KIDS FIRST! News

West Virginia family man Jimmy Logan teams up with his one-armed brother Clyde and sister Mellie to steal money from the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Jimmy also recruits demolition expert Joe Bang to help them break into the track’s underground system. Complications arise when a mix-up forces the crew to pull off the heist during a popular NASCAR race while also trying to dodge a relentless FBI agent. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Samantha M. comments, “With such a divine plot, exquisite action scenes and comedic jokes, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The more you watch it, the better it gets.” See her full review below.

Logan Lucky
By Samantha Marcus, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 17

This enticing film kept my eyes peeled for a full two hours. With such a divine plot, exquisite action scenes and comedic jokes, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The more you watch it, the better it gets.

Set in West Virginia, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) works at the Charlotte Motor Speedway as a heavy equipment operator. Unfortunately, he loses his job because of a leg injury. Trying to reverse a family curse of failure and poverty, Jimmy Logan works with his brother Clyde (Adam Driver), his sister Mellie (Riley Keogh) and his friends Joe (Daniel Craig) and Fish Bang (Jack Quaid) to rob the Speedway.

Channing Tatum portrays Jimmy exceptionally well, especially his desire to never give up. When the robbery needs to be moved up a week earlier in the midst of the Coca Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, those events do not stop Jimmy from attaining his goals. Clyde Logan plays an Iraq war veteran who lost an arm and is very inspirational because he doesn’t let it affect his everyday life. Mellie Logan is the beautiful hairdresser who acts as a motherly figure to Jimmy’s daughter, Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie). Sadie is a confident girl who competes in beauty pageants and wins the audience over with her priceless smile. Every character is quite unique, so you are sure to relate to at least one of them.
Since the film is set in West Virginia, Southern accents are evident. It is great to see a film set in such a different social atmosphere. I enjoyed hearing the accents and it made me wonder if those same people might think California accents just as fascinating. My favorite part is when Jimmy uses a self tanner on his daughter. I am surprised that his ex-wife Bobbie Jo (Katie Holmes) allows this, since she is very strict and has full custody of their daughter. Sadie puts a bathing suit and goggles on while she tanning and it is hilarious.

The messages in this film are never give up, work with others and stay true to yourself. These are very inspirational, because the robbery couldn’t have taken place without a tremendous amount of teamwork and responsibility. If you want to achieve something, go for it, if that is what you truly want to do. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18. Since there is alcohol use, it is most suited for teens and adults. This film comes out in theaters nationwide on Friday, August 18, 2017. Go see it and find out if the Logans are truly lucky.

An orphan girl dreams of becoming a ballerina and flees her rural Brittany for Paris, where she passes for someone else and accedes to the position of pupil at the Grand Opera house. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Jolleen M. comments, “Leap! is a great film with a big meaning. This film teaches it all – honesty, perseverance and the importance of practice, family, believing in yourself, believing in your dreams and passion.” Sahiba K. adds, “A quick dive into the storyline and action captivated me from the beginning. The animation engrossed me with its beautiful and realistic settings of buildings, streets and skies. The designs of the characters’ outfits are unique and exquisite.” Dariana A. wraps it up with, “Leap! is a marvelous movie that is so inspirational. It has a classic plot of a dance movie, with amazing twists that keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more.” See their full reviews below.

Leap!
By Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Leap! is a great film with a big meaning. This film teaches it all – honesty, perseverance and the importance of practice, family, believing in yourself, believing in your dreams and passion. Felicie makes a lot of mistakes during her journey, which set her back, but that doesn’t stop her from continuing to push through.

The story begins when Felicie and her best friend, Victor escape from an orphanage. They take a train to Paris so that Felicie can attend a dance school there and Victor can become an inventor. They arrive in Paris without any money. During their journey, they encounter many challenges. As Felicie meets new people, a love conflict arises as well as a conflict with a wealthy lady who is pure evil and wants to crush Felicie’s dream.

A wealthy woman Regine (Kate McKinnon) is cruel, rude and arrogant, but a boy with a crush on Felicie protects her from Regine.  McKinnon makes Regine sound totally wicked in a bad but great way. The boy, Victor (Natt Wolf) is portrayed as a timid, but an optimistic and caring friend.

The animation in this film is spectacular! It is very detailed and their mouths move with the words they are saying so well the animated characters seem real. The voice acting is spot on. The voices are filled with emotion and an inspiration to the audience, including me.

My favorite part is when Felicie watches a ballerina at the French dance school. She takes just one look at the ballerina’s dance and knows she wants to dance and that she can dance. You can really see Felicie’s passion for dancing right there. The whole movie is all about passion and the movie will inspire viewers to follow their dreams.

The message of this film is to follow your dreams. It show how, in order to succeed, you have to work very hard, believe in yourself and have passion. Felicie is an exemplary role model.

Leap! is a very inspirational film with a very important lesson and a pleasure to watch. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 3 to 18. Adults will love this movie as well. I really enjoyed watching this film. Definitely check this awesome movie out when it opens nationwide in theaters August 30, 2017.

