Reviews by Genre
Movie Reviews by Genre
How to Train Your Dragon Review
This is a heartwarming, animated story about a Viking teenage boy named Hiccup. He is a softhearted, sweet boy, who doesn’t fit in with his tribes tradition of killing dragons. When Hiccup encounters a dragon, instead of killing the dragon, which he was supposed to do, he develops a loving relationship with him. While bonding with the dragon, he names him Toothless, and does everything he can to try and stop his father, and their tribe, of slaying this dragon and all the other dragons.
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: October 15, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: Any age
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Talking Points:
The relationship between Hiccup (the boy) and Toothless (the dragon), is similar to a boy and his dog. While Hiccup is feeling insecure, lonely and rejected, because he’s not like all the other Vikings. Toothless is always there for him; being a very loyal companion and friend. Toothless even risks his life for Hiccup. I couldn’t wait to get home and cuddle with my dog.
The movie could bring up some good parent-child discussions. Hiccup’s dad, the leader of the tribe, is a very big, strong, tough, leader; he wishes his son was more like him and the other Vikings. Though he loves his son very much, he has a hard time relating to him. Hiccup has a hard time communicating with his dad as well. Initially, Hiccup doesn’t tell his dad about Toothless, he even considers running away. In the end they both realize their mistakes, and learn to appreciate and accept each other for who they are.
He has a charming relationship with Astrid( America Ferrera), his “girl buddy,” who later becomes his girlfriend. Initially, she’s the only one that knows about Hiccup’s relationship with Toothless.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Innocent flirting.
Violent Content: Moderate
- A main concern for many parents with younger children, (4 and under), are the intense battle scenes. At the end of the movie there is a massive battle involving a very large, scary dragon. This may scare younger kids, as it did in the theater.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
When I interviewed people in the audience, some comments were:
A dad said, “The trailer was deceiving, it seemed more comedic, but this was intense, especially for my 4 year old.”
A mom said, “ I liked the message of communicating and not fighting.”
Overall this is a wonderful animated movie. It’s suspenseful, but yet sweet and endearing as well. I recommend this for kids ages 5 and up. I give 5 out of 5 buckets.
House at the End of the Street Review
Change can be very hard especially when it comes to moving. With a new job, new friends, and new neighbors, you never know what to expect. When Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) and her teenage daughter, Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) move to their dream house in the woods, they’re excited about the change they’re about to embark upon. However, things get a little creepy when they learn that the house down the street was the scene of a double murder. Ryan Jacobson, is the young man who lives in the house; a house he inherited, and the house where his sister killed their parents. Elissa and Ryan gradually become friends, and Elissa learns the horrific truth about Ryan, his sister, and his deceased parents. House at the End of the Street is a horrific thriller staring The Hunger Games’ Jennifer Lawrence.
Rating: 1 and 1/2 buckets out of 5.
Release Date: January 8, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? No
Talking Points:
Fans of The Hunger Games may want to see this movie because of Jennifer Lawrence (who played Katniss in The Hunger Games). However parents need to be aware that this is a very creepy, scary and disturbing movie. It’s not an unrealistic horror film with ghosts and goblins. This is a movie where we see a young man kidnapping and hurting young women.
Elissa continuously lies to her mother. She tells her mom she’s home, when she’s not. She even forwards their home phone calls to her cell phone, that way her mom will think she’s home.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- At a high school party a boy pressures Elissa into having sex. He tries to get on top of her, but she pushes him away.
- Ellisa and Ryan make-out.
- We see a young couple in a car contemplating whether they should have sex in the car.
Violent Content: Excessive
- The film starts out with Carrie Anne (the neighbor’s sister) killing her parents.
- (Spoiler alert) We’re to believe that Ryan’s sister died in the woods. However, we learn that Ryan kept her in a locked room in his basement. He thought that would be better than having her institutionalized, as she had brain damage as a young child. He keeps her perpetually sedated. When he feeds her, she violently hits and bites him, it is very disturbing.
- When Ryan’s sister escapes, she runs through the woods with a butcher knife.
- Ryan gets into a brawl with some teenage boys, he breaks a boys ankle.
- Boys trash Ryan’s car and try to set his house on fire.
- We see characters being stabbed and murdered.
Crude of Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “a–hole,” “b–ch,” “d-ck,” and “d–n,” a number of times.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- We see character’s drinking wine. Sarah (Eiissa’s mom) drinks a whole bottle.
- We see a high school party where it’s implied that kids are drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Ryan injects sedatives into his sister to calm her down.
Will Kids Like It? No
Overall House at the End of the Street is a creepy film, one that I feel is not appropriate for kids. Mature teenagers, that like scary films, may enjoy this movie, but I doubt it and I don’t recommend it. Parents need to be aware of the disturbing violence and teenage social issues.
