KIDS FIRST! News

If you missed it in theaters a few months ago - or want to be able to revisit it at your leisure - Twentieth Century Fox is releasing Mirror Mirror on DVD and Blu-ray on Tues., June 26. In this updated version of the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the dwarfs have new names - and much stronger personalities, as KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Julianna Noone, age 12, describes in her review (below). In fact, she says, “My favorite characters are the dwarfs, because they are funny and have more personality than the dwarfs in the classic story.” KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Anthony Aranda, age 9, find Mirror Mirror “has a lot more action than the classic Snow White and there are a lot more cool parts.”

There are, of course, extras on the DVD on top of a high-quality presentation of the movie. But it’s the Blu-ray version that really turns on the magic, including a behind-the-scenes featurette, a toe-tapping dance-along to the reworked Nina Hart song “I Believe in Love” performed by the film’s Lily Collins (Snow White) that plays over the end credits, interactive digital storybook, deleted scenes and much more.

Mirror Mirror
Reviewed by Julianna Noone
(See her full review on video.)

Do you love classic fairy tales, but wish the stories could be a little more up to date? Well, then you will love the new film Mirror Mirror. Mirror Mirror is an updated take on the classic fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 

The film stars Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich and My Best Friend’s Wedding) as the Queen, Lily Collins (Abduction and The Blind Side) as Snow White, Armie Hammer (J. Edgar and The Social Network) as Prince Alcott, and Nathan Lane (Birdcage and The Producers) as Brighton. The Seven Dwarfs are still part of the action, but they, too, are updated to be more relevant to today’s audiences. The dwarves are: Jordan Prentice as Napolean, Mark Povinelli as Half Pint, Joe Gnoffo as Grub, Danny Woodburn as Grimm, Sebastian Saraceno as Wolf, Ronald Lee Clark as Chuckles and Martin Klebba as Butcher. 

The Queen is left in charge of the kingdom after the King disappears. The Queen cares nothing for Snow White or the kingdom and is only interested in keeping herself rich and in power. To do that she must get rid of Snow White and find a way to make Prince Alcott love her. So you can see that the basis of the story remains true to the classic fairy tale, but don’t worry, there are twists along the way that keep the story fresh and exciting. Once the Queen believes Snow White is dead, she moves on with her plan to marry the prince and live happily ever after. Snow White and the seven dwarfs have other plans and the action picks up with their fight to save the prince and their kingdom.   

My favorite part of the movie is when Snow and the dwarfs show up at the wedding to save the prince. The dwarfs all hide in various places, such as under tables and under men’s long coats, but the funniest part is when Chuckles hides under a woman’s umbrella dress and cracks up laughing when he sees her undergarments – it’s a very funny and well-shot scene. My favorite characters are the dwarfs, because they are funny and have more personality than the dwarfs in the classic story. These dwarfs bring a great deal of character to the movie. I also do love Snow White in this movie, because she is strong and plays a heroine in this version of the story.

I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars, because this is a well-written and humorous take on a classic story and, while the basis of the classic story is there, there are enough twists to the story to keep it funny and interesting. Also, there are quite a few “laugh out loud” scenes that will keep you smiling throughout the film. I would recommend this film for ages 5 to adult, especially those who are fans of classic fairy tales. Enjoy this entertaining twist on this classic story.  

Mirror Mirror
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda
(See his full review on video.)

I am reviewing a really funny and family-friendly movie called Mirror Mirror. This movie is about Snow White and the seven dwarfs. I really like this movie because it has a lot more action than the classic Snow White and there are a lot more cool parts. 

This movie is all about a girl named Snow White whose evil stepmother mistreats her and the people who live in the kingdom. Snow White gets help from seven unusual dwarfs to take back her kingdom and help her people.

Some of the main characters in the movie are Snow White, the seven dwarfs, the evil queen and Prince Alcott. My favorite character is Prince Alcott because he is a really funny character. He drinks a potion that gives him puppy love and he does some really funny things. When The Queen throws a book out the window, the prince runs down all the stairs to try and fetch it. It is really funny!

My favorite part in the movie is when the evil queen gets help from black magic and two puppets on strings go to where the seven dwarfs live to try and hurt Snow White. These puppets are dancing around trying to get the dwarfs while Snow White is running to help them. Snow White gets a sword and cuts the strings and the puppets fall down. Another really cool part of the movie is when The Queen goes into her mirror. She walks right though it and comes out of the water into a place out in the middle of nowhere where she does her black magic. That is really cool.

