Jackie
The Lazarus Effect-Teen Movie Review
The Lazarus Effect follows a group of medical students who are doing research… not to cure cancer or other life threatening diseases, but to bring back the dead. Initially they revive a deceased dog, however when they decide to resurrect a human, things don’t go so well. The woman comes back to life, but not the sweet person she once was. Now the students must figure out how to handle the consequences of a project they should never have begun.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 16, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- Several of the medical students realize that trying to play God…isn’t the right thing to do.
- The film is named after the Bible’s Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. This could spark an interesting parent/child conversation.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Character’s are shown kissing.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- We see large needles injected into human heads and animal heads.
- A character is crushed to death in a metal cabinet.
- A woman kills someone by grabbing their head and squeezing it.
- Someone dies by choking on an e-cigarette.
- A woman is electrocuted, we see burns and welts on her ring finger.
Crude and Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear the f-word. Also, “sh-t,” “a–,” “h–,” “d–n,” and “b–ch.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see character’s smoking regular and e-cigarettes.
- Characters are shown drinking wine.
Will it Appeal to Most Kids? Yes
- I interviewed some pre-teens after the film, they love horror films so of course they liked this movie. However they were hoping it would be scarier.
The Lazarus Effect-Teen Movie Review
The DUFF-Kids’ Movie Review
Designated Ugly Fat Friend, aka…DUFF! This is the story about a high school senior named Bianca (Mae Whitman). Things are going well for Bianca, she’s smart, has good friends, and has a crush on a boy at school. However her life drastically changes when she learns that she’s known as “The Duff,” to her prettier and popular friends. Bianca is the cute, but not super hot girl. She’s approachable and easy to talk to, so therefore boys go to her, when ultimately they want a date with her friends. Bianca takes charge of her life, she recruits Wesley (Robbie Amell), her charming jock neighbor whom she’s grown up with, to give her more style and charm. Now the excitement begins as Bianca becomes a role model to all, and reminds her peers that we’re all someone’s DUFF.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 9, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Great messages woven throughout the film. Bianca eventually realizes that being labeled as ” The DUFF” doesn’t matter. Labels are meaningless…know who you are and accept it. Great parent/child conversations.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- Bianca pretends a store mannequin is the boy she has a crush on. She makes suggestive comments and sexual movements with the mannequin. This is shown throughout the film.
- Several teenagers are shown kissing and some making out.
- There are sexual references and discussions regarding porn, masturbation, male/female body parts.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
- Bianca hits a guy in the face.
- Bianca threatens students with death or mutilation, including ripping someone’s scrotum off.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The f-word is said. We also hear “sh-t,” “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” “h–,” and “d–k.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- We see high school students drinking from red plastic cups at a party.
- It appears as though students are playing beer pong.
- We see Biana’s mom drinking wine.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- Teens and pre-teens loved the characters and story-line of the film.
Overall this is a great film about teenage issues, and accepting who you are. Parents need to be aware of the moderate sexual content and profane language.
Duff-Teen Movie Review
McFarland USA-Kids’ Movie Review
Inspired by the 1987 true story, McFarland USA follows the life of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner). Jim has a hard time keeping a teaching/coaching job, as his temper gets the best of him. Eventually Jim and his family head to McFarland, Ca, an impoverished agricultural community, where he accepts a job teaching Science and PE. Jim sees the potential of these hard-working Latino boys, and starts a cross country team. Jim not only coaches these boys to become better athletes, he instills some valuable lessons that change their lives forever.
Rating: 5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 2, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will It Appeal to Most Kids? Yes
Talking Points:
- There are wonderful messages and inspirational scenes. Initially the Whites are uneasy about their new environment, and the Latino community feels the same about their new arrival. However, both cultures learn to accept and appreciate each other. Great parent/child conversation.
- Coach White stresses the importance of school and attending college.
- Young kids may get bored, as it is slow in parts.
Sexual Content: Mild
- There’s talk of a teenage girl who got pregnant out of wedlock.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
- We see a guy wearing a bloodied t-shirt after getting into a fight. The fight is off-screen.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “d–n,” and “a-s.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Characters are shown drinking beer and tequila.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- I interviewed a group of middle school age boys who really liked the film. They run cross country, and said they can relate to the strenuous work outs.
Overall this is a wonderful inspirational sports drama, one for the whole family.
McFarland USA-Kids’ Movie Review
Kingsman: The Secret Service-Teen Movie Review
Their suits are bullet proof, their shoes hide a toxic blade, their umbrella’s are shotguns and their cigarette lighters are grenades. That’s the attire of a Kingsmen, members of a secret spy organization who make the world a safer place. When the agency loses a member, Harry Hart (Colin Firth) recruits an uneducated street boy named Eggsy (Taron Egerton). Eggsy is not a typical recruit…he’s not an Oxford or Cambridge man. However, Harry wants to help the boy as his father was once a Kingsmen who saved Harry’s life. Now it’s up to Eggsy to pass a rigorous and dangerous interview, so he too can become a Kingsmen, and help save the world from an emerging global threat.
Rating: 3 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: June 9, 2015
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- Eggsy is a troubled boy, with no purpose in life. It is Harry who helps him and redirects his life in a more positive way.
- Eggsy loves his mother and protects her from an abusive boyfriend.
Sexual Content: Mild
- There are some sexual references regarding masturbation, multiple sexual partners, and homosexuality.
- A woman suggests, to a man she barely knows, that they should have anal sex.
- We see a woman’s bare backside.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- Character’s are shot, stabbed, straggled and skewered to death. There are hundreds of fatalities throughout the film.
- The villain (Samuel L. Jackson) plants a device in people’s heads. When he triggers the device the character’s head explodes. This was portrayed as choreographed fireworks with music playing in the background.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word is said constantly throughout the film. We also hear “a–,” “sh-t,” “b–ch,” and “pr–k.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see character’s drinking mixed drinks, champagne, beer and wine.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- I interviewed three teenage boys who said they loved all the action, and thought the film was very funny.
Overall this is an entertaining and action packed film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and profane language.
Kingsman: The Secret Service-Teen Movie Review
Jupiter Ascending-Teen Movie Review
The toilets are spotless, not a speck of dust on the penthouse floors. Jupiter Jones, her mother and aunt are maids for Chicago’s upper class. Jupiter hates her life, it’s boring and she’s broke! However, things dramatically change when a genetically engineered ex-soldier (Channing Tatum) arrives on Earth to inform Jupiter of her destiny as the Queen of the Universe. Now her boring life as a maid suddenly becomes very interesting.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 2, 2015
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 Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
There aren’t any valuable lessons or inspirational moments, just a lot of sci-fi action.
With Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis as the two main characters, the film will attract pre-teens.
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see a woman only wearing her bra and underwear.
- A couple passionately kiss.
- A woman walks into a pool naked, we see her backside.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- There are several battles throughout the film involving aliens and humans using various weapons and guns.
- There are big , scary creatures shown throughout the film.
- We see unconscious humans getting stabbed with needles.
- A woman is beaten and choked.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “sh-t,” ‘d–n,” and “b–ch, ” several times each.
Drug and Alcohol Content:Mild
- We see characters drinking beer.
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed two 12 year-old boys who loved the action and suspense of the film.
- I interviewed a 13 year-old girl who said, “The movie was just okay, but Channing Tatum was hot!”
Overall Jupiter Ascending is an action packed sci-fi movie. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violent content.