I’m vaguely new to the preschool media scene. My family is conservative and we are picky about the media we screen for our kids. My son’s been in the theatre for a movie once, and it’s partly because we can’t find anything in theaters we like… and partly because he has the attention span of a gnat. And truthfully, we like media that appeals to adults also.
Which is why, when invited to pre-screen “The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure,” skeptical was my first thought. My three year old likes Van Halen and Pixar short films. Oogieloves first impression = pretty uncool. But we were running low on summer entertainment, so off we went!
The Oogieloves movie is a simple story of a loving friendship, a surprise birthday party and a BIG adventure. The plot is simple to follow and has a host of creative characters. My cool kid really enjoyed the whole thing.
At the screening, I was fortunate to meet Kenn Viselman, the creative genius behind “Thomas the Tank Engine” and yes… “Teletubbies.” He explained that the effort behind the movie “Oogieloves” was to make a different kind of movie, the most interactive movie ever made. It’s true! The movie has a bunch of different music genres presented and so many interactive numbers. When the butterflies fluttered across the screen to invite children to stand up and play, Jack cautiously sprang into action. The children (and parents!) at the movie were standing, dancing, and wiggling through the music scenes. In some numbers, the children all ran to the front of the theater to dance together. It really did feel like a live music experience and was a great way to be fun and silly with my preschooler. It’s nice knowing it’s ok if he can’t be still and quiet for a theater experience.
Mr. Viselman also introduced his movie by saying he wanted to make a safe, secure world where a child can be a child. The website even has a caregiver guide for the show. The film touts a “Rated GGG” hashtag on twitter. The movie was really clean, and super nice to not have to correct anything “off” that Jack saw in the movie. Oogieloves are bright and happy, and so is their world. There aren’t any dark scenes or intense music. I’m grateful to have a family-friendly option at the movie theaters and, I believe, coming soon to our TVs.
And after seeing the movie I can also tell you this: sometimes I sacrifice cool for my kids. Creative geniuses know what they are doing. I was floored at how much fun Jack and I had together at the movies!
What about you? The movie releases this week…. will you have Oogieloves plans on Oogust 29?
*Lisa was not compensated for her review of this movie. As mentioned, she did receive a free screening to review the movie before the release and won a prize pack while at the show.
