DVD Favorites
The Angry Birds-Kids’ Movie Review
The Angry Birds Movie follows the lives of three birds all of whom are outcasts in their cheerful community on Bird Island. Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), and Bomb (Danny McBride), the angry birds, all meet at an anger-management class. They’re grumpy, negative and down right angry. However, these three birds can sense trouble especially when a group of pigs arrive on their island. The horrible pigs steal all of the unhatched eggs in town and sail away. Now the bird community is fearful, however with the three angry birds in town, they know what to do and try to save the day. The Angry Birds Movie is an animated adaptation of the popular video game series Angry Birds.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: August 16, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- This is an entertaining film for young kids. With the vibrant colors, wonderful animation, and fun music, kids will be easily entertained.
- There is some potty humor, for example we see a character urinating into lake water.
Sexual Content: Mild
- A character uses binoculars to spy on a woman taking a bath.
- One of the birds imagines an eagle as a male stripper.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- There is a lot of slapstick violence throughout the film. Characters are punched, beaten and battered.
- There are explosions- pig city is destroyed and bird town is burned to the ground.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “What the…?” “Fart face” is written on pig’s stomach. We also hear “butt,” and “dummy.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
This is a wonderful animated film for young kids. Having said that, parents need to be aware of the slapstick violence throughout the film.
Ratchet & Clank-Kids’ movie review
Ratchet is a Lombax who has big dreams. He claims he wants to do something big in his life, something that matters. So he and Clank, a pint-sized extremely intelligent robot, join the Galactic Rangers. The Rangers are a group of do-gooders who have lot to do! When the group discovers that an evil alien has a dangerous weapon and wants to destroy the planet, Ratchet & Clank team up with the Rangers to do the right thing and save the world! Ratchet & Clank is a wonderful animated film which is based on the 2002 video games, Ratchet & Clank.
Rating: 4 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: August 23, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- The film has a wonderful message; to follow your dreams and to do the right thing. It’s portrayed in a cute cartoony way which will appeal to kids. It also highlights the importance of friendship.
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- Robots and Ratchet fight one another.
- We see a very powerful weapon blowing up planets.
- Robots are destroyed by ray blasts and flames.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “idiot,” and “butt.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed two kids; a 10 year old girl who said, “I loved it,” and her 8 year old brother who also loved the film. He was really excited to see the movie!
Overall this is a very entertaining fun film for kids. Depending on the child I recommend this for kids ages 5 and up. Parents need to be aware of the moderate violence.
Eddie the Eagle-Kids’ Movie Review
Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton) was a nerdy and awkward British boy. He was not an athlete, something his father repeatedly told him, but he had a life long dream of being an Olympian. After trying several sports throughout his life he finally decides in his early twenty’s that skiing is his sport. However, when he gets cut from the Olympic ski team, he eventually realizes that ski jumping is the only sport category he has chance in. So Eddie travels to Germany where he meets Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), a former ski jumper. Now Eddie has four years to train until the 1988 Olympics, and Bronson has agreed to coach him. All odds are against him as most ski jumpers start training at age 6. Though nothing stops Eddie, he is determined to be in the 1988 Winter Olympics! Based on a true story, Eddie the Eagle is a wonderful and inspirational sports drama, one for the whole family.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 14, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- The founder of the Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, once said, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” This quote is shown during the credits of the film, and this is something Eddie lived by. Eddie’s whole life people told him that he would never fulfill his dream of being in the Olympics. He was not a natural born athlete, though he was determined to do something that no one thought he could do. This will spark some great parent/child conversations.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- A woman flirts with Eddie, making him a sexual proposition. Though Eddie is not interested.
- Bronson, Eddie’s coach, compares a ski jump to having sex with Bo Derek (Eddie’s favorite actress). Bronson makes sexual noises with moans and groans to make his point.
- We see a group of nude men in a steam room. However, their private parts are covered with towels or other objects.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
- Eddie and other skiers crash during their jumps. We see Eddie’s bumps, bruises and open cuts on his face.
- A character punches Bronson in the face, which knocks him out.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “h—,” and “a–.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- Bronson drinks alcohol from his flask throughout the film…morning, noon and night.
- Bronson frequently smokes cigarettes.
- An Olympic team member tricks Eddie into drinking alcohol the night before a jump. Eddie never drinks alcoholic beverages, he loves milk. Needless to say, the next day Eddie wasn’t feeling the best.
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
Overall Eddie the Eagle is a wonderful inspirational sports drama. Depending on the child this is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up.
Kung Fu Panda 3-Kids’ Movie Review
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: June 28, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
There are some sweet and endearing father/son scenes as Po reunites with his biological father.
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- There are many kung fu battles. The villain, Kai, and his army attack Po and the Furious Five.
- Characters are kicked and punched during the battles.
- Po and Kai fight in a magical battle that destroys building and structures.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will kids Like It? Yes
Overall Kung Fu Panda 3 is an entertaining film for kids of all ages.
Kung Fu Panda 3-Kids’ Movie Review
Creed-Teen Movie Review
Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) loves to fight. As an adolescent he’d get into trouble due unwarranted fighting at school. Even as an adult he felt the urge to throw a punch at someone. Fighting was in his blood due to the fact that Adonis’ father was the boxing champion Apollo Creed (who died before Adonis was born). When Adonis decides to pursue his passion he seeks out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), a retired boxing champ and Apollo’s rival, to be his trainer. Now the excitement begins as Rocky is back in the boxing world, however this time he’s on Creed’s side.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5
Release Date: March 1, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will kids/ Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- The film highlights a strong work ethic. No matter how difficult things can get, you need to give it your all.
- Also the importance of family and forgiveness is another noteworthy theme. For example..Adonis has a lot of anger towards his father. Rocky encourages him to forgive his father’s past actions.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- We see Adonis and his girlfriend passionately kiss, they caress and fondle one another. It’s implied that they’ve had a sexual encounter.
- It’s noted that Adonis is the product of Apollo Creed’s infidelity.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- There are graphic boxing scenes with men forcefully hitting one another.
- We see open wounds and blood on the fighters faces. We see blood bursting out of cuts after fierce hits.
- We see elementary aged kids punching one another in school.
- Characters are shown unconscious on the ring floor.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “a–,” “b–ch,” and “h–,” several times throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see characters drinking beer, wine and hard liquor.
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed boys ages 10 to 15 who loved the film. They were walking out of the theater pretending to be boxers.
Overall Creed is a wonderful sports drama. Depending on the child, this is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up.