Reviews by Genre

Movie Reviews by Genre

The Secretariat Review

This is the story about Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), a housewife in the seventies, living in Denver with her husband and four children (ages 10 to 17). When Penny agreed to take over her ailing father’s stable in Virginia, her life dramatically changed. She not only took care of her family in Denver, but she also managed her father’s stable, and fostered the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years. Her horse, Secretariat, is still known today to be the greatest racehorse of all time.

Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: January 25, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: Any age
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild

See a clip of my review here!

Talking Points:

I’ve heard people say that if you like animals, you’ll like this movie. I’m not a huge animal lover (though I love my dog), but I loved this movie. Even though we all know the ending, it’s still a thrilling sports movie, one I would compare to “The Blind Side.”

The characters are very likable; Starting with the owner and comical trainer (John Malkovich), the stable’s secretary ( who named Secretariat), the very loving and sweet groomer, the jockey, and of course, Secretariat.

There are many messages throughout the movie. It would have been easy for Penny to sell the farm once her father passed away. However, with Penny’s strong determination and faith, she not only saved the family farm, but her horse set records, that still thirty-seven years later have not been broken. Penny say’s her father’s legacy is “ Do everything you can to win, and live with it if you can’t.”

Penny sacrificed a lot to obtain her goal. She left her husband and children in Denver for weeks at a time. In one scene she tearfully listened to her daughter’s play over the phone, that was sad. Though Penny was a loving and supportive mother, I didn’t always agree with her leaving her family. However, in the end she taught her children a valuable lesson; “Believe in yourself.” Her children were very proud of their mom, and found her a to be their ideal role model. Her husband, who wasn’t always supportive, said, “You taught the children what a real woman is, you taught me something too.”

This movie is rated PG. This is a wholesome family movie for all ages. There are no sexual scenes or references, and very mild profanity. I recommend this for the whole family.

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The Secret World of Arrietty Review

Typically people go to the grocery store to buy sugar and other items they need but not Arrietty. Arrietty (a teenage girl) and her parents are borrowers. Borrowers are very tiny people who borrow things from beans’ (humans) houses in order to survive. They live beneath the floors of people’s homes until spotted by a bean (human). Then it’s time for the borrowers to move because humans can be dangerous! So when Arrietty was discovered by a bean, things dramatically changed for her and her parents. The Secret World of Arrietty is based on a children’s book called The Borrowers. This is a sci-fi, animated drama for kids.

Rating:3 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: May 22, 2012
MPAA Rating: G
Best Age Group: Any age
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild

Check out my review here, along with “This Means War.”

Talking Points:

I loved the friendship that Arrietty developed with Shawn, (the human teenage boy that spotted her). He was so sweet to Arrietty, and only wanted to protect her and her parents. Arrietty helped Shawn as well. He had a heart conditition and she taught him to be brave, and to fight for things you believe in. Great messages for kids.

Arrietty had a wonderful relationship with her parents. When she and her father first went out on their borrowing endeavor, Arrietty made a mistake when she dropped the sugar cube. Instead of getting angry and upset, her father said, “We all mistakes, I am very proud of you.”

The animation was very colorful and beautiful. I read that the book was set in Victorian England, and the film was set in modern day Japan.The Japanese garden’s were amazing and seemed so real.

The film was slow moving, and initially there was not much dialogue. I noticed that the little kids in the theater were getting antsy during the movie.

Sexual Content: None

Violent Content: Mild

A scary cat snapped at Arrietty and a crow tried to attack her. The crow scene may scare younters.
Arrietty’s mom was captured by a bean, and put in a glass jar. This was a creepy scene.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

Name calling, “idiot,” was said once.

Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild

We saw bottles of wine in a character’s pantry.

The Secret World of Arrietty was a very sweet tale about family, friendship and love. I’m not sure the youngsters in the theater will understand all the wonderful messages; but my friend and I did, and we really enjoyed the film. This movie is appropriate for kids of all ages!

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review

This is a story about a twenty-two year old guy named Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). He’s a guitarist in a garage band, who finally meets the love of his life, Ramona Flowers. After many dates with Ramona, Scott gradually realizes that she has a lot of baggage; seven former boyfriends, all who want to destroy Scott for dating Ramona. In this creative, comedy adventure, we see how Scott handles Ramona’s seven evil exes.

Rating: One out of five buckets
Release Date: November 9, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate

See the trailer here!

Talking Points:

This is a very creative movie. The movie has some romance, and it’s an action/adventure, sci-fi/fantasy, comedy. This movie continually went in and out of either game mode, comic book mode or rock-video mode, which most of the audience loved. However, the audience consisted of mostly older teens and adults in their twenty’s, and only a few kids.

I read that, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World feels like the first movie aimed squarely at the gamer generation; those who have grown up with video games as a fact of life and, in some cases, a reason for living.” I don’t think kids will enjoy this type of movie, they won’t appreciate some of the humor, and creativity.

Scott was a very likable, persistent character, who never backed down when fighting for Ramona.

Sexual Content: Moderate

There were a few scenes where I was uncomfortable with my twelve and ten year old boys.

On Scott and Ramona’s first date, Ramona gets into bed with Scott, only wearing her bra and undies; she passionately kisses him, but then she says, “I changed my mind, I don’t want to have sex with you.”

