Reviews by Genre
Movie Reviews by Genre
Hacksaw Ridge-Teen Movie Review
Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) is a wonderful loving son and husband. He was also a WWII American Army Medic who served in the Battle of Okinawa. Desmond was very unique in that he wanted to serve in the war, but he did not want to carry a weapon or kill another human being; he wanted to save lives and that’s what he did. Desmond T. Doss rescued 75 men in Okinawa without firing a single shot and he became the first conscientious objector to ever win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hacksaw Ridge is based on a true story about extraordinary war hero.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: February 21, 2017
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 16+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see Desmond and his girlfriend passionately kiss. They eventually get married. They’re shown in bed together on their wedding night, under the covers.
- We see a man’s bare backside.
- There’s some talk regarding sex, condoms and venereal disease.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- We see numerous and disturbing war scenes. Limbs are blown off and Desmond carries many injured soldiers to safety.
- Corpses covering the ground with their organs exposed. We see rats eating them.
- We see soldiers killing one another.
- A man hangs himself.
- A man commits suicide by stabbing himself in the gut.
- Desmond is attacked by his roommates one evening, leaving him bloody and bruised.
- A soldier kicks Desmond in the face and punches him while calling him a coward.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “a–,” “d-mn” and h–l.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Doss’ father was an abusive alcoholic.
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Overall this is a wonderful film about a very courageous man. Parents need to be aware of the excessive and disturbing violence throughout the movie.
Believe-Kids’ Movie Review
Life seems great for Matthew Peyton (Ryan O’Quinn). Living in a small town, he has a beautiful mansion, a BMW, and he’s inherited an automotive parts business from his grandfather. What people don’t know is that Matthew’s business is in debt. Unfortunately, he’s responsibly for funding the town’s annual Christmas pageant, but doesn’t have the money. Eventually, Matthew realizes he must make some desperate business decisions by laying his employees off and cancelling the pageant. Now the townspeople are angry and his employee’s want to seek revenge. Matthew’s life desperately changes the day he meets Clarence (Isaac Ryan Brown), a 10 year old boy, and his destitute mother, Sharon. The mother and son share their strong faith and love for God with Matthew. Now Matthew must decide how to handle his life when difficult situations come his way.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 11, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Maybe
Talking Points:
- This is a Christian movie with wonderful messages of faith, love and hope woven throughout the film. Clarence, the young boy in the movie states that, “All things are possible for those who believe.” The young boy and his mother, Sharon, have such a strong faith and stresses the importance of that with others in the film. Sharon says, “Prayers not always answered in the way that you want, but they’re always answered.”
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- We see a character beaten in an alley. His face is covered with cuts and bruises.
- A group of bad guys pour gasoline on someones car and sets it on fire.
- A factory is set on fire and a character is hospitalized from inhaling too much smoke.
- A woman is pushed down a flight of stairs.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Characters are shown at a bar drinking.
Will Kids/ Teens Like It? Maybe
- I interviewed kids who were at the movie with their family. They liked the movie, but thought it was too long and got boring in parts.
Overall this is a wonderful and heartfelt film. A great family movie during the Christmas season!
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them-Kids’ Movie Review
Did you ever wonder what Harry Potter had to read at Hogwarts? Well, Fantastic Beasts was required reading for Harry and the first year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Based on J. K. Rowling’s original story, this film takes place in 1920’s New York City and follows the life of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). Newt is a magizoologist and author of a Hogwarts textbook that catalogs magical creatures. Arriving in New York for just a brief stay, Newt’s life dramatically changes as he ends up in the big city longer than planned. A series of mishaps begins when he misplaces his magical case with fantastic beasts inside. Mayhem ensues, even in a world with magic and wizardry.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: March 28, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
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:
- The film highlights the importance of accepting others for who they are.
- Many people have asked me if you need to see the Harry Potter films to understand Fantastic Beasts. The background knowledge of Harry Potter and the world of wizardry might be nice to see beforehand, but it’s not necessary.
- Harry Potter is set in a school with kids and this film is set in New York City where the main characters are adults.
Sexual Content:Mild
- Two female characters are shown wearing revealing outfits.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- The Obscurus (a dark, mysterious creature) destroys the streets, buildings and numerous vehicles.
- The Obscurus also grabs people, smashing them to the ground and killing them. We see characters’ faces covered with scars.
- A boy is whipped with a belt (offscreen). We see his hands torn up.
- A creature bites a character on his neck, leaving a bloody open wound.
- We see a dragon like creature threatening to eat someone.
Crude or Profane Language:Mild
- We hear “h—,” several times throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see character’s drinking alcohol at a wizard’s club. One character orders shots of “gigglewater.”
Will Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed several teenage boys who loved the film. They were all Harry Potter fans and have been excited to see this film.
Overall, this is a wonderful fantasy film, one that most Harry Potter fans will enjoy. Depending on the child this film is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up.
Doctor Strange-Teen Movie Review
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has a good life. He is a well known and gifted medical doctor. He can fix any brain or spinal injury better than anyone in the world…and he knows it. Strange is a very arrogant and self centered man. However, Strange’s life dramatically changes after a severe car accident. His magical and steady hands will never regain strength to perform his medical miracles. He tries every option available through western medicine and there is no hope. Strange eventually tries something nontraditional, and visits the Ancient One, a mysterious bald headed woman who claims she can heal him. Before long, Strange must decide if he should leave his former life of fame and fortune behind to live as the most powerful sorcerer known to mankind.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: February 28, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- The film highlights the importance of humility. In the beginning of the film Doctor Strange is very arrogant and selfish, however, he eventually learns humility and realizes that it’s not all about himself; it’s important to help others. The Ancient One tells Strange to, “Serve something greater than yourself.”
- Though very violent, there are a lot of funny one liners throughout the film.
Sexual Content: Mild
- There is talk of a couple “sleeping together.”
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- Characters are impaled, stabbed, buried alive in rubble from falling buildings.
- There are numerous fights. Characters punch, kick and brutally beat up each other.
- Strange’s car crash is very violent. We see his face covered in blood and eyes swollen shut.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “sh-t,” “a–,” and “h—.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Teens Like It? Yes
- The theater was filled with teenagers. I interviewed three 17 year old boys who loved the film. They said it was, “funny, suspenseful and entertaining.”
Overall this is an entertaining movie, however, parents need to know that there is a lot of violence in the film.
Trolls-Kids Movie Review
“Hug time!!” The trolls love to hug and these cute, little, colorful creatures love life! The trolls live in a perpetual state of happiness. They sing, they dance and they hug all day long! However, life gets a little complicated for the fun loving little guys when the Bergen’s (unhappy goblin-like creatures), discover that can feel happiness if they eat a troll. Now the happy go lucky trolls have their work cut out for them as they try to save their human race from the unhappy creatures.
Rating: 4 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: February 7, 2017
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5 +
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- Trolls is a positive and upbeat movie. The film highlights the fact that happiness comes from the heart.
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see a couple kiss.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- We see the Bergen’s (dwarf-like creatures) grabbing and eating the trolls.
- A character shares a story about the death of his grandmother. It’s implied that she was eaten by a Bergen.
- A Bergen gets set on fire.
- We see two trolls’ choking another troll.
- A hopeless Bergen buries himself alive; wanting to die.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- I interviewed several young kids (ages 3 to 5) who loved the fun music, and the cute little trolls. They also said they were scared at times because of the “scary monsters.”
Overall Trolls is a fun entertaining film for kids of all ages!