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Action Movie reviews
Hacksaw Ridge-Teen Movie Review
Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) is a wonderful loving son and husband. He was also a WWII American Army Medic who served in the Battle of Okinawa. Desmond was very unique in that he wanted to serve in the war, but he did not want to carry a weapon or kill another human being; he wanted to save lives and that’s what he did. Desmond T. Doss rescued 75 men in Okinawa without firing a single shot and he became the first conscientious objector to ever win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hacksaw Ridge is based on a true story about extraordinary war hero.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: February 21, 2017
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 16+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see Desmond and his girlfriend passionately kiss. They eventually get married. They’re shown in bed together on their wedding night, under the covers.
- We see a man’s bare backside.
- There’s some talk regarding sex, condoms and venereal disease.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- We see numerous and disturbing war scenes. Limbs are blown off and Desmond carries many injured soldiers to safety.
- Corpses covering the ground with their organs exposed. We see rats eating them.
- We see soldiers killing one another.
- A man hangs himself.
- A man commits suicide by stabbing himself in the gut.
- Desmond is attacked by his roommates one evening, leaving him bloody and bruised.
- A soldier kicks Desmond in the face and punches him while calling him a coward.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “a–,” “d-mn” and h–l.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Doss’ father was an abusive alcoholic.
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Overall this is a wonderful film about a very courageous man. Parents need to be aware of the excessive and disturbing violence throughout the movie.
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them-Kids’ Movie Review
Did you ever wonder what Harry Potter had to read at Hogwarts? Well, Fantastic Beasts was required reading for Harry and the first year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Based on J. K. Rowling’s original story, this film takes place in 1920’s New York City and follows the life of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). Newt is a magizoologist and author of a Hogwarts textbook that catalogs magical creatures. Arriving in New York for just a brief stay, Newt’s life dramatically changes as he ends up in the big city longer than planned. A series of mishaps begins when he misplaces his magical case with fantastic beasts inside. Mayhem ensues, even in a world with magic and wizardry.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: March 28, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- The film highlights the importance of accepting others for who they are.
- Many people have asked me if you need to see the Harry Potter films to understand Fantastic Beasts. The background knowledge of Harry Potter and the world of wizardry might be nice to see beforehand, but it’s not necessary.
- Harry Potter is set in a school with kids and this film is set in New York City where the main characters are adults.
Sexual Content:Mild
- Two female characters are shown wearing revealing outfits.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- The Obscurus (a dark, mysterious creature) destroys the streets, buildings and numerous vehicles.
- The Obscurus also grabs people, smashing them to the ground and killing them. We see characters’ faces covered with scars.
- A boy is whipped with a belt (offscreen). We see his hands torn up.
- A creature bites a character on his neck, leaving a bloody open wound.
- We see a dragon like creature threatening to eat someone.
Crude or Profane Language:Mild
- We hear “h—,” several times throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see character’s drinking alcohol at a wizard’s club. One character orders shots of “gigglewater.”
Will Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed several teenage boys who loved the film. They were all Harry Potter fans and have been excited to see this film.
Overall, this is a wonderful fantasy film, one that most Harry Potter fans will enjoy. Depending on the child this film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up.
Doctor Strange-Teen Movie Review
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has a good life. He is a well known and gifted medical doctor. He can fix any brain or spinal injury better than anyone in the world…and he knows it. Strange is a very arrogant and self centered man. However, Strange’s life dramatically changes after a severe car accident. His magical and steady hands will never regain strength to perform his medical miracles. He tries every option available through western medicine and there is no hope. Strange eventually tries something nontraditional, and visits the Ancient One, a mysterious bald headed woman who claims she can heal him. Before long, Strange must decide if he should leave his former life of fame and fortune behind to live as the most powerful sorcerer known to mankind.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: February 28, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- The film highlights the importance of humility. In the beginning of the film Doctor Strange is very arrogant and selfish, however, he eventually learns humility and realizes that it’s not all about himself; it’s important to help others. The Ancient One tells Strange to, “Serve something greater than yourself.”