I would recommend this movie for ages 5 and up because there are some sword-fighting scenes and a few parts that might scare little kids. Kids older than 5 would enjoy this movie especially if they know the classic Snow White story.

Photos: Mirror Mirror Blu-ray box art (top), Julianna Noone (middle), Anthony Aranda (bottom)

The early deadline for KIDS FIRST! Film Festival submissions is extended to June 30! That most economical of times to submit a film for festival consideration will hold all the way through the month. Send us your application by June 30 and pay only $20-$40 per title (see the “submit a title” page on our website for an explanation of categories and fees). KIDS FIRST! screens films at more than 100 children’s film festival venues around the country.

Other deadlines for this submission period are:
July 10, for the regular deadline
July 20, for the late deadline
July 25, for the extended late deadline for CQCM members and Withoutabox

Deadlines refer to the date we receive your submission application, not your product, so there is still time to submit for the early deadline!

The next submission period will start in December, for the second of our two annual submission periods.

While we have two submission periods for films, we accept screenplays year-round. Fee is a flat $55.

All screenplay entries will receive written, detailed feedback, and we’ve heard from many screenwriters that they’ve found this a marvelous opportunity to make their screenplays even stronger. Screenplays are now eligible for our KIDS FIRST! Recommended logo, too – and will be considered for the KIDS FIRST! Best Screenplay Award.

Our KIDS FIRST! Best webpage is up and running. Check it out to see films and trailers of our nominated and winning titles. Most of our nominees from the 2012 KIDS FIRST! Best Awards have given us permission to highlight their nominated and/or winning film or trailer on our new KIDS FIRST! Best site. Check it out here. Congratulations to all our nominees for making great children’s films!

We will be giving KIDS FIRST! Best Awards twice per year. We’ve made this change to align with the twice-a-year submission schedule (now just mid year and late year instead of quarterly.)

Don’t miss out! Send in your submission application by June 30 to be eligible for early deadline entry fees!

One of the special characteristics that makes watching a Pixar film such a satisfying experience is the characters are so fully human, however unbelievable their form may be. Their emotions, their actions - the audience can relate to them, and so get pulled into the movie.

As the KIDS FIRST! youth film critics share in their reviews, below, Brave accomplishes this feat - perhaps better than any other. Says Cheyenne Nguyen, age 8, describing the interaction between the main character, Princess Merida, and her mother, “You can feel the love they have for each other but not knowing how to show it.” (Cheyenne also shares her experience meeting with the director and cast.) Morgan Bertsch, age 7, says, “It’s an up and down rollercoaster ride because every scene makes you experience a different feeling beating in your heart.” And the film is for all ages, as Raven Devanney, age 14, shares, “I laughed and cried hysterically throughout this whole film, and it even moved my parents to tears. Even my dad, and he never cries at films.”

Brave
Reviewed by Cheyenne Nguyen
(See a full review from Cheyenne and Morgan Bertsch on video.)

Brave is an animated Disney/Pixar movie in 3-D.

If you like adventure and love suspense, this is the movie.

This is the very first princess movie by Pixar. Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a tomboy and loves all roughness from her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly). Her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), is trying to raise her according to tradition, to behave like a lady.

Merida’s spirit is so strong and her mother is having a hard time talking to her. Neither one of them listens to each other.

You can feel the love they have for each other but not knowing how to show it. When one of them can’t speak, and only show their love in actions, this is when they understand each other’s feeling.

This movie is very funny with all the Scottish men, who are so silly with their kilts, some with no teeth and some with really crooked teeth. The triplets are hilarious.

The music is so relaxing with the beautiful Scotland sceneries. It’s also very festive when all the clans are having a get-together.

You can see Princess Merida’s and the bear’s hair strands as though they are real. The quality of Pixar 3-D is out of this Earth.

The part I did not enjoy is the fogginess and the darkness of the movie and the scary legends. Also, some of the accents are thick and I could not understand what they say. It seems like they smash all the words into one big word.

The message in this movie is, you can change your fate if you have the courage to do it.

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this movie for kids ages 8 to 50. I see a lot of moms having tears and laughing at the same time.

Brave
Reviewed by Morgan Bertsch
(See a full review from Morgan and Cheyenne Nguyen on video.)

