If you or your children happen to be big superhero fans, you are going to love Marvel Universe Live! The show brings together a team of heroes– including Spider-Man, the Avengers, and some of the X-Men– to fight against Loki and a host of other villains, like Red Skull, the Sinister Six, and more, for a total of over 25 of your favorite Marvel characters battling it out before your very eyes!
The story to the show goes as such: Thor, in possession of the Cosmic Cube (or Tesseract, as it is also known) decides to split it into four pieces and scatter them across the globe in hope that no one person will ever again possess the cube’s full corrupting power. But Loki, clever and dangerous as he always is, devises a plan to use mutant energy and one fragment of the cube to create his own clone Tesseract. It’s up to the Avengers (with help from a few friends) to gather up the three remaining pieces of the Tesseract and stop Loki’s march toward world domination. How will they thwart his plans in time? Check out Marvel Universe Live when it comes to your area to find out!
Marvel Universe Live, which incorporates impressive fight choreography, stunts, motorcycle action, pyrotechnics, and of course, the sheer thrill of seeing countless Marvel heroes and villains live on stage, is a blast for comic book and superhero fans of all ages! We saw the show last week at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey and had an incredible time, but don’t fret if you missed it– Marvel Universe Live is still in the area at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn until August 17 and Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale until the 24th. It’s also going to be touring around the country until at least May 2015; you can check out the full tour schedule here.
For more info on Marvel Universe Live, visit the show’s official site.
Also, whether you’ve seen the show already or are eagerly awaiting the chance to go, check out the show’s “Marvel Universe Live Marketplace” on Overstock.com! The shop allows you to get your hands on exclusive Marvel Universe Live merchandise from the comfort of your home. Overstock.com is an official partner of Marvel Universe Live, and as an element of the partnership has (in addition to the Marketplace page) set up an arrangement with the not-for-profit Wounded Warrior Project. Overstock and Marvel Universe Live invited Wounded Warrior guests to attend the show in East Rutherford (with an interactive event preceding the live arena spectacular), and also made a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project in their honor.
If you’re looking for The Avengers, look elsewhere. Even though Guardians of the Galaxy shares some features with the 2012 superhero team-up hit, this movie is its own beast entirely, and quite an interesting one at that! Gone are the familiar heroes that typically inhabit the Marvel Cinematic Universe; there’s not a cape or a mask in sight (well, one mask, but it’s more like a breathing apparatus), and instead we’re met with a crew of misfits that includes a treasure hunter, an assassin, a vengeful warrior, a genetically-enhanced talking raccoon, and a humanoid tree.
Guardians of the Galaxy takes this ragtag band and shows us how they came together into the titular superhero team. Chris Pratt captivates as Star Lord from the second he first appears on screen, emanating roguish charm like a slightly-unhinged Han Solo. As we follow the would-be infamous outlaw through his quest to keep the purple infinity stone away from the villainous Ronan the Accuser, we meet the rest of the team that becomes the Guardians of the Galaxy: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), determined to gain the stone to prevent Ronan from annihilating the universe; Drax (Dave Bautista), sworn to kill Ronan to avenge his wife and daughter; and Rocket and Groot (Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively), who are just in it for profit. When the crew finds themselves in prison and being hunted by both sides of the law, how can they protect the stone and save the universe? Check out Guardians of the Galaxy in theaters now to find out!
(Note: While “Guardians of the Galaxy” may be a summer favorite for tweens, teens, and up, check twice before bringing little ones– there’s some mature language that makes the movie potentially inappropriate for kids under 8.)
While we’ve previously taken a look at the more parent-centric elements of BloggerBash 2014, there was plenty for kids at the conference too. In particular, there was the KidzVuz Back to School Bash, a chance to see some of the hottest kids’ products in movies, toys, games, entertainment, and more that are on the market right now!
Guardians of the Galaxy
Sure to be one of this summer’s big hits, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest installment in the comic book company’s expansive cinematic universe. Building on the success of the Avengers franchise, the movie takes viewers across the expanses of space as we follow the titular heroes– Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot– in their quest to team up and save the universe. The movie, which took this weekend’s box office by storm, will definitely be a favorite for the tween crowd and up.
