DVD Reviews
Me Before You-Teen Movie Revew
Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) has a good life. He is an extremely athletic and handsome wealthy banker with a beautiful girlfriend. Though his life drastically changes the day he gets in an accident and he is paralyzed. Dealing with his difficult circumstances he becomes depressed, cynical and desperately wants to end his life. However, there is hope for Will when his parents hire Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) as his caregiver and companion. Louisa is a 26 year-old charming, bubbly woman who tries to show Will that life is worth living no matter what the situation. As Louisa and Will’s relationship deepens, Will continually wonders… is this life worth living? Based on JoJo Moyes’ 2012 novel, Me Before You is a heartfelt, romantic drama.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: August 30, 2016
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 Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Sexual Content: Moderate
- Louisa and her sister talk about an outfit being too “booby.”
- Louisa and Will passionately kiss.
- There are sexual jokes referring to a paralyzed person having sex.
- Prior to Will’s accident we see him in bed with his girlfriend. He’s shirtless, and we see her bare shoulders.
- There are sexual references to French gay porn, lap dances and oral sex.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- There is the mature and disturbing subject matter of euthanasia.
- We see scars on one of Will’s wrists, it’s noted that he tried to commit suicide.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “h—,” “sh-t,” “a–,” “b–ch,” and “d–n.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see characters drinking beer and wine.
Will Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed a few pre-teen girls that had read the book and loved the movie.
Overall, this is a heartfelt drama. Parents need to be aware of the acceptance of euthanasia that the film portrays. Depending on the child this is appropriate for kids ages 13 and up.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows- Kids’ movie review
The beloved six-foot tall talking turtles are back…Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Leonardo, all of whom are named after famous Renaissance figures. These lovable teenage turtles live in the sewers below New York City, and were properly raised by a man-sized rat named Splinter. In this film the turtles face a new challenge as they must stop a mad scientist who plans to take over the world. The turtles along with their human allies prepare to battle the villains and save the world. Based on the 1987-1996 animated TV series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: September 20, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Sexual Content: Mild
- April (Megan Fox) wears revealing outfits- short skirts and low cut tops
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- We see numerous fights throughout the film. Characters kick, punch, and throw one another.
- We see vehicles blow up with people inside.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- We hear “sh-t,” “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” and “h—.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see characters drinking shots and beer at a bar.
Will Teens Like It? Yes
- I interviewed kids ages 8 to 10 who all liked the film. They were not scared and they liked the action.
Overall this is an entertaining action packed film. Parents need to be aware of the violence and some profane language throughout the movie. Depending on the child this is appropriate for kids ages 11 and up.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising-Teen Movie Review
Life is good for Mac Radner (Seth Rogen) and his pregnant wife Kelly (Rose Byrne). They’re happily married with a beautiful 3 year-old daughter, they found a new home with a big back yard, and they are ready to move up in the world. However, things get complicated for the happy family when a sorority moves in next door. The loud parties and wild girls threaten the sale of their home. Eventually the couple turns to ex-neighbor Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron) for help. Now the trio devices a plan to get the sorority girls off the block…though it’s not that easy as the sorority girls fight back!
Rating: 1 and 1/2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: September 20, 2016
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Excessive
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Sexual Content: Excessive
- There are disgusting sexual references and crude jokes made throughout the film.
- A 3 year-old girl has a pink dildo as a toy.
- Characters are shown in a sexual encounter-we see movements and hear sexual noises.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- We see a drunk girl who smashes through a car windshield and falls to the ground.
- Police hit a guy with a stun gun.
- A character falls from a second floor window and crashes down on a table.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- We hear the f-word, “sh-t,” “a–,” and “b–ch,” numerous times throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Excessive
- Characters are shown getting high and drunk at sorority parties.
- The sorority sells weed at a college tailgate to raise money for rent.
- We see a lot of characters passed out after a night of partying.
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Overall this is a raunchy R rated comedy, not appropriate for kids!
The Angry Birds-Kids’ Movie Review
The Angry Birds Movie follows the lives of three birds all of whom are outcasts in their cheerful community on Bird Island. Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), and Bomb (Danny McBride), the angry birds, all meet at an anger-management class. They’re grumpy, negative and down right angry. However, these three birds can sense trouble especially when a group of pigs arrive on their island. The horrible pigs steal all of the unhatched eggs in town and sail away. Now the bird community is fearful, however with the three angry birds in town, they know what to do and try to save the day. The Angry Birds Movie is an animated adaptation of the popular video game series Angry Birds.
Rating: 4 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: August 16, 2016
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- This is an entertaining film for young kids. With the vibrant colors, wonderful animation, and fun music, kids will be easily entertained.
- There is some potty humor, for example we see a character urinating into lake water.
Sexual Content: Mild
- A character uses binoculars to spy on a woman taking a bath.
- One of the birds imagines an eagle as a male stripper.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- There is a lot of slapstick violence throughout the film. Characters are punched, beaten and battered.
- There are explosions- pig city is destroyed and bird town is burned to the ground.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “What the…?” “Fart face” is written on pig’s stomach. We also hear “butt,” and “dummy.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
This is a wonderful animated film for young kids. Having said that, parents need to be aware of the slapstick violence throughout the film.
Money Monster-Teen Movie Review
Lee Gates (George Clooney) is known as the Money Monster. He hosts a very cheesy national cable show with dancing girls and colorful graphics while he recommends stocks to his viewers. He has a lot of followers who hang on his every word. However, one follower Kyle Budwell (Jack O’Connell), is not so happy as he lost all his money from one of the Money Monster’s stock tips. For revenge, Kyle invades the live broadcast, puts an explosive vest on the beloved host, and holds him at gun point. So now the TV show host and his trusty producer (Julia Roberts) must work together to save not only themselves, but the reputation of their popular show…Money Monster.
Rating: 2 and 1/2 popcorn buckets out of 5
Release Date: September 6, 2016
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
- The film has an all-star cast with George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- We see a couple in a sexual encounter. They are partially clothed.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- We see characters beaten and shot to death.
- The storyline shows the villain invading the stage of a live cable show. He demands the host to put on an explosive vest and holds him hostage.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- We hear the f-word numerous times throughout the movie. We also hear “sh-t,” “p—y,” “a–,” “b–tard,” “b–ch,” “h–.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We briefly see a character using cocaine.
Will Teens Like It? Yes
- Mature teens will most likely enjoy the suspense and thrilling aspect of the film.
Overall Money Monster is a suspenseful and somewhat entertaining drama. Parents need to be aware of the excessive profane language throughout the film.