Rainy days and hot humid days in the summer are a good time to see some of those movies you’ve been wanting to see… and that your kids have been wanting to see.  Here are some we’ve watched…

Night at the Museum – we watched the 1st one on DVD – my 8 year old daughter liked this movie and she even wants to visit the Museum of Natural History as a result.  I chuckled a few times and didn’t mind watching it.  I’d say it’s perfect for tweens.  Unfortunately, we missed the 2nd one in the movies, so we’ll have to wait to see it when it comes out on DVD.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – my 14 year old son and I saw this in the movies last month.  This is the darkest Harry Potter Movie yet. I give this movie the same review as all the Harry Potter movies… it’s good as a companion to the books.  I’d recommend reading the books first. (Don’t worry, kids can tell the difference between reality and fantasy and won’t think that magic is real!)  The books are a lot of fun… look at how many people they’ve gotten into reading. According to Wikipedia, "As of June 2008, the book series has sold more than 400 million copies and has been translated into 67 languages…"  You can’t beat a record like that!

Ice Age (The 1st Movie on DVD) – Mediocre – my daughter and I are planning on watching the 2nd one on DVD soon, so we can go see the 3rd one, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, in the theater (it’s out now).

The Secret Life of Bees – We watched this on DVD with my 8 year old daughter. I know a lot of people love this movie.  I liked the book much more.  While the movie was okay, it didn’t capture some of the essence of the book.  It was one of the first serious movies my daughter has watched.  I think it was a good first introduction to some of the day to day struggles of ordinary people during the civil rights era.

Watchmen – We watched this one on DVD – not appropriate for young kids.  We watched it with my son who’s almost 15.  I wouldn’t recommended it for children much younger than that.  Watchmen is based on the graphic novel of the same name.  I’d recommend reading it first.  It’s better as a companion to the graphic novel (which is better than the movie).  Though I would say this is worth viewing if you’re a fan of the genre.

Persepolis -  Animation based on a graphic novel.  The story is about a young girl growing up in Iran during and after the Iranian Revolution.  I loved the animation and I found the story to be illuminating about life in Iran.

Star Trek – The new movie we saw in the theaters back in May – if you’re a fan, I’d recommend seeing this.  It’s the basis of a whole new future series of Star Trek movies starring a different cast playing the old roles of Spock, McCoy, Kirk, etc.

Slum Dog Millionaire – More for adults than kids, I’d recommend this movie.  It shows a part of life in India… wrapped around a story that’s not too likely perhaps.  It’s very colorful.  Loved the musical video at the ending!

The Darjeeling Limited – Shows another part of India… beautiful film, story okay, different.  Again for more for adults.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – More for adults, than kids also, though teenagers might like this flick… my husband and I really enjoyed this one.  It’s based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story.  Fitzgerald based the story on a comment Mark Twain once made that it’s a pity that the best part of life comes at the beginning and the worst at the end. This was my favorite movie of the year so far.

Feel free to let us know about any movies you’ve seen lately, and whether or not you liked, them in the comments below!

Meanwhile, enjoy the show!

Mama Lisa