Leap!
By Sahiba Kaur, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15

Leap!, directed by Eric Summer is a fun filled, adventurous experience! A quick dive into the storyline and action captivated me from the beginning. The animation engrossed me with its beautiful and realistic settings of buildings, streets and skies. The designs of the characters’ outfits are unique and exquisite.

The story follows two best friends, Felicie (Elle Fanning) and Victor (Dane DeHaan) who have tremendous dreams. Felicie yearns to be a ballerina and Victor, an inventor. Together they escape their home at an orphanage and arrive in Paris to pursue their ambitions.

Elle Fanning as Felicie’s voice communicate sadness when she sniffles, happiness as she squeals with joy and courage with a firm voice. Through Felicie’s voice, I connected to her. Dane Dehaan as Victor’s voice adds great joy and lightness to the film. The humor in his voice made me laugh out loud along with the audience.

The animation is the highlight of this film. The settings and surroundings are intricately detailed. When Felicie and Victor walk through the streets of Paris, the walls of the different buildings are covered with posters that have been ripped or worn down, the individual bricks or stones that make up the walls and street floors are covered with moss and miniscule cracks which adds to their realistic look. The architecture is angelic. The images of the Grand Opera house does true justice to the actual opera house. The ballet choreographer, Benjamin Millepied, wonderfully creates dance masterpieces. Although animated, I felt as if I was watching Felicie dance in real life. In one scene, two girls dance side by side and gracefully migrate from the stage to the chairs in the audience, to outside the stage. They use multiple areas as their stage and still look skillful and elegant.

My favorite part are the costumes. Designed to be sophisticated, from the ballerina’s tutus to the vest of the Director of Opera, they have beautiful flower prints with bright colors and are very visually appealing.

The messages of this film is “never give up on your dreams” and “persevere towards your goals.” I give 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. It opens nationwide in theaters August 25, 2017 so, check it out.

Leap!
By Dariana Alvarez, KIDS FIRST Film Critics, age 11

Leap! is a marvelous movie that is so inspirational. It has a classic plot of a dance movie, with amazing twists that keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more. Leap! has fantastic animation and shows some of the real struggles of being a ballerina. This film shows how hard work pays off and really motivates you to work as hard as the characters in the film. I love how it has cliches, but still kept me glued and wanting to know more.

The storyline is about an orphan girl, Felicie (Elle Fanning) and her best friend Victor (Dane DeHaan) who escape an orphanage to pursue their dreams. Felicie’s dream is to dance and she gets her own chance to pursue that.  Along the way, she faces challenges and setbacks that help her learn about her longing to dance.

Something really amazing about this film is that during the group dance scenes, they only show the dancers feet, while they dance on pointe. I love it because of how in sync all the feet are and how realistic the animated ballet shoes are. The one thing I didn’t like about the movie is how old some the characters sound compared to their age. For example, Felicie is 11 years old and is voiced by Elle Fanning whose voice sounds much older. In some scenes, Odette (Carly Rae Jepsen) who is much older than Felicie sounds younger than her. But, the animation is so beautifully unique and unlike anything I’ve seen in any other movie. My favorite scene is when Victor (Dane DeHaan) and Rudy (Tamir Kapelian) fight over Felicie and it turns into a very funny slap fight. My favorite character is Odette because she is the one who teaches Felicie how to dance and always believes in her no matter what happens.

I think there are two messages in this film.  The first is to follow your dreams because, if you can dream it, you can do it (shout out to Walt on this one). The second message is that practice makes perfect. This is what Felicie has to do in order to achieve her dream. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars because it is such a marvelous movie that I loved watching. I recommend this film for ages 6 to 18 because even my 17-year-old brother enjoyed it! You can find this film in a theatre near you on August 25.

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embark on a six-part episodic road trip through Spain, sampling the restaurants, eateries, and sights along the way. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tristan T. comments, “entertaining and light-hearted.  The writer/director, Michael Winterbottom leaves the audience with an ending that encourages some interesting discussion as well as making me want to go grab a late night snack!” See his full review below.

The Trip to Spain
By Tristan Tierce, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

I surprised myself by actually enjoying this film.  It is entertaining and light-hearted.  The writer/director, Michael Winterbottom leaves the audience with an ending that encourages some interesting discussion as well as making me want to go grab a late night snack!

The Trip to Spain is a deadpan comedy about two friends, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, playing themselves, traveling across Spain, writing about food while they take in culture and talk about life. This is the third in a series of “trip” films and aired at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.  What I find interesting is Michael Winterbottom never actually wrote a script. It is more of an outline explaining where each scene takes place, who is in it and what subjects will be discussed.  Most of the lines are improvised by the actors.

The Trip to Spain is shot on location which allows for some magnificent cinematography.  There are numerous  breathtaking views from the many restaurants they visit.  One thing I found annoying was the abrupt cuts the camera takes to show locals eating or sitting around.  I found it unnecessary and actually distracting from the plot.

