KIDS FIRST! News

Based on the Caldecott Honor Children’s book series Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth, Stillwater is produced by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment and centers on siblings Karl, Addy and Michael, who are typical kids with typical kid challenges – meaning that sometimes even the smallest things can feel insurmountable. Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater, a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater gives the children a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges. Stillwater also brings newfound fun and adventure for the three, opening their eyes to the quiet wonders of the world around them, and guiding them to their place within it.  KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, “Stillwater is a unique offering this winter, combining stories from around the world with an endearing cast, as well as profound morals. This superb bundle will surely be attractive to young viewers!” See his full review below.

Stillwater
By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

Stillwater is a unique offering this winter, combining stories from around the world with an endearing cast, as well as profound morals. This superb bundle will surely be attractive to young viewers!

Stillwater revolves around siblings Karl, Addy and Michael who have a unique anthropomorphic mammal as their neighbor – a wise panda named (surprise, surprise) Stillwater! Stillwater loves tai-chi, trying new things and eating bamboo shoots. Plus he seems to have the answer to any question the three kids ask. Thus, they have a very special friendship and bond with Stillwater; his stories help shape their perspective on life, the worl, and their relationships with others.

James Sie, Judah Mackey, Eva Binder and Tucker Chandler make up the main cast of this film. Binder and Chandler, who play Addy and Michael respectively, are secondary characters, whose performances don’t necessarily take center-stage, but still are quite skillful. Speaking of center-stage, Sie, who plays Stillwater the zen-friendly panda, puts on a superb performance. He succeeds in capturing the essence of what (at least, I think) a panda would sound like if it could speak, with his deep and sonorous voice. Sie was a great choice to play Stillwater, who discusses Chinese and East Asian culture in the show since he himself is of Chinese descent.

I also love Judah Mackey’s portrayal of Karl, the inquisitive, sensitive youngest child in the family, who has a special affection for his panda friend. Mackey, along with many of the other characters in the film, help the show maintain its momentum because of their strong performances. A tip of the hat is in order for all the writers of the show, as well as the animators and producers behind it, as they seamlessly and intricately detail Stillwater the panda’s famed stories with backdrops of Chinese villages, Indian temples, Central American forests and adorable cartoonish animal characters from all regions. The inclusion and appreciation of cultural elements, specifically from Asia, is refreshing and exactly what we like to see! The score of the show also really stands out, as the serene notes of the Xiao, sitar and guitar help accent all of the six episodes’ action-packed scenes.

Each episode of this show promotes a different, positive message. These include perseverance, patience, recognizing your inner talent, overcoming your fears, teamwork and being there for those you love. Stillwater promotes positive social behavior and is a great family watch.

I give Stillwater 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 7. Stillwater is releasing on Apple TV+ on December 4, 2020.

A young and unskilled fairy godmother ventures out on her own to prove her worth by tracking down a young girl whose request for help was ignored. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Lindalee R. comments, “If you haven’t heard by now, there’s a new Disney film that’s sure to become a favorite holiday classic—it’s the magical movie called Godmothered. This filmis a fun look at the world of Fairy Stepmothers yet also a sad realization that not enough people nowadays believe in magic or that magical things can happen if you wish for them with all your heart.” See her full review below.

Godmothered
By Lindalee R., KIDS First! Film Critic, Age 12

If you haven’t heard by now, there’s a new Disney film that’s sure to become a favorite holiday classic—it’s the magical movie called Godmothered. This filmis a fun look at the world of Fairy Stepmothers yet also a sad realization that not enough people nowadays believe in magic or that magical things can happen if you wish for them with all your heart.

Set at Christmastime, Godmothered is a comedy about Eleanor (Jillian Bell), a young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training, who learns that the future of godmothers is coming to an end forever. Feeling that she can save herself and her fellow fairy godmothers from unemployment or from getting new jobs as tooth fairies, she decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers, magic, and a chance to live “happily ever after,” in their lives!

Not only does Eleanor help Kate, the single mom who is the focus of her mission, as well as helping Kate’s kids along the way, but they all eventually end up helping to boost Eleanor’s confidence and belief that she can still make someone’s dream come true.  Together they help Eleanor believe that maybe she still has a chance at keeping fairy godmothers employed, even in modern times.

Like nearly all Disney movies, Godmothered has that look and feel of something magical on and off screen. From the sets decorated for the holidays, the snow on the ground, to the big Christmas parade, visually, this movie keeps you in the holiday mood the whole time. Eleanor’s Fairy-Godmother dress will remind you of those worn in past Disney movies, and the holiday music mixed with wand waving special effects all add to the fun. You can tell from the on-camera performances of the actors that not only were they having a lot of fun making this movie, but when the cameras stopped, it feels like the fun  continued as well. I love how Eleanor keeps as cheery and sugary sweet as you a storybook fantasy character might and it was fun to see her react to people, places, things and events in the “real world” that she was not accustomed to experiencing in her own world. 

The message of this film is to never give up. That believing you can achieve your goals and staying determined to make them a reality is the one true way to make them happen. In Godmothered, Eleanor realizes her original plans weren’t going to happen as she anticipated, but she found a way to work around them and still create a “happily ever after” in the end.

