Reviews by Genre
Movie Reviews by Genre
The Express Review
Ernie had wonderful qualities: Not only an amazing athlete, he was a kind, honest, gentle man. He was modest, hardworking, and team-oriented. A very good role model!
He was humble, never affected by the media attention and fame.
His coach, Ben Schwartzwalder, focus was on winning, he was an old-school, tough football coach. Ben taught Ernie everything he knew about football, and Ernie taught him some valuable life lessons.
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: January 20, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 9+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Based on a true story about the extraordinary life of college football hero, Ernie Davis. (Played for Syracuse). In 1961, he became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. This was a time of racial tensions, segregation set in the background of the growing civil rights movement.
Talking Points:
Quotes:
Ernie said, “I want to be the best running back, not the best black running back. He didn’t want to be labeled.
“Football is just a game, what matters most is what you play for.” Ernie said this at the beginning of the movie, and it was reiterated by the coach at the end.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Ernie unbuttons his girlfriends shirt. ( See her bra)
Violent Content: Moderate
- In the Cotton Bowl, just before halftime there was a bench clearing fight. Fans were throwing trash at Ernie. After tackling Ernie, the players from Texas started punching him, refs never called a penalty.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- “S–t,” “a–,” “h–” and “d–n,” are used a lot throughout the movie. The n-word is used as well.
- Some locker room talk.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Ernie’s teammates drink beer
The movie will generate some good parent-child discussions. It was not only a great football movie, but it was fun, entertaining, also very emotional and educational. The kids saw the injustice of segregation and we discussed that issue.
Eclipse Review
Twihards will not be disappointed in this third movie of the Twilight Saga: Eclipse. In this movie Bella is once again surrounded by danger, as the vengeful vampire Victoria gathers an army of “newborn vampires” to seek revenge against the Edward Cullen. Throughout all the violence and suspense, Bella must decide between the handsome vampire, Edward Cullen, and her best friend and werewolf, Jacob Black.
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: December 4, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
Wether you’re in the Edward or Jacob camp, both characters are great. Jacob had a lot of one liners, and added some humor to the movie, while Edward was an old fashioned romantic, and just looked handsome.
This movie has something for everyone; humor, action and of course romance. There are more action-oriented scenes in this movie, than the previous ones. We are introduced to the “newborn vampires” which are more violent and difficult to control, this caused a lot of intense scenes.
I thought it was cute and entertaining when Bella’s dad tried to give her “the talk.” I also liked Edward’s “old school” approach to not having sex before marriage. This was refreshing to see.
The flashbacks were well done, as we saw how the Cullens became vampires, and we learned about the werewolves history.
Like I said before, I think that most Twihards will love this movie. People not familiar with, or those who haven’t seen “Twilight”, or “New Moon”, will not understand and may not like this movie.
Sexual Content: Mild
- I thought that the movie was appropriately rated; PG13. Some things parents may want to know:
- There were passionate kisses throughout the movie.
- Bella wanted to have a romantic evening with Edward, but he wanted to wait until they got married.
Violent Content: Moderate
- There were some intense and violent scenes amongst the vampires and werewolves.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
This was a fun, dramatic, entertaining movie, great for pre-teen girls and up. I’ve read all the Twilight books, I’m in the Edward camp, and I am a Twihard, so my five out of five bucket rating, may not surprise anyone. I give it five buckets.
Easy A Review
This is the story about Olive (Emma Stone), an intelligent, cute, high school senior. She’s not popular, and many of her peers don’t even know who she is. That all changes the day she tells her gossipy best friend a fib. Olive didn’t want to go camping with her friend, so she told her that she had a date with a college boy, and that she also had sexual encounter with that boy. What started out to be a small lie, got out of control. The story spread through the school, and pretty soon Olive was not only noticed, but she was now know as the “school slut.”
Rating: Three out of five buckets
Release Date: December 21, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 16+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent Content: None
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Talking Points:
This is a great lesson for kids…not to lie. This movie demonstrates how rumors fly, especially with today’s technology; facebook, twitter, texts, and cell phones.
Olive has a great relationship with her parents. Though her parents were very open about sex, even Olive’s mom made some suggestive comments about her own sex life. However, Olive was close to them and they wanted her to do the right thing.
The movie is humorous and entertaining, mainly because of actress Emma Stone (Olive), who is a natural comedian.
Sexual Content: Excessive
There are many sexual comments and references throughout the whole movie. To name a few:
- Olive agrees to pretend to have sex with a boy in her class that’s gay. This boy is constantly being picked on by the school bullies, so he wants to boost his reputation. Olive staged a sex act with this boy at a party. This involved the couple going to a bedroom, Olive removed her underwear and stuffed them in the keyhole, followed by a lot of sexual noises, while kids at the party were listening. This was a very uncomfortable scene, especially with kids.
- We see Brandon, Olive’s gay friend, in bed with another guy.
- There were also many verbal references to sex including discussions about virginity, orgasms, masturbation, group sex…they covered it all. We also heard about sexual diseases, in detail.
I read that “This film aspires to the same sort of feel-good vibe that John Hughes films (Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day off) usually generate.”
Profanity: Moderate to excessive
- Maybe a little too much for a PG13 rating.
Overall, I liked the movie, and so did my husband. Though with the suggestive comments and sexual content, I feel that this movie is inappropriate for kids, and pre-teens. I would recommend it for girls ages 16 and up. I may bring my fourteen year old daughter, but I want to go with her and have a discussion after the movie. I compare this movie to Juno, a good movie and storyline; one that could spark a great parent-child conversation.
