Action
Action Movie reviews
Total Recall Review
A place where dreams come true…no it’s not Disney World; it’s a place called Rekall. Rekall provides its customers with an implanted fake memory; whatever you want, whatever you’ve always dreamed of; it’s yours. Factory worker, Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), thinks this sounds great. However when the procedure goes awry, Doug becomes a man on the run when he realizes that he’s a threat to the government, and a wanted man. Doug becomes confused (so was I) between what’s real and what’s fantasy as he tries to save the world from an evil villain. Total Recall is a remake of the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Rating: 1 and 1/2 buckets out of 5
Release Date: December 18, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? No
See a clip of my review here, along with Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days!
Talking Points:
Doug is a good guy, and a likable character. He wanted to do the right thing, and even risked his life while doing so.
I read this film was originally rated R; it barely made the PG13 rating.
The story-line is confusing. I got tired of the battles and brutal fights.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- When Doug enters a red-light district a prostitute approaches him and opens her coat to reveal her three breasts…yes three! She says, “You’re going to wish you had three hands.”
- Doug and his wife are shown kissing, and caressing each other; while she’s only wearing a tank top and undies.
Violent Content: Excessive
- There are violent fights with gunfire and brutal punches throughout the whole film.
- People are stabbed and sliced with knives.
- Doug slices his hand open to remove a phone that was embedded in his hand.
- There are massive explosions, with several casualties.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word is said once. “Sh-t” is said around 30 times. “B–ch,” “d–n,” “a–,” “h–l,” d-ck,” are also used a couple times each.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Character’s are shown drinking beer at a bar.
Will Kids Like It? No
Overall this is an action packed, somewhat confusing, sci-fi film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and profane language. I recommend The Amazing Spider-man for a good action film to see at the theaters, with not as much violence or profane language.
Thor Review
As parents, when we discipline our children, we typically give them a time out or take certain privileges away from them. That’s not how Thor’s dad disciplines him. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is a powerful, but yet arrogant young warrior living on a different world, Asgard. He disobeys and betrays his father (Anthony Hopkins), who is the King of Asgard, by fighting in an unnecessary battle. His father, who believes in preserving the peace with their enemy, is very upset, and banishes Thor down to Earth, so he can live with humans as a punishment. On Earth he has no special privileges, titles or prestige, he’s just a regular guy trying to survive on his own; even his magical hammer is taken away from him. Naturally, he is faced with many challenges and obstacles, though he learns a valuable lesson about humility, and how to be a true leader. This sci/fi, action film, based on Marvel comic books, is an intense, but entertaining movie.
Rating: Four out of five buckets
Release Date: May 6, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 11+
Profanity: Mild
Violence: Excessive
Sensuality: Mild
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild
Talking Points
This movie has a great cast. To name a few; Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and of course Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
Living in Asgard, Thor is heir to the throne, and he’s very spoiled and selfish. While on Earth, and having lost all his powers, he learns a great lesson about humility. When a small town in New Mexico is threatened by a monster, Thor risks his life to save and protect his human friends. Without spoiling the movie, he makes other sacrifices as well to help the people of Asgard. He is no longer selfish, and realizes the importance of helping others.
In one scene, Thor says, “My father tried to teach me something, but I was too stupid to listen.” He regrets not listening to his father, and he had to pay the consequence. This could spark some great discussions with your kids. After all, parents know what’s best for their children.
Thor’s younger brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), is very jealous of Thor. He wants to be the next King, so he lies and manipulates certain situations to keep Thor away from Asgard. His jealousy gets the best of him, another great conversation subject with your kids.
Sexual Content: Mild
• There is one passionate kiss.
Violent Content: Excessive
• There are a many intense battles and fighting. Some characters are skewered by swords, pounded by hammers, frozen and crushed to death.
• There are many loud explosions, and viscous storms.
• There is a large monster, and some creepy characters, which may scare some kids.
Crude/Profane Language: Mild
• The d-word, a-word and h-word are used, but not a lot.
Next time you punish your child, you obviously can’t banish them to another planet, but you can send them to their room, hoping they’ll learn from their mistake, just like Thor did. If your child likes sci/fi movies, and can handle some of the intense action scenes, I recommend this film. I think it’s appropriate for boys ages 11 and up.
The Three Musketeers Review
“All for one and one for all,” that’s the very familiar motto of the Three Musketeers. Based on the French classic novel, The Three Musketeers is about an arrogant teenage boy named D’Artagnan, (Logan Lerman) who lives 18th Century France. He leaves his home in rural France to become one of the king’s elite guardsman, the Musketeers. After arriving in Paris, D’Artagnan inadvertently impresses the The Three Musketeers with his confidence and charm. While spending much time together, he and his new friends eventually come to realize that the evil Cardinal (Christoph Waltz), along with some other villains, have a plan to overthrow the French monarchy. So now D’Artagnan, and the Musketeers must rally together to defeat the villains, and save their country. This is an action packed, adventurous film, one that your kids will most likely enjoy!
Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: March 13, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
Initially the three Musketeers were down and depressed and in a rut. However when the young D’Artagnan arrived, his excitement and energy encouraged the Musketeers, and stressed that there are still things worth fighting for.
I loved the characters in this film, from D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) to the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom); they were very entertaining, and very captivating to young kids.
I interviewed several boys ages 10 to 12, all of whom loved the film. Even the parents liked it.
When D’Artagnan gives the King some relationship advice about girls, he says, “speak from your heart, be yourself, and be someone who cares.” I thought this was a sweet, sincere scene.
D’Artagnan falls in love with Constance, one of the queens ladies-in-waiting. Their relationship was also very sweet and innocent.
The Cardinal and Milady de Winter were very deceiving and cruel characters.The Cardinal tells Milady that she has a gift for corruption, and that he admires her skills. This could spark a good parent/child discussion of how not to behave.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Many of the women wear low cut outfits, we see a lot of cleavage.
- There are several kisses, mainly with D’Artagnan and his love interest.
- There’s some suggestive bantering throughout the film, mostly with Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich). She was willing to sleep with anyone to get what she wanted.
Violent Content: Moderate
- There are several sword fights and fist fights, some of which were a little cartoonish and not very intense.
- There’s an intense battle scene at the end of the film, we see many bloody cuts on D’Artagnan.
- There are many explosions, with things being blown up.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The s-word, h-word, d-word, a-word are used and “b–tard,” is said once.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see several characters drinking alcohol.
- One of the Musketeers was so drunk he passed out.
Overall this is a fun, entertaining movie. I don’t think it will be the most memorable movie, but I do think kids will enjoy it. This is a PG13 movie that most parents can feel comfortable taking their kids to.However, parents need to be aware of the moderate violence and some profane language. I recommend this film for kids, (especially boys), ages 10 and up.
The Hobbit: An Expected Journey Review
He missed his armchair, he missed his books, and he missed his home. That’s how Bilbo Baggins (the hobbit) felt when he expectantly left his home to help thirteen dwarves reclaim their Dwarf Kingdom; which had been attacked by the dragon Smaug. Continue reading
Super 8 Review
I felt like I was on a roller coaster during this adventurous sci-fi movie. Super 8 is set in a small town of Ohio during the summer of 1979. This is a story about a group of middle school aged kids who are shooting a Super-8 movie for a film festival in Cleveland. One evening, while filming their movie, the kids witness a horrific train crash. Initially they think it’s an accident, however after many strange events that begin to occur in their small town, they eventually come to realize that this awful train wreck was not an accident; and that it’s lot worse than they could ever imagine. With writer J.J. Abrams along with producer Steven Spielberg, this is a wonderful and suspenseful movie…hold on, you’ll be on the edge of your seat!
Rating: Four out of five buckets
Release Date: November 22, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points
Kids that like suspenseful and scary movies, will enjoy this film. There are many different and intriguing elements to the film, which makes it so entertaining. It’s also interesting because the movie is centered around a group of friends filming their own movie.
Through all the drama and suspense there’s a little romance, and some emotional family dynamics to the movie; I had some tears during the film.
This movie is NOT predictable at all. There’s a lot of mysterious parts to film. To name a few; after the train crash they come across these strange white cubes, (which one of the kids takes), after the wreck; people, dogs and electrical things begin to disappear, even the military enter into their small, once quiet town. As the kids in the film are trying to figure out whats going on, so is the audience.
There’s a message of forgiveness and learning how to deal with difficult situations. Joe, (one of the main kids) says, “Bad things happen, but you can still live.” Alice, one of the kids, drives the gang around, even though she’s not old enough. This good spark a parent/child conversation, of what not to do.
Sexual Content: Mild
• There is a little romance between two of the kids, but nothing happens. It’s a sweet and innocent pre-teen crush.
Violent Content: Mild
I found the film to be scary in parts; for example:
• The train wreck was loud and very graphic, with massive explosions. The kids science teacher was involved in the wreck, we see him after the crash; he’s bloody and even threatens the kids.
• The movie that the kids are making is about zombies. When Alice (one of the girls), is playing her part as a zombie, she’s so good, it’s a little creepy.
• Alice’s dad is an alcoholic, scenes with him could disturb kids. Even though he doesn’t physically abuse his daughter, he’s a little scary.
Crude and Profane Language: Excessive
• The kids, especially Charles, one of the main characters, swears consistently throughout the film.
Overall this is an exciting, and thrilling movie. However if you’re children are sensitive to scary movies, it’s not for them. As long as parents and kids are aware of that, I recommend this film for kids ages 12 and up.