DVD Reviews

Instant Family-Kids’ Movie Review

Pete and Ellie (Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne) have a very comfortable, good life. They’re in their forty’s, happily married, making a good living flipping housing. However, their life dramatically changes the day they decide to fill their five bedroom home with children. They come across a foster care center and initially plan to foster one young child. Instead they end up with three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl. Though Pete and Ellie have tremendous guidance from their case workers (Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro), nevertheless, their nice and simple life turns into complete chaos. Inspired by screenwriter and director Sean Anders and his wife who have fostered, then adopted, three children of their own.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: March 5, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Moderate

A teenage girl is caught trying to take a nude selfie to send to an older boy. We don’t see anything.
It’s mentioned numerous times how a boy sends “dick pics” to a girl he likes.
There are references made about in vitro fertilization and fertility.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

One of the kids continually gets hit in the face with a ball which causes a bloody nose.
A kid drops a nail gun on his foot and the nail goes through his foot.
Parents beat up a young adult who’s been sending nude photos to their daughter.
It’s mentioned that foster children suffer physical and mental abuse.

Crude or Profane Language: Moderate

We hear “f–k,” “bitch,” “h–l, “d–k, “goddamn,” “s–t,” “jackass,” and “a–hole.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

In once scene a frustrated mom drinks liquor.
References are made regarding a birth mother’s drug problem, and a foster child’s addiction.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is a wonderful heartfelt movie. Parents need to be aware of the profane language and mature subject matter parenting.

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch-Kids’ Movie Review

It’s Christmas time and all is good in the town of Whoville. The lights are twinkling bright, the decorations are abundant, and the townsfolk are cheerfully singing their Christmas carols. It’s such a big year that the mayor proclaims Christmas to be three times bigger than previous years. However, there is one problem…the Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch). The Grinch is disgusted with all the happy people and wants to put an end to their Christmas joy. So he pretends to be Santa and steals the town’s presents and decorations. Based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: February 5, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

The film highlights the true meaning of Christmas…love, family and friendship.
{Spoiler Alert} In the end the Grinch realizes that it wasn’t Christmas he hated, it was being alone.

Sexual Content: Mild

We see the Grinch in his underwear.
We see a naked Who, though a cookie covers his privates.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

There is some slapstick silly violence throughout the film. We see Cindy Lou on a sled speeding through the air and crashing down on the Grinch.
The Grinch decapitates a snow man, throws snowballs at kids and pushes them down in the snow.
In one scene the Grinch is in danger and it seems as though he will fall off a mountain.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

Name calling such as “dumb,” and “stupid.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

The film is bright and colorful which will appeal to young kids.

Overall this is a fun and entertaining movie for the whole family. Appropriate for kids ages 5 and up.

Night School-Kids’ Movie Reviews

The things we do for love…even sneaking off to night school! That’s what Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart) does when he loses his sales job. He discovers that if he gets his G.E.D. he has a chance for a great career opportunity. After all, his fiancée is the girl of his dreams and he doesn’t want her to know that he never graduated from high school, so he secretly attends night school. Now Teddy, a group of misfit students, an energetic teacher, and a principal who was Teddy’s former high school nemesis, makes Teddy’s school experience very interesting. Night School is written and produced by Kevin Hart.

Rating: 3 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: January 1, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Moderate

Female characters wear revealing shirts.
Conversations regarding anal sex, pubic hair, sexually transmitted diseases, sex in a hotel room, condoms, sperm, porn, and talk of a teenager and a college professor engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct.
A high school principal turns down a parent’s offer to have sex.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

There is a lot of slapstick silly violence. An explosion throws a body out of a building.
A character falls from a high building and is injured.
We see a woman whip a man with a belt.
We see a prison fight that shows inmates attacking, punching, and kicking each other.
A character vomit’s and it spews over another character’s face.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

There is a lot of profane language. To name a some; we hear “f–k,” s–t,” “a–,” “b–ch,” “a–hole, “damn,” and “h–l.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

We see character’s drinking champagne.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is an entertaining comedy. Having said that parents need to be aware of the sexual contents and profane language woven throughout the film.

Beautifully Broken-Kids’ Movie Review

In April 1994 genocide erupted in the central African nation of Rwanda. This occurred over the course of one hundred days, killing nearly 800,000 innocent victims. Beautifully Broken is a true story that follows the lives of three families who were impacted during these horrific days. These families, two from Rwanda and one from Nashville, Tennessee find their lives intertwined as they go through many hardships. Ultimately, their faith and trust in God helps them cope with their struggles and gives them the power of forgiveness.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: December 4 , 2018
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? No

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Mild

We see a teen couple in a romantic relationship in the back of a car.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

A teenage girl is in a public restroom alone when a man comes into the bathroom and puts his hand over her mouth. We don’t see anything else, but it’s implied that she was sexually assaulted.
The film portrays the violence in Rwanda; characters are held at gunpoint.
Dead bodies are shown lined up on a floor.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

It’s implied that a teenage girl and her boyfriend are drinking in a car.

Will Kids Like It? No

Overall this is an inspirational film, however kids may find this to be a slow and somewhat boring film.

Eighth Grade-Kids’ Movie Review

One more week of eighth grade and then Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher) will happily graduate and proceed to high school. Kayla is a shy and socially awkward 13 year old girl. She is raised by her father who is a loving man, who ultimately means well, but is often clueless. Kayla is constantly trying to figure out how to navigate through middle school – boys, the popular girls, social media and what to expect from high school. Eighth Grade is a very realistic film which may spark some great parent/child conversations.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: October 9 , 2018
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Moderate

We see a teenage boy masturbating in class during a sex ed video.
Suggestive comments and discussions regarding the sexual culture in school, example…sharing nude photos.
Kayla tells someone that she’s really good at giving blow jobs.
Kayla researches oral sex on YouTube.
A boy asks Kayla to take her shirt off.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Mild

There is a security drill where an authority pretends to shoot the kids who didn’t hide properly.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

We hear “f–k,” “s–t,” “a–,” “p—y,” “Jesus Christ,” and “d–k.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

A boy sniffs a marker, hoping to get high.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is an interesting and thought provoking film. Parents need to be aware of the language and moderate sexual content.