KIDS FIRST! News

From Warner Bros Animation comes Storks, about those eloquent birds known for delivering babies, but have moved on from delivering babies to packages. When an order for a baby appears, the best delivery stork must scramble to fix the error by delivering the baby. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “Storks is a film unlike most other animated comedies. Not only does it appeal to kids, with fantastic morals and fun and silly humor, it appeals to adults as well.” Morgan B. adds, “It is one of the cutest movies that I have seen this year. It has humor, an original story line, family and the cutest thing ever – babies.” See their full reviews below.

Storks
By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14

Storks is a film unlike most other animated comedies. Not only does it appeal to kids, with fantastic morals and fun and silly humor, it appeals to adults as well. This makes Storks a true family comedy that also has beautiful animation, wonderful voice acting and a unique story.

Storks is predominantly a comedy. The story itself is an adventure, but there also some drama here and there to keep things exciting and, just to make sure you never get bored, there are also a few action scenes that are both intense and hilarious.

This movie starts out showing storks delivering babies. This all changes when one Stork decides to stop delivering babies and starts producing and delivering goods instead. One young stork named Junior (Andy Samberg) discovers that a baby was accidentally made and tries to eliminate the problem by delivering the baby. On the way, they meet old friends, new friends and also make enemies.

The humor in this film is fantastic. Not only is it original and never gets boring, the funniest parts are when characters in the film point out something that shouldn’t be possible. That, combined with a great soundtrack and perfect voice acting, makes for very funny scenes. The animation in Storks contains a lot of bright colors as well as many beautiful scenery shots. The voice-over cast really suits their roles, even if their character has only three lines, they make the nonexistent character come to life.

My favorite scene is when Junior and his partner, Tulip (Kate Crown) are captured by a pack of wolves. The wolves fall in love with the baby and the two are able to escape and grab the baby. What I love about this scene is that the wolves form different vehicles using their bodies. It is hilarious to watch the wolves talk to each other and see the characters point out how impossible it is. This makes the scene hilarious and also, is very action packed. While laughing, the viewer is on the edge of their seat in excitement.

Storks is meant for kids, but can appeal to adults too. I recommend it for ages 6 to 18 plus adults. There are some dramatic scenes that may be too intense for younger kids. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars for original and hilarious comedy, unique plot, beautiful soundtrack, wonderful voice acting and spectacular animation. It opens in theaters September 23, 2016 so be sure to check it out.

Storks
By Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

I love this movie so much. It is one of the cutest movies that I have seen this year. It has humor, an original story line, family and the cutest thing ever – babies. The story is unique, fun and adventurous, all of which make it a perfect family film that you will want to watch again and again.

The voiceovers really fit the characters perfectly and bring this film to life. One of my favorites is Tulip played by Katie Crown who is perfect for this part because she is silly, fun, bubbly and just wants to help. But every time she tries to help, chaos always finds a way to happen. My other favorite character is Junior. Andy Samberg plays this part perfectly as a determined, hysterical and ambitious character. Tulip and Junior make the perfect odd team. Then there is the Gardner Family – Mrs. Gardner (Jennifer Aniston) who I have had the pleasure of meeting, Mr. Gardner (Ty Burrell) and their son Nate Gardner (Anton Starkman). This family is adorable and funny. They build their house to be a giant carnival slide for the storks to deliver their new baby. I would love my house to look like that. Last but not least, there are the bad guys – Hunter (Kelsey Grammer) and his sidekick Pigeon Toady (Stephen Kramer Glickman) who is a friend of mine. These two characters are humorous and play the villains we love to hate so much. Toady is very small, but you know what they say “dynamite comes in small packages.”

The animation in his film is colorful, fast paced and a joy to watch. You can see every feather and hair on every bird and human. This film is also gender friendly with strong female as well as strong male characters. These are two of the main reasons why I really liked it.

My favorite scene is when The Wolf Pack (Keegan-Michael & Jordan Peele) try to take an adorable little baby named Diamond Destiny to raise her as a wolf. I love this scene because it is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. The wolves actually become a submarine, boat, plane and so much more. It is humorous and silly and you can’t help but laugh along with the rest of the audience.

I recommend this for ages 5 to 18. Adults will enjoy this as well. Everyone will love the babies, the comedy and the overall cuteness of this film. Adults will want to spend more time with their children after watching this film. The children will want a new baby sibling to play with so they can see real storks in action. I give this film 5 out of 5 adorable ninja skilled babies.

Hillsong: Let Hope Rise captures the on-stage energy and off-stage hearts of the Australia-based band Hillsong United. This film presents an entirely a new motion-picture genre: the theatrical worship experience. The film explores Hillsong’s humble beginnings and astonishing rise to prominence as an international church whose songs are sung every Sunday by more than 50 million people worldwide. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Shelby R. comments, “Although this is a Christian band, I believe that people who are looking for healing, have different beliefs or are music lovers will appreciate the real life stories and how their music is changing the world.” See her full review below.

