Kids Flick: Princess and the Frog (Ron Clements) Rated G

My classes will soon be over for the semester, which means my review process will come to an end. Occasionally when I find a great movie worth seeing, I might jump online and write a review. Thanks for all of you that tuned in to hear my thoughts and critiques. My last review is a movie that has recently come out on DVD and it one of the best Disney movie's I have ever seen. This is a movie that everyone should own.

Tiana, played by Anika Noni Rose, is a hopeful young girl growing up in New Orleans in the Jazz Era. She dreams of fulfilling her daddy's dreams of opening a restaurant which has great food and lots of jazz music.
A prince travel to New Orleans and finds himself in a shady deal with "the shadow man" who tricks him into giving up much to become a frog.
Prince Naveen finds Tiana and convinces her to kiss him. But instead of a handsome Prince standing before her, Tiana finds herself also being changed into a frog.

This is a delightful film I would recommend for just about everyone. I let my little girl, almost 2, watch it and she is thoroughly entertained.
Plot/Story:3
It's pretty easy to follow. It's a little scary with the voodoo magic but I don't see a problem unless your children is very sensitive.
Language:3
Attention: 2
Like I said my daughter just eat this up.
Adult Enjoyment: 7
I thoroughly enjoy this film. The music was fun and upbeat.
Overall: 3
This is one to own! My 2-year-old sat through it, but she really likes princesses. Give it a try.

Kamie

Kids Flick:How to train your dragon (Dean DeBlois) Rated PG

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) dreams of being like his father, Stoick (Gerard Butler),the leader of the vikings. The only thing Hiccup has to do is kill a dragon, which proves to be difficult. After many failed attempts, he soon finds himself face to face with the most dangerous dragons of all "The Night Fury". However, hiccup notices that these dragon aren't as dangerous as they seem.

I am happy to report yet another movie I would recommend seeing! My husband and I both loved this movie (which is quite rare for us). With the witty writing of Deblois and great portrayal of the actors, this film is a great movie.
Plot/Story: 4
In the beginning, the film briefly names 20 or more types of dragons. Even as an adult I found myself quite lost. No need to worry though, it's not a main point in the movie.
Language: 3
This week in my creative writing class, we are starting a screenplay. My professor cautioned us that most people prefer movies to be rated R and the language needs to be unfiltered. This film is a perfect example that swearing is unnecessary. This film was witty and rich in story WITHOUT ANY SWEAR WORDS!!!
Attention: 6
Younger kids might get bored.
Content/Appropriateness: 6
There are many battle scenes in this movie that are kind of scary. Nothing really to be to concerned for. There's also a brief joke regarding his mother's breast, but the kids might not even pick up on it.
Adult Enjoyment:7
We thoroughly enjoyed this film, but consider ourselves young at heart. If you enjoy other Dreamworks pictures such as Skrek, this is a must see for you!
Overall:5
Take your kids! They will love this entertaining family film.
P.S. The dragon in this film is so cute. I'm really thinking about adopting a pet dragon.

Kamie

Kids Flick: Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton) Rated PG

Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to Wonderland several years later to find that the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) has taken over and almost destroyed Wonderland.

It's been quite a while since I've enjoyed a film this much. I'm not the biggest Tim Burton fan, however I found myself forgetting about the review and actually enjoying the film! The actors were wonderful and crazy! Johnny Depp did a fabulous job portraying the Mad Hatter. I would recommend seeing this film in the theaters. There's very little inappropriate content in the film. However if you haven't seen both the Disney and 1985 (TV) version you might be a little confused by the plot.
Plot/Story:5
Mainly because of the complicated story.
Language:4
This silly story would be great for the little ones. Although they might not understand every word said, they will love the silly characters
Attention:5
Content/Appropriateness:3
There is one battle scene where the Jabberwocky is beheaded. Maybe you can cover their eyes.
Adult Enjoyment:7
This film is really for all ages!
Overall:4
Unless you are daring, I wouldn't recommend this film for the 3-year-olds. But when it comes out on video this film would be great for the whole family to see.

