Know It," "Mr. Sun," "London Bridge," "A Camping We Will Go," and many more. Get ready to sit through this one many times, as kids will want to watch it over and over again. Recommended for ages four and under. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-175/barney-more-barney-songs.html2008-05-14 12:18:07This compellation video features many of the little red Muppet's silliest moments on Sesame Street. Elmo performs his famous head and arm bopping dance, explains the difference between heavy and light, sings funny songs, and has fun with guest star Whoopi Goldberg. Toddlers and preschoolers who can't get enough of Elmo on public television will enjoy this video. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-176/sesame-street-the-best-of-elmo.html2008-05-14 12:20:25When Big Bird and Maria go to the ABCD-Mart to buy a present for Snuffy's birthday, Big Bird gets lost when he chases after a loose roller skate. Luckily, Big Bird knows just what do, and Maria finds him just in time to make it to the party. Part of the Kid's Guide to Life series, this video is a useful tool for teaching children what do when they are lost. Recommended for ages two to six. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-177/sesame-street-big-bird-gets-lost.html2008-05-14 12:21:49Join Elmo, Ernie, Big Bird, Kermit and the rest of the muppets for the silliest game show on Sesame Street, The Sing-Along Guessing Game. Contestants Mary, her little lamb, and a man trying to find the bus to Cincinnati can't seem to win any points even though the answers to the questions are in the songs they sing. Songs include "I Love My Elbows," "Eight Balls of Fur," and "Alligator King." Fun entertainment for ages two to five. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-178/sesame-street-elmo-s-sing-along-guessing-game.html2008-05-14 12:22:57When Monty stops by Elmo's Exercise Camp to do a report, he ends up joining Elmo, Rosita, and Tarah in the fitness fun. Kids will bend, twist, hop, and jump into shape as they learn body parts through songs such as "Elbows and Knees," "Elmocise," and "Do the Benny Hop." This video is perfect for youngsters. It is short and emphasizes movement and health over structured exercises. It also provides an excellent role model for children of all ability levels, as Tarah is in a wheelchair. Preschoolers who like to shake and move should also try Dance with the Teletubbies. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-179/sesame-street-elmocize.html2008-05-14 12:24:30Learn to do Elmo's new favorite dance, "The Conga-Wiggle," in this bilingual video from Sesame Street. Join Gabi, Rosita, Maria, Luis, and their friends as they prepare for the fiesta. All the songs are performed in English and Spanish, and the video features performances by Latin stars Celia Cruz and Linda Ronstadt. Kids will be singing "uno, dos, tres" in no time. Recommended for ages two to five. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-180/sesame-street-fiesta-.html2008-05-14 12:26:58If you're looking for a gentle video to entertain your preschooler quietly, this is NOT it! Sesame Street: Get Up and Dance is an all-star musical dance-a-bration! Kids will need lots of space to dance the "I'm a Little Airplane," "Birdland Jump," "Do the Dog," "Do the Jelly," "Cat Had a Birthday," "Doin' the Grouch," "A Very Simple Dance," and "A New Way To Walk." Guest dancers include Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Chang, Garth Brooks, and Maya Angelou. Great active fun for ages two to six. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-181/sesame-street-get-up-and-dance.html2008-05-14 12:28:32The ever-lively Elmo and his pals Telly and Gabi push a mysterious "start" button, only to find themselves in a strange world inside a video game. To get back home they have to find the numbers one through 20, which then lead to those great Sesame Street number cartoons. The second part of the video features Grover in perhaps his greatest role ever, that of the long-suffering waiter who only wants to do the best for his customer. At this restaurant, the patrons include Cinderella, Prince Charming, and Little Miss Muffet. This video will help children learn to count and have fun at the same time. ~ Leslie Birdwell, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-182/sesame-street-the-great-numbers-game.html2008-05-14 12:29:46Elmo is spending the day working at the radio station, and he's trying to put together a top ten list of listeners' favorite songs. But with so many favorites, how will he ever decide? Songs performed by the Sesame Street gang include "I've Been Working on the Railroad," "This Old Bat (This Old Man)," "The Alphabet Song," "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," "Baa Baa Black Sheep," "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain," and "This Little Pig Went to Market." Recommended for ages two to five. