ELENA OF AVALOR: REALM OF THE JAQUINS review and giveaway

When I first heard about Elena of Avalor in 2016 I was excited. This was the first time there was going to be a Latina princess on the Disney Channel with her own show. My daughter was excited too because this was another show that she could watch with a Disney princess on it. Now two years later the show still continues to delight us with fun stories and great messages about family and responsibility.

Star Wars Rebels Final Season Home Release and Giveaway

Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with a review copy of Star Wars Rebels Season 4 in exchange for doing this giveaway. All thoughts, opinions, tears, and laughs are our own...yes, tears.) 

If you have not been watching Star Wars Rebels you have been missing out on a great expansion to the Star Wars universe and some incredible storytelling. Now, this may sound like a big statement to make, but if you have been watching the show you know it is a fantastic show and that is why it is bittersweet that is has ended.

Who is returning to Star Wars: Episode IX?

STAR WARS: EPISODE IX CAST ANNOUNCED

RETURNING AND NEW CAST MEMBERS WILL JOIN TOGETHER FOR THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE SKYWALKER SAGA

Star Wars: Episode IX will begin filming at London’s Pinewood Studios on August 1, 2018. J.J. Abrams returns to direct the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Terrio.

Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian.

The role of Leia Organa will once again be played by Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” says Abrams. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”

Composer John Williams, who has scored every chapter in the Star Wars saga since 1977’s A New Hope, will return to a galaxy far, far away with Episode IX.

Star Wars: Episode IX will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Michelle Rejwan, and executive produced by Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin. The crew includes Dan Mindel (Director of Photography), Rick Carter and Kevin Jenkins (Co-Production Designers), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer), Neal Scanlan (Creature and Droid FX), Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube (Editors), Roger Guyett (VFX Supervisor), Tommy Gormley (1st AD), and Victoria Mahoney (2nd Unit Director).

Release is scheduled for December 2019.

Thank you Jack and Andrew!

I have been sitting on this post for awhile. I guess you can say that I do not know what people will make of it, but with the suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, I decided that I need to put this out there. I have to share this because we need to be talking about what struggles people go through. Plus, sharing our stories might help someone out there so we should not be afraid of them. Here it goes.

Managing Internet Time with the Gryphon Mesh Routers #sponsored

Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with a Gryphon Mesh Double Pack for review. All thoughts, opinions, and children being upset because their internet time is cut short, are our own.   

During our annual Father's Day gift guide we gave a brief description of the Gryphon Mesh Routers and how perfect they were in controlling the internet in our household. Well, it's been a month since we had them and as a family that relies on the internet for some of our day to day activities let us tell you how the Gryphon Mesh Routers helped us out. 

Skyscraper Quick Review

Disclaimer: The Fandads were invited to an advance screening of Skyscraper. All thoughts, opinions and increased heartrates are our own. 

Summer is the time for movies to take our minds off of the heat and wondering what fun activity you have scheduled next for your children. We go to the "blockbuster" movies to escape reality and enjoy some popcorn with our children and Skyscraper checks those boxes and gives us a fun action movie to enjoy for a short time.

I Killed Deadpool.

What's up everyone, it's time for my quarterly post on Fandads! Seriously though, I've got to get on here more often.

So does anyone remember the Choose Your Own Adventure series? I loved those books, even though more than a couple of them gave me nightmares. Some of them were seriously messed up, but don't worry this isn't another article about the top 9 craziest CYOA stories or 12 CYOA books that ruined my childhood.

The Cave of Time

No this post is more of a confession. Apologies to Marvel Fans everywhere, and Ryan Reynolds for messing up his sweet gig, but yeah I messed up and got Deadpool killed. Let me explain. Recently Marvel published a short five issue mini-series called You Are Deadpool. 

Wait, I thought I was Groot?

I usually have anything Deadpool related in my pullbox so I ended up getting this series as well. As can be expected there's the usual Deadpool humor and violence but with a fun twist. Just like the old Choose Your Own Adventure books, these comics allow you to choose what happens next. They also include RPG elements such as stats, acquiring weapons and/or items, and dice rolling. It would probably help to have a notebook and some dice handy but I managed to do without. I played pretty fairly, and honestly gave myself some bad outcomes.

Which brings me to my confession...I managed to get Deadpool killed. Dead. Done. Finito.

SPOILER ALERT!!

In issue 4 (which I got to jump to straight from issue 1) I made a series of decisions which led me to getting killed by Bullseye. (in a very familiar way) According to Deadpool it's canon and thus I'm not allowed to read anything with Deadpool anymore. I believe Wade said there were no take backs so yeah. Sorry everyone.

END OF SPOILER

Well, I always try to look at the bright side of things so at the very least I'll have more time and money to spend on the real deal Choose Your Own Adventure books. As I bounced around the web thinking about what I was going to write I came across their website. (Chooseco LLC btw, they used to be Bantam Books right?) I took a look and ended up ordering a set of the classics to read with my kids, and some Unicorn one that my kids will go nuts for. I think they're old enough to have their minds warped enjoy them as I did as a child, so many moons ago.

So there you have it, the TL;DR version is Deadpool's loss is my family's gain!

Until next time...if you choose to leave the UFO turn to page 23, if you try to fly it turn to page 45.

(Joke's on you, you crash and burn either way)