Fantasy
Fantasy movie reviews
Into The Woods-Kids Movie Review
Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) all travel into the woods for one thing or another. Whether it be to sell a cow, going to grandmothers or visiting a mother’s grave… they are all headed into the woods. Into the Woods is a musical that follows the lives all the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Each storyline is tied together by the Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt), their dream of starting a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep)…who sends them into the woods!
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: March 24, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
The music is fun and entertaining with an all-star cast singing the tunes. However, the film is not the typical sweet Disney movie that we’re familiar with. The Princes cheat and the Wolves seduce little girls.
“Be Careful What You Wish For” is noted throughout the film. Cinderella dreams of meeting a handsome prince, though when she does, he’s not all that great. In fact she even leaves her Prince as he fails to remain faithful.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- When Cinderella’s Prince (Chris Pine) meets the Baker’s Wife in the woods, they passionately kiss and he begins to seduce her. The Prince is married and justifies the kiss by saying “Right and wrong don’t matter in the woods, only feelings.”
- The Wolf meets Little Red Riding Hood in the woods, he acts like a child molester when he makes inappropriate comments to her.
- Cinderella and her Prince passionately kiss, as does Rapunzel and her Prince.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- Little Red and her grandmother are eaten by the Wolf, which we don’t see, however the Baker stabs his knife into the Wolf’s stomach.
- Several character’s die; one falls off a cliff, one is punched and hits her head on a s stump, and another is hit in the forehead by a rock.
- Cinderella’s stepsisters get their feet sliced by their mother…in hopes that the slipper will fit. The cutting is off camera, while we only see drops of blood.
- Jack is repeatedly slapped by his mother.
- The witch is evil and scary which may frighten young kids. She steals a little girl to raise as her own, and locks her away in a doorless tower.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Overall this is an entertaining musical which may appeal to kids, however parents need to be aware of the somewhat dark storyline and moderate sexual content. This is not your typical Disney PG rated film.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb-Kids Movie Review
It’s the best night ever!!! Our beloved statues at the American Museum of Natural History are back, though they don’t have much energy. The magic power of The Tablet of Ahkmenrah, the stone which brings the museum figures to life, is slowly dying out. So Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), the museum security guard, along with his teenage son and some museum characters head to The British Museum of Natural History to save the magic… before they all die. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is the third and final movie in the Night at the Museum trilogy. It’s not only the best night ever, it’s the best family movie of 2014!!!
Rating: 4 and 1/2 bucket out of 5 buckets
Release Date: March 10, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 7+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
This is a film that will make you laugh and cry. There are some emotional topics such as kids growing up and heading off to college, and of course saying goodbye to Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams)… which brought tears to many.
This is a film that will appeal to the whole family…kids and teens will enjoy the storyline and the wonderful characters.
There are some great new additions such as Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as a British security guard.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Two characters fall in love and kiss.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- An elegant dinner party, held at the museum, is destroyed by museum characters who come to life. Mayhem ensues as character’s are smashing display cases and running all over the place.
- A character smashes his head through a glass window.
- There’s a battle amongst Sir Lancelot, a dinosaur, and a metallic snake.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- “D–n,” and “h–l,” are said.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- A teenage boy has a party and we see high school students drinking out of red Solo cups.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Overall this is a fun and entertaining film, one for the whole family!!!
Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies-Kids Movie Review
Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the rest of the dwarves fight the dragon to reclaim their homeland and reclaim the gold treasures found in Lonely Mountain. Ultimately Thorin battles with greed, obsession and five armies of dwarves, elves, orcs, goblins and men. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the third and final film of The Hobbit trilogy.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: March 24, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 11+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
There are many battles woven through the film. Having said that, the main characters are fighting for peace and justice.
The subject of greed and the evil it instills is portrayed as we see Thorin obsessed with his possession of gold. At one point Gandalf tells Bilbo, “Don’t underestimate the evil of gold,” referring to Thorin’s greed.
This film has more violence than the other Hobbit films. Something parents need to be aware of.
Sexual Content: Mild
- A character disguising himself as a woman by stuffing his chest with gold.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- There are numerous battles throughout the film involving not only men but goblins, dwarves, elves, bats, trolls, Orcs and giant worms.
- Characters are impaled, beheaded, slashed and brutally beaten.
- A female character is shown repeatedly thrown against stone walls and stairs.
- Dwarves are stabbed and thrown off cliffs.
- We see explosions and character’s burning to death.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- “B-tards” was said once.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- A character drinks wine, and another smokes a pipe.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Overall the fans of The Hobbit series will enjoy the film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violent scenes throughout the film.
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!
The Maze Runner-Children’s Movie Review
He woke up confused and in a state of amnesia. That’s how Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) felt when he found himself in a different world. A world governed by a group of teenage boys and surrounded by four walls. If you stay within the walls, and follow the leader’s rules, life is good and you’ll be safe. However when Thomas decides to explore and walk through a large gate, his life changes forever. This gate leads him into a maze, one filled twists and turns and scary creatures. Can this maze take him back home or is there no way out? The Maze Runner is an action packed suspenseful film, based on a young adult novel by James Dashner.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: December 16, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Will it Appeal to kids? Yes
Talking Points:
Thomas is a great character. First off, he risks his life to save a suffering boy, while others abandon the boy. Thomas is a good guy, who leads the group to do the right thing.
There are a lot of intense, dark scenes which may scare kids. See details below.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Excessive
- The creatures (named The Grievers) in the maze are large, mechanical, slimy monsters. They attack humans while making loud, growling noises.
- The Grievers inject poison into the humans, which makes the humans go crazy, turning their veins black.
- A woman commits suicide by putting a gun to her head and pulling the trigger.
- The boys fight and hit one another. Sometimes it’s an organized fight, other times it’s a chaotic out of control brawl.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “a–,” “sh-t,” “b–ch,” “b–tard,” “d–n,” and “h–,” some words used more than others.
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Will it Appeal to kids? Yes
- I interviewed an 11 year-0ld boy who loved the action and suspense of the film.
Overall this is an action packed, intense film. Depending on the child I feel it’s appropriate for kids ages 11 and up.