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-183/sesame-street-kids-favorite-songs.html2008-05-14 12:31:39In this Muppetized version of Sneak Previews, Telly and Oscar review eight silly songs. With Telly raving how he loves every song and Oscar phooeying them all, Sneek Peek Reviews includes Sesame Street performances of "Eight Balls of Fur," "Hey Diddle Diddle," "Watermelons and Cheese," "Mr. Between," "The Room Is Full of Chickens," "Il Alphabetto," "Silly Sounding Word Song," and "Oh Look What Our Baby Can Do." The hilarious interactions between Telly and Oscar and the wacky lyrics will keep preschoolers rolling in the aisles. Highly recommended for ages one to five. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-184/sesame-street-sing-yourself-sillier-at-the-movies.html2008-05-14 12:33:45Why children should always tell the truth is a difficult lesson to teach. But the Sesame Street: Telling the Truth video can help. When Telly visits Gina's Day Care, he finds out that all of the other kids have been to the circus. To be one of the gang, Telly lies and says that his uncle is a ringmaster. But when Gina reads the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," and then Telly's uncle (played by Dennis Quaid) drops in for a surprise visit, Telly has to admit that he lied and learns a valuable lesson. Part of the "Kids Guide to Life" series, this simple, straightforward story makes this video perfect for children ages three to six. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-185/sesame-street-telling-the-truth.html2008-05-14 12:35:09If rhyming is your child's bag, this Barney video is a must-have. When Emily can't seem to figure out how to rhyme, Barney and Mother Goose whisk the kids off to her magical house and garden, where they learn everything there is to know about inspiration and rhyming verse. This video packs in over 35 nursery rhymes. Although parents and older children may find it tedious, two- to five-year-olds will be singing poetry till the cows come home. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-186/barney-rhyme-time-rhythm.html2008-05-14 12:36:38Elmo, everyone's favorite Baby Muppet from the children's TV series Sesame Street, stars in this comic fantasy with music. Elmo (voice of Kevin Clash) finds out that the Princess (Keri Russell) is having a ball at her palace, and he decides he'd like to go. But his grumpy Stepmother (Kathy Najimy) wants her other two sons to go instead, since word has it that the Princess is looking for a suitable husband. Just when it looks like Elmo's going to be stuck at home, along comes his Fairy Godperson (Oliver Platt), who arranges for Elmo to attend the party after all. Cinderelmo also features French Stewart as Elmo's dog, who gets to enjoy life as a person for the evening; fellow Muppet stars Bert, Ernie, Kermit, and the Cookie Monster also appear. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-187/sesame-street-cinderelmo.html2008-05-14 12:37:48He's big, blue, furry, and always hungry -- he's Cookie Monster. In this video for kids, Cookie Monster remembers his favorite cookie moments while baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies. With his unique, choppy voice, Cookie performs "C Is for Cookie," "C Drives Me Crazy," "If the Moon Were Made of Cookie," and "What Is a Friend." Cookie Monster and Telly demonstrate the difference between fast and slow with their cookie eating speeds. Annette Bening teaches Cookie the concepts of here and there by tempting him with a plate of fresh goodies. Educational and fun, this video even covers subtraction in a skit in which the characters keep stealing baked goods from Cookie's plate. The video concludes with Cookie Monster sharing his last cookie with a friend. Great fun for ages two to five. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-188/sesame-street-cookie-monster-s-best-bites.html2008-05-14 12:39:12From the award-winning Baby Einstein Company, Baby Beethoven: Symphony of Fun introduces art and music to creatively stimulate children from infants to toddlers up to three years old. This release offers images of musical instruments, puppets, and toys along with classical compositions from Ludwig van Beethoven. Other titles from Baby Einstein include Baby Mozart, Baby Bach, Baby Van Gogh, and Baby Shakespeare. