Jackie

SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water-Kids’ Movie Review

“Are you ready kids? Aye-aye captain. I can’t hear you…aye-aye captain. Oh! Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants!” Not only is the familiar SpongeBob song back on the big screen, so are all the SpongeBob friends…Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Plankton and Sandy. In The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, an evil pirate steals the coveted Krabby Patty recipe. So now it’s up to SpongeBob and friends to travel ashore and get the secret formula back, before it’s too late!

Rating: 4 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 2, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

This is a fun movie for youngsters and all the SpongeBob fans.
SpongeBob eventually realizes that it’s beneficial to work with others during difficult situations. This could spark a great parent/child conversation.

Sexual Content: Mild

When SpongeBob and friends go to the beach, human characters are shown wearing skimpy bikinis.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

The animated and human character’s hit, punch and slap each other, in a slapstick way.
A dolphin shoots lasers at SpongBob.
SpongeBob and Patrick get into a huge food fight with Plankton.
Burger Beard battles with SpongeBob and friends.
Bikini Bottom is destroyed by villains.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

Name calling such as “jerk” and “twit.” Swear words are replaced by other words, for example…”abs kicking,” and “what the corndog?”

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

I interviewed a number of kids from ages 3 to 16. In general they all really liked it. The 16 year-old-boy liked it but said he won’t buy the DVD.
A 9 year old boy said, “There were some inappropriate parts.” He was too embarrassed to say what.
An 11 year-old girls said, “It was weird, but I liked it.”

Overall this is a cute film especially for youngsters and kids that have grown up with SpongeBob.

SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Black or White-Teen Movie Review

Black or white, it simply doesn’t matter. This is the story about an adorable 7-year-old girl named Eloise Anderson (Jillian Estell). Eloise lives very comfortably in a beautiful home in Los Angeles, CA with her maternal grandparents. Though her mother died at child birth and she’s estranged from her father, Eloise is a happy girl, who’s loved by her grandparents and extended family. When her maternal grandmother dies unexpectedly, Eloise’s paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer) seeks custody; feeling that Eloise needs a mother figure in her life and should connect with her black heritage. Now the legal battle begins as both families want custody of their beloved granddaughter. Based on a true story, this is a heartwarming film about race, addiction, and the importance of family.

Rating: 2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: May 5, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 15+
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Excessive
Will Kids Like It? No

Talking Points:

Eloise is a sweet 7-year-old girl, both families mean well and ultimately want what’s best for Eloise.

The film has an all-star cast. To name a few; Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer and Anthony Macki.

The film is slow moving in parts. Due to the mature subject matter, this will not appeal to most kids.

Sexual Content: None

Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild

Two male characters get into an intense fight. They wrestle, one pulls out a knife, a coffee mug is smashed over ones head. After the fight, a character falls into the pool and nearly drowns.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

The f-word is said once. We also hear “sh-t,” “h—,” “a–,” “d–k, and “street n-gger,” several times each throughout the film.

Drug and Alcohol Content: Excessive

Eloise’s maternal grandpa has a drinking problem, we see him drinking alcohol throughout the film, while trying to handle his problem.

Eloise’s father is a crack addict, we see him smoke a crack pipe.

Will Kids Like It? No

Overall Black or White is an interesting film for adults. It will not appeal to kids or teenagers.

Black or White-Teen Movie Review

Project Almanac-Kids Movie Review

Teenagers tend to have their “dream school” – the college they’ve always wanted to attend. David Raskin ( Jonny Weston), a seventeen year high school senior, plans to attend MIT, and hopes to get a scholarship to help pay for tuition. So when David stumbles across a time machine that his deceased father had developed, he’s convinced that this technological device will win him a grant to MIT. David recruits a group of friends to get this machine going…which they do. Initially things are great, they go back in time to make their lives better, however they eventually come to realize that messing with the space-time continuum can be a very dangerous thing. Now the teens must figure out how to correct the damage they’ve done, and continue their lives as normal high school seniors… still hoping to attend their dream college.

Rating: 3 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: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

David’s purpose to start the time machine was that he wanted to talk to his deceased father again, and save him from the car accident that took his life. As the teens mess up the space-time continuum, David eventually realizes his huge mistake and tries to correct it.

The action scenes were shown through a video camera, which was very annoying.

Pre-teens and young teens will most likely enjoy the action and adventure of the film while adults may want to stay home.

Sexual: Moderate

Two teenagers (David and Jessie) are shown kissing in David’s bedroom, Jessie is naked, though wrapped in a towel. David asks her to open the towel, hoping to see her naked…and she does. The two get in bed together, it’s implied they’ve had a sexual encounter, though we don’t see anything.

There’s sexual talk about masturbation, lesbians and high school infidelity.

Girls are shown wearing skimpy bath suits, short shorts and many show cleavage.

Violent: Mild

A boy gets hit by a car.

We see clips of a fatal plane crash.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

The f-word is said once. We also hear “a—,” “b—ch,” “d—n, “ h—-” throughout the film.

Drug and Alcohol: Moderate

We see teenagers drinking out of brown bottles (which look like beer bottles) and also red Solo cups.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

I interviewed two 12 year old girls that loved the film, they thought it was fun and entertaining.

Overall this is a film that pre-teens will most likely enjoy. Parents need to be aware of the sexual content and excessive profane language.

Project Almanac-Kids Movie Review

Foxcatcher-Teen Movie Review

They are brothers, best friends and Olympic gold medal wrestlers. Since childhood Dave (Mark Ruffalo) and Mark (Channing Tatum) Schultz have wrestled; they work hard, train together and make each other better. Their lives drastically change the day Mark receives a phone call from millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell). John has a vision to create a world-class wrestling facility at his estate in Pennsylvania…Foxcatcher Farm. John wants the best, so of course he pursues Mark and Dave Schultz. Continue reading →

The Boy Next Door-Teen Movie Review

Handsome, muscular, and handy, that’s Noah Sandborn (Ryan Guzman),…the boy next door. Noah, a high school senior, moves next door to Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez), a high school teacher who recently separated from her husband. Claire is thrilled to have Noah as a neighbor. Noah befriends her teenage son, fixes things around the house and seems like a nice boy to have around. However things dramatically change the night Noah romantically falls for Claire. It’s a night that Claire desperately wants to forget, and a night that Noah won’t forget. Noah becomes an obsessed psychopath… he becomes the boy you don’t want living next door.

Rating: 2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 28, 2015
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Teens Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Pre-teens may want to see this film since it’s about high school students and stars American Idol judge, Jennifer Lopez. Having said that the film is very inappropriate and not recommended for kids…see details below.

The story is somewhat predictable and a little corny, however it’s an exciting thriller.

Sexual Content: Excessive

We see a very intense and erotic sexual encounter.
In another sexual scene we see two high school students naked (we see the girl from the front side and waist up, the boy from the side). She’s performing oral sex on him.
We see a male character naked, from the backside.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

Noah becomes creepy and obsessed with Claire. We see him attack her in the boy’s bathroom, shoving her against the wall.
A woman is murdered, we see her covered in blood.
An EpiPen is stabbed in a boys eye.
Characters are hit, kicked, beaten, tied up and covered in blood.
We see a character shot in the shoulder.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

The f-word is said numerous times. We also hear “a–,” “h–,” “p—y,” and “d–n.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

Claire is shown drinking wine.

Will Teens Like It? Yes

Overall this is a suspenseful thriller, though very sexual and not appropriate for kids!