Movies | DaDa Rocks!

I Play Rocky Tells the Incredible Underdog Story Behind Sylvester Stallone’s Classic

Oct 23, 2026 | Entertainment, Movies

Before Rocky Balboa became one of the most recognizable underdogs in movie history, Sylvester Stallone had to fight for the chance to play him. That’s the story behind I Play Rocky, a new Amazon MGM Studios drama starring Anthony Ippolito and directed by Peter Farrelly.

The film takes us back to the days when Stallone was a struggling actor with a script he believed in—and a Hollywood system that wasn’t exactly lining up to give him the starring role.

The Underdog Story Behind the Underdog Story

Stallone didn’t just want to sell Rocky. He wanted to play Rocky Balboa himself. That conviction became the defining gamble of his early career. I Play Rocky dramatizes the rejection, determination and unlikely breakthrough that led to the 1976 classic.

Anthony Ippolito plays the young Stallone, with Stephan James as Carl Weathers, AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack and Matt Dillon as Stallone’s father. The cast also includes P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts and Jay Duplass.

Official I Play Rocky movie poster featuring Anthony Ippolito — *I Play Rocky* movie poster. Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios.

Watch the I Play Rocky Trailer

The official trailer offers a look at Ippolito’s portrayal of Stallone and the obstacles standing between a struggling actor and the movie that would change his life.

Watch the official I Play Rocky trailer on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_g_Ut0jO-0

Why This Story Still Hits Home

There is something timeless about someone being told “no” and deciding to keep going anyway. For parents who grew up with Rocky, this is a chance to revisit the movie’s origins from a new perspective. For older teens discovering it for the first time, it’s a story about creative ambition and refusing to let someone else define what’s possible.

It’s worth noting that I Play Rocky is rated PG-13 for strong language, brief sexual material and smoking, so parents should consider whether it’s right for their teens.

When Does I Play Rocky Come Out?

I Play Rocky opens in select theaters on November 6, 2026, with a wider release scheduled for November 20—just ahead of the original film’s 50th anniversary.

Fifty years later, it turns out the story of how Rocky got made might be every bit as compelling as the movie itself.

Download Free PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie Activity Sheets for Kids

Oct 13, 2026 | Movies

Ready for some prehistoric fun at home? PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie is now available to watch at home, and families can add a little hands-on adventure with a downloadable packet of themed activity sheets shared by the film’s publicity team.

In the movie, Ryder, Marshall, the rest of the PAW Patrol pups and their new friend Rex team up for a rescue mission on Dino Island. The new printable activities offer kids a way to keep the dinosaur-themed fun going after the credits.

Download the free PAW Patrol activity sheets

Download the PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie activity sheets (PDF)

The download link is supplied by the movie’s publicity team. You’ll need a PDF viewer and, if you’d like paper copies, a printer. Adult help may be useful for younger kids.

More dino-sized PAW Patrol fun

PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie brings the rescue crew together with Rex for a dinosaur adventure. Families interested in watching can check their preferred digital movie retailer for current viewing options.

For trailers, movie information and official promotional artwork, visit Paramount Pictures’ movie publicity page.

Editorial source: PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie activity-sheet announcement supplied to DaDa Rocks by Nikki Stefansen, Tall Girl PR, October 13, 2026.

COYOTE VS. ACME Is a Nostalgic, Funny Ride for the Whole Family

Aug 29, 2026 | Articles, Movies, Reviews

There are some cartoon characters that immediately transport you back to being a kid. For me, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner are absolutely on that list. I grew up watching Looney Tunes on Saturday mornings, waiting to see what ridiculous ACME product Wile E. Coyote would order next—and, of course, exactly how badly it would backfire.

So getting the chance to watch COYOTE VS. ACME with my youngest daughter, Harlow, was one of those great full-circle parenting moments. She loved the movie, found it really funny and surprisingly heartwarming, while I got a huge dose of nostalgia watching characters I grew up with come back to life for another generation.

After decades of being blown up, flattened, launched off cliffs, smashed by boulders and generally abused by just about every product in the ACME catalog, Wile E. Coyote (Genius) has finally had enough.