Hotel Transylvania Review
It’s hard for a father to let his little girl go out into the world and start her own life. Dracula (voice of Adam Sandler) had an especially hard time with that; you’d think by the time his daughter turned 118 years old he’d let her go, but that wasn’t the case. It all started after his wife past away and Dracula realized that he was the sole parent of his beautiful baby girl, Mavis (voice of Selena Gomez). He was going to protect her no matter what it took; though he became a little bit too protective. Dracula believed that all humans were evil, so he turned his castle into a high end resort for monsters, hidden away from all humans, which kept his daughter safe and secluded. However, things dramatically changed when a young man discovered the posh resort, and fell madly in love with Dracula’s daughter. Dracula desperately tried to keep the young man away from his little girl, which wasn’t an easy task. Hotel Transylvania is wonderful, hilarious, heartfelt film for the whole family.
Rating: 5 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: January 29, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
I loved this movie! It’s about parents loving their kids unconditionally and wanting them to have a content life with no difficulties or worries. Dracula eventually came to realize that children need to discover things for themselves and face their own trials that life brings. Dracula said to his daughter, “the worst thing is seeing you unhappy.”
Johnny, the boy who fell in love with Mavis (Dracula’s daughter), respected Dracula and his wishes. This was hard at times because he was so in love with Mavis and wanted to be with her.
The film is very funny and sweet,though also sad in parts. Dracula’s wife died when Mavis was a baby. She left Mavis a note which described the value of love, and that it only happens once in a lifetime.
There was some potty humor as one of the monster’s continuously passed gas; one even urinated on the furniture. Kids in the theater thought that was funny.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Mavis and Johnny kiss.
- We see a pair of bees in bed on their honeymoon.
Violent Content: Mild
- Dracula tried to keep Johnny and Mavis apart, which caused some chaos throughout the film.
- When we hear the story of Mavis’ mom’s death, we see a burning building with men and women holding torches. As I previously mentioned, Dracula and the other monsters felt that humans were evil. They eventually came to realize that wasn’t true.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Overall this was an entertaining, humorous film, one that parents don’t need to worry about their kids seeing. You can sit back and enjoy the show…you may even shed a tear.
Hotel for Dogs Review
Hotel for Dogs is a comedy adventure about two orphaned siblings, a 16 year old girl, and an 11 year old boy, whose new foster parents won’t let them keep their dog. So they keep it with a couple of other strays in an abandoned hotel, gradually, they get the idea to transform the rundown building into an amazing home for not only their dog, but also all the stray dogs which they rescue, with the help of 2 teens. The little brother sets up elaborate contraptions to entertain the dogs, which will also entertain the children in the audience.
Rating: Three out of five buckets
Release Date: April 28, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 6+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Talking Points:
The film’s ideas are about loyalty and family.
The kids will do whatever it takes to save the dogs.
The kids are very clever; they teach the dogs how to use the toilet seat, and eat at the table.
The little brother’s contraptions are cute and clever: He sets up dinner bowls that come out on a conveyor belt. He also develops a car door simulator that lets the dogs pretend they’re riding through the countryside.
Even though the foster parents are mean, and don’t care about the kids, the social worker responsible for the kids provides adult guidance and truly cares for them.
Their devotion to the dogs has some negative effects; they lie, cheat and steal to take care of the dogs.
When we first meet the siblings they’re placing rocks in cell phone boxes and pawning them off to local merchants to get money to feed their dog.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Two dogs hook up at a hotel, it’s implied that they’ve had sex.
- Two characters (humans) kiss.
Violent Content: Mild
- A child kicks a dogcatcher in the groin.
- Dogs wreck a hotel, knocking over furniture and creates mayhem.
- A Doberman barks so loud the dogcatcher locks himself in a cage because he’s so scared.
- The kids break into the dog pound to release hundreds of dogs.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- Words such as “poop,” “idiot, and “crap.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Overall it’s an entertaining movie for kids ages 6 to 10. Parents may get bored, even dog lovers! It would have been a good “made for TV movie.”
High School Musical 3: Senior Year Review
High School Musical 3: Senior Year continues the ongoing love story between basketball player Troy Bolten and the smart, beautiful, Gabriella Montez. As they join their friends to plan the spring musical, they’re also lining up prom dates and making college plans. The movie revolves around their hopes and fears as they approach their final days of high school.
Rating: Four out of five buckets
Release Date: February 17, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 7+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: None
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Talking Points:
Sexual Content: Mild
- While 2 younger teammates are showering after practice, Troy and Chad take their clothes and run around the school. The teammates chase them with a towel wrapped around themselves. The movie made this seem like an acceptable thing to do. It was an unnecessary scene.
- Female characters wear short dresses.
Violent Content: None
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- “Moron” that’s the worst word used.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Overall this is a fun and entertaining film for the whole family.