- Though very violent, there are a lot of funny one liners throughout the film.
Sexual Content: Mild
- There is talk of a couple “sleeping together.”
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- Characters are impaled, stabbed, buried alive in rubble from falling buildings.
- There are numerous fights. Characters punch, kick and brutally beat up each other.
- Strange’s car crash is very violent. We see his face covered in blood and eyes swollen shut.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “sh-t,” “a–,” and “h—.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Teens Like It? Yes
- The theater was filled with teenagers. I interviewed three 17 year old boys who loved the film. They said it was, “funny, suspenseful and entertaining.”
Overall this is an entertaining movie, however, parents need to know that there is a lot of violence in the film.
Deepwater Horizon-Teen Movie Review
On April 20, 2010 Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) says goodbye to his wife (Kate Hudson) and daughter for a 21 day shift on an offshore drilling rig, the Deepwater Horizon. Mike is the chief electronics technician on the rig. For Mike it’s just another long shift at work, though he eventually learns this one is a little different. The financial bigwigs are anxious due to the delays in Deepwater’s scheduled oil deliveries. They’re even demanding that safety precautions bypassed to expedite deliveries. Then it happened… due to pressure leaks the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico igniting massive explosions; injuring and killing several crew members. Now Mike and his colleagues risk their lives to help as many crew members as possible. Based on a true story Deepwater Horizon is a well done and thrilling action film.
Rating: 3 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: January 10, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Deepwater Horizon will spark some interesting and educational parent/child conversations.
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see a married couple in bed together kissing passionately. He’s only wearing boxers and she’s wearing a T-shirt and skimpy underwear.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- We see explosions and fires, killing and injuring several crew members.
- Men are thrown around and slammed into walls.
- While in the shower an explosion erupts and a character is shown covered with blood.
- A guy pulls a piece of metal out of his foot.
- We see a guy’s leg caught between two rails. Someone snaps his leg to free it.
- Someone is impaled by a chunk of debris.
- Character’s are bruised, gashed and severley injured.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- We hear two f-words, “sh-t,” “h—,” “a–,” “b–ch,” and “b–tard.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- A character drinks a beer.
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes
Overall Deepwater Horizon is a well done film of a tragic accident. Parents need to be aware of the disturbing violence and excessive profane language.
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children-Kids’ Movie Review
Most teenage boys don’t believe in monsters, however Jake Portman does, and rightfully so. Jake’s grandfather would often tell him scary ghost stories, which seemed so real to Jake. Jake’s parents thought he was crazy and even made him see a psychiatrist. Though before Jake’s grandfather died he insisted that Jake go to a mysterious island off the coast of Wales and visit the grandfather’s childhood home. So Jake’s father takes him there. On the island Jake discovers Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and learns about the residents’ unique powers. There he finds adventure and danger with his new and peculiar friends. Based on the novel Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children.
Rating: 2 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: December 13, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 15+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Teens Like It? No
Talking Points:
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is not the typical young adult fantasy movie. It’s a very disturbing and creepy film with horror like images.
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see a couple kiss and flirt with one another.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- There are scary monsters with sharp teeth and tentacles to grab and entangle those who get close to it.
- The monsters are enamored with their victims’ eyeballs. We see dead characters with their eyeballs removed revealing dark sockets.
- We see several characters dine on a plateful of eyeballs.
- A character has the power to bring the dead back to life. He does so and then makes them fight to their death(again). This is a very disturbing scene.
- We see an intense battle in an amusement park between the children and the monsters.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “g–d–n,” “h–l,” and “d–ned.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- Miss Peregrine smokes a pipe throughout the film.
- We see characters’ drinking alcohol at a bar.
Will Most Teens Like It? No
Overall this is a very strange and disturbing film.