The Dilemma Review
This is the story about best friends and business partners Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Kevin James). Life is going well for Ronny and Nick, they are working on a major project that will ensure success in their auto design business, they’re both in solid relationships; Ronny has a serious girlfriend and getting ready to propose, while Nick is happily married (so we think). Ronny’s(Vaughn) life changes when he inadvertently discovers that Nick’s wife (Winona Ryder) is having an affair with a tattooed guy named Zip(Channing Tatum). Now the dilemma begins, does Ronny tell his best friend that his wife is having an affair, and if so, how and when does he do it; or does he remain silent?
Rating: Three out of five buckets
Release Date: May 3, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Talking Points:
Vince Vaughn, (Wedding Crashers, Couples Retreat), that sums up the movie; he was absolutely hilarious, I was crying I was laughing so hard. In addition to Vince Vaughn, the movie has an all-star cast, with Kevin James (Grown Ups, Paul Blart: Mall Cop) Channing Tatum(Dear John, G.I. Joe; The Rise of the Cobra), Winona Ryder, (Black Swan, Stay Cool) Jennifer Connelly (What’s Wrong With Virginia, Creation) and Queen Latifah (Valentines Day). It’s directed by Ron Howard(Angel&Demons, Frost/Nixon).
The movie was very unpredictable, unlike most comedies. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how Vince Vaughn was going to handle his dilemma.
I thought the PG13 rating was appropriate. Pre-teen and teenage boys will like the sports metaphors used throughout the film. Since Ronny and Nick are in the auto business, there’s also a lot of “car talk,” which boys may find entertaining.
Sexual Content: Moderate
Since the movie is about an affair, there are some scenes that parents may not want their kids to see. For example:
- We see passionate kissing and some nudity (backs and butts) with Winona Ryder and her lover. It’s implied that they’ve slept together.
Profanity: Mild
Fine for the PG13 rating.
Violent Content: Mild
During Ronny’s plight to catch Nick’s wife and lover in action, there are many violent confrontations between Ronny and Zip (the boyfriend). In one scene Zip pounds Ronny’s car with a bat. There are many punches and fights between the two men as well.
Conclusion:
This is a movie that I wanted to see before bringing my kids. Knowing that the movie was about an affair, I wasn’t sure I’d let my kids see it. Like I mentioned, there are some sexual scenes and references where parents may feel uncomfortable. My friend said she covered her 12 year old daughters eyes a couple of times, but overall she thought it was appropriate. I felt the same way, and I will take my three kids ( Ages: 14,13 and 11) to this movie.
Overall it was a fun, entertaining movie about the importance of friendship, and honesty.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Review
Summertime is finally here, and Greg Heffley is ready. His summer plan is to play video games and eat junk food all day and everyday; however his parents have a different plan. They want him to play outside, join the Wilderness Scouts, and the young reader’s book club. Since Greg’s original plan didn’t work, he comes up with another idea to avoid his parent’s quest. Greg decides to accompany his best friend, Rowley, and hang out at Rowley’s country club pool everyday; however in order to do that, Greg lies to his parents and tells them he’s working at the pool. Now the adventure begins as Greg and Rowley start their summer escapades; some good, some bad. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is the third adaptation of the best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid graphic novels.
Rating: 5 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: December 18, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 7+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
See a clip of my review here, along with Total Recall!
Talking Points:
While Greg often thinks his parents are too old fashioned, Greg’s parents (Susan and Frank) are truly caring loving parents, only wanting the best for their children.
There are some great father-son moments. Greg’s father (Frank) tries to connect more with his son. They bond over a comic strip, they both dislike. When Frank finds out about Greg’s lie, they have a heartfelt talk. Frank quotes his grandpa; “The man who never made a mistake has never made anything. The trick is to learn from your mistakes.” This could spark a good parent-child discussion.
When Rowley breaks a promise to his parents, he’s sad when his parents are disappointed in him.
Greg lies several times to his parents, he and Rodrick sneak into the country club several times, and order smoothies, not knowing that they were charged to Rowley’s dad. Another good parent-child discussion of what NOT to do.
There is a lot of potty humor; boogers, peeing in the pool and dirty diapers are some examples.
Rodrick fakes a drowning while trying to get a cute lifeguard’s attention. Not a good thing for kids to see.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Teenage girls are shown in their bikinis.
- Greg finds a pair of girl’s shorts with the word “Princess” embroidered on the back. He wears the shorts because he lost his bathing suit in the pool while attempting to dive off the high dive.
Violent Content: Mild
- While playing tennis, Rowley gets forcefully hit in the crotch and Greg gets hit all over. Greg also falls over the net and crashes to the ground.
- One character runs over Rodrick’s toe with a car tire.
- Greg causes a camp leader to trip, fall and set his tent on fire.
- Rodrick accidentally ruins a girls 16th birthday party; he smashes into an ice sculpture, and destroys her chocolate fountain.
- While camping, a boy tells a scary story; this may scare young kids.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- Name calling; words such as, “loser,” “jerk” and “wimp,” are used.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans will enjoy this movie. Even though the young character’s in the film don’t always make the best choices, they eventually learn their lesson! Parents need to be aware of the potty humor, pranks and the misbehaving kids in the film. I recommend this for kids ages 7 and up.