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    Family movie reviews

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    Onward-Kids Movie Review

    Bold. Confident. Popular. Those are the characteristics that teenage elf Ian Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland) wants to have. He’s often heard that his deceased father, whom he’s never met, had those qualities, and Ian wants to be just like him. On Ian’s 16 birthday, his mother gives him and his brother Barley (voiced by Chris Pratt), a wizard’s staff and a magical spell that would bring their dad back to life for one day. However, something goes awry and only their father’s bottom half appears. So now the brothers must embark on a journey to find a way to complete the magic and hopefully see their father before time runs out. Onward, is a Pixar fantasy adventure film for the whole family.

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5 buckets
    Release Date: March 6, 2020
    MPAA Rating:     PG
    Best Age Group:     7+
    Sexual Content:     Mild
    Violent/Disturbing Content:     Moderate
    Crude or Profane Language:     Mild
    Drug and Alcohol Content:     None
    Will Kids Like It?     Yes

    Talking Points

    Sexual Content: Mild

    • Two characters flirt, kiss and hug one another.

    Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

    • There’s a lot of cartoonish, slapstick violence.
    • Mature subject matter of parental death may upset some kids.
    • The deceased parent comes back for a day, but only from the waist down.
    • A flying monster injures several characters.
    • There are some scary and creepy scenes with skeletons, flying arrows and an attack by a deadly gelatinous cube.
    •   There’s a chase scene in which motorcycle-riding pixies chase the boys.
    • A character loses her temper and destroys things while spewing fire.

    Crude or Profane Language: Mild

    • Name calling such as “screw up,” “lazy,” and  “weirdo.” We also hear “what the…,” and “son of a…,”

    Drug and Alcohol Content: None

    Will Kids Like It? Yes

    Overall, this is an entertaining film for kids ages 7 and up. Parents need to be aware of the moderate violence throughout the film.

    Greater-Kids Movie Review

    Brandon Burlsworth (Chris Severio) is an overweight and awkward 12 year old boy. He loves to sit on the couch with some good snacks and watch TV. Having said that, he has big dreams, a strong faith and dedication to fulfilling his main goal in life…to play football for University of Arkansas! Brandon was raised by a loving single mom, he’s estranged from his alcoholic father and very close to his older brother Marty. With his strong work ethic and dedication he fulfills his goal of becoming a Razorback. Based on a true story, Greater is an inspirational sports drama  about one of the most successful “walk-on” players in college football history.

    Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
    Release Date: December 20, 2016
    MPAA Rating:     PG
    Best Age Group:     10+
    Sexual Content:     Mild
    Violent/Disturbing Content:     Moderate
    Crude or Profane Language:     Mild
    Drug and Alcohol Content:     Moderate
    Will Kids Like It?     Yes

    Talking Points:

    • This film could spark some great parent/ child conversations regarding faith, courage, and hard work.

    Sexual Content: Mild

    • A couple of scenes show players in their underwear.

    Violent/Disturbing Content:  Moderate

    • Hard hitting during football practice and games.
    • Mature subject matter of death.

    Crude or Profane Language: Mild

    • We hear “ass,” “s–t,” and name calling such as: “fatty, “cheesecake,” and “fat boy.”

    Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate

    • Brandon’s dad is a chronic alcoholic.
    • Characters smoke cigarettes.
    • Brandon doesn’t drink alcohol due to his father’s disease. However, in one scene his teammates trick him into drinking two strawberry daiquiris with alcohol.

    Will Kids Like It? Yes

    Overall this is a wonderful sports drama, parents need to be aware of the mature subject matter of death.

    Good Sam-Kids Movie Review

    What would you do with $100,000? Many New Yorkers in need got to experience that large sum of money. Good Sam is a story about a mysterious man who anonymously leaves packages filled with $100,000 at the doorsteps of random New Yorkers. The recipients have nothing in common except they are all in need. The film follows the life of Kate Bradley (Tiya Sircar), a news reporter, who follows the story and tries to track down the Good Samaritan, while hoping that someone is doing their good deed without arterial motives.

