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‘TOY STORY 4’ (JUNE 21)
The plot centers around Dora attempting to solve the mystery of a lost Incan city, so you can expect her to live up to her moniker. As the film poster states: “Explorer is her middle name.”
Sandwiched between those two beloved classics comes the fourth en- try in Pixar’s tentpole franchise “Toy Story.” Buzz, Woody, and the gang will be hitting the road, joined by a new toy in the form of Forky, who is a class project created by Bonnie. If you’ve grown tired of sequel fa- tigue, you may bristle at the idea of another entry in the series, but the folks at Pixar have never failed to deliver. Judging by early impressions, “Toy Story 4” will be a worthy addition to the canon. As has become increasingly obvious with each movie, “Toy Story” is a series for adults as much as children. The movies deal with mature themes but present them in ways that appeal to even the littlest ones. You’ll laugh, you may cry, and you’ll definitely learn a lesson or two. What more could you ask of a family film?
‘PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE’ (AUGUST 30)
Playmobil toys may not have the cultural cachet of Legos, but it was only a matter of time before they got a movie of their own. “Playmobil: The Movie” closes out the summer with a release just before Labor Day. In the film, two children are transported to the world of the toys and are transformed into figures. They need to find each other and save the proverbial day. In doing so, they’ll travel through many different worlds and meet a cast of plastic-bodied characters, both friendly and hostile.
Parents who grew up playing with these toys will find nostalgic delight in returning to a familiar world. Whether or not the movie begins a merchandising phenomenon remains to be seen, but if you’re taking your kids to “Playmobil: The Movie,” it may be worth it to see if you have some vintage relics kicking around in the attic.
‘DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD’ (AUGUST 9)
Despite being the longest running series in the history of Nick Jr., “Dora the Explorer” never found her way to the multiplex until now. After 15 years and 179 episodes as a cartoon, she comes to life this summer in “Dora and the Lost City of Gold.” Isabela Moner stars as Dora, along with some voiceover assists from Danny Trejo and Benicio del Toro as Boots the Monkey and Swiper the Fox, respectively.
Amid the devastation of the wildfires that tore through California in the fall of 2017, a few heroic tales rose up to give people hope. One such tale was of Odin, a loyal Great Pyrenees guard dog. Along with his sister, Tessa, and eight rescue goats, Odin is part of the Hendel family. It was mid-October when the Hendels were awoken by the smell of smoke, a fierce orange sky, and sounds of destruction—urgent warnings from Mother Nature. Gathering everyone as quickly as they could, the Hendels got their human family members and Tessa in the car, but Odin, seated proudly next to the eight goats, refused to get in. Try as they might, the Hendels could not get him to come with them, and there wasn’t enough room in the car for the eight goats. With the firestorm quickly approaching and the risk of losing even more family members increasing with each passing minute, the Hendels made the heart-wrenching decision to leave Odin and the goats behind. THE GUARDIANWHO WOULDNOT LEAVE HIS WATCH Odin Lives Up to His Legendary Name
agonizing days, it was finally safe enough for them to return home and survey the destruction.
What did the Hendels find? Ashes, rubble, their barn and home burned to the ground — and Odin. There he was, still guarding his eight goats and some small deer that had sought shelter with the brave canine. Weakened, burned, and limping, but nevertheless steadfast, Odin had never left his goats, even as the fire raged around them. Odin wagged his tail as he saw his family, happy to see they were also safe. The Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue and the Goatlandia Animal Sanctuary provided temporary shelter for the goats and pups while the Hendels rebuilt their barn. Odin received all the care he needed, along with a lot of love and treats. Today, Odin and his goats are back with their family, rebuilding their lives after this devastating wildfire. But the Hendels, and anyone who’s heard the story, won’t soon forget the bravery of Odin, the amazing pup.
The family made it to safety with Tessa in tow, relieved to be together but heartbroken that Odin and the goats weren’t with them. After several
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