Romance
Romance movie reviews
Paper Towns-Teen Movie Review
High school can be challenging and often difficult at times, especially for Quentin (Nat Wolff). Quentin is a shy and somewhat nerdy high school senior. He has never even been to a high school party, or done anything too exciting during his teenage years. However, his life dramatically changes the night that Margo (Cara Delevingne) climbs through his window. Margo, a very cute and popular girl and Quentin’s childhood friend/crush, wants to recruit Quentin to help her seek revenge on her cheating boyfriend. Margo has a list of vandalizing pranks and needs Quentin to drive her around. Initially hesitant, Quentin helps his friend and ends up having a great night. Though when Margo disappears the next day, he and his friends gather clues in hopes to find this mysterious girl that changes Quentin’s life. Based on a young adult novel by John Green, Paper Towns is dramatic romance for pre-teens and teens.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: October 20, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- Quentin, the main character, stresses the importance of not idolizing the pretty and popular people…and to learn to enjoy your life.
- Margo and Quentin do some malicious pranks with no consequences involved. Their pranks include breaking and entering, spray painting several walls, and spreading Nair hair removal on a boys’ eyebrows.
- A group of teens skip school and take a 24 hour road trip without parental permission…again no consequences.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- We see a teenage couple making out on someone’s bed. They are both shirtless, the girl is shown wearing a skimpy bra.
- A high school boy climbs out of his girlfriend’s bedroom, and he is naked (his privates are covered). Later, teenagers make several comments about the size of his private parts.
- One girl comments that she had chlamydia and proceeds to complain about her sexual reputation.
- A teenage boy makes several comments about girls he’s had sex with. He also makes sexual comments about his friend’s mom.
- Another teenage couple is shown making out. It’s noted that the boy lost their virginity that night.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
- Two children find the corpse of a man who committed suicide. We see blood on his head and shirt.
- We see a high school jock slamming a nerdy boy against his locker.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- “Sh-t,” “a–,” “h—,” and “d–n” are said throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- A high school student has a big party where teens are shown drinking beer and alcohol. One boy gets very drunk- we see him throw up.
Overall this is a film targeting towards pre-teens and teens. Parents need to be aware of the sexual contents, profane language and teenage drinking.
The Age of Adaline-Teen Movie Review
A life with no grey hairs, no wrinkles on your face and remaining 29 years of age for decades sounds wonderful, however it wasn’t for Adeline Bowman (Blake Lively). In 1935 Adaline was in a car crash and ended up immersed in a freezing river and her heart stopped. However, shortly after the accident she was struck by a bolt of lightning and miraculously became, “immune to the ravages of time.” Moving every decade and changing her identity lead to a sad and lonely life, however things dramatically changed the day she met Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman). A handsome philanthropist and a man who changed Adaline’s life forever.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: September 8, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Most Pre-teens and Teens Like It? No
Talking Points:
- The film highlights the fact that not growing old with your loved ones would be a very lonely life. As one character says, “For all those years you’ve lived, you’ve never had a life.”
- The movie is very predicable and somewhat slow in parts.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Adaline and Ellis passionately kiss several times throughout the film.
- We see Adaline and Ellis in bed together (covered by a sheet).
- When Ellis steps out the shower we see him wrapped in a towel.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
- We see two car crashes. In the first one (described in the synopsis) Adaline drowns in a freezing lake before she’s shocked by a bolt of lightning. In the second accident a character is shown bleeding by the side of the road, though shocked back to life.
- Adaline cut her hand, we see the bleeding wound getting stitched up.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “sh-t,” “h—,” and “d–n.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see character’s drinking hard liquor at parties.
- In a flashback scene, character’s are shown smoking.
Will Most Teens Like It? No
- As I previously mentioned the film is slow in parts. I interviewed some pre-teen girls after the movie who said liked the main characters, though they thought the film was slow and boring.
Overall this is an appropriate romantic love story. However with the mature subject matter kids and teens may not enjoy the film.