I give Godmothered 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. It’s hilarious, heartwarming and a magical holiday film for all ages. Godmothered premieres exclusively on Disney+ on December 4, 2020. Don’t miss it. 

Renato, a Mexican aviation exec, is shocked to learn he has an American half-brother he never knew about, the free-spirited Asher. They are forced on a road trip together, tracing the path their father took from Mexico to the US. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Carlee S. comments, “Half Brothers is a fun-loving movie with loveable characters which takes you on a wild adventure that will have you laughing. Along the way the characters learn about each other and their father.  They also learn a lot about themselves. These two brothers with opposite personalities must unite to uncover the hidden truth of the past.” See her full review below plus Benjamin P.’s interview with director Luke Greenfield.

Half Brothers
By Carlee S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15

Half Brothers is a fun-loving movie with loveable characters which takes you on a wild adventure that will have you laughing. Along the way the characters learn about each other and their father.  They also learn a lot about themselves. These two brothers with opposite personalities must unite to uncover the hidden truth of the past.

The story begins with young Renato (Ian Inigo) enjoying time with his dad, Flavio (Juan Pablo Espinosa). Things change when Renato’s dad leaves Mexico to go to the U.S. to look for work and does not return.  Years later when Renato (Luis Gerardo Mendez) is a grown up, he gets a phone call saying his dad is extremely sick and he needs to come right away. He is torn between wanting to go and staying home to prepare for his wedding.  He decides to go and gets the surprise of meeting his half-brother, Asher (Connor Del Rio) who he did not know existed. Their dad sends them on a wild journey to get the answers Renato has wanted to know his whole life – why his dad never came back for him. Along the way, he gets to know his half brother as they go on a hilarious and bonding scavenger hunt across America to get the answers.

My favorite scene is when Asher steals the goat from the barn. It kept me laughing and intrigued. All the actors make this odd situation funny and memorable.  I also enjoyed the music selections playing during their road trips. They are catchy, uplifting and always enhance the mood of these scenes. Asher is an easy character to like. He always has a positive attitude and his clothing choices throughout the movie really fit his character.

The messages in this film are about how forgiving can be life changing, that it is okay to be yourself, and accepting others’ differences can lead to the best friendships. While forgiveness is not always an easy thing to do, it is better to forgive than to hold onto something that makes you unhappy. Being yourself is important. Just because you are different it does not make you less important. Accepting differences in others can lead to happiness.  You should know that there is some explicit language, the use of guns and violence and there is talk about some adult situations.

I give Half Brothers 5 out of 5 stars. It has some amazing messages that are delivered in a very humorous way. I recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults. This film comes out in theaters December 4, 2020.

Marco, 12, is obsessed with his iPad and hardly leaves the house. But when his grandmother dies and his grandfather moves in, Marco’s life is turned upside-down and he’s forced…to go play outside. “Nonno” (Grandpa) introduces him to bocce ball and to the neighborhood crew of old Italian men who play daily at the local court. With sport, laughter and love, Marco finds connection to other people and rounds up a team of neighborhood kids to take on Marco’s grandfather and his pals. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Katherine S. comments, “Team Marco is a wonderful, heartwarming and sweet movie. This family-friendly fun comedy will have you laughing, bring you joy and inspire you to seize each day.” See her full review below.

Team Marco
By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Team Marco is a wonderful, heartwarming and sweet movie. This family-friendly fun comedy will have you laughing, bring you joy and inspire you to seize each day.  

This movie is about a boy named Marco (Owen Vaccaro) who is insanely addicted to video games. When his grandmother dies and his house nearly burns down, his grandpa, Nonno (Anthony Patellis), moves in. Nonno is extremely bothered with his grandson’s obsession with video games. Nonno will not stand for this and takes measures into his own hands. He decides to take away all of Marco’s electronics and forces him to play outside. Nonno teaches Marco his favorite sport – bocce ball. Can Marco and his team of friends beat Nonno and his gang of neighborhood Italian bocce ballers in a bocce ball tournament?  

This movie was written, directed and produced by Julio Vincent Gambuto, and it is his first feature film. This story is inspired by a real-life experience. About four years ago, when Julio was visiting his nieces and nephews, he noticed that his nephew, Marco, didn’t even greet him when he arrived at their house because his head was buried in his electronics. This sparked the idea for his movie. The film takes place in Julio’s beloved hometown, Staten Island, NY. It was filmed on location, which was very important to Julio. He loves his hometown community and was passionate about it being filmed on Staten Island.

My favorite characters are Nonno and Marco. I really like the performances of Anthony Patellis because of his dry sense of humor and his love of family, which shines through. He is very entertaining while playing the cranky grandpa battling technology. Owen Vaccaro convincingly plays the “pre-teen techie” Marco. I can relate to his love of electronics and his struggles trying to balance Nonno’s desire for conversation, friendship and connecting through Nonno’s favorite sport, bocce ball. My favorite part of the movie is when Nonno is trying to figure out the Google Assistant.

The main message of the movie is to be present when around your family. This film shows technology is not always bad, and in fact connects us. It also reminds everyone that, while technology will be around forever, your family will not be. Cherish the time you have with your family.  

I give Team Marco 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 14, plus adults. Team Marco will be released on most streaming platforms November 20, 2020. Look for it.