Reviews by Genre

Movie Reviews by Genre

Escape Room-Kids Movie Review

“Where’s the key? What’s the four digit code?” These are some typical questions when people go to Escape Rooms. Escape Rooms are meant to be fun, team building, puzzle solving activities. The goal is to escape from a locked room through various questions while trying to crack the code. However, in the film Escape Room, it’s not a fun experience at all. In fact, the six strangers that enter the rooms all encounter dangerous situations from an extremely hot room to an upside-down pool hall. Some of the people in the group include an extremely intelligent college student, an Iraq vet, a grocery store employee who likes to party, and a stockbroker. They’re all very different people, but they must all unite and work together to survive and escape from the outrageously dangerous Escape Rooms.

Rating: 3. 5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 23, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Mild

There are a couple of sexual innuendos.

Violent/Disturbing Content:

Characters are trapped in various rooms, and in peril throughout the film.
Characters are burned, tortured, poisoned, and crippled.
We see a character trapped under the ice in a lake.
Character’s are shot to death.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

We hear “f–k,” “ass,” “s–t,” “bitch,” “hell,” and “goddamn,”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

Teenage characters are shown drinking while driving.
We see characters smoking.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

I interviewed two teenage boys who loved it.

Overall this is a scary, though entertaining film. Depending on the child, Escape Room is appropriate for kids ages 13 and up.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse-Kids Movie Review

Could there possibly be more than one Spider-man? Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows the life of Miles Morales. Miles is an adorable 14- year-old boy whose parents enroll him in a prestigious New York City boarding school. Miles would much rather hang out with his friends in Brooklyn, but listens to his parents. Miles’ life dramatically changes the day he gets bitten by a radioactive spider. He notices some weird changes in his behavior, and claims it’s puberty until he discovers that he’s transformed into Spider-Man; and there are four more Spider-people from parallel universes. Initially, they’re confused as to all the Spider-people, but eventually the gang gets together and tries to save the world from the evil villain who is responsible for pulling different versions of Spider-man from other universes, and bringing them into our world.

Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: March 19, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 8+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Mild

Miles’ uncle coaches his son on flirting with girls and says his nephew has to have “game.”
Miles flirts with a girl he has a crush on, and tries to use the moves he learns from his uncle.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

There is a lot of action and violence. Spider-man is constantly fighting with bad guys.
There are chase scenes, explosions and buildings destroyed.
Super-man uses his superpowers; laser weapons are used to battle as well as guns.
{Spoiler Alert } Two important characters die while fighting.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

We hear, “stupid,” dumb,” “hell,” and “what the…” (not finished).

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

I interviewed two 9 year old boys who thought the movie was so funny. They loved it and want to see it again.

Overall this is a fun and entertaining film for the whole family. Parents need to be aware of the violent content.

Creed 2-Kids’ Movie Review

Another boxing movie…more drama, more sweat, and more tears, but that’s okay. Creed II is all about working hard with a fierce desire to win!! Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is a newly crowned heavy weight champion. He’s engaged to his beautiful and supportive girlfriend, and they’re expecting a baby. Adonis’ life gets complicated when Viktor Drago challenges him to fight. Viktor’s father was the man who killed Adonis’ father while fighting in the ring. Now Adonis, and mentor Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), train extremely hard with hopes to defeat their hostile rival. Creed II is the sequel to the 2015 movie- Creed, and is the eighth boxing drama in the Rocky series.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: March 5, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Moderate

We see a couple passionately kissing on a hotel bed.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

There is violence relating to boxing. There are some very intense fighting scenes. We see character’s bruised and wounded.
Adonis trains at a desert camp. We seem him training with a big guy who continually punches him in the gut. In another scene Adonis collapses from exhaustion.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

We hear “sh-t,” “b–ch,” “d–n, and “h—,” throughout the film.

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

Character’s are shown drinking at a dinner party.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is an entertaining sports drama. Rocky and Creed fans will most likely enjoy the film. Appropriate for kids ages 13 and up.

Instant Family-Kids’ Movie Review

Pete and Ellie (Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne) have a very comfortable, good life. They’re in their forty’s, happily married, making a good living flipping housing. However, their life dramatically changes the day they decide to fill their five bedroom home with children. They come across a foster care center and initially plan to foster one young child. Instead they end up with three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl. Though Pete and Ellie have tremendous guidance from their case workers (Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro), nevertheless, their nice and simple life turns into complete chaos. Inspired by screenwriter and director Sean Anders and his wife who have fostered, then adopted, three children of their own.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: March 5, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Moderate

A teenage girl is caught trying to take a nude selfie to send to an older boy. We don’t see anything.
It’s mentioned numerous times how a boy sends “dick pics” to a girl he likes.
There are references made about in vitro fertilization and fertility.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

One of the kids continually gets hit in the face with a ball which causes a bloody nose.
A kid drops a nail gun on his foot and the nail goes through his foot.
Parents beat up a young adult who’s been sending nude photos to their daughter.
It’s mentioned that foster children suffer physical and mental abuse.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

We hear “f–k,” “bitch,” “h–l, “d–k, “goddamn,” “s–t,” “jackass,” and “a–hole.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

In once scene a frustrated mom drinks liquor.
References are made regarding a birth mother’s drug problem, and a foster child’s addiction.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is a wonderful heartfelt movie. Parents need to be aware of the profane language and mature subject matter parenting.

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch-Kids’ Movie Review

It’s Christmas time and all is good in the town of Whoville. The lights are twinkling bright, the decorations are abundant, and the townsfolk are cheerfully singing their Christmas carols. It’s such a big year that the mayor proclaims Christmas to be three times bigger than previous years. However, there is one problem…the Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch). The Grinch is disgusted with all the happy people and wants to put an end to their Christmas joy. So he pretends to be Santa and steals the town’s presents and decorations. Based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: February 5, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

The film highlights the true meaning of Christmas…love, family and friendship.
{Spoiler Alert} In the end the Grinch realizes that it wasn’t Christmas he hated, it was being alone.

Sexual Content: Mild

We see the Grinch in his underwear.
We see a naked Who, though a cookie covers his privates.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

There is some slapstick silly violence throughout the film. We see Cindy Lou on a sled speeding through the air and crashing down on the Grinch.
The Grinch decapitates a snow man, throws snowballs at kids and pushes them down in the snow.
In one scene the Grinch is in danger and it seems as though he will fall off a mountain.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

Name calling such as “dumb,” and “stupid.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

The film is bright and colorful which will appeal to young kids.

Overall this is a fun and entertaining movie for the whole family. Appropriate for kids ages 5 and up.