Age of Adaline-Teen Movie Review
Cinderella-Kids Movie Review
“Be kind and have courage,” were Ella’s (Cinderella, played by Lily James) mother’s dying last words. Ella honors her mother’s request and is a very kind and courageous loving young lady. After her mother’s death, Ella and her father remain very close and enjoy their lives together, however Ella’s life dramatically changes when her father decides to re-marry. Sadly he becomes very ill, and unexpectedly dies shortly after the wedding. Ella is left with an evil stepmother and two evil stepsisters. Continue reading
The DUFF-Kids’ Movie Review
Designated Ugly Fat Friend, aka…DUFF! This is the story about a high school senior named Bianca (Mae Whitman). Things are going well for Bianca, she’s smart, has good friends, and has a crush on a boy at school. However her life drastically changes when she learns that she’s known as “The Duff,” to her prettier and popular friends. Bianca is the cute, but not super hot girl. She’s approachable and easy to talk to, so therefore boys go to her, when ultimately they want a date with her friends. Bianca takes charge of her life, she recruits Wesley (Robbie Amell), her charming jock neighbor whom she’s grown up with, to give her more style and charm. Now the excitement begins as Bianca becomes a role model to all, and reminds her peers that we’re all someone’s DUFF.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 9, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Great messages woven throughout the film. Bianca eventually realizes that being labeled as ” The DUFF” doesn’t matter. Labels are meaningless…know who you are and accept it. Great parent/child conversations.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- Bianca pretends a store mannequin is the boy she has a crush on. She makes suggestive comments and sexual movements with the mannequin. This is shown throughout the film.
- Several teenagers are shown kissing and some making out.
- There are sexual references and discussions regarding porn, masturbation, male/female body parts.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
- Bianca hits a guy in the face.
- Bianca threatens students with death or mutilation, including ripping someone’s scrotum off.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The f-word is said. We also hear “sh-t,” “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” “h–,” and “d–k.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- We see high school students drinking from red plastic cups at a party.
- It appears as though students are playing beer pong.
- We see Biana’s mom drinking wine.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- Teens and pre-teens loved the characters and story-line of the film.
Overall this is a great film about teenage issues, and accepting who you are. Parents need to be aware of the moderate sexual content and profane language.
Duff-Teen Movie Review
Project Almanac-Kids Movie Review
Teenagers tend to have their “dream school” – the college they’ve always wanted to attend. David Raskin ( Jonny Weston), a seventeen year high school senior, plans to attend MIT, and hopes to get a scholarship to help pay for tuition. So when David stumbles across a time machine that his deceased father had developed, he’s convinced that this technological device will win him a grant to MIT. David recruits a group of friends to get this machine going…which they do. Initially things are great, they go back in time to make their lives better, however they eventually come to realize that messing with the space-time continuum can be a very dangerous thing. Now the teens must figure out how to correct the damage they’ve done, and continue their lives as normal high school seniors… still hoping to attend their dream college.
Rating: 3 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: June 9, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
David’s purpose to start the time machine was that he wanted to talk to his deceased father again, and save him from the car accident that took his life. As the teens mess up the space-time continuum, David eventually realizes his huge mistake and tries to correct it.
The action scenes were shown through a video camera, which was very annoying.
Pre-teens and young teens will most likely enjoy the action and adventure of the film while adults may want to stay home.
Sexual: Moderate
Two teenagers (David and Jessie) are shown kissing in David’s bedroom, Jessie is naked, though wrapped in a towel. David asks her to open the towel, hoping to see her naked…and she does. The two get in bed together, it’s implied they’ve had a sexual encounter, though we don’t see anything.
There’s sexual talk about masturbation, lesbians and high school infidelity.
Girls are shown wearing skimpy bath suits, short shorts and many show cleavage.
Violent: Mild
A boy gets hit by a car.
We see clips of a fatal plane crash.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
The f-word is said once. We also hear “a—,” “b—ch,” “d—n, “ h—-” throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol: Moderate
We see teenagers drinking out of brown bottles (which look like beer bottles) and also red Solo cups.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
I interviewed two 12 year old girls that loved the film, they thought it was fun and entertaining.
Overall this is a film that pre-teens will most likely enjoy. Parents need to be aware of the sexual content and excessive profane language.