Reviews by Genre
Movie Reviews by Genre
The Three Musketeers Review
“All for one and one for all,” that’s the very familiar motto of the Three Musketeers. Based on the French classic novel, The Three Musketeers is about an arrogant teenage boy named D’Artagnan, (Logan Lerman) who lives 18th Century France. He leaves his home in rural France to become one of the king’s elite guardsman, the Musketeers. After arriving in Paris, D’Artagnan inadvertently impresses the The Three Musketeers with his confidence and charm. While spending much time together, he and his new friends eventually come to realize that the evil Cardinal (Christoph Waltz), along with some other villains, have a plan to overthrow the French monarchy. So now D’Artagnan, and the Musketeers must rally together to defeat the villains, and save their country. This is an action packed, adventurous film, one that your kids will most likely enjoy!
Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: March 13, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
Initially the three Musketeers were down and depressed and in a rut. However when the young D’Artagnan arrived, his excitement and energy encouraged the Musketeers, and stressed that there are still things worth fighting for.
I loved the characters in this film, from D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) to the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom); they were very entertaining, and very captivating to young kids.
I interviewed several boys ages 10 to 12, all of whom loved the film. Even the parents liked it.
When D’Artagnan gives the King some relationship advice about girls, he says, “speak from your heart, be yourself, and be someone who cares.” I thought this was a sweet, sincere scene.
D’Artagnan falls in love with Constance, one of the queens ladies-in-waiting. Their relationship was also very sweet and innocent.
The Cardinal and Milady de Winter were very deceiving and cruel characters.The Cardinal tells Milady that she has a gift for corruption, and that he admires her skills. This could spark a good parent/child discussion of how not to behave.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Many of the women wear low cut outfits, we see a lot of cleavage.
- There are several kisses, mainly with D’Artagnan and his love interest.
- There’s some suggestive bantering throughout the film, mostly with Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich). She was willing to sleep with anyone to get what she wanted.
Violent Content: Moderate
- There are several sword fights and fist fights, some of which were a little cartoonish and not very intense.
- There’s an intense battle scene at the end of the film, we see many bloody cuts on D’Artagnan.
- There are many explosions, with things being blown up.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The s-word, h-word, d-word, a-word are used and “b–tard,” is said once.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see several characters drinking alcohol.
- One of the Musketeers was so drunk he passed out.
Overall this is a fun, entertaining movie. I don’t think it will be the most memorable movie, but I do think kids will enjoy it. This is a PG13 movie that most parents can feel comfortable taking their kids to.However, parents need to be aware of the moderate violence and some profane language. I recommend this film for kids, (especially boys), ages 10 and up.
The Hobbit: An Expected Journey Review
He missed his armchair, he missed his books, and he missed his home. That’s how Bilbo Baggins (the hobbit) felt when he expectantly left his home to help thirteen dwarves reclaim their Dwarf Kingdom; which had been attacked by the dragon Smaug. Continue reading
The Help Review
The Help is an emotional, heart-felt story, based on the New York Times best- selling novel by Kathryn Stockett. Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960’s, this is a story which revolves around the lives of African-American maids, and their white employers. The focus is primarily on two black maids, Aibileen(Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer) who reveal their horrific stories to Skeeter (Emma Stone), an ambitious young white writer. The women openly speak about their lives as maids; they cook, they clean, they shop for groceries, and they raise their employer’s children. The two women develop a special friendship with Skeeter, as they secretly work on a writing project that could risk their lives, while hoping to expose the truth; race in the South during the 1960’s. This is a powerful and inspiring movie about courage, and doing the right thing.
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: December 6, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language
Talking Points:
It was heartbreaking to see how cruel these white, pretentious women were to their help. These women had their maids take care of their children, (which the maids did in a loving tender way), but they demanded that separate restrooms were to be built for the maids.
There were some humorous parts in the movie. For those of you that read the book you may remember the “pie incident.” I don’t want to give too much away, but Minny baked a pie for Hilly (an awful women who just fired Minny). Minny added a “special ingredient.” Though disgusting, it’s quite funny.
The movie was 137 minutes, which sounds long, but it’s not. With the intriguing story, you don’t even realize the time. There are many sub-plots as well, which add interest to the story line.
The acting was absolutely amazing, to name a few actors; Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Passionate kissing.
- One character wears revealing low cut outfits.
Violent Content: Moderate
- Minny’s husband was abusive. We don’t see the abuse, but we hear violent arguments that are disturbing. In one scene her black eye is revealed.