This time, instead of ordering another rocket or giant magnet, he gets a lawyer.

Wile E. teams up with billboard accident attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) and decides to sue ACME, Inc. for all those years of defective products and catastrophic results. Standing in their way is ACME’s slick corporate attorney Buddy Crane (John Cena) and a company that isn’t particularly interested in taking responsibility for what its products have done to one very persistent coyote.

The setup alone is wonderfully ridiculous—and exactly the kind of ridiculous that works in the Looney Tunes universe.

What surprised me was that underneath all of the cartoon insanity there is actually a lot of heart here. Harlow was laughing throughout the movie, but she was also invested in Wile E. Coyote. After spending our entire lives watching him get smashed, dropped, exploded and flattened, it’s kind of nice to finally root for the guy.

And yes, there is plenty here for parents.

COYOTE VS. ACME understands that a lot of the adults bringing their kids to see this movie grew up with these characters themselves. The movie doesn’t just dust off Wile E. Coyote for another adventure; it plays with the absurd logic that made the original cartoons so much fun. ACME could apparently mail you anything from rocket-powered roller skates to enough explosives to level a mountain—and nobody ever questioned whether any of this stuff actually worked.

Until now.

That nostalgia worked on me, but the best part was seeing that Harlow didn’t need any of it. She just thought it was funny. That’s usually a pretty good test of whether bringing back characters from our childhood actually works: the parents can enjoy remembering them while the kids discover them as something new.

I also had the chance to interview Lana Condor, one of the movie’s co-stars, and asked about her own memories of growing up with Looney Tunes. Her answer immediately made me laugh because apparently Sylvester and Tweety caused her a little childhood anxiety.

She remembered being stressed watching Sylvester constantly going after Tweety Bird, thinking basically, it’s over for you, Tweety.

I completely understand.

That’s part of what makes Looney Tunes work across generations. We know Wile E. is going over that cliff. We know the rocket isn’t going where it’s supposed to go. We know Sylvester probably isn’t catching Tweety. Somehow, we still watch every ridiculous plan unfold.

COYOTE VS. ACME captures that spirit while giving Wile E. something he hasn’t had very often over all these years—a chance to actually fight back.

For our family, it worked. Harlow thought it was hilarious, I got to revisit a huge piece of my Saturday-morning childhood, and we both walked away having enjoyed the movie for completely different reasons.

That’s exactly what I want from a family movie.

If you grew up with Bugs, Daffy, Tweety, Sylvester, the Road Runner and one extremely determined coyote, there’s plenty here to make you smile. More importantly, there’s a pretty good chance your kids are going to understand why we loved these characters in the first place.

DaDa Rocks Recommendation: Definitely worth seeing with the kids—and parents who grew up on Saturday morning Looney Tunes may end up enjoying it just as much as they do.

Disclosure: I attended a screening of COYOTE VS. ACME to facilitate this review and had the opportunity to interview Lana Condor. All opinions are my own.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is Available on Digital!

Jan 28, 2026 | Articles, Movies

SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail on their biggest adventure yet! When an attempt to prove he’s a true big guy accidentally summons the fearsome ghost pirate The Flying Dutchman, SpongeBob and Patrick are swept into a wild underworld quest. With colossal challenges ahead and a rescue crew on their trail, SpongeBob discovers that real courage shines brightest when friends face the unknown together.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants has arrived to buy or rent on Digital on January 20, 2026, with over 20 minutes of bonus content. Find it on Amazon.

Masters of the Universe – HE-MAN 2026 Trailer is out now!

Jan 22, 2026 | Articles, Movies

We finally have the trailer for Masters of the Universe, the HE-MAN movie. This is something my 1980’s heart cant wait to see, because really it is our childhood cartoon come to life. Yes, theres been movies made in the past but lets be real with todays technology those are campy. Hopefully this trailer isnt a highlight reel of the whole movie and is just a clip of what we can expect.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.

