Action
Action Movie reviews
Star Trek Review
This is a prequel to the original Star Trek series from 1966. We see how the well loved crew of the Starship Enterprise comes together and is tested by adversity. Of course, here they’re younger and and in this day and age, more edgy. While on a special humanitarian mission from Starfleet Academy, the new recruits have to find a way to stop the evil Nero, a Romulan who wants to destroy all of mankind. The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of rivals, James Kirk (Chris Pine), a thrill seeking Iowa farm boy, and Spock, who was raised in the logic based Vulcan society that seeks to control all emotions. Though Kirk and Spock are very different, they lead the crew through danger and adventure.
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: November 17, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 11+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Talking Points:
I didn’t want to see the movie, I usually don’t like science fiction, however I loved it.
Even though there is fighting and violence, it’s a fun optimistic movie.
The special effects are terrific. At one point, they do a space jump which is something like a parachuting but from outside the atmosphere. It was really cool.
My husband, a lifelong trekie, tells me that there are many allusions and connections to the original 1966 series. Leonard Nemoy, has an important, though small role as an older Spock who is sent back in time. He provides a great connection with the new Star Trek cast and the original cast.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- If parents decide to bring younger kids, they may find one scene it a little uncomfortable when Kirk is in bed with a green skinned cadet in a bikini. They’re interrupted when her roommate walks in. But then he hides under the bed and sees the roommate(whom he likes) strip down to her bra and underwear.
Violent Content: Excessive
- Kirk gets into a bar fight, where he’s brutally beaten, covered with blood. He also gets in a few other fights.
- Kirk is nearly choked to death a few time.
- There a some intense spaceship battles.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The s-word is used, and we hear other words such as “a‑‑,” “b‑‑tard” and “d‑‑n.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- Characters drink at a bar.
- We see Kirk drunk.
I thought the ending was, especially for Trekies, really neat. The movie ended with the lines and the music that started every show . . .”Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
I recommend that you boldly go to see Star Trek, I give it five buckets.
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World Review
Marissa (Jessica Alba), a retired spy, is now a full time homemaker. She’s married to Wilbur (Joel McHale) a spy hunting TV reporter, she has a baby and twin 10 year old step children, (Rebecca, played by Rowen Blanchard and Cecil played by Mason Cook); who want nothing to do with her. However, things dramatically change when the twins find out their stepmom is a former spy agent. Marissa (the stepmom) is called back to duty to save the planet from an evil villain (Time Keeper). He wants to take over the world, and ultimately freeze it. He feels that people waste their time, and they don’t realize how precious it is. Now it’s up to Marissa, her step-kids, along with the familiar Spy Kids from the previous films, Cameron (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara), to save the world from this evil threat.
Rating: Three out of five buckets.
Release Date: August 19, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5 to 10
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Talking Points:
This is the fourth movie in the popular Spy Kids series. My kids were fans of the first three movies, however they are not the target audience for this film; I’m sad to say that they’ve outgrown the Spy Kids series.
I didn’t particularly love this movie, however I did like the constant theme throughout the film. The movie focuses on the importance of family, and to make the most of our time, to love and enjoy our families. Some great quotes from the movie about time: “It’s not about the time you have, it’s what you choose to do with it.” When referring to spending quality time with your kids, a character says, “Spend time with them now, because the only thing you’ll find time for later is regret.” Another message is that you can’t change the past, “Live life moving forward not back.” This could spark a conversation with your kids.
There’s some rude potty humor; with kids vomiting and dogs burping. The twins play many practical jokes on their stepmom such as; dropping a bag of blue cheese dressing on her head, and putting baby powder in her blow dryer. Initially the twins didn’t like their stepmom, I thought they were mean and disrespectful.
The movie was in 4D, which could be a fun added feature for kids. When buying the tickets, we received a card with 8 numbers on it.When a number appeared on the screen, you rub that number on the card and sniff it. I think the kids in the theater liked it, I thought it was a little annoying.
The acting was not the greatest!
Sexual Content: Mild
- A married couple kiss.
Violent Content: Mild
- There’s an evil villain, but he’s not that scary, if anything he’s a little goofy.
- Men chase the kids, and shoot them with laser beams….silly violence, not threatening or scary.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- Words such as “butt-head,” “stupid,” and “puke” are used.
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Overall Spy Kids: All the Time in the World is an adventurous action packed movie. Parents need to know that there is some rude potty humor, and slapstick violence. As I previously mentioned, kids familiar with the first three films have most likely outgrown this one. With all the messages about embracing time, my 13 year old son said, “The time in the movie was too long.” Hmmm…maybe not for teens, but great for it’s target audience; kids ages 5 to 10.
Some quotes from the audience:
“It was totally appropriate,” said a mom of a 6 and 9 year old.
“I loved it,” said a 9 year old boy.
“I loved it that Cameron and Juni (characters from the previous films) were in it.” said a 7 year old girl.
Sorcerer’s Apprentice Review
When I saw the trailer of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, I thought that the movie didn’t look good at all, though I thought I should review it anyway, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a comedy adventure about a master sorcerer, Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage), and his apprentice, Dave, a twenty year-old nerdy physics student. Together they try to save the world from Balthazar’s arch-nemesis.
Rating:Four out of five buckets
Release Date: November 30, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 8+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
This was a funny, action packed movie.
When Dave, the physics student, was a ten year-old boy, he had a brief encounter with Balthazar. This created many psychological issues for Dave, because he was told that he was destined to be a powerful sorcerer. Ten years later we see Dave as the nerdy physic’s student still pursuing the same girl, and finally recovering from his childhood trauma, but then he’s pursued once again by Balthazar, the master sorcerer. Balthazar claims that physics and sorcery have a lot in common.
