Kids
Shorts Review
The movie revolves around an 11 year old boy(Toby) who tells a series of short stories about his family, his community, and most importantly his magic “wishing rock” that he discovered. What initially seems to appear as a wonderful concept (always getting what you want), turns into complete mayhem. This rock not only changes the Toby’s life, but also his friends, family, and community.
Rating: Three out of five buckets
Release Date: November 24, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Talking Points:
Talking Points:
Initially Toby is thrilled with the wishing rock, knowing he can get whatever he wants, but then he, and everyone who else gets the rock, realizes that selfish wishes cause more problems and aren’t worth it. Like the classic message “be careful what you wish for.”
Potty- gross humor throughout the movie.
There are many discussions about nose picking and booger eating.
A kids booger grows into a sloppy, gross monster.
Helvitica, the girl bully, eats Toby’s favorite fish from the fish tank.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Mild
- Toby is constantly being picked on, his classmates dunk him in the trash can, punch him, while verbally abusing him. This could bring up good discussions with parents and their children about bullying.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- Name-calling: Dr. Dumbutt, loser, idoit, and dork.
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
This movie was made for kids, not adults. I read in a review, which I thought was great, “Think of “Shorts” as “The Hangover” for 10 year olds. Many kids ages 5 to 9 will like the silly humor, while most adults will be bored!!!!!!!!
I give it 3 buckets.
The Secret World of Arrietty Review
Typically people go to the grocery store to buy sugar and other items they need but not Arrietty. Arrietty (a teenage girl) and her parents are borrowers. Borrowers are very tiny people who borrow things from beans’ (humans) houses in order to survive. They live beneath the floors of people’s homes until spotted by a bean (human). Then it’s time for the borrowers to move because humans can be dangerous! So when Arrietty was discovered by a bean, things dramatically changed for her and her parents. The Secret World of Arrietty is based on a children’s book called The Borrowers. This is a sci-fi, animated drama for kids.
Rating:3 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: May 22, 2012
MPAA Rating: G
Best Age Group: Any age
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Check out my review here, along with “This Means War.”
Talking Points:
I loved the friendship that Arrietty developed with Shawn, (the human teenage boy that spotted her). He was so sweet to Arrietty, and only wanted to protect her and her parents. Arrietty helped Shawn as well. He had a heart conditition and she taught him to be brave, and to fight for things you believe in. Great messages for kids.
Arrietty had a wonderful relationship with her parents. When she and her father first went out on their borrowing endeavor, Arrietty made a mistake when she dropped the sugar cube. Instead of getting angry and upset, her father said, “We all mistakes, I am very proud of you.”
The animation was very colorful and beautiful. I read that the book was set in Victorian England, and the film was set in modern day Japan.The Japanese garden’s were amazing and seemed so real.
The film was slow moving, and initially there was not much dialogue. I noticed that the little kids in the theater were getting antsy during the movie.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Mild
- A scary cat snapped at Arrietty and a crow tried to attack her. The crow scene may scare younters.
- Arrietty’s mom was captured by a bean, and put in a glass jar. This was a creepy scene.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- Name calling, “idiot,” was said once.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We saw bottles of wine in a character’s pantry.
The Secret World of Arrietty was a very sweet tale about family, friendship and love. I’m not sure the youngsters in the theater will understand all the wonderful messages; but my friend and I did, and we really enjoyed the film. This movie is appropriate for kids of all ages!
Rio Review
Linda (voice of Leslie Mann) and Blu (voice of Jessie Eisenberg), brush their teeth together, they gargle together, they eat breakfast together, and they go to the bookstore (which Linda runs) together; and they do this almost everyday. No, this is not a married couple, this is a grown women and her exotic pet bird, Blu. Linda found Blu when she was young girl living in Minnesota; now as a grown women, she still owns Blu, and it’s her best friend. One day things dramatically change for Linda and Blu when Tulio, a man from Rio de Janeiro, enters into their lives. He informs Blu that he’s the last male of his species, but told him not to worry, because there is a female of his kind, named Jewel (voice of Anne Hathaway) living in Rio. So in order to continue this rare species, Linda, Blu and their new acquaintance, Tulio, head to South America, where they meet many interesting people and have many unusual, tropical adventures.
Rating: Four out of five buckets
Release Date: August 2, 2011
MPAA Rating: G
Best Age Group: Any age
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
One thing I didn’t mention in the synopsis is that Blu cannot fly. This was never a problem for a pet bird living in Minnesota. However, it is a problem for a bird living in the jungles of Brazil. Without giving too much of the movie away, I just want to mention that it was inspiring to see how Blu handled his handicap, and overcame his fears; something parents could chat with their kids about.
Blu meets many interesting friends, three of whom are the voices of George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, and The Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am. As you can imagine these characters add a lot of humor, music and entertainment to the film.
The animation is absolutely amazing; with the vibrant colors of the birds, and the beautiful scenery of Brazil, kids will be enthralled by the sites!
Though the theater was packed with little kids and their parents, it was very quiet. Kids laughed at the humorous parts of the movie; other than that they were attentive to the suspenseful film.
