DVD Reviews
The Boy Next Door-Teen Movie Review
Handsome, muscular, and handy, that’s Noah Sandborn (Ryan Guzman),…the boy next door. Noah, a high school senior, moves next door to Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez), a high school teacher who recently separated from her husband. Claire is thrilled to have Noah as a neighbor. Noah befriends her teenage son, fixes things around the house and seems like a nice boy to have around. However things dramatically change the night Noah romantically falls for Claire. It’s a night that Claire desperately wants to forget, and a night that Noah won’t forget. Noah becomes an obsessed psychopath… he becomes the boy you don’t want living next door.
Rating: 2 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 28, 2015
MPAA Rating: R
Best Age Group: 17+
Sexual Content: Excessive
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Pre-teens may want to see this film since it’s about high school students and stars American Idol judge, Jennifer Lopez. Having said that the film is very inappropriate and not recommended for kids…see details below.
The story is somewhat predictable and a little corny, however it’s an exciting thriller.
Sexual Content: Excessive
- We see a very intense and erotic sexual encounter.
- In another sexual scene we see two high school students naked (we see the girl from the front side and waist up, the boy from the side). She’s performing oral sex on him.
- We see a male character naked, from the backside.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- Noah becomes creepy and obsessed with Claire. We see him attack her in the boy’s bathroom, shoving her against the wall.
- A woman is murdered, we see her covered in blood.
- An EpiPen is stabbed in a boys eye.
- Characters are hit, kicked, beaten, tied up and covered in blood.
- We see a character shot in the shoulder.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word is said numerous times. We also hear “a–,” “h–,” “p—y,” and “d–n.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Claire is shown drinking wine.
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Overall this is a suspenseful thriller, though very sexual and not appropriate for kids!
American Sniper-Teen Movie Review
“God, country and family,” that’s what Chris Kyle (Bradely Cooper) believes in. Chris is a 30 year old rodeo cowboy living in Texas. His life drastically changes the day he sees the television coverage of the terrorist attacks on the U. S. embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi. Feeling a strong need to serve his country, he immediately enlists to become a U. S Navy SEAL. Continue reading
The Wedding Ringer-Teen Movie Review
He’s nerdy and socially awkward but Doug Harris (Josh Gad) is finally getting married. Doug is quirky and goofy looking and naturally his fiancée, Gretchen (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), is beautiful and way out of his league. He often wonders why she ever agreed to date him, let alone marry him. They’re getting married in two weeks, the wedding planner has everything perfectly organized…the venue, the flowers, the band and all the extras. The only problem is Doug doesn’t have a best man or groomsmen. Continue reading
Taken 3-Teen Movie Review
Liam Neeson is back as ex-covert operative Bryan Mills. Things are going well for this humble and quiet man. He and his ex-wife have reconciled their differences and finally get along. He’s very close with his college age daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), and happily involved in her life. However Bryan’s calm life quickly changes when he finds his ex-wife with her throat slit, dead in his bed. Bryan quickly realizes that he is framed for her murder and decides to run. He’s determined to find the real criminal, and save his daughter from the villain’s evil threats.
Rating: 3 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: April 21, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
There are no valuable lessons or inspirational moments, however the film is very exciting. Liam Neeson is once again great as Bryan Mills. Having said that, Taken 3 is extremely violent and sometimes hard to watch…see details below.
Sexual Content: Mild
- We see a male character in a hot tub with two women in bikinis.
- A woman tells her ex-husband that she fantasizes about being with him again.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- The villain, a vicious Russian crime lord, is very evil. He punches, kicks and kills people throughout the film.
- There are several intense shooting scenes.
- There are car chases and explosions with a lot of casualties.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The f-word was said once. We also hear “sh-t,” “a–,” and “d–n.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- We see characters drinking and smoking in several scenes throughout the film.
- A character says, “Let’s go get drunk.”
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- I interviewed a 12 year-old boy and girl who both really liked the film. They liked the action and said they were not scared.
Overall this is a very intense, action packed film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violent content.
Selma-Teen Movie Review
DENIED was stamped when an elderly black woman went to register to vote. She was denied because she couldn’t answer the clerk’s obscure questions…she was denied because she was black. The 1965 Selma to Montgomery, Alabama march, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a march against injustice and inhumanity, it was a march for equal rights. The film chronicles King’s movement to secure equal voting rights, which was one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Selma is a compelling and inspirational film, one that will spark some interesting parent/child conversations.
Rating: 3 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: May 5, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Teens Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
This is a very powerful film, one that will educate kids about a very important part in the American Civil Rights Movement.
King’s commitment and sacrifice to the movement is highlighted throughout the film.
Sexual Content: Mild
- It’s implied that King had affairs. His wife asks if he loves “any of the others, ” King hesitates, then says no.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
- A bomb explodes in a church killing four little girls. We see their bodies in the rubble.
- Character’s are beaten with clubs, kicked and punched. We see their bloody wounds.
- Police beat a woman and an elderly man in a restaurant. A man is also shot and killed in the restaurant.
- We see a man beaten to death. He’s punched and kicked in the face. We see his head slammed to the ground and covered in blood.
Crude or Profane Language: Excessive
- The f-word is said two times. We also hear, “sh-t,” “a–,” “b–ch,” “b–tard,” “d–n,” and “h–.”
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids/Teens Like It? Yes
- The film is great tool to educate kids on the civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mature teens will will find it interesting and educational.
- The film will appeal to kids in an educational setting. Whether it be with a parent or school group, it will spark an interesting conversation. It’s not a film they’ll typically enjoy with their friends for entertainment.
Overall Selma is a powerful and educational film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and profane language.