Foxcatcher-Teen Movie Review

They are brothers, best friends and Olympic gold medal wrestlers. Since childhood Dave (Mark Ruffalo) and Mark (Channing Tatum) Schultz have wrestled; they work hard, train together and make each other better. Their lives drastically change the day Mark receives a phone call from millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell). John has a vision to create a world-class wrestling facility at his estate in Pennsylvania…Foxcatcher Farm. John wants the best, so of course he pursues Mark and Dave Schultz. Continue reading →

The Boy Next Door-Teen Movie Review

Handsome, muscular, and handy, that’s Noah Sandborn (Ryan Guzman),…the boy next door. Noah, a high school senior, moves next door to Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez), a high school teacher who recently separated from her husband. Claire is thrilled to have Noah as a neighbor. Noah befriends her teenage son, fixes things around the house and seems like a nice boy to have around. However things dramatically change the night Noah romantically falls for Claire. It’s a night that Claire desperately wants to forget, and a night that Noah won’t forget. Noah becomes an obsessed psychopath… he becomes the boy you don’t want living next door.

Rating: 2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 28, 2015
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Teens Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Pre-teens may want to see this film since it’s about high school students and stars American Idol judge, Jennifer Lopez. Having said that the film is very inappropriate and not recommended for kids…see details below.

The story is somewhat predictable and a little corny, however it’s an exciting thriller.

Sexual Content: Excessive

We see a very intense and erotic sexual encounter.
In another sexual scene we see two high school students naked (we see the girl from the front side and waist up, the boy from the side). She’s performing oral sex on him.
We see a male character naked, from the backside.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

Noah becomes creepy and obsessed with Claire. We see him attack her in the boy’s bathroom, shoving her against the wall.
A woman is murdered, we see her covered in blood.
An EpiPen is stabbed in a boys eye.
Characters are hit, kicked, beaten, tied up and covered in blood.
We see a character shot in the shoulder.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

The f-word is said numerous times. We also hear “a–,” “h–,” “p—y,” and “d–n.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

Claire is shown drinking wine.

Will Teens Like It? Yes

Overall this is a suspenseful thriller, though very sexual and not appropriate for kids!

American Sniper-Teen Movie Review

“God, country and family,” that’s what Chris Kyle (Bradely Cooper) believes in. Chris is a 30 year old rodeo cowboy living in Texas. His life drastically changes the day he sees the television coverage of the terrorist attacks on the U. S. embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi. Feeling a strong need to serve his country, he immediately enlists to become a U. S Navy SEAL. Continue reading →

The Wedding Ringer-Teen Movie Review

He’s nerdy and socially awkward but Doug Harris (Josh Gad) is finally getting married. Doug is quirky and goofy looking and naturally his fiancée, Gretchen (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), is beautiful and way out of his league. He often wonders why she ever agreed to date him, let alone marry him. They’re getting married in two weeks, the wedding planner has everything perfectly organized…the venue, the flowers, the band and all the extras. The only problem is Doug doesn’t have a best man or groomsmen. Continue reading →

Taken 3-Teen Movie Review

Liam Neeson is back as ex-covert operative Bryan Mills. Things are going well for this humble and quiet man. He and his ex-wife have reconciled their differences and finally get along. He’s very close with his college age daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), and happily involved in her life. However Bryan’s calm life quickly changes when he finds his ex-wife with her throat slit, dead in his bed. Bryan quickly realizes that he is framed for her murder and decides to run. He’s determined to find the real criminal, and save his daughter from the villain’s evil threats.

Rating: 3 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 21, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

There are no valuable lessons or inspirational moments, however the film is very exciting. Liam Neeson is once again great as Bryan Mills. Having said that, Taken 3 is extremely violent and sometimes hard to watch…see details below.

Sexual Content: Mild

We see a male character in a hot tub with two women in bikinis.
A woman tells her ex-husband that she fantasizes about being with him again.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

The villain, a vicious Russian crime lord, is very evil. He punches, kicks and kills people throughout the film.
There are several intense shooting scenes.
There are car chases and explosions with a lot of casualties.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

The f-word was said once. We also hear “sh-t,” “a–,” and “d–n.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate

We see characters drinking and smoking in several scenes throughout the film.
A character says, “Let’s go get drunk.”

Will Kids Like It? Yes

I interviewed a 12 year-old boy and girl who both really liked the film. They liked the action and said they were not scared.

Overall this is a very intense, action packed film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violent content.