Hillsong: Let Hope Rise
By Shelby R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 17

Watching Hillsong: Let Hope Rise is the most surreal movie going experiences you will ever have. It’s not a film. It’s not a documentary. It’s a live worship experience being captured on camera.

Hillsong United originated in the late 1990s in Sydney, Australia. The band itself is made up of faithful members of the Hillsong Church. This Christian band creates music that not only worships God but also instills hope to their listeners. And now, they tour many countries and continents singing songs of worship targeting the younger generation.

Unlike popular concert films like One Direction: This is Us and Katy Perry: Part of Me, it is not filled with costume changes and performances. The purpose is to discuss the process of creating music that is truly meaningful. Many of their popular songs are featured in the film and have lyrics at the bottom of the screen to encourage the audience to sing along.

You may recognize Michael John Warren (director) from his other films like Shrek the Musical, Rent: Filmed On Broadway, Drake: Better Than Good Enough and Nicki Minaj: My Time Now. Warren digs deeper by interviewing band members, Senior Pastor Brian Houston and Bobbie Houston. Together, they share how the church has transformed their lives and why they value their music so much.

“We are the biggest band that you don’t know.” Joel Houston, band leader and son of Brian Houston, explains. For almost a decade, Hillsong United has been number one and two for U.S. Christian albums sales. Joel continues to say “This film isn’t for us. The band isn’t for us. It’s for God.” The band members emphasize that the songs are carefully crafted to express their deep feeling of admiration for God. Day in and day out, the band devotes all of their time to finding the perfect sound and lyrics. One song could take months or even longer to be completely finished. That also means, months and months away from their loved ones.

Music is one of the most powerful creations known to man. It is beautiful to observe these concert goers really receiving music and allowing it to affect them. I found myself shedding a few tears because it is so moving. This film is so personal and I felt like I was among the thirty thousand people at their annual conference.

The most important lesson you can take away from this film is to stay true to who you are and what you believe. I recommend this to ages 12 to 18 as well as adults. Although this is a Christian band, I believe that people who are looking for healing, have different beliefs or are music lovers will appreciate the real life stories and how their music is changing the world.

This film comes out Friday September 16th. Check out your local theater for listings.

This kid-friendly version of the book-based classic Robinson Crusoe features Tuesday, an outgoing parrot who lives with his quirky animal friends in paradise. However, Tuesday can’t stop dreaming about discovering the world. After a violent storm, Tuesday and his friends wake up to find a strange creature on the beach: Robinson Crusoe. Tuesday immediately views Crusoe as his ticket off the island to explore new lands. Likewise, Crusoe soon realizes that the key to surviving on the island is through the help of Tuesday and the other animals. It isn’t always easy at first, as the animals don’t speak “human.” Slowly but surely, they all start living together in harmony, until one day their comfortable life is overturned. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Kamhai B. comments, “If you compare this movie to the book it is completely different.  Unlike the book, when Robinson Crusoe is shipwrecked on an island, there are no cannibals.” See his full review below.

The Wild Life
By Kamhai Beard, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

I enjoyed this movie because it is exciting and adventurous.  One exciting part is when pirates come to the deserted tropical island and rescue Crusoe.  Another adventurous scene is when the tree house sets on fire after stray cats throw lit lanterns at Crusoe. I enjoyed that movie is narrated by the parrot Mak (David Howard).

If you compare this movie to the book it is completely different.  Unlike the book, when Robinson Crusoe is shipwrecked on an island, there are no cannibals. They do make mention of the cannibals when he and his dog Rufus (B.J Oakie) first get there. The animals make scary noises in reference to the cannibals. So basically, it’s a kid friendly version of the book and now, all of a sudden, there are animals talking, pirates and paradise.  When Robin Crusoe (Matthias Schweighofer) gets shipwrecked on the island, the animals start to make hilarious statements about him.

The story is about an English man named Robinson Crusoe who gets shipwrecked on an island and has to learn how to survive in the wilderness along with his animal friends Kiki (Marieve Herington), Carmelo (Colin Metzger), Pango (Jeff Doucette), Epi (Sandy Fox) and Scrubby (Joey Camen).  But as easy as that sounds, it takes months to complete it and, by then the stray cats have had hundreds of kittens and that creates problems. When this happens you discover how smart these old animals really are.  They even learn how to fire a musket.

The movie graphics are great. The CGI animations are colorful, alive and very vibrant. When you get to see the whole tropical island paradise, lots of colors just pop out. I recommend this movie to the ages 5 through 13.

Interestingly enough, although this film may have a few action scenes, it shouldn’t be branded as an action movie. It is full-on intense drama, with two or three jokes that are original and funny, but don’t turn the film into a comedy. The story itself can also be considered an emotional and physical dramatic adventure that changes the lives of the characters forever.

