KIDS FIRST! News

Who doesn’t have mixed feelings about their middle school experience? It’s a time of transition and Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, based on the novel by James Patterson and Chris Tebbets will bring back memories and hysterics. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ryan R. comments, “Many people can relate to hating school at some point in their life and that is what makes this movie so relatable. I love the animations, because they are child friendly and are very well drawn.  It shows that it’s okay for you to have and use your imagination and be creative.” Mia A. adds, “Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is the best movie I have seen for middle school kids in a long time! It is fun and creative, and I absolutely enjoyed it.” See their  full reviews below.Reviewed by Ryan R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

I absolutely enjoyed watching this movie because I could relate to the characters. Also the humor is great and the cast is superb. Meet Rafe (Griffin Gluck) who is entering another middle school, due to his behavior. Rafe attends his new school, but there is too many rules and Rafe doesn’t like rules. So Rafe and his best friend Leo (Thomas Barbusca) decide to break every rule in the school. Rafe does this because the principal doesn’t promote creativity and destroys his notebook which is filled with all his drawings.

Many people can relate to hating school at some point in their life and that is what makes this movie so relatable. I love the animations, because they are child friendly and are very well drawn.  It shows that it’s okay for you to have and use your imagination and be creative. Additionally, the performances of Griffin Gluck, Thomas Barbusca, Isabela Moner, Alexa Nisenson and the entire cast is fantastic. You can tell that the actors took it seriously and when they portrayed their emotions, it doesn’t seem fake. It feels very real.  The soundtrack is perfect. It gives the right tone and energy for the scenes.  I love this movie so much there is nothing I didn’t like about it.

This is Alexa Nisenson’s first featured film and she gives an amazing performance as Georgia, making me laugh many times. Also, she makes you feel her emotions throughout the movie. The humor in this movie is great. I love the pranks Rafe uses to break the school rules which are created by the mean principal. My favorite scene is when Rafe puts post-it notes all over the school because I love how he created artwork with the post-it notes.

This movie is a must see, and I think that most kids will love this movie as well including the adults. I recommend it to kids ages 6 to 18. I give this movie 5 out of 5 amazing stars. I recommend it to people who like adventure, family, comedy and book-based movies. Be aware that this movie contains some mild language and kids under the age of 6 might not understand what is going on. Also, there are a few emotional scenes, so bring your tissues. Make sure to see this film when it opens October 7, 2016 in theaters nationwide.

Middle School: the Worst Years of my Life
By Mia A, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Middle School: The Worst Years Of My Life is the best movie I have seen for middle school kids in a long time! It is fun and creative, and I absolutely enjoyed it.

This movie is based on the book by the same name, about a kid named Rafe (Griffin Gluck) who is in middle school. He is one of those troubled kids, although we really like him. He has been expelled from many schools and this is the last school he can get into. His school is very strict and he doesn’t like it at all, so he decides a plan to try to get back at the principal for making all these horrible rules.

My favorite character is Rafe, the main character, because he is hilarious! Rafe is very creative and shows a lot of emotions. His little sister Georgia (Alexa Nisenson) is very funny and sassy. There is one scene where Georgia cries and she almost made me cry. It is so realistic! Lauren Graham from The Gilmore Girls plays the loving mom. The other adults are more like human cartoons. Their behaviors are stereotypical and over the top silly.

The music really sets the tone of the movie and gets the audience involved. I enjoyed the music a lot because it includes some of the most popular songs today. It got me more into the movie and made me think it was a real middle school that other kids attended.

I think the animation is incredible!  It looks very much like a drawing from a very artistic person and it gives your brain something to think about. The animated creatures are funny and creative and they feel like they are Rafe’s friends.  The animation helps us explore more of Rafe’s imagination as the characters come to life. I really like how the characters are very detailed, colorful and look like they are hand sketched, making you think Rafe actually drew them.

The audience was very into this movie and were on the edge of their seats. The plot is very unexpected. The audience seemed to really connect to all the characters, especially one of the main teachers, Mr. Teller (Adam Pally). He is very relatable and seems like a great teacher that a lot of kids would want to have as their own teacher.

My favorite scene is when Rafe puts sticky notes all over the whole school. It’s very creative and funny.  I loved the artwork of the vice principal’s face in sticky notes. The use of color and design to the sticky notes is very creative.

