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    Movie Reviews

    Jackie

    Frozen-Kids Movie Reviews

    Princess Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), soon to be Queen, and Princess Anna (Kristen Bell), are not only sisters, but best friends. Though things gradually change as Elsa developes secret powers. She has the ability to create snow and ice, with a simple touch or even a thought. When her powers get out of hand, their entire kingdom of Arendelle is cast into eternal winter, so Elsa goes into hiding to be alone.  Now Anna is on a mission to find her sister and save their kingdom before it is too late.  Frozen is a wonderful animated film, one the whole family will enjoy.

    FrozenRating: 4 1/2 buckets out of 5
    Release Date: March 18, 2014
    MPAA Rating: PG
    Best Age Group: 5 +
    Sexual Content: Mild
    Violent Content: Moderate
    Crude or Profane Language: None
    Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
    Will It Appeal to Kids? Yes

     

     

    Talking Points:

    What is love? That’s the premise of the film. One character says that love is putting another’s needs before your own. We see sacrificial love demonstrated throughout the film; with Anna sacrificing her life for her sister, the snowman sacrifices his life to help Anna, and the ice salesman, Kristoff, sacrifices his life for Anna.

    There are great messages woven throughout the film, a character said that “People make bad choices if they’re mad, or scared, or stressed.” “True love brings out the best.”

    In addition to the wonderful messages, the film is fun and entertaining with great music.

    The theater was filled with young kids, teenagers and adults. I interviewed people after the movie, they all loved it!!

    Sexual Content: Mild

    • Character’s are shown kissing.

    Violent Content: Moderate

    • Characters get hit, thrown around, and even fall off a cliff.
    • We saw sword and icicle fights. One character was almost impaled by an icicle.
    • Characters were attacked by wolves.
    • There’s a large snow monster that may frighten young kids. However he’s only in a few scenes, not the whole film.

    Crude or Profane Language: None

    Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

    • Characters are shown drinking champagne at a ball.

    Will It Appeal to Kids? Yes

    Overall Frozen is an entertaining, heartwarming film. Depending on the child,  I recommend this movie for kids ages 5 and up. Parents need to be aware of some of the moderate violent scenes in the film.

    Delivery Man-Teen Movie Review

    Parenting can be the most difficult job, but by far the most rewarding!!! That’s what David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn), a former sperm donor, eventually realized, though maybe a little too late. David discovered that he was the biological father of 533 children, and 142 of them filed a lawsuit wanting to know their fathers true identity. Initially David was upset and shocked about the news, however after meeting his children (all around 18 to 22 years of age) he learned a lot about himself,  the importance of fatherhood, and the unconditional love that comes with it.

    Delivery ManRating: 4 out of 5 buckets
    Release Date:  Marhc 25, 2014
    MPAA Rating: PG13
    Best Age Group: 12+
    Sexual Content: Mild
    Violent Content: Mild
    Crude or Profane Language: Mild
    Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
    Will It Appeal to Kids? No

     

    Talking Points:

    It was heartwarming to see how David bonded with his kids. When he initially met them they were around the ages of 18 to 22. Even though he didn’t raise them, or even know them, he loved them dearly and wanted to care and protect  them.  He truly appreciated each and every one; their strengths and weaknesses.

    For the most part, the film is appropriate, however due to the mature subject matter of parenting, kids and teens may not find it entertaining.

    Sexual Content: Mild

    • There are several sexual references and comments regarding masturbation with regards to being a  sperm donor.
    • A woman was shown wearing a very short skirt, we saw men flirting with her.

    Violent Content: Mild

    • David owed money to a group of bad guys. They repeatedly dunk him in a bathtub filled with water as a way to force payment.

    Crude or Profane Language: Mild

    • The f-word was said once. We also heard “a–,” “b–ch,” “h–,” and “d–n.”

    Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

    • Characters are shown drinking alcoholic beverages.
    • We see an unconscious woman with drug paraphernalia beside her.

    Will It Appeal to Kids? No

    Overall Delivery Man was an entertaining, heartwarming film, one that adults will especially like. As I previously mentioned, kids and teens may find the subject matter of parenting a little boring.