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-189/baby-beethoven-symphony-of-fun.html2008-05-14 12:40:41The cultural phenomenon that is Elmo comes alive in this collection of Sesame Street appearances. Whether running them straight through or being doled out like candy, these three spots speak to a youngster's heart. The first of Elmo's World is called "Dancing" and features Mr. Noodle, a warm yet clueless character, and Dorothy the pet goldfish. Elmo demonstrates the hula and some moves that can only be described as interpretive. Other children also dance along. The second, "Books," introduces the library with the help of a father/son duo. The final segment, "Music," showcases the flute, violin, and drum. Guess which one Mr. Noodle gets? Elmo is his usual charismatic monsterness in explaining why he is such a good babysitter. Elmo's World is recommended for preschoolers. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-190/sesame-street-elmo-s-world-dancing-music-and-books.html2008-05-14 12:42:17The Australian band The Wiggles returns with another helping of fun, educational songs for kids. With a '60s-style influence to their music and dress, Jeff, Murray, Greg, and Anthony belt out familiar songs like "Head, ShoulderS, Knees and Toes," as well as many of their own originals. Helping the band encourage kids to sing and dance are costumed friends like Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain FeatherSword, Wags the Dog, and Officer Beaples. The Wiggles and crew make learning about important things like crossing the street and healthy eating a joy for kids. ~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guidehttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-191/the-wiggles-toot-toot-.html2008-05-14 12:44:03This video is the final volume in a three-part set that presents a program for teaching very young children how to read. The reading program is aimed at infants from three months of age through preschool age. Images of animals and plants, along with catchy music and songs, are used to keep the child's attention. In this volume, more complex words are presented, as well as short phrases, to challenge the child's mental abilities.http://www.ratinghq.com/5-192/your-baby-can-read-vol-3.html2008-05-14 12:45:44Acting as bus driver, the big purple dinosaur Barney takes kids on an imaginative tour of many exciting places. They visit the Old West, a pizzeria, a carnival, and a castle. While traveling along, children have the opportunity to join in and sing some songs with their driver. The program offers young children the chance to see what these destinations might be like and encourages them to dream about visiting foreign places. The featured songs include "Home on the Range" and "Turkey in the Straw." The video is aimed at children between the ages of two and five.http://www.ratinghq.com/5-193/barney-barney-s-adventure-bus.html2008-05-14 12:47:42From the same producers who made Baby's First Impressions comes this release designed to work in conjunction with Brainy Baby: Right Brain, the second half of this educational video-set that seeks to stimulate the child's thinking capabilities. This video focuses on what are thought to be "left-brain" skills, such as logic, mathematical reasoning, letters, language, and analytical thinking. The program is set to Mozart and other classical music stimuli. High contrast and colorful imagery of babies playing with blocks, toys, balloons, and shapes fill the screen. Voice-over narration leads games and puzzles, such as counting tomatoes and introducing basic vocabulary words in English, Spanish, and French. Matching games and alphabet-play seek to teach and entertain throughout. This Small Fry Studios production is recommended for babies ages six to 36 months.http://www.ratinghq.com/5-194/brainy-baby-left-brain-inspires-logical-thinking.html2008-05-14 12:50:31Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are back in director Tim Hill's computer-animation/live-action hybrid following the further adventures of the world's most adorable singing trio. Songwriter Dave Seville (Jason Lee) has been struggling to gain recognition in the music industry for some time, and despite the fact that his former college roommate (David Cross) is now a high-profile powerbroker at Jett Records, Dave still can't manage to get a break. Things soon start to look up, however, when Dave discovers three singing chipmunks hiding out in the branches of a Christmas tree in Jett Records' world headquarters. Realizing that these woodland crooners cold prove to be his ticket to the big time, Dave does his best to transform Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler), and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) into the next great pop sensation. As adorable and talented as they may be, though, these bouncy little critters aren't quite domesticated just yet; they still have a wild streak in them a mile wide, and it isn't long before Dave's life, home, and career are in utter chaos. But staying mad at such lovable little creatures is next to impossible, no matter what kind of mischief they might get into. