Reviews by Genre
Movie Reviews by Genre
A Christmas Carol Review
“ A Christmas Carol” is based on Charles Dickens classic novel. This movie is an animated version of the familiar story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his visits with the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
Rating: Four out of five buckets
Release Date: November 16, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 8+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
It’s a wonderful classic story that everyone should see. This animated 3D movie will attract younger viewers. There are many good lessons to learn from this Christmas story.
While scrooge is on his journey with the Christmas spirits, he is reminded of all the wonderful people who were once in his life, and who he shunned. He learns to appreciate life, and realizes his evil ways.
A good lesson for kids, not to idolize wealth and material things.
While most people hate and fear Scrooge, his underpaid employee and his nephew are loyal and forgiving, and always ready to welcome Scrooge into their lives.
Jim Carrey is amazing. He plays several parts; Scrooge, Christmases past, present and future.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Women wear skimpy outfits.
Violent Content: Moderate
- While this is a wonderful Christmas story, there is a certain intensity, like the book, that may frighten children. One example would be when a spirit comes to visit Scrooge, he comes crashing into Scrooges bedroom carrying ghostly weights and chains. When he leaves, Scrooge looks out his window and sees dozens of spirits being tortured.
- When Scrooge it trying to escape the Specter of Death, and his hearse, Scrooge falls into a very deep open grave, this may also be disturbing to young viewers.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Characters drink wine
Overall this is a story about redemption that is a reminder for kids to help others, and to be a kind loving person. Because of the frightening scenes, I would recommend this for kids ages 8 and up. I give it 4 buckets.
21 Jump Street Movie Review
The Hangover for teenagers…that’s what I would compare 21 Jump Street to, and that’s why I’m not recommending this film for kids. Schmidt (Jonah Hill), a nerdy brain, and Jenko (Channing Tatum), a dumb jock, go to the same high school, though they are not friends. However, seven years later they both end up joining the police force and the Jump Street unit. They’re both assigned to go undercover in a local high school to investigate a drug ring. So, once again the nerdy boy and the dumb jock are back in school, however, this time things are a lot different. 21 Jump Street, based on the TV drama from the 1980’s, is an entertaining movie, with crude and raunchy humor…not for kids.
Rating: 5 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: June 26, 2012
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 18+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Excessive
Talking Points:
This is a hilarious movie, with a lot great actors, and one actor, you’ll be surprised by! It was a fun movie after a busy day. The problem is, teenagers will want to see this movie…and I don’t recommend it for them. There’s excessive teenage drinking, drug use and raunchy sexual references; with no moral lessons. This is a movie for adults, who want a night out, with some good laughs and entertainment!
The cool and popular kids were using the synthetic drug the cops were looking for. One popular kid involved in the drug ring was very scared when he thought he was caught by the police. He really wanted to go to Berkley, and knew if he was caught, his dreams would be shattered. This could spark some great parent/child conversations.
Sexual Content: Excessive
- At a high school party, we briefly saw a threesome. They’re shown from a side angle, though naked.
- Repeatedly throughout the film there was talk of various male and female body parts.
- We saw a drunk high school girl trying to unzip a character’s pants, hoping to do more.
- A character’s penis was shot off. Bleeding and wounded, the character tried to pick it up with his mouth.
- A female teacher had a crush on Jenko (Channing Tatum), while flirting, she made suggestive comments to him.
Violent Content: Moderate
- Since the two main character’s were cops, there were many chase scenes, gun fights, and fist fights.
- One character got shot in the neck, we saw a lot of blood oozing from his body.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- Every other word was a swear word. The f-word was used the most throughout the film, though “sh-t,” “a–” and “b–ch,” were used as well.
- Many obscene sexual words were also used.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Excessive
- Teenagers were shown drinking and using drugs throughout the film.
- We saw several character’s hallucinate, and their side effects caused from the drugs.
With the excessive vulgar language, sexual references, and teenage drinking and drug use, I do not recommend this for kids! Adults may enjoy the humor and story of this film. Like I said, this is a movie for adults, who want a night out, with some good laughs and entertainment!