    Hunger Games: Catching Fire-Teen Movie Review

    The 74th Annual Hunger Games were finished and the winners, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), were ready to go home to District 12 and be with their family and friends. However there wasn’t much time at home due to the “Victory Tour” they had to attend. Visiting each district and pretending to be madly in love was next on their agenda. Continue reading

    Car Ride DVD Thanksgiving Special-Kids Movie Reviews

     

    Car Ride Image

    Car Ride DVD Favorites

    It’s that time of year, whether you travel to your Grandma’s house, your cousin’s house, or your favorite family destination; it’s time in the car. This a fun time for games, reading and of course a good DVD. What’s a good DVD for the whole family? How do you please the younger kids, teenagers, boys/girls and even mom and dad?  See the list below…

     

    Families with Kids ages 5 to 11…

    Epic: PG
    Mary Katherine, also known as M.K. (voice of Amanda Seyfried), wanted a “normal dad.”   Since her parents were divorced, and her mom had recently passed away, she needed the guidance and stability of her father. The only problem was, her father was very preoccupied. He was obsessed with the idea that there was a kingdom of tiny people living in the forest behind his house. He had dozens of cameras throughout the area; he was so determined to find the little creatures, that was his goal in life. Initially M.K. thought her dad was crazy, but then one day when she went into the forest and realized her father was right. She met the little creatures, and before you know it she became a teeny, tiny person herself. M.K. ended up bonding with the Leafman (the good guys), and helped defend them against the Baggons (the bad guys). She became apart of their world, while trying to get back to her father.  Epic is a wonderful animated film for the whole family!

    Monster’s University: PG
    Michael “Mike” Wazowski, dreams of being a scarer, a monster who  is able to make kids scream. Mike eventually attends the Scare Program at Monster’s University, and that’s where he meets James “Sulley” P. Sullivan. The two monster’s have different strengths and weaknesses. Mike is an ambitious hard working monster, though not very scary, and Sulley is a natural scarer (he comes from a family of talented scarers), however he doesn’t have the best work ethic.Together the two monsters face various trials and tribulations, but they learn to work together and use their talents to succeed. Monster’s University is the prequel to the 2001 film Monster’s Inc. It’s a wonderful animated film, one for the whole family!

    Oz the Great and Powerful: PG
    Oscar Diggs, also known as Oz (James Franco) is a charming and handsome man, who attracts the ladies. He is a small-time traveling circus magician, with one goal; to become rich and famous someday. After a performance in Kansas, a powerful storm hit, and Oscar was swept away to the beautiful Land of Oz. Initially he was excited; the people of Oz thought Oscar was the King they had been waited for, however things changed when he met three witches; Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams). They weren’t as convinced that he was their wizard and ruler. Now Oscar had to determine who was good and who was evil, he had to put his magical skills to use to help the inhabitants of Oz, he had become the man we are familiar with; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Oz the Great and Powerful is the prequel to the 1939 classic film The Wizard of Oz. It is a very clever, suspenseful film for the whole family.

    The Croods: PG
    The Croods are a prehistoric family who were forced to leave their cave after a natural disaster destroyed the whole area.  Grug (Nicolas Cage), the father and leader of the household, took his role very seriously, he was determined to protect the family as they searched for a new home. However, things got complicated when they met a resourceful nomad named Guy (Ryan Reynolds). Guy was a cute teenage boy who fell for Grug’s teen daughter, Eep (Emma Stone).  Grug began to feel threatened; he wanted to be the man in charge, but he eventually realized that with Guy’s brains,  his strength, and a loving family… they could survive. The Croods is a wonderful animated, adventure film for the whole family.

    Turbo: PG
    Snails aren’t typically known for their speed, but that never stopped a misfit snail named Turbo. Turbo’s (voice of Ryan Reynold) life long dream was to race at the Indy 500, though an unrealistic goal. However, with hard work, perseverance, and an unexpected freak accident, Turbo’s dream was becoming a reality and a chance to race in one of the most prestigious motorsports in the world…The Indy 500.  Turbo is a wonderful animated, suspenseful film for kids of all ages.