Brave is awesome by Disney/Pixar!

I got to see it tonight — the premier at Disney — it was the most enjoyable, fantastic experience! I loved the beginning short, with the little boy and the twinkling stars. I give it a moon-full of twinkling stars, it was that incredible.

Now let’s talk about Brave, shall we? It’s about a princess who wishes to change her fate. She also is a good girl in a bad sort of way. The film is awesome and I love it. It’s for families.

There is a witch, and when Merida decides she wants to change her fate, she is led to her by the Willow Wisps. The witch is half witch, half woodcutter. She is a master at sculpting bears from wood.

I love the three bears. They are adorable and really cute. If I had to add one thing to this movie, it would be more adventures with the three little bears. They were that cute!

My favorite scene in the movie is when the mother bear is learning how to fish. That is a great clip of the mother and daughter being together and learning something new.

Watching Brave, my emotions were all over the place. I was laughing, crying and frightened when the bear attacked. Then back to laughing, and it was hilarious. My feelings were great, and it’s an up and down rollercoaster ride because every scene makes you experience a different feeling beating in your heart.

Much of the animation looked real instead of animation, and that was amazing.

I think this is for ages 6 and up. I give it five twinkling stars plus another moon-full of stars for the beginning short, and that equals thirty hundred thousand stars.

Make sure you watch the end past the credits for another really good laugh. Watch it to the very end and don’t sneak out early.

Brave
Reviewed by Raven Devanney
(See her full review on video.)

Brave is a new Disney/Pixar film about a young princess who breaks tradition. Determined to change her fate, Princess Merida attempts to use a spell to change her mother’s opinion on marriage. But as Merida soon learns, not everything is as it seems when it comes to magic.

Brave is a visual masterpiece. And I honestly believe that it is the best Disney/Pixar film that I have ever seen. With such beautiful animation and an unsuspected story line, I believe that Brave will go down in history as one of the best animations ever.

I laughed and cried hysterically throughout this whole film, and it even moved my parents to tears. Even my dad, and he never cries at films. The emotion was so wonderful and so beautifully crafted, and the comedy was very spot on and hilarious. And it made for a wonderful emotional medley.

I think that my favorite character would definitely have to be Princess Merida because she is so strong and determined, even when she is faced with such challenges. I think that she is a character every young person should look up to. She’s also very determined to right her wrongs and fix her mistakes, which is something that every person should aspire to do.

My favorite scenes are watching the bear queen trying to figure out survival in the wilderness, because her facial expressions are so human. So kudos to the animators on that. And her personality – she still seems like she is in a castle, and it is very, very funny.

I think that the end of the film is the best part of the entire movie. It blew me away and it completely topped my expectations for any movie. But I can’t tell you about it; you’ll just have to go see it in theaters.

There are definitely some scary and some intense parts in this film, so parents, have caution when you’re watching it with your young children. But I definitely would recommend this film for all ages because it’s absolutely breathtaking and amazing.

On a scale of one to five stars, I would give Brave 20 stars, because it was, like I said, absolutely amazing. So grab all your friends and family and go see Brave, the new animated film, in theaters as soon as possible.

Photos: Brave poster (top); KIDS FIRST! youth film critics, top to bottom: Cheyenne Nguyen, Morgan Bertsch, Raven Devanney

Sunset Strip. It’s a name with the same sense of magic as that of the city it runs through: Hollywood. New Line Cinema’s release of Rock of Ages brings to theaters nationwide the Broadway stage hit built on the oft-told tale of young people coming to Hollywood in pursuit of a dream - in this case, to be a rock star. Add chemistry to the magic as their quest brings together small-town Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough, whose mastery of dance has earned her recognition as both a dancer and a choreographer) and city-boy Drew Boley (Diego Boneta, a successful singer in real life with gold and platinum records in Latin America, Brazil and Spain).

KIDS FIRST! youth critics Blake Hawes, age 15, and Raven Devanney, age 14, both give the musical a superlative “best” - and single out Tom Cruise for raves as hot rock ’n’ roller Stacee Jaxx. “He just kills in this movie,” says Blake. While Blake describes Cruise’s character as composed of different elements of rock stars from the ’60s and ’70s, Raven sums him up as “an egotistical, wild rocker.”

Check out the full reviews by Blake and Raven on the KIDS FIRST! website, and see why they recommend Rock of Ages for ages mid-teen and up.

