Jackie
Rush-Teen Movie Review
Michigan vs. Ohio State, the Yankees vs. the Red Sox and race car drivers James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda. Three different sports with the same goal…to beat their competitor. Set in the 1970‘s Rush is the story about Formula One rivals; Britain’s James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), a fun loving handsome guy who likes to drink and have fun with the ladies, and Austria’s Niki Lauda, an arrogant perfectionist who doesn’t care what people think about him. In this sports drama we see not only the excitement and rush of the auto races, but the lives of the drivers who will do anything to win the Formula One title.
Rating: 2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: January 28, 2014
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Excessive
Will It Appeal to Teens? Yes
Talking Points:
James Hunt and Niki Lauda are fierce competitors. The competition and drive to be the world champions motivated them to improve and become better racers. Having said that, through all the competition, they truly cared and respected one another. This could spark a great parent/child conversation.
Parents need to be aware of the excessive sexual content in the film. I read that director Ron Howard wanted to capture the popular culture of the time period.
Sexual Content: Excessive
- We see Hunt in many sexual encounters with several different women. Images include topless women, bare backs, explicit sex scenes in the shower, a hospital and in an airplane.
Violent Content: Moderate
- Hunt punched a reporter in the face several times.
- We saw an accident in one of the races, where the driver was trapped in a burning car, he was severely injured.
- When Lauda was in the hospital, the doctors stuck a vacuum down his throat to clean out his lungs, that was a disgusting scene.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The f-word was said numerous times. We also heard “h–,” “b–tard,”and “a–.”
Drugs and Alcohol: Excessive
- Hunt continuously drank alcohol throughout the film, even sometimes before a race.
- We saw Hunt smoking cigarettes and marijuana.
Will It Appeal to Teens? Yes
Overall Rush is an entertaining and interesting sports drama. As I previously mentioned, parents need to be aware of the excessive sexual content, profane language and drug and alcohol contents portrayed throughout the film.
Don Jon-Teen Movie Review
Don Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a good Catholic boy from New Jersey; he attends Mass every Sunday, he’s a dedicated son who has dinner with his parents and sister once a week, and he’s a good, loyal friend. However there’s one problem..he’s addicted to porn! Even when he’s involved with a girlfriend, he’s only satisfied by porn. Though things change for Jon when he meets Esther (Julianne Moore), a woman with whom he discovers friendship, happiness and true love!
Rating: 1 and 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: December 31, 2013
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: Adults
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Will It Appeal to Teens? No
Talking Points:
Believe it or not this R-rated (borderline NC-17) movie filled with sexual and inappropriate scenes has some redeeming qualities. Jon was addicted to porn, even when he had a girlfriend. However he eventually came to realize that sexual satisfaction doesn’t come from porn on the computer or a hot girl from the bar, it comes from your soul mate and a solid, loving relationship!
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known as the cute boy from the film 500 Days of Summer , is a reason why pre-teen girls may want to see this film. Though it has a good message, it won’t spark a good parent/child conversation, because kids will not want to see this with their parents; there’s way too many inappropriate sexual scenes.
Sexual Content: Excessive
- Woman are shown topless and in various sexual positions. Pornography is highlighted throughout the film.
- There are sexual discussions regarding porn, masturbation, sexual positions and oral sex.
- As Jon is watching porn, it’s implied that he’s masturbating; when finished we see him throw a tissue in the trash.
Violent Content: Mild
- Jon punches a car window, we see his bloody hand.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word is said numerous times throughout the film. We also hear “sh-t,” “a–,” ‘b–ch,””b–tard,” “h–l,” “p—y” and “t-t.”
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
- We see characters smoking marijuana.
- Character’s are shown drinking beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.
Will It Appeal to Teens? No
Overall this is a very sexual oriented film, one I don’t recommend for pre-teens or teenagers.
Battle Of The Year-Kids Movie Review
”The Team, The Team, The Team,” that’s a well known phrase from The University of Michigan’s former football coach, Bo Schembechler, and it’s also the primary focus and belief of Coach Blake (Josh Holloway). Battle of the Year is a sports drama, not about the traditional sports such as football, basketball or hockey; this is about b-boying, also known as breakdancing. Though b-boying originated in the USA in 1970, teams from South Korea, France, Germany and Russia have dominated the sport. In this fictional story, we see how Coach Blake assembles a team of the best dancers in America, and takes them to compete in France, where they can hopefully win the battle and bring home the trophy.
Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: December 10, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Will It Appeal to Teens? Yes
Talking Points:
There are wonderful messages about working together and being a team player. The coach focused on the team’s success, not any individual’s success.
As in most sports movies, the coach had some great inspirational quotes, to name a few; “change how you think, change your life,” “act like champions, be champions.” and “success is a choice.”
The movie was a little corny in parts, however the dancing was amazing, which most kids and adults will enjoy.
Sexual Content: Mild
- When the boys first meet their female choreographer, they make suggestive comments. One guy mentions getting a massage from her, another guy wants her to rub his thighs.
Violent Content: Mild
- Two of the guys on the team get into a fight with one another.
- The guys on the team get into a fight at a bar in France when a local punches one of their teammates.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The f-word was used once,. We also heard “d–n,” “a–” “sh-t,” and “b–ch,” throughout the film.
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
- The coach had a drinking problem; sneaking his whiskey whenever possible.
- We see the team members drinking at bars.
Will It Appeal to Teens? Yes
Overall Battle Of The Year is an entertaining film that most pre-teens and teens will enjoy. Parents need to be aware of the moderate profane language throughout the film.
The Family- Teen Movie Review
The Spectacular Now- Teen Movie Review
“Opposites attract,” is a popular quote which definitely applies to high school seniors Sutter and Aimee. Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) is the life of the party, a boy who wants to embrace life, live in the now, and not worry about the future. This fun loving boy, unexpectedly falls in love with “good girl” Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley). Continue reading