    Families with Kids ages 12 and up…

    42: PG13
    Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) changed the game of baseball forever! It started in 1945 when he wanted to end segregation on the baseball field. He was determined to recruit MLB’s first black player, and he did. In 1947 Rickey found his man; a man from the Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs, a man who was an amazing athlete…a man named Jackie Robinson. In 1947 Robinson became a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers; while he faced many vicious, racial comments and abuse, Robinson was encouraged by Rickey not to fight back, and let his talent speak for itself. That’s what Robinson did; at the end of his rookie season he became National League Rookie of the Year, and was eventually  inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 42 is a wonderful inspirational sports drama, a movie for the whole family!!

    Ironman 3: PG13
    Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is back as Iron Man, and stronger than ever. In this third film of the Iron Man series, a terrorist named the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) threatened to destroy America. Unfortunately Stark’s former security guard, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) was injured in an explosion, which was caused by the Mandarin. Stark was very upset, though determined to face the evil terrorist; the problem was the terrorist got to Stark first. He destroyed Stark’s Malibu mansion, and all his high-tech toys. Luckily Stark (Iron Man) lived, though his beloved metal suit was injured. Stark had to try and survive on his own, and save the world without his protective shell.

    Man of Steel: PG13
    Clark Kent/Kal-E l(Henry Cavill)… a boy who was sent to Earth as a baby from another planet, a boy who grew up in Smallsville, Kansas; raised by farmers and loving adopted parents, a boy who helped those in need, a boy who became…Superman! Man of Steel is the latest version of the 75-year-old superhero story.  In this action packed film, sci/film, we see how Superman saves the world from General Zod, the evil villain from Kyrpton, and how he becomes the symbol of hope for all mankind.

    Now you See Me: PG13
    Magic, Mystery and Fun! Now You See Me follows a group of illusionists, known as, “The Four Horsemen.” These magicians include one woman and three men; all very intriguing and captivating. The magicians not only entertain their Las Vegas audiences, they also reward them with stolen profits from their shows. Their performances aren’t your traditional magic acts, their tricks include a series of bank heists, where they “teleport” a member of the audience to a bank vault. Things get complicated when an FBI agent and an Interpol detective are convinced that ‘The Four Horseman’ are criminals, not magicians; they are determined to track them down and turn them in.  But it’s not that easy for the detectives, the magicians claim to be the smartest ones in the room, and one step ahead of the law. Now You See Me is  an action packed, suspenseful movie; one that pre-teens and teenagers will most likely enjoy.

    Pitch Perfect: PG13
    Beca(Anna Kendrick) is a freshman at Barden University; she doesn’t love college, she doesn’t try to fit in, but what she does want to do…is move to Los Angeles!!! However, things change when she’s persuaded to join The Bellas, an all-girls a cappella group. Now Beca takes this traditional, somewhat boring singing group, and adds a contemporary flare, which sets them apart from their rivals. Pitch Perfect is a comedy musical; it’s a fun entertaining movie!!!

    Star Trek Into Darkness: PG13
    The new enterprise crew, led by Chris Pine as James T Kirk, faces a familiar nemesis, Kahn, in the latest edition of the Star Trek franchise.   Kahn attacks a secret Star Fleet facility on earth and Kirk and the enterprise crew set out to bring him to justice.  Along the way, they venture into Klingon space, face a challenge from one of their own, and throw out humorous one liners.  Spock, Scottie, bones and Uhura join Kirk to avert a war and protect the Earth.

    The Great Gatsby: PG13
    It’s been 24 hours since I saw this movie, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The characters, the setting and what the film symbolized; prohibition, the Jazz Age, one’s social status, and the American Dream. It was the summer of 1922; a recent Yale graduate named Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) moved to New York for business, and rented a house in West Egg on Long Island; which was populated with people of “new money.” Next door to Nick lived a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Gatsby lived in a gothic mansion, where he had extravagant parties every Saturday night. Across the bay, in East Egg, lived Nick’s cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her wealthy, blue-blooded husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton).  As the summer progressed Nick attended Gatsby’s opulent parties and became involved in the lives of the materialistic and corrupted; the wealthy Long Islanders, along with Daisy, Tom and Gatsby! Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby is a wonderful, educational film for teenagers.