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5 buckets
    Release Date: March 16, 2019
    MPAA Rating:     PG
    Best Age Group:     8+
    Sexual Content:     Mild
    Violent/Disturbing Content:     Mild
    Crude or Profane Language:     Mild
    Drug and Alcohol Content:     Mild
    Will Kids Like It?     Maybe

    Talking Points:

    • Good Sam may bore young kids but the film could spark some great parent/child conversations about helping people in need. Do people do good deeds for nothing in return?
    • Generosity spreads throughout New York City as the Good Sam inspired others to help people in need.
    • Themes of hope and love are woven throughout the film.

    Sexual Content: Mild

    •  A man and woman kiss.

    Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild

    • We see a firefighter saving people from a burning building.
    •  A man who has fallen off a scaffolding was saved by a firefighter.
    • We hear about some of Kate’s previous news stories such as manhunts, riots, and bomb scares.

    Crude or Profane Language: Mild

    • We hear “damn,” and “hell.”

    Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

    • A character mentions that the large sum of money is related to illegal drugs.

    Will Kids Like It?  Maybe

    Overall, this is an inspirational feel good movie appropriate for kids ages 8 and up.

    Stargirl-Kids Movie Review: Kids’ Movie Review

    There’s a new girl in school, and her name is Stargirl (Grace VanderWaal, 2016 America’s Got Talent winner) . Stargirl enrolls in a small-town high school; she was previously home schooled. Initially, the free-spirited teen has a hard time making friends. She dresses and acts differently from all the other kids. However, things change during a Friday night football game. At halftime Stargirl sings a folk song with her ukulele. The team scores a touchdown immediately after hearing the beautiful sound of the new girls’ voice. Stargirl becomes the good luck charm for the entire school. Stargirl is based on a Young Adult novel of the same name.

    Rating: 5 out of 5 buckets
    Release Date: March 13, 2020
    MPAA Rating:     PG
    Best Age Group:     10+
    Sexual Content:     Mild
    Violent/Disturbing Content:     Mild
    Crude or Profane Language:     Mild
    Drug and Alcohol Content:     Moderate
    Will Kids Like It?     Yes

    Talking Points:

    • The film highlights the importance for tweens and teens to “be yourself.”

    Sexual Content: Mild

    • Teens kiss.

    Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild

    • A character’s father dies.
    • A football player is injured during a game and is carried off in an ambulance.
    • It’s mentioned that a teen’s younger brother was permanently injured from a bike crash.

    Crude or Profane Language: Mild

    • We hear “dumb.”

    Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

    • We see an adult drinking a glass of wine.

    Will Kids Like It? Yes

    Overall this is a fun and entertaining movie. Depending on the child , this is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up.

    The Call of the Wild-Kids’ Movie Review

    Life is good for Buck, a St. Bernard/Scotch Collie dog. His owner is Judge Miller, he lives in a beautiful California home, and everyone in town knows the beloved dog. However, Buck’s life dramatically changes when he is stolen from his family and is sent to the Yukon to work as a sled dog. Luckily, John Thornton (Harrison Ford), comes across the poorly treated dog and saves his life. Together the man/dog duo go on an adventure to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon in the 1890’s during the Klondike Gold Rush.  The Call of the Wild is a family-friendly adaptation of Jack London’s classic novel.

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5 buckets
    Release Date: February 21, 2020
    MPAA Rating:     PG
    Best Age Group:     8+
    Sexual Content:     None
    Violent/Disturbing Content:     Excessive
    Crude or Profane Language:     Mild
    Drug and Alcohol Content:     Moderate
    Will Kids Like It?     Yes

    Talking Points:

    Sexual Content: None

    Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

    • There are physical fights between men, and also men and dogs.
    • A dog is beaten by a man with a baton.
    • Animals are killed by other animals.
    • Dogs are pushed to extreme, they are even whipped to keep working.
    • A character bleeds to death.
    • A character is trapped in a burning cabin.

    Crude or Profane Language: Mild

    • We hear “hell,” and “damit.”

    Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate

    • Characters are shown drinking alcohol in bars.
    • A man frequently drinks whiskey and it’s clear he has a drinking problem.

    Will Kids Like It? Yes

    Overall this is a wonderful family film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and drug and alcohol content.

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