There are some nice lessons for kids. Balthazar continually says to Dave, “character counts-that to be great, one must be good.”
Sexual Content: Mild
- I loved romantic element of the movie. The nerdy boy, was attracted to a very cute girl, who was a DJ at a radio station. It was very entertaining watching him make his moves, to a girl way out of his league.
Some parts were clever.
As in most action movies, there’s conflict between good vs. evil, which we see in this movie.
Poor character development, I felt like I didn’t get to know the characters very well.
Violent Content: Moderate
- Younger kids may get scared because of the violence and scary creatures.
- Some examples: Electric thunderbolts fly from the wizards hands.
A Chinatown dragon becomes a scary creature that climbs buildings.
There are a lot of battles amongst the sorcerer’s. They’re thrown into ceilings and walls, they constantly push each other into magical mirrors.
Profanity or crude language: Mild
This is a PG movie, which I thought was appropriately rated. I interviewed many kids after the movie. A couple of six year-old girls said they liked it, but were scared in parts. A ten year old boy loved it, as did his mom. Walking out I heard a girl, who looked about ten, say to her dad, “That was the best movie I’ve ever scene, let’s see it again.”
Recommended age: For kids ages eight and up.
Snow White and the Huntsman Review
Well, I would not want to escape into a dark forest from an evil queen, but I would want the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) protecting me. Snow White and the Huntsman is story about the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) who desperately wants Snow White (Kristen Stewart) killed when she realizes that the Princess will soon become more beautiful than she. So the Queen recruits a fierce Huntsman to go into the dark forest and kill the fair beauty. Things don’t work out the way the Queen had originally planned; the Huntsman ends up protecting Snow White and helps prepares her to save the kingdom from the evil Queen.
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: September 11, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language:Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? No
See a clip of my review here, along with Crooked Arrows!
Talking Points:
This is a modern-day twist to the classic fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, however this film is very dark and creepy, one that young kids should not see. The Twilight fans, which include many tween girls, will want to see this film because of Kristen Stewart (who plays Bella in the Twilight series), however parents need to be aware of the disturbing content of the film.
The classic theme of good vs. evil is portrayed in the film as Snow White convinces man, beast and the dwarfs to do the right thing and set their kingdom free.
Snow risks her life to save the kingdom from the Queen’s control, she even stands in front of a a giant troll to help the Huntsman.
When we first meet the adult Snow White she prays the “Our Father,” while thinking of her deceased parents.
The Queen is very cruel, dark and malicious; she kills anyone she pleases; and enjoys the power and control she has over the people.
Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth were amazing in their roles as the Queen and the Huntsman. Kristen Stewart struggled in her role as Snow White. She acted like Bella from her Twilight movies.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Queen Ravenna wears low cut dresses, showing cleavage.
- We see the Queen’s naked form, from the back side.
- We see the Queen from the waist up naked, though she covers her chest with her arms.
- A couple kiss.
Violent Content: Excessive
- The Queen stabs her husband with a knife in his chest.
- We see battles with sword fights and stabbing, and bloody victims.
- Ravenna is stabbed in the gut by an attacker, she pulls the blade out and is perfectly fine.
- The Queen steps into a fire, we see her skin begin to burn, then she’s magically healed.
- The Queen slaps and attack’s Snow, we see her mouth bleeding.
- Queen Ravenna wears claws on her fingers which she uses to attack people.
- In one scene the Queen scoops out a small birds heart, and eats it.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- “H–,” and “d–n,” are said.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- The Huntsman is typically drunk.
- The dwarfs are shown drinking alcohol in several scenes.
Will Kids Like It? No
Overall this is a very dark and disturbing film, not for kids. Having said that, adults may like this film… I did. Mirror Mirror would be more suitable for kids, as it’s targeted to a younger audience. Depending on the child, I feel that Snow White and the Huntsman is appropriate for kids ages 14 and up.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Review
Set in 1891, as an unknown terrorist’s bombings threaten to push Europe to war we see Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr), in pursuit of Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), a mathematical wizard who was suspected to be the world’s first supervillain. Meanwhile, Watson, (Jude Law), Holmes’ friend and partner, was primarily focused on being a good husband to his new wife, Mary (Kelly Reilly), while keeping Holmes safe and alive; which was not an easy job! Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is an adventurous action packed film that will keep you in suspense.
Rating: 3 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: June 12, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13 and up
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
See a clip of my review here, plus a review of Alvin and The Chipmunks
Talking Points:
The banter between Holmes and Watson was fun and entertaining, even with the excessive violence. I noticed the audience laughed a lot throughout the film.
Watson was a very loving and dedicated husband, however, Holmes was not a fan of marriage. He labeled marriage as,”eternal purgatory.”
Sexual Content: Mild
- Mary, Watson’s new wife, had an unusual encounter with Holmes’ brother. She saw him walking around his house…naked. We could see his torso and backside, though Mary saw more! He continued to chat with her as if he was fully clothed, Mary was horrified, and wanted to leave.
- Women wear revealing outfits.
- Mild kissing.
Violent Content: Excessive
- There were several scenes with Holmes fighting thugs; kicking and hitting with character’s thrown against the wall.
- There were several explosions and gun fires, as we saw many characters die throughout the film.
- A bad guy stabbed a huge meat hook through Holmes’ shoulder, then raised him off the ground…it was disgusting!!!
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- Words such as, “b–tard,” and “d–n” were used a few times.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- Characters drank frequently throughout the film. Watson got very drunk at his bachelor party.
- We saw character’s smoke cigarettes and cigars.
Sherlock Holmes fans will most likely enjoy this film. I was slightly entertained, but with all the unnecessary violence, the film didn’t appeal to me that much. Depending on whether you child is sensitive to violence, I would say this is appropriate for kids 13 and up.