    The Internship: PG13
    Take your chances and follow your dreams!  That’s what salesmen, Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) did after their  company shut down. They didn’t give up or lose hope, they were determined to work at the greatest place in America…Google. The Internship is a comedy about two middle aged men who pursue their goal to intern at Google. They compete and team up with college aged interns who are extremely smart and tech-savvy. Their prize…employment at Google!!!

    Warm Bodies: PG13
    Love conquers all, even when it involves a relationship between the living and the dead. When zombie R (Nicholas Hoult) see’s beautiful human girl, Julie (Teresa Palmer), it’s love at first sight. Initially Julie is scared of R, however after a few days of being captured at the zombie compound, Julie and R develop a strong connection, that will ultimately transform R and the other zombies. Warm Bodies is a powerful love story, one that mature pre-teens and teenagers will enjoy.

    White House Down: PG13
    John Cale (Channing Tatum) is a Capitol policeman in pursuit of his dream job…Secret Service Agent! There was one problem, John didn’t do that well in the military or get the best grades in college, so he didn’t get the job. After getting rejected, John and his young daughter, Emily, got a tour of the White House. Things started out great, especially since Emily was so enamored with politics and the President, however  while on the tour a group of paramilitary invaders bombed the rotunda, killing a lot of innocent people. Now it was up to John to  rescue his daughter and save the President from the awful attack. White House Down is an action packed movie one that teenagers will most likely enjoy.

    One for the whole family…

    Monster’s University: PG
    Since the film has a college atmosphere, and touches on college issues, not only will youngsters enjoy the film, but teens and parents as well.

    Synopsis:
    Kids typically have dreams of what they want to be when they grow up, or have a dream college they want to attend. Monster Michael “Mike” Wazowski dreams of being a scarer, a monster who  is able to make kids scream. Mike eventually attends the Scare Program at Monster’s University, and that’s where he meets James “Sulley” P. Sullivan. The two monster’s have different weaknesses and gifts. Mike is an ambitious hard working monster, though not very scary, and Sulley is a natural scarer (he comes from a family of talented scarers), however he doesn’t have the best work ethic.Together the two monsters face various trials and tribulations, but they learn to work together and use their talents to succeed. Monster’s University is the prequel to the 2001 film Monster’s Inc. It’s a wonderful animated film, one for the whole family!

    Monster’s University-Kids Movie Review

    Kids typically have dreams of what they want to be when they grow up, or have a dream college they want to attend. Monster, Michael “Mike” Wazowski, dreams of being a scarer, a monster who  is able to make kids scream. Mike eventually attends the Scare Program at Monster’s University, and that’s where he meets James “Sulley” P. Sullivan. The two monster’s have different strengths and weaknesses. Mike is an ambitious hard working monster, though not very scary, and Sulley is a natural scarer (he comes from a family of talented scarers), however he doesn’t have the best work ethic.Together the two monsters face various trials and tribulations, but they learn to work together and use their talents to succeed. Monster’s University is the prequel to the 2001 film Monster’s Inc. It’s a wonderful animated film, one for the whole family!

     

    Monster's UniversityRating: 4 1/2 out of 5 buckets
    Release Date:  October 29, 2013
    MPAA Rating: PG
    Best Age Group: 5+
    Sexual Content: None
    Violent Content: Moderate
    Crude or Profane Language: Mild
    Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
    Will It Appeal to Kids? Yes

     

    Talking Points:

    The film has wonderful messages of  the importance of friendship . Mike and Sulley come to realize that they each have different strengths and weaknesses, they learn how to work together using their own gifts and talents.

    Sexual Content: None

    Violent Content: Excessive

    • There is a lot of slapstick violence throughout the film. Mike drove a machine while reading a book, and ran over several students.
    • Mike and Sulley get spanked with wooden paddles during their fraternity initiation.
    • The premise of the film is monsters’ scaring children, which may ultimately scare young kids in the theater.

    Crude or Profane Language: Mild

    • Characters say, “what the…?”

    Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

    • Characters are shown drinking beverages at college parties  out of red solo cups.

    Will It Appeal to Kids? Yes

    Overall Monster’s University is a fun, entertaining film for kids. Depending on the child, I recommend this film for kids ages 5 and up. Kids that scare easily may be frightened by some of the monsters.