Hasbro
What’s a superhero flick without action figures? Hasbro featured off its tie-in figures, masks, and more for Guardians of the Galaxy, while also giving ample show to some of its other lines like My Little Pony and classic games like Monopoly (the latest version of which features a personal touch, with the ability to customize the board with personal pawns, locations, and more!) There was definitely something for everyone in the family to enjoy at Hasbro!
WWE
Finally, we got a chance to look at the latest from perennial favorite WWE. The company’s got plenty to celebrate this year, with Wrestlemania 30 and major movie appearances by plenty of its stars (like Dave Bautista’s role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy.) There were even appearances by WWE wrestlers, like Total Divas star Natalya!
Being a parent is no easy job, but thankfully, there’s something new around every corner to help moms and dads like us. At Blogger Bash 2014’s Mommy Tech Summit and BabyPalooza, we got a look at some of the great products available to give parents some much-needed assistance in the challenges of everyday life with kids. Here’s some of our highlights from the showcase:
“BOB-B-SAFE” by Britax
From its inception in 1938, automotive safety company Britax has always focused on protecting people from the potential dangers faced during travel. You can bet that care and concern only increased when they began to zero-in on children’s products in the 1970s, and on into today– and it’s certainly evident in their BOB-B-SAFE car seats. Designed to match the company’s line of BOB strollers, the BOB-B-SAFE seats combine style and safety in the best of ways. The seats also feature side-impact protection, and a tangle-free, five-point secure harness to keep your child safe.
Joovy
Every trip isn’t just in a car, though, so you definitely want to make sure you have the best for your child even when you’re just going for a walk! Have a look at Joovy, manufacturer of over 20 different strollers and carriers of all shapes and sizes. Unique to Joovy is the Tricycoo Tricycle, created to help kids make their first biking experience fantastic. Able to be powered by the kids pedaling or parents pushing (with the included removable parent push handle), the Tricycoo strikes the perfect balance between stroller and trike.
DeltaChildren
At the end of the day (quite literally), it’s important to have a good crib for your baby to rest in. Delta Children is an industry leader in safe, high-quality, and budget-friendly chidren’s furniture for your baby’s comfort and your peace of mind, and the company has been dedicated to creating quality cribs and other children’s furniture for over three decades. A great example of Delta Children’s commitment to functionality, quality, and style is their Canton 4-in-1 Crib, which converts from crib to toddler bed to daybed, and finally full-size bed with headboard and footboard. This crib will surely become a focal point in your home for years to come!
Blogger Bash 2014 kicked off with Sweet Suite by the Big Toy Book, a look at the hottest toys and games hitting shelves soon, from classic toy staples like Lego to dolls, board games, and more! The standout hits of the evening, though, were definitely the two video games that were showcased: Skylanders Trap Team and Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition).
Skylanders Trap Teamis the latest in the franchise that began with 2011’s Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. In the footsteps of its ever-inventive predecessors (Skylanders Giants in 2012 and Skylanders Swap Force in 2013), Trap Team changes the game, so to speak, with the introduction of a new mechanic sure to thrill players of all ages. That new mechanic is the addition of Trap Crystals, which allow the player to capture and play as certain enemies. Skylanders Trap Team is set to release this October on all major consoles.
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.o Edition) boasts vast improvements over its already-great precursor, last summer’s Disney Infinity. This installment, due out in September, will feature superheroes from the Marvel lineup (like the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and more) alongside such Disney favorites as Stitch, Tinker Bell, Merida, and Maleficent. In addition to a slew of new figures, 2.0 will also include enhanced in-game features, such as the ability to procedurally generate environments, a better level-up system with unlockable skill trees, and new mini-quests that fit perfectly in between the toy box mode and full story playsets. Look for Disney Infinity 2.0 this September on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, WiiU, and iOS.
Stay tuned for more on Blogger Bash 2014 in the next few days, as we bring you up to speed on the conference’s most exciting moments!
