KIDS FIRST! News

On one day, in one city, the world comes together to grant one 5-year-old cancer patient his wish. Batkid Begins looks at the ‘why’ of this flash phenomenon. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Nathaniel B. comments, “ I loved this documentary film about a five-year-old boy, Miles Scott, who battled leukemia for half of his life and his wish to be a real super hero. “ See his full review below.

Batkid Begins

Nathaniel B. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 9

I just watched Batkid Begins. I loved this documentary film about a five-year-old boy, Miles Scott, who battled leukemia for half of his life and his wish to be a real super hero.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation helps kids whose childhoods have been affected with life-threatening diseases get a little part of their childhood back.  They start planning his special day the same way they do all the time but, the event grew into a huge deal. They turned San Francisco into Gotham City and arranged for Batkid to fight fake villains and protect the people of the city.  Miles is accompanied by an adult Batman who is Eric Johnson (EJ).  He had worked with Make-a-Wish before, helping a young cancer survivor with his wish to make a computer game based on fighting cancer that he could send to his friends who were still battling the disease.

The organizers hoped to get about 200 people to come out to watch Batkid save the day but, because of social media, over 25,000 people come out and over 2 BILLION around the world got involved online – even President Obama!  This would not have become such a big deal without social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email and others).

The streets of Gotham City were packed and many people had signs they waived in the air and they waived and cheered for Batkid.  The people in San Francisco were truly great and kind to the sick kids in the world.

To challenge Miles, they brought in super villains for him to fight and take to jail. He disabled the Riddler’s bomb and captured him. Then, he caught the Penguin, who was actually a friend EJ’s, his real name is Mike Jutan.

This heartwarming documentary film is a great story and features many people who wanted to help Miles become Batkid and stop being shy and be proud like a superhero. Director Dana Nachman used some comic strip animation to depict the real people and parts of the story.  It looks really cool. I think this movie is good for all ages really but will recommend it for ages 7 to 15. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars because sometimes it got a bit boring.

Inside Out

By Tre’ana H., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

Inside Out is a Disney / Pixar film that is filled with emotions tied up like a shoe lace. It captures some comedic moments and connects you to to your inner self. It makes you become more aware and in touch with your conscience.

The movie is about a girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) who lives in Minnesota with her parents. Due to some circumstances, the family relocates to San Francisco. Riley starts to have different emotions going on throughout this tenacious move. She misses her friends; she is starting at a new school. Her emotions are all over the place. These five emotions in Riley’s brain are Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). These emotions play a very important role in her life and keep her balanced. When one is out of whack it definitely affects her mood. She goes through so many obstacles as a pre-teen which is very trying. I can relate because I am also eleven and I am very in touch with my emotions and pre-teen feelings. It touches on so many ideas that are realistic in my everyday life.

The director and writer Pete Docter does an outstanding job creating the visual effects of these animated characters and their emotions. The bright colors and costumes distinguish each emotion’s individuality. The pitch of their voice captivates and draws you into their character. Each emotion has a unique personality.

My favorite part of this movie is when Disgust says, “What does this button mean?” It is Puberty! I can relate because this is the next phase of my life that I am approaching.

I recommend this movie for ages 8 to 18 and I give it 4 out of 5 stars because it connects to an older audience even though it is targeted to a younger audience. I think younger children can see this, but the parent will have to give them some explanation after the movie. I really enjoyed it because I could relate to this movie. Inside Out comes out Friday, June 19, 2015. Go and check it out.

The Legend of Longwood

Carissa P, KIDS FIRST! reviewer

This movie is a very good watch, being both very heartwarming and captivating. The film is full of lots of suspense and drama as the main protagonist, Mickey, aims to figure out the mystery of the new town she moved to.

In The Legend of Longwood, young teen Mickey Miller has to confront the mystery of the new Irish town her family has moved into. Upon moving, Mickey immediately gets sucked into the curse that the town of Longwood has been under for centuries. The 300-year-old curse concerns a man the people call a Black Knight, who is trying to find his lost baby daughter. Mickey has to try to understand how her amulet given to her by her dead father, the snooty rich palace woman her mother works for, and the seven palace horses all combine to stop the curse and save the town of Longwood.

The most impressive performance is given by Lucy Morton, the actress who plays the protagonist Mickey. Mickey displays extreme courage, integrity and perseverance throughout the whole film as she constantly gets reprimanded for seeking an end to the curse. Without Morton’s impressive range of emotions and slight nuances in body language, Mickey’s strong character would not be as evident. A strong performance is also given by Fiona Glascott, who plays the money-hungry antagonist named Caitlyn.

One moral of the movie is to have courage in the face of adversity. Mickey outdoes even the adults in trying to bring stability and peace to her town. This proves that even adults need to understand that perseverance and motivation are two key traits that all people need to have, no matter how dangerous or difficult a deed appears to be.

The creators of the film took very wise advantage of natural settings to portray Ireland in an honest manner. The locations of wild, grassy areas and woods are what make the film extremely realistic. Other careful touches that contribute positively to the film are the lighting techniques used to make each actors’ expressions easy to comprehend and the lack of overbearing music, which often overwhelm dialogues in some movies.

This movie is perfect for family movie night. Kids and parents could watch a very fascinating movie that is interesting from beginning to end. I recommend it for ages 10 to 15 since it has suspense that some younger kids would dislike. I give the film 4.5 out of 5 stars. It is available now on DVD wherever DVDs are sold.