Sexual/Inappropriate Content: Mild
- Blu’s friends try to set the mood for the mating couple, this may also spark some great parent/child conversations.
- There is some adult humor, however it will most likely go over the kids’ heads.
- Women wear skimpy costumes during a carnival show.
Violent Content: Moderate
- As in many movies, there’s a theme of good vs. evil. There are some “mean birds” and villainous characters in the movie that may scare kids.
- One character is a big bully. He terrorizes other animals, he threatens to eat a group of scared birds, and he also threatens a monkey clan.
- After Blu meets his mate, they are kidnapped by villains. When they eventually escape, they are handcuffed together, this may frighten young kids.
Crude/Profane Language: Mild
- Words such as “butt,” “idiot,” and “shut up” are used in the movie.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Some characters were drinking wine at dinner.
Overall Rio (Rated G) is an entertaining movie for the whole family. Rio demonstrates the importance of friendship, courage and forgiveness. The outstanding animation and fun characters will entertain the whole family.
Puss in Boots Review
How did Puss get those boots of his? In this wonderful, animated film, Puss in Boots, we learn a lot about that bad cat long before he ever meets Shrek. This is story about Puss (Antonio Banderas) and his courageous adventures with his long time friend, Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty (Salma Hayek). This trio is on a mission to steal magic beans from Jack and Jill, grow a bean stalk, and get to the golden egg kingdom in the clouds, with hopes to steal the goose that lays the golden eggs. This is a hilarious and clever movie, one the whole family will enjoy.
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: February 24, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
“Please do not let me down,” these are the words from Puss’s adopted mom after she finds out he was stealing beans. Despite Puss’s reputation, he is a good cat; it’s mentioned throughout the film that he wants to do the right thing and make his mom proud! This is a great message for kids!!!
In a flashback scene we learn that Puss was put in an orphanage as a tiny kitten. That’s where he meets Humpty Dumpty, who’s constantly being picked on and bullied by other kids. Puss sticks up for his bullied new friend; another great thing for kids to see.
In addition to the moral lessons that runs throughout the film, it is also a hilarious movie. From Puss’s dance moves, to his witty and silly humor; kids and adults will be thoroughly entertained.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Puss and Kitty have a “dance fight,” where they seductively dance together.
- Puss makes reference of his reputation as a lover.
Violent Content: Mild
- In this film Jack and Jill are evil, scary characters who threaten anyone who gets in their way. They hit Puss and his friends with swords and clubs. Jack and Jill may scare some younger kids.
- There are many sword fights; Puss loves to use his sword.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Characters are shown drinking alcohol in a pub.
Though Puss in Boots may have been your favorite character in Shrek, this is not another Shrek movie. This film has a new and entertaining twist, with some interesting new characters. I recommend this movie for the whole family, though parents need to be aware that the characters, Jack and Jill, may frighten young kids.
Prom Review
Are you going to prom? Who are you going to prom with? These are popular questions during the spring season, and the answer varies from student to student. However, they all have one goal in common….they all want to go to prom. In this movie we see several interconnecting stories at a high school in Waverly, MI. The stories range from; the characters organizing the prom, the students deciding where to go to college, the high school friendships and the romance dilemmas, to the prom King and Queen. With each story there’s a little drama and a little fun, however, the stories all revolved around one big event…..PROM!
Rating: Three out of five buckets
Release Date: April 29, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild, “h%$l” is said a few times.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Talking Points
Prom is a movie you can send your tween to, and feel perfectly comfortable. It is an innocent Disney movie, with tween girls as the target audience. In the movie we see teens of all types; they have some insecurities and fears about leaving their safe life in high school, and approaching independence. In one scene a senior boy was giving a sophomore boy advice about handling certain issues in high school.
One thing I really liked about this movie is that it is set in Michigan, there’s talk of some students attending The University of Michigan, my alma mater….Go Blue!
The characters are very likable. Nova (Aimee Teegarden), is the class president who’s also organizing the prom; she’s a very hard-working, driven girl. Though she falls for Jesse (Thomas McDonell), the “bad boy,” she’s a good girl, and wants to have the perfect prom.
I thought the movie was a little corny and cheesy, and the acting was just okay. However, the kids in the theater seemed to have really liked it, and most importantly, it’s an appropriate movie, which parents will like.
Sexual Content: Mild
• This was a refreshing movie. There were some kissing. While some movies focus on drinking and sex during proms, this movie is more of a fairy tale, focused on romance and friendships.
Violent Content: Mild
• There was a fist fight in one scene.
Crude/Profane Language: Mild
• They say h*#l once or twice.
Some comments from girls after the movie:
“I thought is was so cute and funny,” said a 13-year-old girl.
“It was a wonderful fairy tale,” said a 17-year-old girl.
“I liked it, though it was a little corny,” said a 13-year-old girl.
Like I said before, this movie is a little corny, though it’s a cute movie for tween and teenage girls. It highlights what’s important about a prom. It doesn’t matter if you go alone, with your friends or with your true love. Prom is an important part of high school, something you’ll always remember. After all, the boy who I went to prom with, set me up with my husband ten years later, you never know what can happen.