CrazyBusy Mama! (Dot Calm)

Recently, my husband, two daughters (ages 15 and 5), and I had the privilege of attending a very fun screening of the new Easter movie HOP coming to theaters today, April 1. (Don’t miss the trailer at the end of this post.)

We almost didn’t make it. The screening was at 10 in the morning…in Seattle…on a Saturday. Wouldn’t have been a problem, except that we all overslept. After my hubby and I hemmed and hawed about whether or not we should put forth the effort to go, we knew that ultimately we couldn’t let down our five-year-old, Bethany. She would have been heartbroken and cried, which would have broken our hearts.

She then would have thrown a tantrum to rival none other than the one King Kong threw when he couldn’t find his woman.

(You moms of little ones know exactly what I’m talking about.)

There wasn’t time for breakfast, so we grabbed bagels — and a chocolate milk for Bethany — and jumped in the car. She was too tired to do anything but drink her milk and complain about the raisins in her bagel…until she saw the Space Needle. A shrill sound from the middle row of our car pierced our eardrums:

“OHMYGOSHMOMMYIT’SSEATTLE!”

Did I mention she’s obsessed with Seattle?

We’d soon made it to the two-story, 11-screen AMC theater inside the very awesome Pacific Place on 6th and Pine. If you’re ever in Seattle, GO THERE — if for no other reason than to see a movie, followed by lunch at Johnny Rockets (which is what we did).

HOP stars James Marsden as an out-of-work yet lovable loafer named Fred O’Hare (get it? O’Hare?). On his way to a house sitting job, he almost runs over E.B., a teenage talking rabbit next in line to be the Easter Bunny. (E.B. would rather choose his own course in life, and runs away from…ahem…Easter Island…to find fame and fortune as a drummer.)

E.B. is really quite adorable, right down to the British accent. At first, I thought he must have been voiced by the same guy who does the voice for the Geico Gecko, but no: The voice of E.B. was provided by none other than Russell Brand. (Didn’t see that one coming!) Besides voicing E.B., Russell also has a small cameo appearance as a stage hand for David Hasselhoff’s talent search show.

Besides Marsden, Brand, and Hasselhoff, HOP also stars Hugh Laurie (as the voice of E.B.’s father, the current Easter Bunny), Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, Elizabeth Perkins, and Gary Cole. Directed by Tim Hill (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and produced by Christopher Meledandri (Despicable Me).

We thoroughly enjoyed HOP. Was it corny? Yes, of course it was. But as corny movies go, it was well done and your little ones will love it. As will you. And viewers of all ages will be able to appreciate the amazing candy making scene at the beginning of the movie — it was just fun to watch!

I absolutely recommend that you grab the kids and go see HOP. Go on — go have fun! (Yep…even if you’re a little too tired.)

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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and come join the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook page by clicking here.

Now here’s an animated feature I’m actually excited to see! (It’s even received some great reviews.) Dreamworks Animation‘s “How to Train Your Dragon” opens across the country this Friday, March 26. In case you’ve yet to see it, the full, 2-1/2 minute trailer is below.

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But first, the movie synopsis:

From the studio that brought you “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda” comes “How to Train Your Dragon.” Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, the action comedy tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn’t exactly fit in with his tribe’s longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup’s world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.

DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon” was produced by Bonnie Arnold and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. Rated PG.
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Now…gather the kiddos around and enjoy!

Get Tickets to How to Train Your Dragon Online!Visit the Official How to Train Your Dragon Site
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.