I recommend this film for ages 8 to 15 rate it 5 out of 5 stars. It opens October 7, 2016 so go see it at your local theater. Your kids are going to love it!

Tim Burton graces us with his latest fantastic film Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children based on the novel by Ransom Riggs. The story features a young man, Jacob finds Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time. The danger deepens after he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “Tim Burton, once again, excels in one main category – special effects. Despite CGI now creeping into every film, I love how he makes some monsters look like stop-motion animation. This makes them feel realistic and is a fantastic choice.” Na’im S. adds, “If you like movies that start off with a big action scene and keep that momentum going throughout the whole movie, you should definitely go check this movie out.” See their full reviews below.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14

If you are looking for hilarious comedy, intense action scenes, spectacular visual effects, original and unique camera shots, exciting but unexpected story – there is only one film that combines all of these so perfectly and that is: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

There are so many elements that create this master piece. A lot of the film contains wonderful and original humor, but also balances it out with drama and intense scenes. The main story also contains strong elements of romance that is spectacular due to wonderful acting and a beautiful script.

The story begins when Jake (Asa Butterfield), as a teenager, loses his grandfather. His grandfather’s dying words are to find someone and talk to them about something. This of course is confusing to him and he decides to convince his parents to take a vacation to Wales to find out if all the bedtime stories his grandpa told him about peculiar children with magical-like powers are true. He finds out that there is a very big danger to the children and the home and he is the only one that can possibly stop it. The only question – is he up to the task and is it real?

Tim Burton, once again, excels in one main category – special effects. Despite CGI now creeping into every film, I love how he makes some monsters look like stop-motion animation. This makes them feel realistic and is a fantastic choice. The rest of the monsters and special effects can only be described as stunning with stunning detail and realistic looking characters. That isn’t the only great thing about this film though. There is also a legendary and complex story with many twists and turns that keeps your attention and keeps bringing unexpected additions to the plot. The actors truly make the story come to life and excel in their roles. From comedy scenes, to romance scenes, each feels realistic and natural.

Speaking of scenes, my favorite would be when they take a giant sunken cruise ship and resurface it. I choose this scene for one main reason – the special effects. Even though the whole sequence lasts less than five minutes, it will leave you in awe as they take a hundred foot long ship and launch it back from the bottom of the ocean. This scene shows how much effort creators really put into the special effects for the movie – this moment is truly a centerpiece.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children may seem like a great family friendly film, but it is far from that. There is some gore and graphic scenes so it is inappropriate for young children. I recommend it for ages 12 to 18. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars simply because it is so spectacular from the acting, to the exciting story and, of course, to the phenomenal special effects. This film opens in theaters September 30 so, go check it out.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Na’im S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

If you like movies that start off with a big action scene and keep that momentum going throughout the whole movie, you should definitely go check this movie out. Director Tim Burton uses really exotic and unusual special effects that make you feel like you are back in the mid 1900s when the movie takes place. If you watch this movie, you might feel like you are on a big adventure with the Peculiar Children.

This movie is about this boy named Jake (Asa Butterfield) whose uncle was killed by one of the evil Peculiars. Jake’s uncle gave him a message right before he died to go to see Miss Peregrine and all the Peculiars. Jake goes on a journey with his father, back in time, to Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children. Jake meets a bunch of different Peculiar Children and they go on a quest to save Miss Peregrine and all the others. The head of the Evil Peculiars, Barron (Samuel L. Jackson) is hungry for human eye balls, which is the only thing that can keep Barron looking human. Barron has the ability of looking like anyone in the world which really throws everyone off in the beginning and ending of the movie. Also Barron has a special peculiarity which really helps him but it hurts others.

What is really interesting about this movie is how one character really steps up and leads the team of Peculiar Children to fight the Evil Peculiars. It is nice to see how someone can go from being shy to being a leader.

I recommend this movie for 10 to 18-year-olds. Adults will also love this movie because of the thrills and suspense it contains. I do not recommend it for younger kids because it is very scary in some parts and they would probably get very frightened.

I give this movie 5 out of 5 solid gold stars for its suspense, thrills and humor and because it makes you want to keep watching to the very end.

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.

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