Photos: Rock of Ages poster (top), Raven Devanney and Blake Hawes (bottom, left to right)

Miss Minoes has charmed audiences around the world, earning awards not just in its home of the Netherlands but at festivals as far-flung as the Artek International Children’s Festival in the Ukraine and the Chicago International Children’s Festival in the United States. Theatrically released in the U.S. last Christmas season, it is available on home video DVDs, Internet downloads and cable Video on Demand starting June 12. Ed Arentz, managing director of Music Box Films, which brought the film to the U.S., chats with KIDS FIRST! on our radio show Coming Attractions and shares more about the film in interview blog “‘Miss Minoes’ an Art-house Treasure for Kids,” posted separately from these reviews by KIDS FIRST! youth film critics Camille Bajema and Brianna Beaton.

“This film is a blend of fantasy and comedy that the whole family can watch together,” says Camille (age 10), noting that “there are so many funny parts.” The Dutch dialog of the original has been replaced with English dubbing, and Brianna (age 12) says the film is “easy to follow and enjoyable.” Brianna especially credits the acting of Carice van Houten, who, as the title character, “turns from a cat into a human and still has all her cat-like instincts.”

Miss Minoes
Reviewed by Camille Bajema
(See her full review on video.)

Miss Minoes was made in 2001 and filmed in The Netherlands. This film is a blend of fantasy and comedy that the whole family can watch together. I really enjoy this movie, based on the novel Minoes by Annie Schmidt and directed by Vincent Bal, because there are many cats in this film and I absolutely love cats. I also really like this film because there are so many funny parts, like when Miss Minoes is human but doesn’t know how to act like one.
 
This film is about a cat named Minoes (played by Carice van Houten) who gets turned into a human after drinking some chemicals from a deodorant factory. This part of the movie is a little confusing and hard to follow because they jump right into the story before the characters and plot have been developed. So make sure you pay close attention right at the beginning of the movie. Soon after [Minoes turns into a human], she meets a reporter named Tibbe (played by Theo Maassen), who writes for the local newspaper and is in desperate need of a good story in order to keep his job. Miss Minoes can talk to the neighborhood cats and helps Tibbe by organizing the cats to go out and find news, then bring it back, so she can tell Tibbe. He has lots of exciting stories to write about and becomes successful in his job. Throughout this film, Miss Minoes still acts like a cat though she’s a human from drinking the chemicals. Therefore, she still exhibits many feline behaviors such as nuzzling noses, sleeping in a box, climbing trees when she sees a dog, and climbing all over the rooftops at night. This is the funny part about her that makes you like her character.
My favorite scene is when Miss Minoes teaches Bibi (played by Sarah Bannier), who is Tibbe’s landlord’s daughter, to climb up on the roof. I like this part because I think it would be fun and adventurous to climb up on rooftops and in and out of windows! The part I don’t like in this film is when the villain named Ellemeet (played by Pierre Bokma), the owner of the deodorant factory, is shooting a gun at the cats in his garden. There is also more violence when Ellemeet kicks a cat in an alley and hits a cat’s paw with a bottle. Don’t worry, none of the cats get hurt. Ellemeet is a really bad guy, but he pretends to be nice to everybody and the animals. The townspeople think he’s a model citizen, but he’s anything but that! This film was originally [filmed] in Dutch and then they dubbed the voices, which doesn’t look too good.
 
I recommend this movie for boys and girls ages seven through twelve because there is some violence and suspense that might frighten younger children and the storyline is a little hard to follow. I give this film four out of five stars.

Miss Minoes
Reviewed by Brianna Beaton
(See her full review on video.)

This is a very cute, entertaining and enjoyable film with lots and lots of cats.

I like this film because it has a little humor and creativity. I love how Miss Minoes (Carice van Houten) turns from a cat into a human and still has all her cat-like instincts. To me, this is a very challenging role to be able to switch back and forth like that throughout the film. I really start to enjoy this film when Miss Minoes becomes friends with the humans and [I] see how she is communicating and reacting to them. This is really cool. I like how most of the background music is upbeat and goes beautifully with the specific scenes.