Sully begins when U.S. Airways flight 1549 lands in the water in the Hudson river after both engines are destroyed by birds. Luckily, not one passenger is injured and this is due to the skill of both rescue teams and pilot Sully Sullenbrger (Tom Hanks) and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles (Aaron Eckhart). Unfortunately, the nightmare is not over. Even though all passengers are in safety, it is still a major question if Sully should have landed the plane in the water and if he might have had enough speed and altitude to reach the runway at an actual airport.

This is a very famous story that happened in 2009, but many people do not know what happened after the plane water landed. Sully truly shows all the events of this flight. Another amazing aspect of the film is the acting. Both Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart do phenomenal portrayals of the pilots. Not only do the two look so much like the actual people, they also got their personalities right too. The two actors excel in the scenes where they keep imagining the crash, and it clearly affects them day after day. Clint Eastwood has directed many wonderful films, but Sully, without doubt, is one of his best. The story does not feel like it lasts 96 minutes and I was surprised when it ended. Sully really does keep you on the edge of your seat using cinematography that makes you feel like you are a part of the movie, acting that is emotional and dramatic and even special effects that make it look very real. Something to note, the film was shot with IMAX cameras so seeing it in IMAX theaters gives you the best possible experience.

My favorite scene is the actual plane crash. From taking off, to the passengers getting into rescue boats, this scene keeps your heart beating very fast. I personally suffer from a fear of flying and it pumped me full of adrenaline. I could not blink until I found out what happened next. The special effects of the plane going down in the middle of New York looks very realistic and intense. On top of that, the emotional acting of not only the pilots, but the passengers and the flight attendants brings even more drama to the scene. It is easily the most intense scene in the whole film and, because of cinematography, it makes you feel like you are a part of it, is borderline scary.

Sully is a very mature story. And though it lacks adult content, language or gore, it is geared for a mature audience because of its intense and dramatic scenes. It may be too intense for younger viewers so I recommend it for ages 12 to 18. I definitely give Sully 5 out of 5 stars for its spectacular directing, wonderful cinematography, emotional acting and realistic special effects.

Based on the novel by M.L. Stedman, this film has an unlikely story about a lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia who raise a baby they rescue from an adrift rowboat. Although slow paced, the emotional complexity of the film makes it all worth while. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “When you watch a romantic film, you expect it to achieve skilled levels of drama, acting, entertaining and relatable story to keep the viewer engaged, but still have a realistic romantic plot. The Light Between Oceans is a spectacular romance story that is truly perfect in many ways.” See his full review below.

The Light Between Oceans
By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14

When you watch a romantic film, you expect it to achieve skilled levels of drama, acting, entertaining and relatable story to keep the viewer engaged, but still have a realistic romantic plot. The Light Between Oceans is a spectacular romance story that is truly perfect in many ways.

The Light Between Oceans tells a dramatic story with many romantic elements. There are couple of jokes but it should not be considered a comedy in the slightest. The characters do embark on a large and emotional adventure throughout the story, so this film can also be considered an adventure.

The story begins when Tom (Michael Fassbender), a WW1 veteran comes back to his home, Australia. After suffering in the War, he takes a job of a lighthouse keeper, living completely alone on a small island. However, he meets a girl named Isabel (Alicia Vikander) and they quickly fall in love. After getting married and moving to the island, they try to start a family but lose two babies prematurely. Everything changes when a baby mysteriously washes up on the shore and they must decide to keep her or report this phenomena to the authorities.

The story is based on a book and the story itself is fantastic. In this film however, many scenes are unnecessary and cause it to feel stretched out. For example, there are flashback scenes about the baby’s father, which would be nice in the book, but in a film are not necessary and drastically increase the run-time. There are also some scenes that seem to be there for no reason and could be cut out to make the film more enjoyable. Despite those issues, the acting is emotional and fits the characters. Michael Fassbender and Alica Vikander truly make you believe their characters, Tom and Isabel, are deeply in love. Another aspect is the film’s heart-wrenching drama, which the entire cast brings to life. From sadness, to anger, to just plain awkwardness, they demonstrate their emotions wonderfully. On top of that, the cinematography is exquisite, especially of the lighthouse, the waves and the beach. It truly shows beautiful parts of Australia not widely known

My favorite scene is when the boat landfalls onto the island with the baby. Isabel is heavilytraumatized from losing two babies, so seeing a live baby changes her mood quickly and, it is interesting to see how the characters react to the situation. I also like this scene because it displays the actors’ outstanding performances and is also easily one of the most important scenes in the film.

Although this film lacks any adult language, it still has a considerable amount of adult content so I recommend it to ages 13 to 18. Younger kids may be too young for the content and may not even understand the plot. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars due to its length but still, the acting and beautiful cinematography makes it all worth while.