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide (blockbuster.comhttp://www.ratinghq.com/5-647/alvin-and-the-chipmunks.html2008-07-21 06:39:35Marlin (voice of Albert Brooks) is a more-than-slightly paranoid Clown Fish who is extremely devoted to his young son, Nemo (voice of Alexander Gould), the only survivor after a hungry shark swallowed up Nemo's mother and her other offspring. It's not Marlin's nature to explore unfamiliar waters, but when he and Nemo are accidentally separated near the Great Barrier Reef en route to Nemo's first day of fish school, Marlin gathers his courage and sets out to find his son. (Mark Deming, All Movie Guide) and (answers.com)http://www.ratinghq.com/5-648/finding-nemo.html2008-07-21 06:51:56Freaky Friday (also known as Fortune Cookie in Japan) is a 2003 comedy drama film starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as a daughter and mother whose bodies are switched because of an enchanted Chinese fortune cookie.http://www.ratinghq.com/5-649/freaky-friday-2003.html2008-07-21 06:57:26The plot begins when Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr) (Craig T. Nelson) saves a man attempting a suicide. He then foils a robbery by the villain Bomb Voyage, while being harassed by Buddy Pine, a young fan who wishes to be his sidekick. When Bomb Voyage plants a bomb on the young would-be superhero, Mr. Incredible manages to dislodge it, but in doing so, causes a train wreck that injures many. He then races to his wedding, where he marries Helen (aka Elastigirl) (Holly Hunter). Βoth the suicidal man and the victims of the train wreck sue the superheroes community for injuries sustained in these events. As part of the government's settlement, all superheroes are placed into a government-sponsored protection program similar to witness protection, and forbidden to use their powers.http://www.ratinghq.com/5-650/the-incredibles-2004-.html2008-07-21 07:07:39Trevor Anderson is a Bostonian volcanologist whose nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson), is supposed to spend ten days with him. Trevor learns at work that his brother's lab is being shut down because of a lack of funding. Trevor has forgotten that Sean is coming until he receives several messages from Sean's mother. When Sean's mother drops him off, she leaves Trevor with a box of items that belonged to Max, Trevor's brother and Sean's father, who disappeared years before. Sean suddenly takes interest in what Trevor has to say after he tells him about his father, whom he never really had a chance to know. Trevor discovers in the box a Max's old baseball glove, a yo-yo, and the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Inside the book Trevor finds notes written by his late brother. Trevor goes to his laboratory to find out more about the notes. There he realizes that he must go to Iceland to investigate for himself. He intends to send Sean back to his mother, but relents at Sean's protest and brings Sean along for the adventure.http://www.ratinghq.com/5-693/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth-2008-.html2008-07-23 11:24:56The story takes place on a Greek island. The 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) sings ("I Have A Dream") as she mails letters to three men: Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård). The next morning, we see that Sophie lives with her doting mother Donna (Meryl Streep) on a small Greek island, where Donna runs the "Villa Donna" as a hotel. Sophie is planning to marry Sky (Dominic Cooper), and those letters were actually wedding invitations to her wedding, as she wants her father to be present to "give her away". However, does not know who he is and explains this dilemma using Donna's diary from 20 years ago to her friends (Ashley Lilley and Rachel McDowall) as they arrive on the island ("Honey, Honey").http://www.ratinghq.com/5-694/mamma-mia-2008.html2008-07-23 11:35:20Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel reunite onscreen this summer as the lifelong best friends audiences fell in love with four years ago.   Based on Ann Brashares’ best-selling series of novels about four young women who share an unbreakable bond through the unpredictable events of their lives, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” catches up with Tibby, Carmen, Bridget and Lena in the months following their first year of college.  Having been apart all year, their plans for the summer will take them even further along separate paths as each experiences the freedom, love, choices and challenging life lessons that mark their individual journeys toward adulthood.  Now, it will take more than a hurried note or even a treasured pair of pants passed back and forth among them to keep their lives connected.  (warnerbros.com)http://www.ratinghq.com/5-766/the-sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants-2.html2008-07-31 13:40:32