Comedy

Comedy movie reviews

Planes: Fire & Rescue

Athletes get injured and sometimes have to change their course in life; it can happen to crop dusters too. Crop duster, Dusty Crophopper (voice of Dane Cook), had the goal of becoming the number 1 racer in the country, however when he realizes his engine is damaged, he decides that he wants to get certified as a firefighter. Now the action and adventure begins as Dusty helps his friends battle a massive wildfire, and Dusty learns what it takes to be a real hero.

Rating: 4 and 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: November 5, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: Any
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Will it Appeal to teens? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: None

Mild flirting amongst a female sports car and a “handsome” helicopter.

Violent Content: Mild

We see a massive wildfire, started by a bolt of lightening. Cars,tractors and a train are all in grave danger.
When Dusty is in a river, he’s shown hitting rocks and logs.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

Car and planes are shown drinking at a local bar.

Overall this is a fun entertaining film for young kids.

The Book Of Life-Kids Movie Review

Who will Maria (voice of Zoe Saldana) marry? Manolo (voice of Diego Luna), a sensitive guitar player whose family wants him to be a ruthless bullfighter, or Joaquin (voice of Channing Tatum) Manolo’s best friend. Both men are madly in love with Maria, however things dramatically change when Manolo is bitten by a poisonous snake. He travels through the underworld on a Mexican holiday called The Day of the Dead. This is a magical day when the spirits of the departed return to earth to receive gifts from living family members. Now Manolo sees a whole new world, but the only thing he really wants is to return to his true love and win her heart. Narrated by a museum tour guide, The Book of Life is an animated film about death, the afterlife and true love.

Rating: 3 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: October 17, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 7+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Will it Appeal to kids? No

Talking Point:

The characters are good people who strive to do right thing. One character says that true hero’s are selfless. The story highlights the importance friendship and love.

The animation is great with cute and colorful characters.

With the mature and deep subject matter of death and the afterlife of the Mexican culture, kids may get bored. There’s also a romantic element to the story, which may not appeal to kids.

Sexual Content: Mild

Two couples kiss.

Violent Content: Moderate

Though this is a story about death, we only see on person die.
We see characters pounded and beaten.
We see prayers for the dead, skeletons, afterlife worlds, and a godlike Candle Maker. Though animated, parts may scare young kids.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

Characters are shown drinking wine.
A stumbling character says he was at four different bars.

Will it Appeal to kids? No

This is an animated film with an adult storyline. Overall I don’t think it will appeal most kids.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good…Kids movie review

We all have bad days, some worse than others. It’s the day before Alexander’s 12th birthday and it’s not a good day; he slips on a skateboard, gets gum in his hair, a funny picture is taken of him which travels all around the school, and he finds out no one is going to his birthday party because the most popular boy in school is having a big bash. When Alexander comes home, his parents and siblings have all had amazing days, and his baby brother can do no wrong. So at 12:01 AM, Alexander’s 12th birthday, he wishes a bad day upon his family. Now the comedic tragedies begin as we see a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for the Cooper family…but not Alexander! Based on a popular children’s book, Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a terrific film for the whole family!

Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: February 10, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 6+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Will it Appeal to kids? Yes

Talking Points:

There’s a wonderful message about the importance of family and loved ones. Alexander comes to realize that no matter how bad your day can be, or no matter how bad life can get, if you’re surrounded by family and loved ones, it’s not that bad.
Steve Carell (the dad) and Jennifer Garner (the mom) are very funny and entertaining. The kids in the film are also likable, fun characters, ones that kids in the audience can relate to.
There is some potty humor for example, the baby urinates on the kitchen floor and oven, kids in the theater thought that was funny. Also, the daughter vomits on her dad.

Sexual Content: Moderate

The mom walks in on her teenage son as he’s naked in the bathroom. We don’t see anything, however later she comments saying, “It’s not the first time I’ve seen your penis.”
There’s a discussion of Anthony and his girlfriend making out.
The parents hire three “Australian cowboys,” for Alexander’s birthday party, not realizing their strippers.

Violent Content: Moderate

Alexander accidentally starts a fire in his Chemistry class.
The dad’s shirt cuffs set fire while eating at a Japanese restaurant.
The dad gets kicked to the ground by a kangaroo.
While the teenage son is taking his driver’s test he gets into a car crash, no one is hurt.
The mom crashes while riding a bike.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

“Idiot,” “sucks,” and “crap,” are said.