Wicked for Good Comes Home

Dec 30, 2025 | Movies

Wicked For Good comes home just in time for the New Year, fans can rejoycify and return to the Emerald City for the epic conclusion to the untold story of the witches of Oz, now from the comfort of their own home. After debuting at #1 at the global box office earning $223M and surpassing Part One as the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, WICKED: FOR GOOD will now be available to buy or rent exclusively on digital platforms starting December 30, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Boasting a stellar “A” Cinemascore and Verified Hot with a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, WICKED: FOR GOOD is “a sensational conclusion” (Mashable). The film comes home with 2 versions of the movie, including an exclusive sing-along for fans and over one hour of bonus features, including deleted scenes, a 50+ minute exclusive look into the making of the movie with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and the cast and filmmakers, and more must-have behind-the-scenes featurettes. WICKED: FOR GOOD will also be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray™ & DVD on January 20, 2026. There’s nowhere like home to watch WICKED: FOR GOOD.

In WICKED: FOR GOOD, Elphaba and Glinda are now estranged, each living with the consequences of their choices. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, continuing her fight to expose The Wizard. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) has become a glamorous symbol of Goodness, basking in the perks of fame and popularity. When a girl from Kansas crashes into their lives, Elphaba and Glinda must reunite and truly see each other—if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz. Bring home the adventure with an exclusive sing-along and prepare to be changed…for good.

EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES WHEN YOU BUY AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS:

SING-ALONG – ALTERNATE FEATURE-LENGTH VERSION – Rejoicify! The time has come to raise your voice and unleash the magic of Oz. Sing with all your heart as Elphaba and Glinda’s destiny unfolds in the spellbinding Sing-Along Edition of WICKED: FOR GOOD.
DELETED SCENES
o   Brick Making – A musical montage shows Munchkins busily shaping and painting brilliant golden bricks, bringing the Yellow Brick Road to life.
o   Glinda Train Tour – As Glinda leaves Emerald City, the citizens erupt into musical fanfare, sending her off with radiant cheers and lavish celebration – Featuring Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh and Bowen Yang
o   Even You, Fiyero* – Elphaba retreats to her lair, wrestling with the sting of Fiyero’s betrayal and the weight of her heartbreak – Featuring Cynthia Erivo
o   Return to the Governor’s Mansion* – Lost and abandoned, Elphaba returns to the one place she swore she’d left behind – her childhood home – Featuring Cynthia Erivo
o   Friendship Montage – A lively montage unfolds as Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Boq, and Nessarose spend a carefree afternoon together—playing games, laughing, and relaxing over a cheerful picnic – Featuring Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Jonathan Bailey, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
o   The Wizard is Sentimental – Glinda steps into her ethereal bubble to float above Emerald City, contrasted with the Wizard’s nostalgic hot air balloon ascension as he reprises “A Sentimental Man” – Featuring Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum
MAKING WICKED: FOR GOOD – Step behind the curtain for an exclusive look at the magic of Oz. Through never-before-seen footage and candid interviews, discover how the cast and crew brought this epic story to life—from the artistry of building Oz brick-by-brick to the challenge of filming two sweeping productions at once. A talent-led journey you won’t want to miss.
THE TRUE WIZARD – An exploration of why Jon M. Chu was the ideal director to bring WICKED: FOR GOOD from stage to screen. See how his inventiveness as a filmmaker and passion for WICKED are key ingredients for the humanity and joy we feel in every shot.
MORE THAN JUST A PLACE – A closer look at Elphaba’s new song in WICKED: FOR GOOD.
Cynthia Erivo, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and others reflect on its emotional resonance, Elphaba’s vulnerability, and the expressive movement artists portraying the animal characters she sings to.
THE GIRL IN THE BUBBLE – A closer look at Glinda’s brand new song for the WICKED: FOR GOOD film. Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and more discuss how the song comes at such a pivotal moment for Glinda why filming the sequence was such a feat of technical mastery.
KIAMO KO – Return to Kiamo Ko, where the film’s climax unfolds. Cast and filmmakers reflect on Elphaba’s embrace of her identity as the Wicked Witch, the poignant reunion with Glinda, and the bittersweet consequences that follow in this emotionally charged sequence.
FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JON M. CHU