Tag Archives: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Disney, Movie

The First Image of Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins in MARY POPPINS RETURNS

Mary Poppins Returns

When Eva was two years old she watched Mary Poppins about 45 times. We would watch it daily for weeks on end. She just became obsessed with it. Having her watch it at first was my idea. We were going to Walt Disney World for the first time with her and I booked a character breakfast that had Mary Poppins as one of the characters. We wanted to make sure that Eva knew who who Mary Poppins was. She liked her so much that Allison knit her Mary Poppins’ scarf. Meeting Mary Poppins was a huge highlight for Eva’s trip and we continued to watch the movie over and over. I’m excited about this upcoming movie because I think Eva will like it very much. Emily Blunt is playing Mary Poppins in MARY POPPINS RETURNS, the all new sequel to Disney’s 1964 film MARY POPPINS and I have the first image of her in that role.

Directed and produced by Rob Marshall, MARY POPPINS RETURNS also stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer and Julie Walters with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep. Continue reading The First Image of Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins in MARY POPPINS RETURNS →

Disney, Movie, Photo-A-Day, Toys, Vlog

Eva Reviews: Moana, Starlight Canoe & Friends

Moana Starlight Canoe and Friends
Photo-A-Day #4277

We recieved the Moana, Starlight Canoe & Friends to play with and review. Opinions are our own.

Eva helped me with this review by playing with the toy and telling me about it on the video below. We loved the movie Moana when we saw it as a family. There were so many great parts to it including the information about wayfinding. Wayfinding is the special way in which people from the Pacific Islands navigated the oceans. The canoe that Moana has in the movie and the other ones that she discoveres are very close to the look of a special canoe that is making its way around the world, the Hokulea. This double hulled canoe is being sailed by a group of peopel who have been learning the art of wayfinding before it is lost forever. It is so cool that a kids movie touches upon something that is so close to the heart of the Pacific Islands.

This is a pretty nice playset. The doll is an excellent one and looks great compared to her movie counterpart. The figures of Pua and Hei Hei are also done really well. Pua is the best of the bunch, he looks just like the character. The canoe is okay but the “gentle rocking motion” is not exactly that gentle. It rocks from side to side with a lot of extra motion. So much so that pua and Hei Hei fall off when you move it. Eva will talk more about it in the video.

Also, below the video is a clip from the movie Moana.

Continue reading Eva Reviews: Moana, Starlight Canoe & Friends →

Disney, Movie

My Favorite Song from Moana – We Know The Way

Moana Poster

Of all the songs from Moana I am most impressed by the song “We Know The Way”. It is a beautiful song and I have the full clip of it below. The song is written and performed by Opetaia Foa’i and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The MOANA original motion picture soundtrack, the two-disc deluxe edition and the digital deluxe edition soundtrack are available wherever music is sold and streamed. More about Moana below.

Continue reading My Favorite Song from Moana – We Know The Way →

Disney, Movie

Full Clip of My Favorite Moana Song “You’re Welcome!”

Youre WelcomeOne of my favorite songs in Moana is “You’re Welcome”. Andrew and I sing this song over and over. He also maybe made me play the clip below about 10 times straight. He doesn’t like when I sing the song, though. So I can sing it to bug him when he’s bugging me. “You’re Welcome!”

MOANA stars Dwayne Johnson (voice of “Maui”), newcomer Auli’i Cravalho (voice of “Moana”) was directed by Disney legends Ron Clements & Don Hall (“Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Princess and the Frog,” etc.) with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda (of “Hamilton” fame). But there is another main character in MOANA that was sometimes difficult to work with…

Like MOANA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/disneymoana

Follow MOANA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneymoana

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Visit the official MOANA website here: http://movies.disney.com/moana

MOANA is now playing in theatres everywhere!

Disney, Movie

Moana is Out in Theaters Now

Moana in Theaters Now

On Monday the whole family was treated to an advanced screening of Disney’s Moana. This is a beautiful film that was both funny and amazing. The music was some of the best I have heard in a long while. We ended up listening to the Moana Spotify station non-stop since we saw the movie. Songs have been stuck in our heads and smiles on our faces remembering that movie.

