Action
Action Movie reviews
Chappie- Teen Movie Review
The concept of being pulled over by a robotic police officer seems very strange, however that’s how it was in Johannesburg, South Africa. Set in 2016, the city of Johannesburg’s police force mainly consisted of robots. The storyline is centered around a particular police robot named Chappie, who’s been programmed to become the first robot who has the ability to think and feel for himself. However when a group of thug’s kidnap Chappie, they teach this innocent robot to become like them…shooting, looting and selling drugs. That’s when the battle begins, and that’s when poor Chappie gets involved in illegal activities…ones he was never built to do. Chappie is a dramatic Sci-Fi movie with a lot of disturbing violence and profane language throughout the film.
Rating: 1/2 bucket out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 16, 2015
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Excessive
Will it Appeal to Most Teens? No
Talking Points:
- Deon, Chappie’s maker, encourages him to read, paint and better himself. He tells Chappie he can do whatever he wants to do in life. Deon also makes Chappie promise not to get involved with the thug’s criminal activities. Good parent/child conversations.
- The movie was very disturbing, we saw the gang’s abusive way of living filled with drugs and crime. Chappie seemed like a child, not a robot; he was kidnapped and forced into their evil ways, which was hard to watch.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- We see a brief porno clip on someone’s TV… full frontal female nudity.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- The villains encourage Chappie to do evil and disturbing things to innocent people. Chappie manhandles people, leaving them on the streets covered in blood.
- We see several characters shot and killed.
- There are violent battles between men and robots. A man is shown crushed and torn in half by a metal claw.
- Chappie is beaten and set on fire.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word is said numerous times throughout the film. We also hear “sh-t,” “a–,” “h—,” and “b–ch.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Excessive
- Characters are shown smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol throughout the film.
- We see one of the thugs counting their drug stash.
Will it Appeal to Most Teens? Yes
- I interviewed some teenage girls who loved Chappie (the robot) but didn’t like the film. One girl said, “I loved Chappie, he was so cute, but I didn’t like seeing him tortured.”
Chappie-Teen Movie Review
Kingsman: The Secret Service-Teen Movie Review
Their suits are bullet proof, their shoes hide a toxic blade, their umbrella’s are shotguns and their cigarette lighters are grenades. That’s the attire of a Kingsmen, members of a secret spy organization who make the world a safer place. When the agency loses a member, Harry Hart (Colin Firth) recruits an uneducated street boy named Eggsy (Taron Egerton). Eggsy is not a typical recruit…he’s not an Oxford or Cambridge man. However, Harry wants to help the boy as his father was once a Kingsmen who saved Harry’s life. Now it’s up to Eggsy to pass a rigorous and dangerous interview, so he too can become a Kingsmen, and help save the world from an emerging global threat.
Rating: 3 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: June 9, 2015
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- Eggsy is a troubled boy, with no purpose in life. It is Harry who helps him and redirects his life in a more positive way.
- Eggsy loves his mother and protects her from an abusive boyfriend.
Sexual Content: Mild
- There are some sexual references regarding masturbation, multiple sexual partners, and homosexuality.
- A woman suggests, to a man she barely knows, that they should have anal sex.
- We see a woman’s bare backside.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- Character’s are shot, stabbed, straggled and skewered to death. There are hundreds of fatalities throughout the film.
- The villain (Samuel L. Jackson) plants a device in people’s heads. When he triggers the device the character’s head explodes. This was portrayed as choreographed fireworks with music playing in the background.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word is said constantly throughout the film. We also hear “a–,” “sh-t,” “b–ch,” and “pr–k.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see character’s drinking mixed drinks, champagne, beer and wine.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- I interviewed three teenage boys who said they loved all the action, and thought the film was very funny.
Overall this is an entertaining and action packed film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and profane language.
Kingsman: The Secret Service-Teen Movie Review
Jupiter Ascending-Teen Movie Review
The toilets are spotless, not a speck of dust on the penthouse floors. Jupiter Jones, her mother and aunt are maids for Chicago’s upper class. Jupiter hates her life, it’s boring and she’s broke! However, things dramatically change when a genetically engineered ex-soldier (Channing Tatum) arrives on Earth to inform Jupiter of her destiny as the Queen of the Universe. Now her boring life as a maid suddenly becomes very interesting.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 2, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
There aren’t any valuable lessons or inspirational moments, just a lot of sci-fi action.
With Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis as the two main characters, the film will attract pre-teens.
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see a woman only wearing her bra and underwear.
- A couple passionately kiss.
- A woman walks into a pool naked, we see her backside.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- There are several battles throughout the film involving aliens and humans using various weapons and guns.
- There are big , scary creatures shown throughout the film.
- We see unconscious humans getting stabbed with needles.
- A woman is beaten and choked.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “sh-t,” ‘d–n,” and “b–ch, ” several times each.
Drug and Alcohol Content:Mild
- We see characters drinking beer.
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed two 12 year-old boys who loved the action and suspense of the film.
- I interviewed a 13 year-old girl who said, “The movie was just okay, but Channing Tatum was hot!”
Overall Jupiter Ascending is an action packed sci-fi movie. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violent content.
Jupiter Ascending-Teen Movie Review
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
Taken 3-Teen Movie Review
Liam Neeson is back as ex-covert operative Bryan Mills. Things are going well for this humble and quiet man. He and his ex-wife have reconciled their differences and finally get along. He’s very close with his college age daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), and happily involved in her life. However Bryan’s calm life quickly changes when he finds his ex-wife with her throat slit, dead in his bed. Bryan quickly realizes that he is framed for her murder and decides to run. He’s determined to find the real criminal, and save his daughter from the villain’s evil threats.
Rating: 3 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 21, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
There are no valuable lessons or inspirational moments, however the film is very exciting. Liam Neeson is once again great as Bryan Mills. Having said that, Taken 3 is extremely violent and sometimes hard to watch…see details below.
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see a male character in a hot tub with two women in bikinis.
- A woman tells her ex-husband that she fantasizes about being with him again.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- The villain, a vicious Russian crime lord, is very evil. He punches, kicks and kills people throughout the film.
- There are several intense shooting scenes.
- There are car chases and explosions with a lot of casualties.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The f-word was said once. We also hear “sh-t,” “a–,” and “d–n.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- We see characters drinking and smoking in several scenes throughout the film.
- A character says, “Let’s go get drunk.”
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- I interviewed a 12 year-old boy and girl who both really liked the film. They liked the action and said they were not scared.
Overall this is a very intense, action packed film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violent content.