Check Out Shout! Factory: SNOWTIME ~ #Review #SnowtimeMovie

I want to shout, "Man Your Battle Station, this is War!"  I was sent a copy of the new Shout! Factory movie called Snowtime.  Guess What!  It is a Canadian film.  It will be showing in selected theaters nationwide on Febrauy 19th, 2016.  This 3D movie is a remake of a 1984 live action movie called The Dog Who stopped the War.  It was a French Canadian drama film from Quebec.  I never saw the original so I can't compare the two films.

In this movie you will meet Luke who can play a bugle.  After some peer pressure from his classmates, he performs the Bugle Call to shut them up.  Aside from Luke you will meet a group of kids in a tiny village who have an idea to have a big snowball WAR.

It is amazing to watch a bunch of kids build a huge fort all in one day.  Then again, they had Four-Eyes, the Brains, who created the plans how to create the snow fort.  It is a really impressive fort that my kids and even I would love to play in.  The village kids are split into two teams.  The rule of the game is one team defends the fort and the other attacks it.  There is one big reason why I don't like snowball fights - ice.  Sometimes ice can get into the snowballs and they really hurt and they can injure someone.  In the movie, one of the kids were dipping snowballs into the water and when they tested it, they saw how much damage they could do.  Of course they didn't use the ice balls.  This teaches kids that creating ice balls is no fun and could really hurt someone.

During the movie you will discover how special Luke's bugle is.  I really like how they show Luke's flash backs in dark gloomy water colour drawings.  I had always like water colour animations.  There is no words, only pictures and it makes it more emotional.

Another reason why I also enjoyed this movie is the soundtrack.  They played perfect songs during different parts of the movie.  When one of the team won the fight, they played their victory song by Simple Plan's "The Heroes".  My four year old loves this song that she got up and dance.  The ending of the movie it played a sweet melody of Celine Dion's "Hymn".  Another great song they played during the movie and the ending credits was Walk Off the Earth's "You're my Sweater".

I think the best line of the movie is "A day without war is a day of peace."  That is a strong message for everyone.  It may even hold a special meaning to someone who had seen war close upfront.  This movie shows a whole new meaning that this is all fun and games until someone loses an eye.  It is a great movie and I have played it many times every since I received the movie.  Both my girls loved it.

SNOWTIME!

In select theaters nationwide February 19, 2016 and will release digitally on iTunes and other VOD platforms March 1st, 2016.

New animated feature SNOWTIME! is a romp through childhood full of heart and humor. To amuse themselves during the winter school break, the kids in a small village decide to have a massive snowball fight. Luke and Sophie, both 11 years old, become the leaders of the opposing sides. Sophie and her cohorts defend an elaborate snow fort against the assault of Luke’s horde. Whichever side occupies the fort at the end of the winter break, wins. But what starts out as pure youthful fun and enthusiasm deteriorates into a more serious conflict, where children learn valuable life lessons on friendship, the importance of unity, and the emotional consequences of vicious rivalry. The film’s underlying message – neither side wins in war – is as relevant today as ever. 

Based on the acclaimed live-action film classic La Guerre des Tuques (The Dog Who Stopped the War), SNOWTIME! is a captivating cinematic adventure about hope and friendship. The film explores the sometimes mercurial relations between friends during childhood, and the role that enthusiastic competition and energizing solidarity play in the lives of children.

Official website: www.snowtimemovie.com

Directed by:  Jean-François Pouliot

Co-director: François Brisson

Produced by: Marie-Claude Beauchamp

Screenplay by: Normand Canac-Marquis, Paul Risacher

MPAA Rating: PG           

Voice Cast:  Ross Lynch, Golden Globe®-Winner Sandra Oh, Angela Gallupo, Lucinda Davis, Sonja Ball, Don Shepherd, Jenna Wheeler, Heidi Lynne Weeks, Elisabeth MacRae, Holly Gauthier.

Songs performed by:  Celine Dion, Simple Plan, Walk Off The Earth, Marie-Mai, Groenland

*Disclosure - The product in this review was provided to me free of cost for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.