I had never heard of Thunder and the House of Magic before we were sent a copy to review recently. I put it away for a reward for the kids after a hard day of cleaning. I settled in with them and expected another animated but mindless romp. What I got was an adorable tale of bravery, friendship, and hope that had my family (and especially my husband) rolling with laughter!
The story unfolds with an abandoned cat ("Thunder") who stumbles upon a "haunted house". What is different about this house, however, isn't spirits and ghouls, but wonderful contraptions and cute critters. (Think more Willy Wonka and less Mr. Magorium.) Wind-up toys, robots, rabbits, and mechanical butlers provide much of the dialogue in this account of an elderly magician who takes the cat in with the hopes of having him assist in his daily magician duties (which involves delighting sick kids at a hospital with tricks.)
One misstep lands the gentlemen in the hospital, however, and now the house and all the inhabitants are in danger! One ruthless character threatens to take the home and leave Thunder the cat homeless again. Our kids were very intent on seeing how the characters worked together to "spook" the bad guys away for good.
This film is full of innocence and wonder. The music is a delight (even the marching band scenes), and Selena Gomez has added something with her original song, as well. (Note: this film is not rated. Parents should know that there are a couple uses of the word "damn" in reference to the cat, but they happen so fast that it's almost unnoticeable. I had to look it up to be sure it was there, and my kids didn't notice at all.)
Here is a preview:
This family movie is directed by renowned 3D filmmakers Ben Stassen (Fly Me to the Moon, Sammy's Adventures: Escape from Paradise) and Jeremie Degruson (A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventure), with original music by Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones). Made available by Shout Kids, it is now available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide in DVD and 3D Blu-Ray, or at Walmart.com. I highly recommend this film as an alternative to some of the overdone and "formula" movies out for kids today. You can learn more about the film at the official website!
*Screener received to review. Opinions are my own.
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