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Insurgent: Intense, Action-Packed and Touching

Thursday, March 19th, 2015

Insurgent.jpgThe highly anticipated film Insurgent opens this weekend and, from our KIDS FIRST! Critics comments, you won’t be disappointed. This second film from the Divergent series shows how Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Brianna B. comments, “Insurgent has a strong message about choices. The choices you make affects what will happen later in your life, so you should always try to make the right choice.” See her full review below.
Insurgent

Reviewed by Brianna Hope Beaton, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

This second installment of the Divergent series is an action packed film with a great display of emotions from the entire cast. It’s intense and, at times, a little touching. I truly enjoyed viewing it.
War is now full-fledged between the Factions.  Tris (Shailene Woodley), as a Divergent, has to continue to battle the guilt of her past shame and her enemies while trying to figure out who her true allies are. Many secrets are uncovered and trust is indeed tested between everyone.

Insurgent is filled with great scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat and your eyes glued to the big screen. The little sparks of pure creativity in presenting this adaptation is refreshing and satisfying with the CGI, stunts and different camera angles. My favorite character is Tobias (Theo James), aka Four. I can clearly see how much he loves and wants to protect Tris. His eyes tell the whole story of how much he cares and truly adores her. Even though some of the decisions aren’t the best, he still stands by her. There are a ton of great scenes in Insurgent. However, my favorite scene is when Tris finds herself connected to one of Jeanine Matthew’s (Kate Winslet) simulators. The cinematography and the special effects are outstanding and Shailene Woodley’s acting in this scene is phenomenal. I loved seeing it in IMAX. The picture is definitely bigger, has higher quality and the sound is all around me, feeling so real.

Insurgent also stars Jai Courtney (Eric), Ansel Elgort (Caleb) and Octavia Spencer (Johanna). They embody their characters fully and their acting performances are truly incredible. They really feed off of one another and look so natural.
Insurgent has a strong message about choices. The choices you make affects what will happen later in your life, so you should always try to make the right choice. You can make the wrong choice or the right one, but either one has a consequence.

I recommend this film for ages 13 to 18. It’s rated PG -13 for some intense violence and heavy action throughout the film. I give Insurgent 5 out of 5 stars. It’s action packed, easy to follow along and a joy to watch with all the special effects.
Make the right choice and see Insurgent in theaters on March 20th, so please check it out.

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Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

Monday, March 2nd, 2015

Tinkerbell.Never.jpgThis new story explores an ancient myth of a fabled creature whose distant roar sparks the curiosity of Tinker Bell’s (Mae Whitman) good friend Fawn (Ginnifer Goodwin), an animal fairy who’s not afraid to break the rules to help an animal in need. But this animal – massive and strange with glowing green eyes – is not really welcome in Pixie Hollow and the scout fairies are determined to capture the mysterious beast before it destroys their home.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast
By Kendyl Powell, KIDS FIRST! Critic, age 13

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast is an adventurous movie about Tinker Bell and her good friend Fawn, (Ginnifer Goodwin) an animal fairy with a big heart and an adventurous mind.  As Fawn is flying through the forest, she notices a mysterious cave and hears a weird sound coming from inside. Fawn immediately flies inside the cave to see what is happening. Fawn discovers a mysterious creature that no one knows anything about. She begins to observe the creature and notices he does a lot of strange things. Fawn names him Gruff. Nyx and the other fairies try to capture the big green-eyed beast because they fear he will bring harm and danger to Pixie Hollow. Fawn tries her best to convince Tink, Nyx and their scout friends and fairies not to harm Gruff.

My favorite character is Nyx (Rosario Dawson). Nyx is apart of the Scout fairies. She protects the fairies in Pixie Hollow and tries to get rid of anything that would harm them. Nyx is very cool, confident and strong. She likes to get her job done.

My favorite scene is when Fawn tries to help Gruff hide from Nyx and the other fairies. As Fawn tries to hide Gruff in a secret place, he lets out a very loud and big sneeze and he sneezes on all the other fairies. It is really funny.

The message of this movie is not to judge people. Gruff is a creature that only wakes up every 1000 years for a special task. Everyone in Pixie Hallow thinks he is a bad beast. He is actually a nice creature.

The DVD/Blue-Ray combo has bonus features which include never before seen bonus extras, access to cool computer games, five ingredients to getting Gruff, The True Story of the Neverbeast and so much more!

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast is a fabulous movie.  It will be available on DVD/Blue-Ray/Digital on March 3, 2015. I recommend it for boys and girls ages 3 to 10. I give this move 5 out of 5 shinning stars.

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The Duff – Hilarious, Yet Deep. Worthy Of A Second Viewing

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

TheDuff.jpgBullying takes all forms in high school. This film shows Mae Whitman as a high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her at “The DUFF” (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends. Despite the words of caution from her favorite teacher, she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby and enlists Wesley, a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. KIDS FIRST! Critic Harmony M. comments, “Being a high school student myself, I was really surprised at how relatable the movie is, especially to today’s generation of teenagers.” Read her full review below.

The Duff
by Harmony M., KIDS FIRST! Critic

The comedic movie, The Duff, is hilarious, relatable and worth watching. The film is about high-school senior Bianca, played by Mae Whitman, who finds out that she is the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) of her attractive group of friends. Determined to change her DUFF image and impress her crush Toby, she turns to her popular neighbor Wesley Rush, played by Robbie Amell, to give her a complete makeover. Through her journey of transformation, she gains self confidence and shows the school that everybody is a DUFF.

Not only do I enjoy that the movie starts off fast, but I really like that it starts with a cool, graphic newspaper clip that explains high school and the different types of people in high school. Being a high school student myself, I was really surprised at how relatable the movie is, especially to today’s generation of teenagers. It doesn’t just portray the generic, stereotypical high school student that is so outdated. The movie has a lot of familiar celebrity stars that I enjoyed seeing. The performances by Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Allison Janney and Ken Jeong are especially hilarious and very entertaining.

The movie is hilarious, yet deep. Most comedy movies are really funny, yet pointless or lack an overall message. I laughed so often and even shed a tear in a heartfelt scene. The facial expressions are priceless and memorable. I respect this film for being extremely funny while also having a deep, motivational moral lesson and theme. I enjoyed the plot and moral of the story as much the comedy. The movie has a lot of references that are very comical. One example is an episode of the Simpsons that the movie shows. The movie also has really entertaining graphics that make the movie even more unique, some of this include labels and an interactive screen effect.

This film is one I will watch multiple times and tell my friends to watch, yet I do not recommend it as a family movie. The film may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13 due to inappropriate language and actions. I definitely recommend the movie for teenagers in high school, especially girls. I recommend the movie to ages between 13 and 18. I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. Check it out as it is in theater now.

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