The storyline is about a girl who worries about her BFF and convinces her that they should learn telepathy in case she is ever in trouble. Along comes Riley who tells them about a mysterious realm called Bike Land Ends - and their adventure takes off!
This short film offers sci-fi to young viewers in a storyline they can easily get into. It's well shot and the young actors (who are the filmmaker's own kids and neighborhood kids) are quite charming. They are easy to understand without being cloyingly childish. The whole idea of learning telepathy to communicate is fun and fantasy all tied together. I wasn't quite sure exactly where the bike lane portal is - you can only get in if you're on a bike. Rumor has it that someone entered it and never returned. When Tilly disappears in the portal, she reaches out to Iris telepathically - magically so - and we are privileged to observe them as they converse telepathically, but in whole body. The visuals of the portal are fun and realistic. Safety is always taken into consideration -- the kids wear helmets on their bikes, and Iris's bike has training wheels. The camera work is quite good, from long shots to close-ups. The background music is terrific, with appropriate spooky sounds every now and then as the tension builds. This is a terrific short for the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival - it fits right in! It's fun and adventurous, exciting without being scary.
I give The Bike Lane 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. By David E. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
The storyline is about a girl who worries about her BFF and convinces her that they should learn telepathy in case she is ever in trouble. Along comes Riley who tells them about a mysterious realm called Bike Land Ends - and their adventure takes off!
This short film offers sci-fi to young viewers in a storyline they can easily get into. It's well shot and the young actors (who are the filmmaker's own kids and neighborhood kids) are quite charming. They are easy to understand without being cloyingly childish. The whole idea of learning telepathy to communicate is fun and fantasy all tied together. I wasn't quite sure exactly where the bike lane portal is - you can only get in if you're on a bike. Rumor has it that someone entered it and never returned. When Tilly disappears in the portal, she reaches out to Iris telepathically - magically so - and we are privileged to observe them as they converse telepathically, but in whole body. The visuals of the portal are fun and realistic. Safety is always taken into consideration -- the kids wear helmets on their bikes, and Iris's bike has training wheels. The camera work is quite good, from long shots to close-ups. The background music is terrific, with appropriate spooky sounds every now and then as the tension builds. This is a terrific short for the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival - it fits right in! It's fun and adventurous, exciting without being scary.
I give The Bike Lane 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. By David E. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
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