17 Again Movie Review
The movie starts with Mike, a 17 year old with the world at his feet and a promising future, making a mistake that changes the course of his life. When we see him next (20 years later), his life hasn’t turned out as he had hoped. Remorsefully, he verbalizes his desire to be 17 again and he gets his chance. When he turns 17 again, he’s in High School with his son and daughter. With the mature perspective of an adult, he guides his children, and in the end Mike realizes that he made the right decisions so many years ago. He comes to love the life he once felt so much disappointment in.
Rating: Four out of five buckets
Release Date: August 11, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
It’s a laugh out loud funny movie with great lessons about life. Throughout the movie young Mike discretely communicates to his children lessons about sexual responsibility and self-respect, which is good for the teen audience.
The movie is properly rated ( PG13). Not appropriate for the young High School Musical fans, that may want to see it because of Zac Efron. I interviewed some mom’s after the movie. One mom, with a 9 year old girl, said she held her breath a couple of times hoping things would go over her daughters head.
Sexual Content: Excessive
- When Mike’s in health class with his daughter, the teacher talks about abstinence, but then passes around a basket of condoms. Depending on the parent, and the age of the child, this could be an uncomfortable part, or it could spark a conversation for parents with their teens.
Violent Content: Mild
- Two characters get in a fight with swords and light sabers
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear several uses of the d-word, h-word and sometimes the a-word.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Mike has a big high school party, though you don’t see kids drinking alcoholic beverages, many kids appear as though they’ve been drinking.
I feel the movie is appropriate for kids ages 12 and up. Parents may feel uncomfortable bringing kids ages 10 and under, because of the sexual content.
Overall it’s a funny, sweet movie, with likable characters. I give it 4 buckets.
Scary Movie 5-Teen Movie Review
Spooky things began to happen when Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan spent the night together, and were found dead the next morning. So Charlie’s brother Dan, and his rocker girfriend, Jody (Ashley Tisdale) adopted the deceased couple’s three young children. The new family experienced some unusual activity in their home, and eventually realized that they were being stalked by a demon… things got even stranger!!! Scary Move 5 is the fifth installment in the spoof series; a film I don’t recommend for kids!
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Zero Buckets!
Rating: 0 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: April 11, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: None
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Excessive
Will Kids Like It? No
Talking Points:
This is not a film for kids, it’s inappropriate and disgusting! However, parents need to be aware that kids may want to see this movie, as it stars Ashley Tisdale from Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and also the star in the High School Musical film series. Though rated PG13, with the excessive sexual content and language, it could have been rated R. To top it off, there are no redeeming qualities or great messages either!
Sexual Content: Excessive
- The opening scene shows Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan spending the night together.
- We see videos of Jody (Ashley Tisdale) sexually involved with strange objects such as a plant and microwave.
- We saw two naked women in the shower, covered with soap suds.
- While on drugs, Jody and her friend proceeded to have sex, we saw them in their bra and undies.
- There are a lot of sexual references with regards to body parts, incest, oral, sex, masturbation and more.
- The book Fifty Shades of Grey, was referred to in a dream involving whips and sexual toys.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- A group of possessed Christians physically mutilated themselves. To name a few of the things, we saw character’s cutting themselves with blades and power tools, a women sliced her tongue, another cut off her own arm, and a man sawed off his leg.
- Dan and Jody punched each other, and their adopted kids. This was done in a slapstick way, but still disturbing and not funny!
- Jody accidentally bumped her baby’s head on a door. A baby’s hair was set on fire, and a newborn was kicked across a stage. All this was meant to be done in a comedic way; though once again…not funny!!
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word was said once. “Sh-t,” “h—,” “a–,” “d–n,” and “b–ch,” are said throughout the film.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Excessive
- Character’s take Ecstasy.
- We see characters drinking at parties.
- Two rappers steal a bundle of weed.
Will Kids Like It? No
Overall this was an inappropriate film, one I do not recommend for kids, or anyone for that matter!!! See Here Comes the Boom instead, it’s still in theaters.
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Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) changed the game of baseball forever! It started in 1945 when he wanted to end segregation on the baseball field. He was determined to recruit MLB’s first black player, and he did. In 1947 Rickey found his man; a man from the Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs, a man who was an amazing athlete…a man named Jackie Robinson. Continue reading