The Art of Flight

I mentioned the guys at Brain Farm in a prior post, so I thought I'd give a quick plug for their latest amazing project, The Art of Flight .

This video is incredible.  I downloaded it a few weeks ago and was amazed by the cinematography and incredible snowboarding skills of the pros on this film-- and I don't even snowboard.

If you get a chance, check out the video and if you want a quick peek, here's the trailer:

Soul Surfer: Good Values for Adventurous Families

As the dad of three daughters, I'm always looking for ways to encourage my girls to be active and to enjoy the outdoors.

When the movie Soul Surfer came out a few years ago, I hoped the movie would be a positive experience and demonstrate great examples of women athletes that I could use as role models for my girls.  I wasn't disappointed.

For those who might not know the story line, Bethany Hamilton is a pro surfer who lost her arm to a shark attack.  The movie Soul Surfer tells her story and how she battled back from near-death to become a top surf pro.

The story is full of positive themes-- a strong, supportive family, an encouraging community, and a character who perseveres and moves forward despite tremendous setback.

These strong themes plus the beautiful scenery of Kauai make this film a pleasure.

About the only scene that I didn't like was the one where the shark that supposedly attacked Bethany is killed and brought to the family home.  These sorts of culls don't work, and it's a shame that the movie decided to include a scene like this that will just further a misunderstanding of sharks and shark attacks.

I recommend Soul Surfer to families who are interested in promoting ocean activities to their youngsters.  For those who are interested, the movie trailer is below and a link to the real Bethany Hamilton's website is here.

The Adventures of Tintin

Yesterday I went with my family to see The Adventures of Tintin, an animation movie based on the international best-selling comic books.  The movie was made in both standard 2D and 3D.  We watched it in 2D since we didn't think our 3 year old would keep her 3D glasses on.

The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson.  The animation is incredible and the storyline is a rolicking, international mystery adventure that takes the viewer all over the world.  My kids loved the action, but at 4 years old, 3 years old, and 4 months old, I thought they were a little young for all the violence.  It would be more appropriate for an older child.  If your kids liked Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, this is about the same level.

I did really appreciate the fact that a show like this might encourage kids to become interested in fields like journalism, archeology, science, and/or exploration.  Enough of the video games!  Let's get kids off the couch and into the wild!