- A police officer arrests a maid, he is forceful and abusive. He hits her with his baton…it’s a very brief scene, but disturbing.
- One character has a miscarriage, we see her on the bathroom floor, surrounded by blood.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The n-word, d-word, a-word, h-word are used several times throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- Many characters drink and smoke in social settings.
The Help is an eye-opener, it’s hard to believe that people could treat other people with such heartbreaking disrespect. The subject matter won’t appeal to young kids, however I know many teenage girls that have read the book, and can’t wait to see the movie. It will be an eye-opener for them as well, but a good lesson.
Tale of Desperaux Review
Based on a Newberry Medal winning childrens’ book. It’s about a tiny, brave mouse with oversized ears. He refuses to live the life of a typical mouse; he likes to read, (not eat the books like all the other mice), he’s not afraid of anything, not even cats! So he’s banished from his home for not following the rules that society expects of a mouse. He’s then rescued by another outcast, a rat named Rosco. Later he discovers that he is the only one who can rescue the endangered Princess,(Pea).
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: April 7, 2001
MPAA Rating: G
Best Age Group: Any age
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Talking Points:
No one is limited by physical appearances. Depereaux is smaller than other mice, but more capable.
Mig, a homely peasant girl, who wants to be a princess, finds peace and serenity when she discovers she is a princess in someone’s eyes.
Despereaux learns to read and appreciate books. Through reading he learns a lot about nobility and courage.
Through the various quarrels in the movie, the king hurts the rat, the rat hurts the princess, the princess hurts the peasant girl. A simple apology resolves everything.
I read that the author said, “We’re always underestimating children, but those major themes of how to be brave, how to be courageous, how to love, how to forgive, those things are the constant themes in their lives, too.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Moderate
- Knights/sword fights.
- Viscous cat chases Despereaux.
- Princess is kidnapped.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- Name calling, word such as “crazy” and “weird.”
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Overall it’s a wonderful movie for adults and kids. It’s a tale of bravery and forgiveness in which a little mouse can teach a kingdom.
Super 8 Review
I felt like I was on a roller coaster during this adventurous sci-fi movie. Super 8 is set in a small town of Ohio during the summer of 1979. This is a story about a group of middle school aged kids who are shooting a Super-8 movie for a film festival in Cleveland. One evening, while filming their movie, the kids witness a horrific train crash. Initially they think it’s an accident, however after many strange events that begin to occur in their small town, they eventually come to realize that this awful train wreck was not an accident; and that it’s lot worse than they could ever imagine. With writer J.J. Abrams along with producer Steven Spielberg, this is a wonderful and suspenseful movie…hold on, you’ll be on the edge of your seat!
Rating: Four out of five buckets
Release Date: November 22, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points
Kids that like suspenseful and scary movies, will enjoy this film. There are many different and intriguing elements to the film, which makes it so entertaining. It’s also interesting because the movie is centered around a group of friends filming their own movie.
Through all the drama and suspense there’s a little romance, and some emotional family dynamics to the movie; I had some tears during the film.
This movie is NOT predictable at all. There’s a lot of mysterious parts to film. To name a few; after the train crash they come across these strange white cubes, (which one of the kids takes), after the wreck; people, dogs and electrical things begin to disappear, even the military enter into their small, once quiet town. As the kids in the film are trying to figure out whats going on, so is the audience.
There’s a message of forgiveness and learning how to deal with difficult situations. Joe, (one of the main kids) says, “Bad things happen, but you can still live.” Alice, one of the kids, drives the gang around, even though she’s not old enough. This good spark a parent/child conversation, of what not to do.
Sexual Content: Mild
• There is a little romance between two of the kids, but nothing happens. It’s a sweet and innocent pre-teen crush.
Violent Content: Mild
I found the film to be scary in parts; for example:
• The train wreck was loud and very graphic, with massive explosions. The kids science teacher was involved in the wreck, we see him after the crash; he’s bloody and even threatens the kids.
• The movie that the kids are making is about zombies. When Alice (one of the girls), is playing her part as a zombie, she’s so good, it’s a little creepy.
• Alice’s dad is an alcoholic, scenes with him could disturb kids. Even though he doesn’t physically abuse his daughter, he’s a little scary.
Crude and Profane Language: Excessive
• The kids, especially Charles, one of the main characters, swears consistently throughout the film.
Overall this is an exciting, and thrilling movie. However if you’re children are sensitive to scary movies, it’s not for them. As long as parents and kids are aware of that, I recommend this film for kids ages 12 and up.