Scott’s roommate is gay, and he is with many different guys throughout the movie, and it’s implied that they’ve he’s slept with each one of them. Sometimes, Scott would even sleep in the same bed with them.

One of Ramona’s exes was a girl, Ramona said she was “ bi-curious.”

Profanity: Moderate

Many beeped f-words, along with many other swear words, but okay for a PG13 movie.

Violent Content: Moderate

There were seven exes, and with each ex, there was a battle which consisted of either punches, kung fu, or sword fights. Some were very violent.

Even though this was a very creative movie, and it seemed that the audience loved it, I did not like it! It was battle after battle, which got very boring. More importantly, I feel that most kids won’t enjoy this type of movie. My ten and twelve year old boys thought it was awful and a waste of time. I give it one bucket.

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Rock of Ages Review

“Don’t Stop Believin,” a popular 80’s song by Journey, is one of the constant themes in this film. Sherrie (Julianne Hough), a small-town girl from Oklahoma, moves to L.A with hopes of becoming a famous singer. When she steps off the Greyhound bus to L.A.’s Sunset Strip, Sherrie is welcomed by a some abusive prostitutes and a thug who steals her suitcase. However, things quickly brighten up when she meets Drew (Diego Boneta), an employee at the infamous Bourbon Room; who also has high hopes of becoming a rock star. We not only see the young couple fall madly in love, we also see their struggles and successes, as they try to make it in Hollywood! Rock of Ages is based on a stage musical set in the 1980’s. With the excessive sexual content and drug and alcohol issues, I do not recommend this film for film for kids!

Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 buckets.
Release Date: October 9, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 18+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Excessive
Will Kids Like It? No

See a clip of my review here!

See the trailer here!

Talking Points:

Although the movie is sleazy, full of inappropriate sexual scenes; the film tries to highlight the fact that being in a relationship with someone you love, will ultimately make you happier than sleeping around with anyone you meet; as Tom Cruise’s character did. However, the viewers are drenched with the sexual scenes and excessive alcohol use.

As previously mentioned, there are some nice messages to “follow your dreams,” and not give up on your goals and aspirations.

The film has a great cast, to name a few; Tom Cruise, who does an amazing job of playing Stecee Jaxx, a fictional rock star, also Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julianne Hough.

Adults may be entertained by the 80’s tunes, and fun musical scenes. Though the storyline with the young lovers is very cheesy and corny; with poor acting.

Sexual Content: Excessive

Men are shown grabbing women’s privates at the bar.
Sherrie temporarily works as a stripper. We see several scenes with the stripper’s erotically pole dancing.
Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) is shown in two very exotic sexual encounters; in my opinion these were R-rated scenes.
We see women wearing only their bra and panties; in several suggestive scenes.
The famous rock star often greets women by grabbing their breasts, and commenting on how firm they are.
There are several close up scenes with couples passionately kissing.
There are several suggestive comments and references to oral sex.

Violent Content: Mild

A character is thrown off the stage.
One characters slaps another character.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

The f-word is said once. “Sh-t,” “h—,” “a–,” and “b–ch,” are said several times each.

Drugs and Alcohol Content: Excessive

The famous rock star (played by Tom Cruise) is shown repeatedly drinking whiskey out of the bottle. He is often drunk and incoherent.

Will Kids Like It? No

The movie may try to instill a good message, and have a worthy theme, however the messages are skewed by the very inappropriate sexual content. Rock of Ages is NOT a film for kids! Take your youngsters to Madagascar 3, and your teens to The Avengers, they’ll get a lot more out of it

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Robin Hood Review

Robin Hood, is the legendary story about a robber in the Middle Ages in England, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. In this movie we see how Robin Hood came to be that legendary hero. He was an expert archer, who served King Richard’s army. When King Richard died, Robin traveled to Nottingham, to return a slain knight’s sword to his father, that’s where he met his true love, and helped the new King repel the invading French.

Rating: Two out of five buckets
Release Date: September 21, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild

<a title=”Robin Hood” href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK1tVLVaqFs”>See the trailer here!</a>

Talking Points:
We continually saw an inscription, which said, “Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions.” Robin said, this meant to never give up, which he continually stressed throughout the movie.

There was a lot going on in this movie, which made it very confusing. A teenage girl that I interviewed said there was not enough character development, while she and her friends liked the movie, they also found it very confusing.

Sexual Content: Moderate
<ul>
<li>We saw Prince John in bed with his lover, John’s mother barged into the bedroom, chatted with her, while in bed, then proceeded to get out of bed naked. This was a strange and uncomfortable scene.</li>
</ul>
Violent Content: Excessive

This was a very violent movie with sword fights and battles, and these battles consumed the whole movie. Some violent and disturbing scenes were:
<ul>
<li>One man was injured by an arrow on the side of his face and we see the disgusting scar throughout the movie.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>King Richard is killed by an arrow, skewered right his neck .</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>People in the village are locked in a burning building, while woman are screaming and babies are crying.</li>
</ul>
Profanity: Mild

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

I know I haven’t said too many positive things about the movie, and I did get a little bored with all the battle scenes, but for the most part it held my attention. I recommend the movie for teenagers that enjoy action movies with a lot of battle scenes.

<a title=”Robin Hood” href=”https://boxofficemom.com/?page_id=847″>Back to DVD Reviews!</a>