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

Emily, the eight grade daughter, overdoses on cold medicine and acts very silly.
The dad drinks beer and then slams down another drink while the group he’s with chants his name.

Will it Appeal to kids? Yes

This is a great film for kids of all ages…elementary kids, middle school age kids and teens may find it appealing as well.

Overall this is a great family movie, one I highly recommend!

The Boxtrolls-Kids Movie Review

In an underground world lives a group of subterranean trolls who adopted an infant orphan boy named Eggs (voice of Isaac Hempstead Wright). These trolls look fearsome in their card board box attire, however they are very kind-hearted loving creatures. Things get difficult for the trolls as the evil exterminator, Snatcher (voice of Ben Kingsley) wants to eliminate all them, with hopes to to become a high society man. However it’s not that easy for Snatcher. Eggs and his wealthy friend from above, Winnie (Elle Fanning), will do anything to try and save the loving creatures underground. Based on the children’s novel ‘Here Be Monsters’ by Alan Snow, The Boxtrolls is a dark, animated film that will most likely scare young kids.

Rating: 2 and 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: January 20, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Will it Appeal to kids? No

Talking Points:

Though this is a dark and disturbing film for kids, I did find some redeeming qualities. The importance of a loving father is highlighted as Fish protects and nurtures his adopted orphan son, Egg. The Boxtrolls are kind-hearted creatures who love children.

Egg eventually stands up to Snatcher, saying, “Cheese, hats, boxes they don’t make you who you are. You make you.”

This is an animated film geared towards children. However with the dark and creepy storyline, kids will most likely be frightened by the fact that characters are kidnapped and tortured. See details in violent content below.

Sexual Content: Moderate

Madame Frou Frou has a seductive, manly voice. Her lyrics are sometimes inappropriate as well.
When it’s revealed that Madame Frou Frou is also Archibald Snatcher, a character blurts out…”Oh my God, I regret so
much.”

Violent Content: Excessive

Snatcher is a dark, evil villain, who enjoys inflicting pain on others. He desperately wants to kill the Boxtrolls and eventually kidnaps several of them. He even invades the Boxtrolls’ underground home by using a huge robot.
Snatcher uses a crushing press to execute all the creatures he’s captured.
We see Snatcher’s allergic reaction to cheese, his face swells and looks disgusting.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Will it Appeal to kids? No

Overall this is a dark and disturbing animated film, one I don’t recommend for kids. See Dolphin Tale 2 or Rio 2 instead!

Let’s Be Cops- Teen movie review

Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans Jr.) are two 30-year-old guys, best friends and roommates, trying to figure out their lives and how to be successful in the big city of L.A. Things dramatically change for the struggling roomies when they attend a costume party dressed as police officers. On their way home from the party they get a lot of attention from women, and finally feel a sense of confidence and control as they strut around in their uniforms. This gradually becomes an everyday event, however things get complicated when they get involved with a gang of Russian drug lords and their fake lives as police officers becomes a reality.

Rating: 2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: November 11, 2014
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Will it Appeal to kids/ teens? Yes

Talking Points:

Besides all the crude humor in the film, there is a nice message about friendship. Justin and Ryan look out for each other, they discover it’s friendships that help people become who they want to be.

This is an R-rated film, one that a lot pre-teens want to see. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence, crude language and sexual references throughout the film. See details below.

Sexual Content: Moderate

We see a naked obese man, front side and back.
A woman takes off her top, we see her bare back.
A woman, showing a lot of cleavage, tries to entice Ryan to have a sexual encounter.
At a bar a group of woman think that Ryan and Justin are strippers. Ryan begins to dance and remove his clothes, then some women tell him they want to have sex.

Violent Content: Moderate

There are a lot of gun shots and intense fights. Characters are punched in the face, shot at and some beaten to death.
Ryan is tied down to a table and tortured by villains.
Justin and Ryan wrap plastic wrap around a man, then proceed to put his head under the kitchen sink.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

The f-word was said continuously throughout the film, along with “d–n,” “b–ch,” “h–,” “a–,” and “a-hole.” Also, sexual words referring to male and female body parts such as, “d–k,” “p—y,” and “balls.”

Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate

Characters are shown smoking marijuana and crystal meth. We also see characters drinking beer and wine at bars and parties.

Will it Appeal to kids/ teens? Yes

Overall “Let’s Be Cops” is an action packed film with some sexual references woven throughout. As I previously mentioned, parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and profane language.