New Family Video Releases: ‘Miracles From Heaven,’ ‘Adventures In Babysitting,’ And ‘The Real Ghostbusters’
New family video releases have been hitting the shelves and websites this summer. While everyone is flocking to see the latest and biggest family blockbusters, there is still much to recommend an evening at home and out of the heat. The latest DVD and Blu-rays to drop include more than a few favorites that will have young parents smiling while their progeny discovers their latest new favorite disc. Don’t worry, you won’t have to tell them you loved those shows when you were their age. Here’s the latest: something old, something new, something borrowed, and something, glooped, er, slimed.
So proud of my squad! But to me, they've always been No. 1 #AdventuresInBabysitting Is Family ? @KevinGQuinn1 pic.twitter.com/HnKWV4GmUY
— Nikki Hahn (@missnikkihahn) July 12, 2016
Adventures In Babysitting (Rated G, 94 Minutes, DVD/Blu-ray/streaming, Walt Disney Studios) This made-for-TV reboot lacks the anarchic fun of the 1987 cult favorite. Small fry may love the slapstick and adults will be relieved that The Mouse has spared viewers the smart kid/hapless adult dynamic that can render some of their live action fare hard to watch. The cast is up to the challenge, and the script hits all of the right pop culture notes, but it misses the mark and some of the smarty-pants spark that makes the original an enduring classic. Littles will love the adventure, and tweens and some teens might think it’s a fun brain twinkie. Adults who have seen Chris Columbus’ feature will contemplate committing minor disc switch larceny and it might be worth it.
This photo of Kristen Wiig with young @Ghostbusters fans is everything ? https://t.co/NQ13YOACqw pic.twitter.com/e9mlSk9ixo
— GoldieBlox (@goldieblox) July 15, 2016
The Real Ghostbusters The Animated Series Volumes 1-5 (Rated G, 284 Minutes, DVD, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) The reissue of the first five volumes of the Saturday morning animated spin-off will have nostalgia appeal for collectors who watched the series broadcast in 1986 and it might be seen as a fresh take on the franchise for new fans who discovered bustin’ makes them feel good thanks to Paul Feig’s reboot. The cast from the 1984 original is nowhere to be found, but the writing is age appropriate for its original audience and funny. The roster includes some of Hollywood’s nimbler voice actors. Aykroyd, Ramis, Murray, and Hudson are replaced by Frank Welker, Maurice LaMarche, Lorenzo Music and Dave Coulier (who both had turns playing Peter Venkman) and Arsenio Hall. The transfer quality is quite good. Alas, there are no extras to this gem of a series.
Miracles From Heaven (Rated PG, 109 minutes, DVD/blu-ray/streaming Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Patricia Riggen’s screen treatment of Christy Beam’s account of her daughter’s miraculous recovery from a rare digestive disorder and a catastrophic accident might be seen as so much preaching to the choir. Fans of Christian cinema will enjoy this well acted, well-written drama. Some scenes might be too intense for younger viewers, but older kids and their parents, the intended audience for this movie, will connect with the story.
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Only Yesterday/ Omohide Poro Poro (Rated PG, 118 Minutes, DVD/Blu-ray, Universal Studios Home Entertainment) This beautiful, quiet masterpiece from Japan’s Studio Ghibli has been a bootleg staple for rabid fans of anime for over two decades. On the 25th anniversary of its premiere in Japan, Universal released a remaster offering the original voice tracks and newly recorded dubs featuring Daisy Ridley, Dev Patel, and Alison Fernandez. The narrative flips back and forth between the adult Taeko, who debates leaving her urban cubicle farm job for life on a real farm in the country, and childhood memories. Smaller children might find the adult drama slow going and love the interludes that show young Taeko at school and home. While it doesn’t offer the electric zap and eye-popping color that is often associated with the anime that is most popular in the U.S., the writing is smart, gently humorous, and engaging enough to keep everyone watching to the end to see which life Taeko chooses.
New family video releases are a great way to stay in from the heat, discover new favorite films, and create some happy family memories.
[Photo by Keystone/Getty Images]
