Comedy

Comedy movie reviews

The Hundred Foot Journey-Kids Movie Review

Rivals McDonalds and Burger King can be one hundred feet apart without a problem, Qdoba and Chipolte can also be one hundred feet apart without a problem, however Le Saule Pleureur and Maison Mumbai have their problems being only one hundred feet apart. This is the story about an Indian family, led by the Papa (Om Puri), who are displaced from their native India and end up in a quaint village in the south of France, and their quest to open up an Indian restaurant. Papa is excited to share his Indian cuisine with the French, however when Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), the owner of an elegant French restaurant from across the street stops by, things get complicated. Now the war begins as the two cultures try to make it work being only one hundred feet apart. The Hundred Foot Journey is an entertaining movie with a little comedy, romance and drama…a film for the whole family.

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

Talking Points:

Even though the Indian family and Madame Mallory and friends don’t always get along, they’re ultimately loving people and make kind gestures to make peace with one other.

The Hundred Foot Journey is an great film, however due to the mature storyline, kids under 10 may find it slow and boring.

Sexual Content: Mild

A couple passionately kiss, then proceed into the bedroom. We don’t see anything, however when they come out of their room they are disheveled.

Violent Content:Mild

We see rioters invading Papa’s restaurant in Mumbai, pushing tables and setting the place on fire. A loved one dies in the fire.
In France Papa’s restaurant is also set on fire by invaders, however there is not much damage as Papa puts out the fire.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

“H–,” and “sh-t,” are said.

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

Characters are shown drinking wine.

Will it Appeal to kids/ teens? Yes

I interviewed five kids between the ages 14 and 17 who all loved the movie. They claimed to be “foodies” so I can see why they especially enjoyed a film about restaurants.

Overall this is a very sweet and entertaining film. As I previously mentioned, with the mature storyline, kids under 10 may find it slow and boring. Great for teens and adults!

Guardians of the Galaxy- Kids Movie Review

A talking raccoon, a tree-like creature, Drax the Destroyer, an assassin named Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and a smooth talking, handsome guy from Earth named Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), are the Guardians of the Galaxy. They are a group of misfits who all want to make some money by selling a strange metallic orb. However when they discover that the orb is a dangerous weapon, they eventually come to realize that they must keep it away from the evil Ronan. Ronan is a powerful villain who threatens to destroy the universe. Now it’s up to this odd group of characters to save the world and be the Guardians of their Galaxy.

Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5
Release Date: December 9, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Will it Appeal to kids/ teens? Yes

Talking Points:

The film has a great mix of action/adventure and comedy. Though there are a lot of violent scenes, the characters are funny and entertaining. A great soundtrack as well, with a sentimental element to it.

Sexual Content: Mild

Peter flirts with Gamora and tries to kiss her, though she wants no part of that. She even tells him not to use his “pelvis magic” on her.

Violent Content: Excessive

Humans and aliens are punched, kicked, shot, stabbed, choked and blown up. Sometimes they’re serious, sometimes they’re silly.
Buildings are smashed and destroyed by explosions.
We see little critters eaten by larger animals.
When character’s hold a certain weapon, we see their insides burn up and their skin flakes off.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

The f-word is said once, we also hear “a–,” “sh-t,” “p–ck,” “d–k,” “b–ch,” “b–tard,” “d–n,” and “h–.”

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

Character’s are shown drinking alcoholic beverages.

Will it Appeal to kids/teens? Yes

I interviewed two 14 year old girls and a 9 year old boy who loved the film. They thought it was funny and said it was, “The best Marvel film yet.”

Overall this is a fun action packed entertaining film. Having said that, parents need to be aware of the excessive violence. Depending on the child this is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up.

22 Jump Street-Teen Movie Reviews

They claim to be “partner’s for life,” and they are. Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are back as undercover detectives.In this second installment of the Jump Street series, the two goofball cops go incognito at a local college, searching across campus for the dealer responsible for the drug WhyPhy. During their search, they are involved in frat parties, joining the football team and meeting new friends; with hopes to solve the mystery.

Rating: 2 and 1/2 buckets out of 5
Release Date: November 18, 2014
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Will it Appeal to teens? Yes

Talking Points:

There aren’t any life lessons or inspirational messages, however it is a light-hearted comedy with a lot of action and adventure.

Sexual Content: Mild

Schmidt and Maya (the girl he likes) have a sexual encounter. We see them in bed the next morning; he’s wearing only boxers, she’s in panties and t-shirt.
Maya’s roommate complains about Maya and Schmidt’s loud sexual noises at night.
There are sexual jokes regarding male and female body parts and oral sex.
Schmidt and Jenko go to Mexico for spring break, where we see thousands of college aged girls in skimpy bikinis.