Miss Minoes is a Siamese cat that is curious and gets herself changed into a young woman by drinking some dangerous chemicals. She dresses and talks like a young woman, but also eats and climbs trees like a cat. She finds and helps a shy journalist, Tibbe (Theo Maassen), prove to his town that they have a villain for a factory boss who is not to be trusted. She gets all the latest and greatest information from all her little cat friends and passes it to Tibbe. Another main character is Bibi (Sarah Bannier), who is Tibbe’s closest friend but also is a kid.

Vincent Bal directs Miss Minoes, which is an adaptation of the 1970 novel by Annie M.G. Schmidt that was released in the Netherlands in 2001. This film is dubbed in English, is easy to follow and enjoyable.

A couple of great messages in this film are to respect each other’s differences and to not judge a book by its cover, because Miss Minoes’ outside appearance is a woman but underneath she is truly a cat.
Miss Minoes is great for ages eight to twelve and mostly girls who love cats; they will definitely enjoy this film.

I give this film four out of five stars because, although it’s a great cat film, I just think it has a little too many cats for a dog lover like me.

Miss Minoes is overall a good film and I’m sure you will like it as well. So don’t forget to get your copy on DVD — and always listen to your felines.

Photos: Miss Minoes poster (top), Camille Bajema (middle), Brianna Beaton (bottom)

Miss Minoes, which becomes available today on DVD, was released to acclaim in the Netherlands in 2001. “It won their equivalent of an Oscar Best Picture and Best Actress” says Ed Arentz. The managing director of Music Box Films, the distribution company that has brought Miss Minoes to the United States, felt it was a classic when he first saw it but was able to acquire the film only recently. “It’s an example of the wonderful European kid/family films that largely go unseen here,” he says. Bringing it to the U.S. “was an effort on our part to reclaim this fairly recent classic.”

Based on the novel Minoes, the film is about a cat who turns into a young woman and befriends a struggling journalist, helping him gather information about a respected town leader who is, in actuality, not the good person he pretends to be. Arentz notes the author, Annie Schmidt, is so revered in the Netherlands that there is a statue to her in Amsterdam.

Arentz says he has watched the movie two or three times – notable for someone who says, “I rarely watch a movie more than once.”  Miss Minoes “has something of wider value than just for cat-nuts,” he adds, describing the lead performance by Carice van Houten as “Audrey Hepburn-esque as she clambers over rooftops in her green skirt and high heels.”

And all the cats … “I thought at first they were animatronics,” Arentz recalls. But they are real cats, highly trained. Although, he shares, “I saw out-takes where they didn’t hit their mark. It was pretty funny.”

The dubbing is another attribute Arentz feels was well-done. With British dubbing, the characters’ British accent adds an exotic aspect. “It’s a more storybook quality – not something that happens just down the street,” he says.

“The main challenge was creating a new digital version from the camera negative,” Arentz says. He notes that, in the decade since Miss Minoes was made, there have been a lot of changes in how films are presented. “We went back to the original camera negative with the producers, did an HD digital master and then created the DVDs.”

Arentz refers to Miss Minoes as a reclamation project, in a sense. “It’s part of our programming strategy to obtain ‘art-house’ films for kids – universal stories that happened to be produced in Europe,” he says. He expects it to be “one of those ’sleeper’ cult films that parents and children discover” and that are passed along to the next generation.

Arentz also spoke with KIDS FIRST! as a guest on our Coming Attractions radio show.

Released theatrically in some U.S. cities last Christmas season, Miss Minoes comes out today, June 12, on home video DVD and, simultaneously, is available on Internet downloads and cable Video on Demand.

Photos: Miss Minoes poster (top), Ed Arentz (middle), Carice van Houten as Miss Minoes (bottom)

The first Madagascar movie hit the screens in 2005, racked up a number of awards wins and nominations (including an ASCAP award for composer Hans Zimmer and a Kids Choice award for Chris Rock as the voice of Marty) and spawned two sequels and a TV series in seven short years. The latest from DreamWorks is Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, the the voices now indelibly associated with the main characters: Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Cedric the Entertainer.

KIDS FIRST! youth film critics share many reasons to head for the theaters once the movie is released on June 8:  Brianna Beaton (age 12) notes in her review, “There are several great messages in this film, one being that if you have a strong passion for something, fight for it and do it no matter what.” Cheyenne Nguyen (age eight) recommends it “for kids ages 4 to 99.” Julianna Noone (age 12) says, “The animation is fantastic in this film, and … the 3-D in this movie is exceptional.” And the word from Anthony Aranda (age 9) is, “I really hope they make another Madagascar.” Their full reviews are below, and you can catch them on video as well.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Reviewed by Brianna Beaton
(See her full review on video.)

