DVD Reviews
The Vow Review
“For Better or for Worse.” Newlywed’s Leo (Channing Tatum) and Paige (Rachel McAdams) had their challenges two months after their marriage. The couple survived a horrific car accident, however, Paige suffered head injuries, and experienced personality changes. She had no idea who her husband was, and no recollection of their relationship. Being a dedicated and faithful husband, Leo tried to help his wife, hoping to rebuild their relationship; after all he made a vow. The Vow is a heartfelt love story, inspired by true events.
Rating: 4 1/2
Release Date: May 8, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 12+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
See a clip of my review here, along with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island!
Talking Points:
It was amazing to see Leo’s love and dedication to his wife. He did everything he could to spark her memory, though unsuccessful. She only recognized her family, and childhood friends.
Paige had an estranged relationship with her family. She hadn’t seen them in years; they had never even met Leo. It was nice that they reunited after the accident, though her parent’s weren’t supportive of her marriage with Leo.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- Before the accident, Paige and Leo are in the car, and Paige says, “A girl’s guaranteed to get preggers if she does it in a car.” This may spark an interesting parent/child conversation!
- When the couple is dating, they had frequent overnights together. We see them in bed on top of each other.
- After the accident we see the couple strip down to their underwear, and jump into a lake. She also has on a bra.
- The couple kiss passionately.
- We hear a suggestive voicemail.
- In one scene we see Leo, naked, though only his back side.
- After the accident, Paige flirts and kisses her ex-fiance.
Violent Content: Mild
- The accident is shown in slow motion, as Paige goes through the windshield.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- Words such as, “s–t,” “h–l,” “d–n,” “a–,” and “d–k,” are used about 1 to 3 times each.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- Character’s are shown drinking alcohol at various parties and social gatherings.
Overall The Vow was an amazing, heartfelt love story. I would recommend this for kids ages 12+. It’s also a great date night movie!!
The Three Stooges Review
Moe, Larry and Curly are back, and still up to their old shenanigans. However, this time the three Stooges are on a mission to save their childhood orphanage. The orphanage needs $830,000, or it will have to shut down and send the children to a foster home. The Stooges come across many adventures as they try to fulfill their mission, and save the orphanage. However, because there’s an immoral relationship involving a key character woven throughout the film as well as constant slapstick violence, I do not recommend this for kids.
Rating: 1 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: April 13, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 13+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
See a clip of my review here, along with Lockout!
Talking Points:
I felt the Stooges goal of saving the orphanage was admirable. I also admired their friendship and dedication to each other. A nice lesson for kids.
There were a lot of silly, goofy scenes. In one scene the Stooges were in a room full of babies, and proceeded to spray each other with the babies urine. This was disgusting, though I’m sure kids will find it humorous.
Moe ended up on the reality show, Jersey Shore. Once again he had fun poking, boinking and torturing them as well.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- Women wear revealing low cut outfits.
- There were immoral sexual relationships and suggestive references however, there were no inappropriate visual scenes.
Violent Content: Excessive
- Where do I begin….There was continuous hitting, poking, slapping and silly violence throughout the whole film.
- We saw a character putting hot irons on another character’s chest.
- A women, who was having an affair, convinced the Stooges to kill her husband. This created a lot more silly violence and mayhem.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- “What the…?” was said.
- “Knuckleheads” and “nitwits,” were also said.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- Character’s were shown drinking alcohol.
As the film concluded the directors appeared on screen explaining that the tools used in the film were made out of rubber. They told the kids in the audience to “please play safe at home.” With the violence and immoral themes, I don’t recommend this for kids. Instead of The Three Stooges, take your youngsters to see Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.
The Three Musketeers Review
“All for one and one for all,” that’s the very familiar motto of the Three Musketeers. Based on the French classic novel, The Three Musketeers is about an arrogant teenage boy named D’Artagnan, (Logan Lerman) who lives 18th Century France. He leaves his home in rural France to become one of the king’s elite guardsman, the Musketeers. After arriving in Paris, D’Artagnan inadvertently impresses the The Three Musketeers with his confidence and charm. While spending much time together, he and his new friends eventually come to realize that the evil Cardinal (Christoph Waltz), along with some other villains, have a plan to overthrow the French monarchy. So now D’Artagnan, and the Musketeers must rally together to defeat the villains, and save their country. This is an action packed, adventurous film, one that your kids will most likely enjoy!
Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: March 13, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
Initially the three Musketeers were down and depressed and in a rut. However when the young D’Artagnan arrived, his excitement and energy encouraged the Musketeers, and stressed that there are still things worth fighting for.
I loved the characters in this film, from D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) to the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom); they were very entertaining, and very captivating to young kids.
I interviewed several boys ages 10 to 12, all of whom loved the film. Even the parents liked it.
When D’Artagnan gives the King some relationship advice about girls, he says, “speak from your heart, be yourself, and be someone who cares.” I thought this was a sweet, sincere scene.
D’Artagnan falls in love with Constance, one of the queens ladies-in-waiting. Their relationship was also very sweet and innocent.
The Cardinal and Milady de Winter were very deceiving and cruel characters.The Cardinal tells Milady that she has a gift for corruption, and that he admires her skills. This could spark a good parent/child discussion of how not to behave.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Many of the women wear low cut outfits, we see a lot of cleavage.
- There are several kisses, mainly with D’Artagnan and his love interest.
- There’s some suggestive bantering throughout the film, mostly with Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich). She was willing to sleep with anyone to get what she wanted.
Violent Content: Moderate
- There are several sword fights and fist fights, some of which were a little cartoonish and not very intense.
- There’s an intense battle scene at the end of the film, we see many bloody cuts on D’Artagnan.
- There are many explosions, with things being blown up.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The s-word, h-word, d-word, a-word are used and “b–tard,” is said once.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
- We see several characters drinking alcohol.
- One of the Musketeers was so drunk he passed out.
Overall this is a fun, entertaining movie. I don’t think it will be the most memorable movie, but I do think kids will enjoy it. This is a PG13 movie that most parents can feel comfortable taking their kids to.However, parents need to be aware of the moderate violence and some profane language. I recommend this film for kids, (especially boys), ages 10 and up.
The Hobbit: An Expected Journey Review
He missed his armchair, he missed his books, and he missed his home. That’s how Bilbo Baggins (the hobbit) felt when he expectantly left his home to help thirteen dwarves reclaim their Dwarf Kingdom; which had been attacked by the dragon Smaug. Continue reading
The Help Review
The Help is an emotional, heart-felt story, based on the New York Times best- selling novel by Kathryn Stockett. Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960’s, this is a story which revolves around the lives of African-American maids, and their white employers. The focus is primarily on two black maids, Aibileen(Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer) who reveal their horrific stories to Skeeter (Emma Stone), an ambitious young white writer. The women openly speak about their lives as maids; they cook, they clean, they shop for groceries, and they raise their employer’s children. The two women develop a special friendship with Skeeter, as they secretly work on a writing project that could risk their lives, while hoping to expose the truth; race in the South during the 1960’s. This is a powerful and inspiring movie about courage, and doing the right thing.
Rating: Five out of five buckets
Release Date: December 6, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language
Talking Points:
It was heartbreaking to see how cruel these white, pretentious women were to their help. These women had their maids take care of their children, (which the maids did in a loving tender way), but they demanded that separate restrooms were to be built for the maids.
There were some humorous parts in the movie. For those of you that read the book you may remember the “pie incident.” I don’t want to give too much away, but Minny baked a pie for Hilly (an awful women who just fired Minny). Minny added a “special ingredient.” Though disgusting, it’s quite funny.
The movie was 137 minutes, which sounds long, but it’s not. With the intriguing story, you don’t even realize the time. There are many sub-plots as well, which add interest to the story line.
The acting was absolutely amazing, to name a few actors; Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Passionate kissing.
- One character wears revealing low cut outfits.
Violent Content: Moderate
- Minny’s husband was abusive. We don’t see the abuse, but we hear violent arguments that are disturbing. In one scene her black eye is revealed.
- A police officer arrests a maid, he is forceful and abusive. He hits her with his baton…it’s a very brief scene, but disturbing.
- One character has a miscarriage, we see her on the bathroom floor, surrounded by blood.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- The n-word, d-word, a-word, h-word are used several times throughout the film.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- Many characters drink and smoke in social settings.
The Help is an eye-opener, it’s hard to believe that people could treat other people with such heartbreaking disrespect. The subject matter won’t appeal to young kids, however I know many teenage girls that have read the book, and can’t wait to see the movie. It will be an eye-opener for them as well, but a good lesson.