Violent Content: Moderate

Schmidt and Jenko are involved with drug thugs. There are car chases, gun-shots (which result in casualties) and fistfights.
Schmidt is attacked by an octopus, we see the bruises on his neck.
During the credits, we see a knife thrown into a man’s chest.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

The f-word is said continuously throughout the whole film, we also hear “d–n,” “a–,” “b–ch,” and “h—.”

Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate

College students are shown drinking beer, wine and hard liquor in dorm rooms and frat parties.
The premise of the film is searching for the dealer responsible for the drug WhyPhy. We see Schmidt and Jenko under it’s influence, Schmidt has a “bad drug trip,” while Jenko’s is colorful and silly. This is shown is a cartoon-like scenario.

Will it Appeal to teens? Yes

It’s a funny and entertaining film.

22 Jump Street is an R-rated film which means that kids under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents need to be aware of the excessive profane language and moderate sexual and violent contents.

How To Train Your Dragon 2-Kids Movie Review

Hiccup, his beloved dragon Toothless, and the rest of the gang are back. It’s been five years since the dragons and vikings have been peacefully united living on the island of Berk. Some are having fun dragon racing, while Hiccup and Toothless are traveling through the skies exploring new worlds. They come across a lot adventures, however when they discover the secret ice cave, things get complicated. They find themselves in the center of a developing war. Now it’s up to the Hiccup and Toothless to stick to their beliefs and keep the peace.

Rating: 4 and 1/2 out of 5
Release Date: November 11, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Will it Appeal to kids/teens? Yes

Talking Points:

There are wonderful messages woven throughout the film regarding the importance of family, and the positive impact it has on ones life.

The character’s (except for the bad guy) in the film are fun-loving and entertaining. Kids in the theater were laughing at the comedic parts.

Though this is an animated comedy, there are some intense and emotional scenes. For example, a main character dies. During this scene I heard a child crying in theater.

Sexual Content: Mild

A couple kiss.

Violent Content: Moderate

There are dragon and human battles with fire and explosions, causing several casualties.
Character’s are hit by dragon fire and dragon ice.
The villain, Drago, is evil and doesn’t hesitate killing anyone.
Dragon trappers use sophisticated nets to capture their prey.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Will it Appeal to kids/teens? Yes

Overall this is an entertaining film, however parents with young kids need to be aware of the excessive violence and some emotionally intense scenes.

The Fault In Our Stars-Kids Movie Reviews

There’s nothing like young love!!! It feels like the sun is always shinning and you’re overwhelmed with joy. However with teenager’s Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) it’s not that simple. Though they are madly in love, they’re both suffering from a life-threatening disease…cancer. The young couple meet at a cancer support group and it’s love at first sight. With their upbeat attitude and love for one another they learn to cope with their fatal disease and make the best of a horrible situation. The Fault In Our Stars, based on a best-selling young adult novel, is a comedy and a heartbreaking love story, one that will appeal to teenagers, especially girls!

Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: September 16, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Will it Appeal to kids/teens? Yes

Talking Points:

Hazel and Gus go through a lot ups and downs, however they make the most of what they have and find joy in their lives. Great parent/child discussion.

While the subject matter is intense, the film is also funny with likeable characters.

Sexual Content: Moderate

We see a teenage couple kissing in a parking lot and the boy squeezes the girl’s breast.

Hazel (17) and Gus (18) have a sexual encounter. They passionately kiss in bed while taking off their shirts and her bra. We don’t see them naked, as they’re covered by the sheets.

Violent Content: Mild

Gus’s friend Isaac throws some of Gus’s sport’s trophies against a wall and demolishes them in a fit of anger.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

The f-word is said once, we also hear “a–,” “b–tard,” “h—,” “b–ch,” and “d-mn.”

Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate

Gus continuously puts an unlit cigarette in his mouth…he claims it’s a metaphor.
In Amsterdam, where the drinking age is 16, Gus and Hazel drink champagne at a fancy restaurant.
One of the characters is an alcoholic, we see him continuously drinking out of a flask.

Will it Appeal to kids/teens? Yes

The theater was filled with pre-teen and teenage girls. I interviewed a group of girls from Northern Hills Middle School, who all loved it. Some comments were:

” There’s enough boom boom boom, this was a touching , but sad love story.
“It was so real.”

Overall this was a wonderful, though sad, teenage romance. Parents need to be aware of the moderate sexual content. Depending on the child, I recommend this for kids ages 13 and up.