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is very hilarious, entertaining and lots of fun to watch. I love the 3-D animation, humor and songs Madagascar 3 has. The song clips and the graphics during the circus performance are outstanding. The film has a great story plot, is easy to follow and will definitely keep your attention.

Madagascar 3 is about four friends who are still trying to return to their Zoo in the Big Apple, New York City. They go thru Monte Carlo and attract the attention of Animal Control. While in Europe they hop on a train with some traveling circus animals to get back to their home once again. They go on a wild adventure trying to run from Animal Control and get back to the good ol’ US of A.

One of my favorite parts is when the friends make a sand version of their beloved New York. It’s such a great reproduction that it makes them homesick, which is the reason they all try to get back home in the first place. Another favorite part is when they are singing “Afro Circus.” It will have you singing right along with them. The film has lots of funny parts and will leave you feeling really good.

Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon share in directing this hilarious film, and have done an outstanding job! It stars the voices of some great talent: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith and many more. DreamWorks Animation has done another great job with producing this film.

There are several great messages in this film, one being that if you have a strong passion for something, fight for it and do it no matter what. Also, go get what you want in life, don’t just wait for someone to give it to you. You can do it. To expect different results, sometimes you have to do something different.

Madagascar 3 is rated PG. I recommend it for ages 5 to 15 — I think it reaches out to young and older ages. Many parents will also enjoy this with their kids!
 
Overall, I give this film an overwhelming 5 out of 5 stars because it is funny, it has catchy music, and the messages it has are really great and you can learn a lot from them.
 
Madagascar 3 travels into theaters on June 8, so make sure to go see this hilarious film.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Reviewed by Cheyenne Nguyen
(See her full review on video.)

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is funny, has great music and is an out-of-this-world 3-D feature.

This is the second sequel to the animated movie Madagascar. Alex the lion (voice-over by Ben Stiller), the zebra Marty (by Chris Rock), the hippo Gloria (by Jada Pinkett Smith), the giraffe Melman (by David Schwimmer) — these four main characters want to go home to their New York City Zoo. Where ever they go, trouble follows.

Going through a lot of trouble to get the penguins to help them to go home, Alex, the lion, becomes the most wanted creature in Europe. The four main characters join the circus to take them home to America. They make new circus friends: The jaguar Gia (voiced by Jessica Chastain), the sea lion Stefano (by Martin Short) and the Siberian tiger Vitaly (by Bryan Cranston).

The music is epic. It ranges from classic rock to hip hop to pop. You will leave the movie singing the theme song. The costumes are so colorful and very pretty. The 3-D brings everything so close to you that you want to move away in case it hits you. The laser lights are awesome. The cast is perfectly matched with the characters. The only bad part is the stereotyping — it makes fun of Europeans and Texans.

The lessons are there’s no place like home, friendships and joint efforts.

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it for kids ages 4 to 99. I saw a lot of adults laughing hard.

This movie opens Friday June 8, 2012, in most theaters.

Madagascar 3 – Europe’s Most Wanted
Reviewed by Julianna Noone
(See her full review on video.)

What do you get when you take a traveling circus and add in zoo animals, penguins and some lemurs? You get another hit movie from DreamWorks Animation – Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.

This movie takes off where the last film left us, with Alex (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty (voiced by Chris Rock), Melman (voiced by David Schwimmer) and Gloria (voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith) trying to get home to the Central Park Zoo. Written by Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach and directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, this animated hit has a great message that it passes along in this film. In my opinion, the message of this film is that the journey is often more fulfilling than getting to your destination, particularly when you are with the ones you love. Or in other words, if you are with the ones you love then it doesn’t matter where you are, that place is home.

The four main characters start off in Africa trying to figure out how to meet up with the penguins and get back on track in getting back to the Central Park Zoo. They end up finding the penguins, but their journey is just getting started as they head off across Europe trying to not only get home, but to not be captured by the villainous Captain DuBois (voiced by Frances McDormand). They find the perfect cover in avoiding the Captain in joining a traveling circus. The addition of the circus allows for the introduction of many new characters, one of which is my favorite character, Stefano, who is a horn-blowing seal.