I enjoy dry, deadpan humor.  I also think the many impressions Steve and Rob do throughout the film are fun to watch.  Obviously I cannot relate when they make references to their 50-year-old selves, but I often laughed at the situational humor.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Because of the content and dry humor, I think older teens and adults will appreciate it most.  It is playing in theaters now so, go check it out.

Surly and his friends, Buddy, Andie and Precious discover that the mayor of Oakton City is cracking one big hustle to build a giant yet quite-shabby amusement park, which in turn will bulldoze their home, which is the city park, and it’s up to them and the rest of the park animals to stop the mayor, along with his daughter and a mad animal control officer from getting away with his scheme, and take back the park. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Dariana A, comments, “With some movies, the sequel is never as good as the original, but with this movie, they are both awesome films. There is never a boring part or unnecessary scene.” See the rest of her review below.

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

By Dariana A., KIDS FIRST Film Critics, age 11

The Nut Job 2 is wonderful! With some movies, the sequel is never as good as the original, but with this movie, they are both awesome films. There is never a boring part or unnecessary scene. It keeps you wanting more and gets you really attached about the characters’ lives. The background music really helps keep the story going and makes the chase scenes more suspenseful since there are no silent moments.

In the film, an accident happens and all the animals who are eating at the nut shop are forced to move back to the park. Unfortunately, Mayor Muldoon (Bobby Moynihan) has some nefarious plans to destroy the park. So, Surly (Will Arnett) and his friends have to find a way to work together to save the park.

One of the things I care for in both of The Nut Job films is the animation. I love how you can see every single hair on all the animals and how each one is different. Another thing that I love about this film is the music. That, you can thank Heitor Pereira for. The music goes with the lines and scenes so well, that it truly enhances the story. My favorite character is Buddy because, even though he never talks, he is always there for Surly and it’s funny to see Buddy’s expressions that make it seem as if he’s talking. I also really like the backstory showing Surly and Buddy’s friendship. Another thing I really like is Mr. Feng’s (Jackie Chan) tail because it makes him more intimidating, which adds to his character. My favorite scene is when Andie (Katherine Heigl) starts singing about how the park is their home and they make a joke about how “no one can break into a spontaneous song.” Go watch it and you’ll see!

The two messages in this film are to work together, which this movie is all about, and that nothing comes easy. This message comes into place when the animals have to move back to the park and scrounge for food. I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars because of the extraordinary animation, plot and music. I recommend this film for ages 5 to 14 and parents and older siblings will enjoy it too. You can find this film theaters nationwide on August 11, 2017.

A young girl comes of age in a dysfunctional family of nonconformist nomads with a mother who’s an eccentric artist and an alcoholic father who would stir the children’s imagination with hope as a distraction to their poverty. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Arjun N. comments, “The Glass Castle fascinates me because of its excellent acting. The cinematography is top level and the spectacular direction captures every scene from the memoir.” See his full review below.

The Glass Castle

By Arjun N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

The Glass Castle fascinated me because of its excellent acting. The cinematography is top level and the spectacular direction captures every scene from the memoir.

The storyline is about a young girl, Jeannette (Brie Larson), who comes of age in a dysfunctional, yet creative family with an alcoholic father, Rex (Woody Harrelson) and a mother, Rose (Naomi Watts), an eccentric artist. The family moves from city to city, due to their nomadic lifestyle, which leads to a split in the family when Jeannette leaves for New York, as the events are told in flashbacks. Jeanette now lives with her fiancé, David (Max Greenfield), only to be reunited with her brother, Brian (Josh Caras) and her sisters, Lori (Sarah Snook) and Maureen (Bridgette Lundy-Paine). Jeanette meets her parents to reveal her engagement and they are not excited about it.

Brie Larson, as Jeannette, excellently presents her love for her father and the braveness of her character. Woody Harrelson, as Rex, is my favorite character due to how he presents his extremely vulnerable behavior of his alcoholism, as he wants to quit it with Jeanette. Naomi Watts, as Rose, brilliantly presents her enthusiasm for painting. Max Greenfield, as David, provides great comic relief with his comedic timing. Josh Caras, as Brian, determinedly pursues his career. Sarah Snook, as Lori, is independent of her brothers and sisters, when Rex and Rose are off on their escapades. Bridgette Lundy Paine, as Maureen, presents her hatred of the family lifestyle and wants to leave.

The direction by Destin Daniel Creton and the cinematography by Brett Pawlak are splendid. Innovative camera techniques are used to present the juxtaposition of the flashbacks and present day. My favorite scene is where Rex promises Jeannette that he can fulfill whatever she wants and she asks him to stop his alcohol abuse. The scene is touching and well acted. My only problem with this film is its pacing which drags at times. Also, there is a bar scene which is useless. Despite that flaw, the acting makes it worthwhile.

The message of the film is about being and listening to yourself. I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18 because of its mature themes and language. The movie opens theatrically on Aug 11^, 2017, so check it out.