Kamie

Tween Cinema:Valentine's Day (Garry Marshall) rated PG-13

This films is about several different Valentine's Day stories that connect in someway. This all-star cast gives a good performance, but I would wait and rent it when it comes out.
Self Image: Again the women in this movie are super skinny and need to eat something. In the first 10 minutes of the film I saw three girls in their underwear. It felt very unnecessary.
Substance Abuse: Surprisingly enough there was little to no alcohol in this film (expect for wine at dinner).
Sex and Dating: Let me first say that this film is NOT a film for young audiences. The whole film is about sex and relationships. I felt the film would be inappropriate for anyone under 17. Anne Hathaway plays a "phone sex" girl. Patrick Dempsey is cheating on his wife. These two examples are main story lines and seem to devalue true love. Another story line was two high school seniors planning to have sex for the first time. I would suggest no bringing your high school student who thinks it's inevitable to loose your virginity in high school.
Friends: Friendship seem to be a main theme of the film. I did enjoy George Lopez's relationship with his friend. "I married my best friend," Lopez said. What a great concept.
Family: Hardly any family was involve in these stories. Mainly because it was all about relationships. Though, it is possible to show love to someone other than who your sleeping with.

To be honest, I didn't like the film. The writing and editing were poorly done. That says much because I'm not very observant. I REALLY would say wait for it to come out. Instead take your kids to the arcade and have some family fun.

Kids Flick: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Chris Colombus) Rated PG

Logan Lerman plays Percy Jackson, a half-human half-god son of Poseidon. This "demigod" is accused of stealing Zesus' lightning bolt and must return it to him before the summer solstice. This talented cast includes Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman and Kevin McKidd. I enjoyed this film but let me state here and now THIS FILM IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! Please read on

Plot/Story: 5
I liked that a boy who struggled in school because of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder could amount to so much. His weakness became his great attribute. I thought this film would be great for boys who are having trouble getting along with their fathers. This is a great self-esteem boost for those struggling with ADHD.
Language: 5
Pretty mild language but if you have a child that has a problem with language I wouldn't recommend this film. "Highway to Hell", is played in this movie for kids. I felt it was unnecessary.
Attention: 4
With all the action packed sequences, it would be difficult to not pay attention. It held my daughters attention for about an hour. That pretty awesome.
Content/Appropriateness: 7
This film is VERY SCARY. Please be aware that if you bring your 5-year-old who isn't used to a lot of violence and action, they will not enjoy the film. One part that struck me was when they decapitated Medusa. Then the group traveled around her head for the rest of the film. It was quite disturbing. As parents, you know what your kid can handle. Please be aware that if I as an adult was surprised at how dark the film is, your kids might not say it but think of how it will effect them.
Adult Enjoyment: 7
I enjoyed the film. It was very entertaining.
Overall: 6
I would strongly recommend leaving your kindergartner at home. Although thorough enjoyable, the content is scary!

Kamie

Dear John (Nicholas Sparks)

Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried start in this romantic drama about a summer love that develops into to much more. Tatum plays John Tyree, a military solider who wants his life to be something more. "Long stretches of boring" is how Tyree expresses his experience in the Army. Seyfried plays Savannah Curtis, a young hopeful girl who's love for John helps him through life's hardest experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed this show. I'm quite a fan of Nicholas Sparks novels and appreciated the modest content in the film (for the most part).

Self Image: Again this film will most likely attract teen girls. I was impressed with the way the main girl was portrayed. She was smart, modest, and didn't drink or smoke. She spends her time building homes for people in need and taking care of an autistic child. Seyfried isn't the most beautiful actress, yet she has a very down-to-earth look. This is the type of girl I would like my daughter to look to for a role model.

Substance Abuse: There were a few scenes where other kids were drinking but I think that was mainly to set her apart from the crowd. Seriously? A teenager not drinking? What a crazy idea!

Sex and Dating: During the film there was a very sensual love scene. After the film I interviewed two girls Karlie Kennedy, 17, and Alixanne Taylor, 17, two seniors from Freemont High School. Both of them expressed their discomfort during the "love scene," and felt that it could have been taken out of the film. Kennedy had mentioned that she read the book and felt that the movie didn't portray how important making love was to Curtis. Isn't it interesting what Hollywood chooses to leave out? Both girls also mentioned their parents were pretty open about sex and substance abuse which was something very apparent in talking with them. "(The love scene) wasn't as bad as some I've seen," Taylor admitted after we discussed the content.

Friends: There's weren't many friends in this movie. The story was much stronger with the smaller cast.

Family: Family was a big part of each character's life. The film also portrayed different struggles that families deal with. Tyree cared for his father deeply and I noticed myself loving his character more for that.

All in All I really liked this movie. There was very little offensive language and violence. This film is worth seeing. I would recommended it for 14 and older.

Kamie

Any Suggestions?

Thank-you for all the wonderful feedback to this blog! It's nice to see other parents actively involved in their child's theater decisions. If there is an upcoming movie you would like reviewed, please let me know. Thanks

Kamie