Stefano is a very nice, happy character, but admittedly is not very smart. This goofiness only adds to how cute he is. And while Stefano may not be that smart, it’s his brilliant idea that may save the circus and all his new friends who are trying to get back to their beloved zoo.

One of my favorite scenes is the Afro Circus scene, where Marty tries to blend in with the circus, donning a rainbow-colored wig and polka dots on his body. He performs the “Afro Circus” song that I am sure everyone has seen in the trailers. My other favorite scene is when King Julien (voiced by Sasha Baron Cohen) meets his true love, in the form of a giant, tricycle-riding bear.

The animation is fantastic in this film, and while 3-D doesn’t always work for me, the 3-D in this movie is exceptional, particularly in the climactic scenes toward the end of the movie.

I recommend this film for all ages, as adults will love the humor and storyline just as much as children will. Go see this animated hit in theaters on June 8.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda
(See his full review on video.)Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is a really cool movie. This movie is amazing because of all the action and all the funny parts. I really enjoyed this movie because it is really animated and has a great storyline. I like how the movie has a bunch of characters that are really different and have such different personalities. That makes it really cool.Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most WantedThis movie is all about a lion and his friends who are in Africa and want to get home. So they travel to try to get back to New York. Their journey takes them through Europe, where they meet back up with the penguins. In Europe, animal control is after them the whole time they are there and end up following them even after they leave Europe.Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most WantedSome of the main characters in the movie are Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman and the penguins. I liked all the characters because they were all great and some are funny and some are worried but they are all really great characters. If I had to choose a favorite I would pick Alex, the lion, because he is really funny, and when everyone in the circus is really sad he helps them to cheer up and become a big hit.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most WantedMy favorite part in the movie is when the circus animals fly over the zoo to save Alex and his friends. This is really cool to me so when you see it you might like it. I also really like, at the end, where Marty sings a funny song dressed as a clown in polka dots and an afro. It is hilarious!

I would recommend this movie for all ages because all the parts are really funny and I think everyone would like it. This movie is really awesome and I really hope they make another Madagascar. Go out and see this movie in theaters on June 8.

Photos, top to bottom: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted poster, Brianna Beaton, Cheyenne Nguyen, Julianna Noone, Anthony Aranda

KIDS FIRST!’s partnership with Grand magazine - the first magazine for Boomer grandparents - has proved a natural fit. “One of the No. 1 things grandparents are looking for is things to do with [their] grandkids,” says the magazine’s editor and founder Christine Crosby, noting that participating in an activity with their grandkids ranks right up there with safety and security. Sharing experiences is what builds a bond, Crosby emphasizes, and the strength of KIDS FIRST! is its focus on “what’s going to give the child a positive entertainment experience.” With time at a premium, she points out, “Having someone who prescreens makes it better, so we don’t waste our time.”

Begun as a local magazine for grandparents in the St. Petersburg, Fla., area, Grand now has 100,000 readers through direct subscription and another 300,00-plus through disctribution of partner organizations, reaching grandparents all over the world. The idea of a magazine for grandparents was so unique when it launched in 2004 that the business article about it in a St. Petersburg paper was picked up by national services, and Crosby recalls her office was deluged with calls from people all over the country asking, “How do I get your magazine?” Babies R Us came in as a distribution partner, and the magazine went national with its second issue.

To reach even more readers, Grand initiated a “Grand Partners for Grandparents” program to connect with large-membership organizations that had an appropriate demographic. “We offered visibility in our digital edition and asked them to send the link to their members in their electronic newsletter and on their website,” Crosby says. Generations United, with its 800,000 members, is one of the many organizations Grand now partners with – and that KIDS FIRST, through its partnership with Grand, now reaches with its reviews of children’s entertainment.

The magazine evolved from a book series Crosby had been asked to do for the Florida Kinship Center at the University of South Florida on children being raised by their grandparents. Crosby, who had previously launched other family-related magazines, realized there was an unmet need for a magazine for grandparents. And a very hip audience it is, she notes. The audience has stayed with Grand as it transitioned from print to online-only, and Crosby is thrilled with the format as it allows the magazine to offer multi-media content that includes audio entertainment, videos and animation. The publication has also expanded to a radio show and an iPad app.

In all, Grand remains a content-driven publication, and KIDS FIRST! has been a valued partner since 2008 in its mission to serve grandparents. Says Crosby, “It was a perfect hook-up with Ranny, with [KIDS FIRST!’s] focus on children, and positive entertainment and edu-tainment for them.” 

