Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids Archives - Page 2 of 4

The Adventures of Gumby: The Complete GOS Series

Gumby is a very enjoyable and fun claymation series that is about a green humanoid character named Gumby and his side-kick and best friend Pokey. They go on wacky adventures that we see a lot while watching this series of episodes. Some of my favorite episodes were “ the zoops” “the glob” “Santa witch” and “hidden valley.” They are lots of other great episodes in this series as well, but these really stand out. Something I immediately noticed about this series is that the animation isn’t like any film series you’ll see made today. It is a clay animated show. This type of animation is particularly interesting because it is made by taking pictures of each movement the characters take. The way the makers behind the animation create the claymation is included in the of the bonus features. This show is also very creative. I watched the episodes and was amazed and often wondered about how they came up with these ideas, from the punch lines to the plot lines of each and every episode. The bonus features on this DVD disc are something special. Included are behind the scene footage, a photo gallery of photos from making this film, the first aired pilot episode with sound and a very rare episode called “space ball.” I love that they include photos because it gives you an inside look on what was happening when they created the animation and it makes you feel connected to the show even more. Also, getting an exclusive look at never before seen special episodes is very cool because, while watching them I kept thinking about how rare they are. I recommend this series for ages 5 to 18 as well as adults. They are classic films that anyone can enjoy and they first aired over 60 years ago so, this disc is perfect for anyone who grew up with Gumby and would like to see him in action again. This series also gets 5 out of 5 stars from me because these were such fun episodes that anyone can enjoy and the animation is interesting. Also, seeing the bonus features on the disc makes it much more enjoyable because I now have an appreciation for what went into making such this animated series.

Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

Eddie The Eagle

I was truly delighted to watch the new film, Eddie the Eagle because it is an astoundingly energizing and powerful film. I love to watch films based on true stories and this is an unquestionably good one. In this film, you will see the story of Michael “Eddie” Edwards, an Olympic British ski jumper and learn how his determination enabled him to participate in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. This movie tells the story of Eddie the Eagle (Taron Egerton) and shows the tough obstacles that Eddie overcame to achieve his dream of participating in the Olympics. I love how this movie doesn’t feel rushed. I love the casting. Taron Egerton looks identical to real Eddie and plays him with conviction. Hugh Jackman also gives a great performance. Jo Hartley, who plays Eddie’s mom, gives a stunning performance of a mother who supports her child’s dreams no matter what. The 80s soundtrack also plays an important role in the movie, since it is the type of music that was around when Eddie made his jump. This year is the 28th anniversary of when he made his ski jump in the 1988 Winter Olympics. The moral of this movie is never give up no matter what. We see individuals who don’t have faith in Eddie and think his fantasy of setting off to the Olympics is an exercise in senselessness that he would never be capable of achieving. We see how Eddie never gives up. He is persistent, even though people think he is crazy. Eddie never gives up on what he believes in and does his best. Throughout this movie you see Eddie overcome obstacles and he never gives up. This is definitely a good movie for kids to see, especially if they have been put down, taunted, bullied or told they can’t do something they love to do. They can benefit from seeing this film. I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to kids ages 5 to 18. I think adults will like this film as well. Those who like docudramas and family movies will particularly enjoy it.

Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

KUNG FU PANDA 3

In the third installment of the popular family film series Kung Fu Panda, you will find yourself on an emotional roller coaster with just enough action, comedy and love to go around. Large and adorable, panda Po (Jack Black) realizes he has a lot to learn if he wants to surpass his next obstacle from his role-model instructor. During this long, adventurous process, he finds himself reunited with his long-lost father (Bryan Cranston). Po must find a way to morph into the teacher he was always destined to be. With help from his new panda family, the martial-arts masters come together to fight the envious and malevolent Kai (J.K. Simmons), a warrior who came back from the spirit realm in order to steal everyone’s chi. I have always been a kid at heart, but watching this film truly made me feel like it was my first time ever watching Kung Fu Panda in the movie theater. Since it brought back a ton of memories, I couldn’t help but notice all of the fantastic, quality changes the film has gone through. This has always been a great series, but this movie takes the gold when it comes down to story line and visual effects. There is no doubt in my mind that the creative directors and graphic designers behind this film spent tons and tons of hours developing the amazing oriental scenes within this movie. Every single color, movement, saying or setting in this film truly embodies what Kung Fu Panda is all about, which makes the meaning and experience for an avid moviegoer all the more understanding and worthwhile. Because of the sincere story line, it will hit home for lots of viewers and family members. One thing I do wish I had the opportunity to see more of are the famous and Furious Five (voiced by Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie, David Cross, and Seth Rogen) and Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) in action altogether, especially when attempting to defeat the evil Kai. Ultimately, Kung Fu Panda 3 is a hilarious and charming film for everyone in the family to enjoy. Whether it’s moving you to tears from laughter or gloominess, you’ll find it hard not to smile with satisfaction when the credits begin rolling. This movie is rated PG for its martial arts action and some mild rude humor, so I think this will be just perfect for kids ages 5 to 18. I rate this film 4.5 out of 5 five stars.

Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a wonderful film that many people will love. Today’s technology really makes the fantasy of Star Wars seem like reality. The scenery is great from the beginning to the end. The beautiful stars, planets and, even the spaceships, are amazingly real looking. The storyline tells what happens after peace was established in the galaxy at the end of Episode 6, but now it’s more than 30 years later and there is no longer peace. The actors lured me into believing everything was really happening. Daisy Ridley as Rey shows emotion and strength. John Boyega portrays Finn as a man who starts out being afraid but must overcome his fears. And Adam Driver is excellent playing Kylo Ren, the new bad guy who tries to live up to the evil of Darth Vader and does many foolish things in the process. Each character enlivens the new story. Also, Star Wars fans of all ages will love reconnecting with characters from the original films. The costumes are great and fit the characters in many ways. Rey’s costume, a rugged suit for the desert planet Jakku, shows that she is resourceful and can take care of herself. The unusual and cool costumes fit in well with the previous films in the series. Many strange creatures add the element of being on other worlds. I really enjoyed seeing all the extra characters in each scene like pirates, gangs and a variety of aliens. A fun new sidekick is BB-8, a feisty round astromech droid that belongs to the rebellion. The buildings look real and at the same time like they belong in Star Wars. The props, such as blasters and space ships, are also realistic. They are grungy and look like they have seen some use. The only things I didn’t like were the Stormtroopers’ blasters and armor, which looked plastic and fake. The special effects are wonderful from lightsabers to explosions and lasers from the guns. They are a huge part in the film and bring the movie to life. This film is best for ages 7 to 18 because of the intensity of the action. I give this movie 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. It will definitely awaken the Star Wars fan in everyone. Reviewed by Nathaniel B. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 9.

Kids

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 is surprisingly more creative and suspenseful than all the prior films in the franchise. However, there are a couple of things about the film that are not fantastic. I don’t think that Jennifer Lawrence does a great job in this film. It seems as if she was asleep throughout the movie. This film again stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hucherson as Peeta Mellark. They are supported by Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, who directed all the Hunger Games films except the first. At the beginning of the film, Katniss is recruited by Commander Coin (Julianne Moore) to lead the rebellion. They really want her to be the “face” of the rebellion and film fake skirmishes for the ever present media. Katniss plays along but her intent is to assassinate President Snow. Snow is ready for the rebellion. His generals plant POD traps (obstacles designed to release a weapon that can range from a bomb to a group of mutts) all over the Capital, which are motion sensitive. When someone comes near, flame throwers engulf them or huge machine guns appear and blow them up. The PODS are planted every few feet, so it is a deadly obstacle course for the rebels to try to make it through into the heart of the Capital In the face of all this, Peeta, who had been psychologically tortured and brain-washed by Snow in Part 1, is now ordered to join Katniss on this mission. But, he is unstable and doesn’t have a grip on reality. The best part of this film is the ending, which I can’t tell you about because of spoiler alert. But, rest assured, it is a great ending. The middle of the film is very action-packed, scary and suspenseful. Katniss, and the rebel force work their way through the PODS. I love this part of the film and the locations that were chosen. At one point, the rebel force goes down into the sewers to escape detection, adding a bit of horror to the action film setting. The supporting cast is great, especially Julianne Moore, who plays Commander Coin with great conviction. The screenplay is interesting, especially the dialogue between Katniss and Peeta. Peeta keeps asking Katniss and the others if things are “real or not real” since he has a tenuous grip on reality, due to his brain-washing. I also like the song that plays during the end credits. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to the film besides Jennifer Lawrence’s performance. I feel that some of the fight sequences are not realistic. One last point I would like to make is that the uniqueness of The Hunger Games is the idea of the games themselves. There are no games in this film and I miss he whole survivalist concept of that. Overall, I think this film is a great ending to The Hunger Games franchise. I give the film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to kids ages 11 to 18, keeping in mind that there are some rather violent, scary scenes in the middle of the movie. Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDEdei-xQOg

Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

Pan

Pan will revive the child in all of us, for sure! Before I delve into just how great this film is, I have to say that I was completely blown away by it! My original thought was, “Oh it’s just another Disney movie. Meh.” But, as soon as Blackbeard and Hook are introduced, my inner child leapt out and said, “This is awesome!” Pan is the new revision of the classic Peter Pan story, directed by Joe Wright and featuring a host of very talented actors including Levi Miller (Peter), Garrett Hedlund (Hook) and Hugh Jackman (Blackbeard). The film follows the story of Peter, an orphan who gets abducted by Blackbeard and his pirates. Every character, even the villain Blackbeard, is likeable and fun to watch. For a kid just learning about the story of Peter Pan, this movie is a good start. For someone like me who grew up with the story, the movie is perfect. Joe Wright brilliantly teases moments here and there that setup for the story to continue. My favorite is when Hook puts his hand into the river only to pull it out when someone starts talking about crocodiles. As far as the visuals go, there are awe-inspiring visual effects, especially in the beginning of the movie. Every background is created with incredible detail. Speaking of detail, the costumes are also perfect in their minute details. Lastly, the score is outstanding. The action scenes tie all of these technical aspects together to produce a truly wonderful experience. Are there any negatives in this movie? Not really. The relationship between Tiger Lily (played by Rooney Mara) and Hook seems just a bit forced. Also, I felt that the ending could have been expanded further to include Hook. Then again, I am a Hook fan through and through. And that’s part of the experience that Pan creates for the viewer. When I saw Hook for the first time, I flashed back to when I was a little kid when I first became a HUGE Captain Hook fan. Heck, I got nervous just before I met someone dressed as Captain Hook on a Disney Cruise. Those memories and emotions re-emerged when I saw this film. I very much enjoyed the message of the film. I believe Pan hammers the point home about always being brave and sticking with your friends and family. As a final point, I have to commend Joe Wright for staying true to the characters and story of the original Peter Pan story. I enjoyed seeing my old favorites like Hook and Peter and even Smiegel (SMIEGEL!) make appearances. In conclusion, everyone has to see this movie. Pan really is fun for the whole family. It has elements for both younger and older audiences to love. So, I give Pan a whopping 5 out of 5 Hooks for its fun and entertaining story, great visuals, spectacular score and awesome characters. Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fSDkAyE8

Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

Gumby

After more than 60 years since Gumby was first created, we are brought back to the good times of the original, and in my opinion, the best of the iconic Gumby and Pokey characters.Gumby is all about fun and comedy.You watch Gumby not for drama or romance.There is lots of action and fantasy, since it is all about Gumby’s fun adventures. Art Clokey (creator of Gumby) does a fantastic job writing fun and unique episodes. I love each of the characters for the fun and silly adventures they undertake and how unique each one is. Even small characters have their own personality which I love. Not many shows today pay so much attention to each character. I think Art Clokey has done a mind-blowing job making these shows. He created some cool special effect techniques such as one episode with a rocket ship where he has scratched each frame so it looks like flames. Techniques like this were used in films for decades afterwards. The stop motion animation itself is very smooth and impressive, particularly since it was made 60 years ago! My favorite episode is the first one, when Gumby goes to the moon and his Dad needs to save him. I love it because it starts off Gumby’s career and is kind of the birth of Gumby. This also includes the rocket special effects mentioned above. The episode is really a joy to watch, not to mention that it was so symbolic for those times when everything was about space travel. People that enjoyed Gumby growing up will be happy to share their passion with a new generation. After all, Gumby is meant for kids. Ages 7 to 18 would probably enjoy the series more than younger kids and would be able appreciate the beauty of the clay animation. I give it five out of five stars because, what they did was way ahead of their time with the special effects, unique stories, wonderful characters and more. Can’t wait to see what’s next in store for Gumby! (They are creating some entirely new episodes)

Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

ABC Monsters

This DVD contains four stories that follow a crew of big, hairy and not too scary “monsters.” Twenty six cuddly ABC Monsters live within the walls of Capital Castle, each representing a letter of the alphabet. Should any of the monsters go missing for longer than a day, all the letters will be wiped clean from every book in Capital Town, so it’s very important to make sure that all the ABC Monsters are safely back in Alphabet Gardens before the sun goes down. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. The ABC Monsters are always curious and happy creatures so they tend to wander off from Alphabet Gardens and get lost in the process. KIDS FIRST! Reviewer, child development specialist Eli B. comments, “What a great DVD! This title offers singing, dancing, puzzles and lots of character/viewer interactions throughout the DVD. This DVD supports inquiry and problem solving. The viewer is prompted to participate in phonic skills and word building via puzzles, games and songs.The animation is clear and colorful and fun to watch. This title is all about learning the alphabet. Each episode is centered around a specific letter. Within that episode, there are fill in the blank word games, songs and repetition of phonics. Any child learning the alphabet would enjoy this DVD. This title is visually very appealing! The animation is great and the songs are original and fun. The DVD cover and box are colorful and have a raised image that makes it stand out.”

Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

Ant-Man

From Marvel comes the newest superhero thriller, Ant-Man with a mixture of comedy and action that brings pleasure for people of all ages. The film is about a scientist, Dr. Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas, who gets forced out of his own company and left searching for someone to bravely take on the missions he requests. With his invention of a super suit which provides superpowers, shrinking abilities and the control of an army of ants, Pym finds his talent, Scott Lang, to be the one and only “Ant-Man.” Seeking redemption for his past criminal behavior, Scott accepts the challenge to save the world and fight off enemy scientist Darren Cross from using his similar suit for evil. Things take a turn when the world is not the only thing that needs saving. The film’s many wonderful aspects start with the amazing performances from actors including Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Corey Stoll. I always know an acting performance from an antagonist is amazing when I actually believe the person is evil in real life. The acting job from Corey Stoll proves to be great when I find it hard to believe that he can be nice in real life. With his past experience in many comedic films, Paul Rudd easily and naturally portrays the witty character Scott without seeming fake or cheesy. The movie is uplifting and funny in so many ways. The movie throws out jokes about other Marvel characters and icons, which are surprising and hilarious. The film is authentically different in style from the typical superhero or even Marvel film. The film does include lots of violence and scenes with foul language which is why I’d definitely say the film is for people 13 years of age and older. Furthermore, I would recommend the film to people of ages 13 to 18. Adults will enjoy this as well. The film guarantees laughter and entertainment to people of all interests, including those who are not fans of Marvel or superhero movies. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars. Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxfi0yhPir0

Kids

Inside Out

Meet the Little Voices Inside Your Head! This new Disney/Pixar film explores the bumpy road of pre-teens and the emotions they experience when growing up. Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco is guided by her emotions — Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Mia A. comments, “This animated movie is incredible! The animation is spot on. It is so detailed and life-like that sometimes, it made me forget that it is a cartoon and not real.” Tre’ana H. adds, “It captures some comedic moments and connects you to to your inner self. It makes you become more aware and in touch with your conscience.” This animated movie is incredible! This is one of my favorite Disney/Pixar movies. The story is about a young girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco with her family and how her emotions support and confuse her through the move. Amy Poehler as Joy, Bill Hader as Fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness and Lewis Black as Anger are perfect for the roles. It gets the audience attached to her emotions. The animation is spot on. It is so detailed and life-like that sometimes, it made me forget that it is a cartoon and not real. For instance, people say that memories can be kept in file cabinets in your brain. In this movie, they are kept in storage cabinets and it looks like what actually could be in our brains. Also, they introduce little characters that are very funny. In one part, they have a machine that makes imaginary boyfriends and the boyfriends say “I would die for you, Riley.”

Category - Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

The Adventures of Gumby: The Complete GOS Series

Eddie The Eagle

KUNG FU PANDA 3

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

Pan

Gumby

ABC Monsters

Ant-Man

Inside Out

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