DVD New Releases

Pete’s Dragon-Kids’ Movie Review

“What’s a dragon?” asks Pete. Pete is a 10-year-old orphan boy who lives in the woods with his best friend Elliot. Though Elliot truly is a dragon, to Pete he’s a companion and a giant who takes care of him. When a woman named Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) discovers Pete in the woods, she brings him home, hoping to help the young boy. Her father, Meacham (Robert Redford), was known in the community to tell children mysterious dragon stories. After hearing Pete’s story, Grace and her father were curious to see if there really was a dragon in the woods, so they were guided by Pete and a young girl named Natalie into the forest to find the dragon…Pete’s dragon. Pete’s Dragon is a remake of the 1977 Disney film, Pete’s Dragon.

Rating: 4 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: November 29, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 7+
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Pete’s Dragon is a wonderful film for the whole family. The film highlights the importance of love and family. Parents need to be aware of the mature subject matter of death.
Though there is a dragon in the film, he is cute and cuddly and most likely will not scare kids.

Sexual Content: None

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

Pete’s parents die in a car accident and Pete is the only survivor. This may scare young kids.
Pete leaps off cliffs and jumps from the roofs of moving vehicles.
Two characters fall from high branches of a tree.
Ropes are thrown around the dragon’s neck as he’s hit with tranquilizer darts.
There’s a car chase with several cars falling from a large bridge

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

The theater was packed with kids of all ages. I interviewed two 7 year-old boy and 6 year-old girl who loved it and said, “Pete was cool.”

Overall Pete’s Dragon is a heartfelt and entertaining film for the whole family.

Nine Lives-Kids’ Movie Review

Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) built a successful business empire from scratch, though he spends more time at work than with the family. He has a beautiful wife, Lara (Jennifer Garner) who struggles with her absent husband as he’s not home much; an adult son, David (Robbie Amell), who works for the family business and wants to make his dad proud; and an 11- year old daughter, Rebecca (Malina Weissman), who absolutely idolizes her father. Tom’s life dramatically changes on his daughter’s 11th birthday when Rebecca asks for a cat. Tom went to a mysterious pet store to buy her a soft cuddly cat. After leaving the store he gets in an accident and wakes up in the body of the cat he had just purchased. Tom is now living at home as his daughter’s pet cat. As a cat he eventually realizes the more important role he has as a husband and father, and observes all he’s missed out on. Tom desperately wants to be a human once again and spend more time with his family, but first he must figure out what he has to do before he can be transformed from the pet cat to the man of the house.

Rating: 4 and 1/2 popcorn buckets out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: November 1, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 7+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

The message highlighted throughout the film is the importance of being around for your family and involved in their lives.
There is a lot of potty humor throughout the film especially with the cat urinating on a rug and in a woman’s purse.

Sexual Content: None

Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild

We see two characters fall from a high rise.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

We hear “d–n.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate

A woman is shown drinking martinis and Scotch throughout the film.
The cat version of Tom gets into the alcohol as well and ends up drinking a little too much.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is a fun entertaining film for the whole family.

Ice Age: Collision Course-Kids’ Movie Review

Love is in the air as Manny the mammoth prepares for his daughter’s wedding while Sid the sloth is desperately trying to find true love. However, things get complicated when the acorn obsessed rodent, Scrat, ends up in a UFO and creates a series of cosmic events that threatens the Ice Age World. Now the beloved mammals; Sid, Manny, Diego and friends must leave their home and encounter a whole new adventure. Ice Age: Collision Course is the fifth movie in the Ice Age series.

Rating: 5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: October 11, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Mild

Sid the sloth and Brooke have a romantic relationship.
A character mentions, “naked bingo.”

Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild

There is some slapstick violence. Space rocks create explosions and fire.
Characters get shocked and electrocuted.
Scrat gets hit, bonked and smashed throughout the film.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

Name calling, a character says, “stupid.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is a fun, entertaining animated film for the whole family.

Star Trek Beyond-Teen Movie Review

It’s their nine hundred and sixty sixth day in space during the five year mission. Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the Starship Enterprise crew are on a mission; “To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.” However, this time there are some surprises for the beloved crew. The Enterprise is forced to crash-land on a mysterious and hostile planet led by the evil dictator Krall (Idris Elba). Krall needs an ancient and valuable artifact that happens to be on the Enterprise, and he will do whatever it takes to get it. Now the Starship crew must battle the alien race and find their way off of the planet.

Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: November 1, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Mild

We see two crew members kiss.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

There are intense battles throughout the film.
Characters are beaten; there are brutal fist fights leaving characters injured and bloody.
Spock has an injury when a huge piece of metal punctures his side. He’s very vocal with his pain when he tries to move.
The villain, Krall, tortures characters with his deadly weapon and brutal force.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

We hear “sh-t,” “h–,” “b–tard,” “a–,” and “d–n.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

Characters are shown drinking.

Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes

Overall Star Trek fans will enjoy the intense action packed film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence throughout the film.

Ghostbusters-Kids’ Movie Review

It’s 2016 and we can still call the Ghostbusters!! However, this time they’re a group of females. Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), a paranormal researcher; Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), a physicist; Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon ), an engineer; and Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), a lifelong New Yorker, all team up when strange apparitions suddenly appear in Manhattan. The four women get to work in the big city where they hire a handsome yet ditsy assistant Kevin (Chris Hemsworth). Together they create powerful weapons with hopes to destroy the ghosts and save Times Square! Based on the 1984 original film, Ghostbusters.

Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: October 11, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

The film has an all-star, hilarious cast with comedians Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. There are also a few cameos with actors from the original cast
Parents need to be aware of the potty humor woven throughout the film. This includes jokes about gas and other bodily functions.

Sexual Content: Mild

The Ghostbusters hire a very attractive male assistant. One of the female Ghostbusters has a big crush on him.
Their assistant designs a logo for the female Ghostbusters and it highlights the ghosts breasts.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

The glowing ghosts swoosh around New York City, destroy things and terrorize people.
Characters are thrown around. One victim is tossed out a window.
The Ghostbusters create powerful weapons to trap the ghosts. However, the devices are dangerous – they blow up vehicles and buildings.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

“Sh-t,” “b–ches” “d–n, “h—,” and “a–” are said throughout the film.

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

We see the Ghostbusters drinking beer at a bar.

Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes

I interviewed a 10 year-old boy and his thirteen year-old sister. They thought the film was funny and very entertaining.

Overall this is a fun entertaining film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and moderate profane language throughout the film.