Summer programming at the University of Hawaii at Manoa includes what Ann Brandman, who is in charge of the university’s community programming, calls “a rare treat”: a film festival for kids. (Screening this year on Sundays, June 3, 10 and 24 and July 8 and 15 at 3 p.m. in the UH Manoa Art Auditorium.) And Brandman credits KIDS FIRST! for bringing it together.

It was an Internet search that first introduced her to KIDS FIRST! Looking specifically for children’s programming, she says she came upon KIDS FIRST! in 2007 and thought, “This looks great. Could it really be this great?” 

The thrill of that discovery is still evident as she enthusiastically describes, “It was all there - the media literacy; broad participation [that includes] filmmakers, distributors, juries, films, the kids themselves and child advocates; and the notion of having criteria so the materials are appropriate [for kids of given age groups]. It was all there in one great package.”

Each year, Brandman develops a program balanced among age groups; animation and live action; features, shorts and foreign films. “Kids don’t get much of a chance to experience foreign films,” she says, noting that “we’re an island in the middle of the Pacific” and that she feels it’s important to expose kids to other cultures and see how the lives of kids in other countries are similar and different from their own.

Brandman is particularly excited about two feature films screening at this year’s festival: Miss Minoes, which she describes as an adorable film from a great distributor (Music Box Films), and Quill: The Life of A Guide Dog, shown in Japanese with subtitles. “In Hawaii, we have a lot of Japanese visitors and [a large] Japanese community, so I’m really pleased to be able to show such a heartwarming Japanese film.”

KIDS FIRST! has also been a marketer’s dream come true, Brandman has found, as we provide images and film clips for use in putting together the media releases. “It makes all the difference in the world when you supply [the media] with the material,” she explains. High-resolution images accompany the press releases she sends; select clips accompany her pitches to TV. Brandman gets the word out also by sending flyers to schools as well as notifying those on the University’s mailing list and getting the KIDS FIRST! film festival listed in the local events calendars.

And kids, she points out, always make for a good story – so this year, she has been making sure the local media know that one of Hawaii’s own, 15-year-old Blake Hawes, is a KIDS FIRST! youth film critic. Brandman’s appreciation of the KIDS FIRST! youth film critic program also reflects her background as a museum curator and her interest in improving kids’ media literacy. “Kids are so in the thick of [media onslaught], anything that can help them be critical consumers of information [is valuable]. That’s another part of KIDS FIRST! that’s so important.”

A good story can be well-told different ways. Wicked made a big splash giving an alternative understanding of Dorothy’s and Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West. Japanese Noh theater includes plays in which an action is retold from the point of view of each character. In Universal Pictures’ release Snow White and the Huntsman - which KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Anthony Aranda (age 10) says is “awesome” - director Rupert Sanders and writers Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini revisit the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. For more than seven decades the story has had the Walt Disney stamp of a fun children’s animation (Disney released the classic animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937), but its previous roots are in the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm, which hold a more sinister atmosphere than today’s “fairy tale” versions. Snow White and the Huntsman recreates that strong atmosphere of evil vs. good with all the fury that today’s audiences are used to in tales of magic and the supernatural.

Snow White and the Huntsman
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda
(See his full review on video.)

Snow and White and the Huntsman is an awesome new movie. I think this movie is great because it has lots of action and a little romance.

This move is all about Snow White, who had a happy life until her mother died and then the king found a new wife who turns out to be an evil queen. She locks Snow White away and the kingdom is very unhappy.

The main characters are Snow White (played by Kristen Stewart), the seven dwarfs, The Huntsman (played by Chris Hemsworth), the king, and the evil queen (Ravenna, played by Charlize Theron). My favorite characters are Snow White and The Huntsman because Snow White does not want to be killed so she stands up for herself and The Huntsman tries to save her. My favorite part in the movie is when Snow White and The Huntsman are in the village and he leaves and a little while later there are flaming arrows that come at the wood buildings so the houses start to burn down. This scene has a lot of action and suspense.

I would recommend this movie for ages 10 and up because I’m 10 and I loved this movie. I think that younger children might not like it because it is kind of violent and would scare them. This movie comes out in theaters on June 1st.

Photos: Snow White and the Huntsman poster (top), Anthony Aranda (bottom)