MOVIE REVIEWS – December 2016
Middle School: the Worst Years
Mia A, age 12
Middle School: the Worst Years of my Life is the best movie I have seen for middle school kids in a long time! It is fun and creative, and I absolutely enjoyed it.
This movie is based on the book by the same name, about a kid named Rafe (Griffin Gluck) who is in middle school. He is one of those troubled kids, although we really like him. He
has been expelled from many schools, and this is the last school he can get into. His school is very strict and he doesn’t like it at all, so he decides a plan to try to get back at the principal for making all these horrible rules.
My favorite character is Rafe, the main character, because he is hilarious! Rafe is creative and shows a lot of emotions. His little sister Georgia (Alexa Nisenson) is funny and sassy. There is one scene where Georgia cries and she almost made me cry. It is so realistic! Lauren Graham from The Gilmore Girls plays the loving mom. The other adults are more like human cartoons. Their behaviors are stereotypical and over-the-top silly.
The music really sets the tone of the movie and gets the audience involved. I enjoyed the music a lot because it includes some of the most popular songs today. It got me more into the movie and made me think it was a real middle school that other kids attended.
I think the animation is incredible! It looks very much like a drawing from an artistic person, and it gives your brain something to think about. The animated creatures are funny and creative and they feel like they are Rafe’s friends. The animation helps us explore more of Rafe’s imagination as the characters come to life. I really like how the characters are so detailed, and colorful. They look like they are hand-sketched, making you think Rafe actually drew them.
The audience was very into this movie. Everyone was on the edge of their seats. The plot is unexpected. The audience seemed to connect to all the characters, especially one of the main teachers, Mr. Teller (Adam Pally). He is relatable and seems like a great teacher that a lot of kids would want to have as their own teacher.
My favorite scene is when Rafe puts sticky notes all over the whole school. It’s creative and funny. I loved the artwork of the vice principal’s face in sticky notes. .
I recommend this film for ages 8 to 15 and rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
The Adventures of Gumby: The 60s Series Volume 2
Gerry O, age 14
Fifty years ago, before computer animation, we had hand drawn animation and stop motion animation. The Adventures of Gumby: The 60s Series Volume 2 not only contains spectacular stop motion animation, but it also has fantastic and fun adventures that kids and adults of all ages can greatly enjoy.
This series is meant to be an adventure, but it doesn’t hold back on humor and will make you
laugh time and again. It also has some mild action and even a slight bit of intensity, but nothing to be too concerned about. Even those intense scenes are full of light and good nature.
Each episode focuses on a different story. Some may focus on an adventure into a Dinosaur World or into space or even into a micro world where germs live. Each episode follows Gumby and his friends and what happens during their adventures while teaching kids some valuable information. Most episodes have some sort of moral message and, since there isn’t a continuing plot, viewers can watch at any point of the series and understand what is going on. I enjoy the fact that, despite most of it being pretty fantasy-like, it intertwines actual science and real-world knowledge to the point where I found myself learning stuff about economics, which
was a pleasant surprise!
My favorite episode is “Shady Lemonade.” In this one,
Gumby and his friends go to a lemonade place and discover that
the owner scammed them. Later that day, they save a man’s cat
and the man gives them a very large reward. They decide to use
that money so people can get lemonade at a cheap price and not
worry about getting scammed. I picked this episode because, despite
it not have some fun adventure, it is still a unique and fun story and it kept me entertained. On top of that, the moral of the story is great — for every action there is a reaction.
This series is designed for kids, and parents have nothing to worry about. I recommend it for ages 4 to 18. I believe adults will enjoy this show. too, even though it is a kid’s show because it sparks your imagination and
its out of this world stories will make you laugh. For spectacular stop motion animation, wonderful voice acting, fantastic songs and perfect stories, I give it 5 out of 5 stars.