Moana as a character is fantastic. She is strong, determined and is searching for her place in the world. She is drawn to the ocean against the wishes of her father. Despite her love for her family she disobeys her father and journeys the open ocean. It is her strong love for her family and her connection to her people that she does this. She is on a journey of self discovery and it will take all of her courage and determination to succeed.

A major part of the movie was about wayfinding. Wayfinding is Polynesian navigation that has been used for thousands of years to make long voyages across thousands of miles of open ocean. I learned about this during the Summer when I visited the Hokulea when it sailed into Woods Hole. The ships in Moana look very much like the Hokulea. Seeing Moana learn how to to sail was inspiring.

The movie was also very funny. We loved Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Maui. He had some great lines in the movie. From the trailer you see him jump into a deep hole and a few minutes later yells “I’m Still Falling!” On our way home from the movie we said that it looked like Andrew was falling asleep. His eyes were closed and he looked asleep, but he pops open one eye and says, “I’m still falling.” Even funnier after having seen the movie.

The water was a character in the movie, too. You can see some more funny moments with water in the featurette below.

Behind The Scenes of MOANA – “Working With Water”:

Continue reading Moana is Out in Theaters Now →

Disney, Movie

All new Moana Activity Pages

A week from today I’ll be seeing Disney’s Moana with the family at a sneak peek screening. Leading up to that night we’re going to see more about the movie and the kids are all excited. If your kids are excited like mine are then these new activity pages will give them something to do until they are able to see the movie on November 23rd. Click on each image to download the activity pages. There are even more after the trailer.

Moana Make Lakamora
Moana Memory Match
Moana water safety

Check out the trailer below.

Continue reading All new Moana Activity Pages →

Disney, Movie

Two New Beautiful Videos from Disney’s Moana

Moana Poster

As if I needed more reasons to see Disney’s Moana this Thanksgiving, I’ve been sent two new clips on the movie. One an actual clip with part of the song, Whe Know The Way and the other a featurette about researching the Pacific Islands to create the movie. As I watch these clips I see the ships that they are using and am hoping to see something where they specifically reference the Hokulea. This ship is actually travelling the globe these days and we saw it when it came to port in Woods Hole this Summer. I haven’t seen anything but the ships do look an awful lot like the Hokulea. On to the clips!

“We Know the Way” film clip

Also available is a look at the stunning realization of the original song “We Know the Way.” Written and performed by Opetaia Foa‘i and Lin-Manuel Miranda, “We Know the Way” showcases the rich and vibrant voyaging life of Moana’s ancestors.

“The Way to Moana” featurette

More about MOANA which opens in theaters everywhere on November 23rd, below. Continue reading Two New Beautiful Videos from Disney’s Moana →

Disney, Movie, Music

Some New Moana Clips and the Moana Soundtrack

Moana Soundtrack

One incredibly beautiful movie is coming to theaters on November 23, 2016. The movie is already looking visually beautiful but now I have some clips of songs that are in my opinions going to be beautiful as well. Beautiful and incredibly funny. Here is a clip of Moana meeting Maui and you can see how full of himself Maui is but at the same time completely unaware of how grating that can be. Maui just is who he is. Then later I have a clip of that sort of thing in a musical form.

“Moana Meets Maui”

Also, set for release on November 18, the Moana original motion picture soundtrack features seven original songs and a full original score, plus two reprises as well as two end-credit versions of songs from the film. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.

The diverse and dynamic team behind the film’s inspired music includes Tony®- and Grammy®-winning songwriter/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who counts among his credits Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and multiple Tony-winning “Hamilton” and the Tony-winning “In the Heights.” The creative team also includes three-time Grammy®-winning composer Mark Mancina (“Speed,” “Tarzan” and the Oscar®-winning “Training Day”) and Opetaia Foa‘i, the founder and lead singer of Te Vaka, a winner of numerous world music awards. Continue reading Some New Moana Clips and the Moana Soundtrack →