KIDS FIRST! News

Based on the children’s novel “Here Be Monsters” by Alan Snow, this great animation comes to us from the wonderful animation producers at Laika. The story revolves around a young orphaned boy, Eggs, who is lovingly raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors and his efforts to save them. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Keefer B. comments, “The writing is witty. The comedy comes through in a very playful manner with its shock humor and, at times, straight-forward jokes.” See his full review below.

The Boxtrolls
Reviewed by Keefer C. Blakeslee, age 14, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

Splendid! The Boxtrolls is another fantastic stop motion film by Laika. In the city of Cheesebridge’s a human boy named Eggs ( Isaac Hempstead- Wright) is raised by Boxtrolls, creatures that rummage the streets at night and live under the city. Mr. Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) intends to exterminate every last Boxtroll, all for the love of cheese and a white hat. Eggs needs to teach his family to stop hiding.

Stop motion dates back to Wallace and Gromit, Gumby and many of our favorite Christmas specials. Laika has created movies I adore such as Coraline. This film is another success with its fast pace stop-motion. The way the boxes fold, stack and bend are impressive to watch. The designs of the characters are distinct and detailed. From the trolls who are dirty with glowing eyes and pale blue skin, to the proper humans who are clean with fancy clothes and perfect hair.

The small scale sets are marvelous. The film transports you into two opposite worlds. Once is the view from above the city where we see buildings and streets of stones. At night it’s dark with only lamp posts to light the way. The Boxtrolls’ under ground lair is a whole other picture. The ground is covered in boxes and tin cans for the characters to slide around on. The room is lit with light bulbs they find and is filled with inventions that they have made.

The writing is witty. The comedy comes through in a very playful manner with its shock humor and, at times, straight-forward jokes. There is even a scene with a rim shot. The trolls, even though they speak gibberish, bring a lot of emotion into their delivery. Speaking of which, the voice talents are sensational. The villain Archibald Snatcher, who is my favorite, uses his amazing voice talents to create this mean, eccentric character. He fits the image that we see on screen. Same goes for the rest of the cast, particularly Elle Fanning who plays Winnie, a snobbish brat that befriends Eggs.

My favorite scene is in the middle of the credits. When the credits roll, please stay in your seat! What you will see is one of the funniest fourth wall jokes to be seen on-screen.

The moral of this story is you can change your nature. The Boxtrolls are used to sneaking around and hiding. Even when they are in danger, they don’t fight back. They learn that they can change.

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend this to 7 through 18-year-olds. This movie gives the audience jokes, engaging characters and beautiful visuals which make it a great film.

This film is a sleeper. We were all surprised how much we enjoyed it. In this film, a new member joins the Shane Gang. Junjie is a master of the mysterious slugslinging art of Slug Fu. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Brianna B, age 14, comments, “This animation is adventurous with specks of comedy and laughter throughout the film. It’s an enjoyable film to watch.” See her full review below.

Slugterra: Return of the Elementals
Reviewed by Brianna Hope Beaton, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

This animation is adventurous with specks of comedy and laughter throughout the film. It’s an enjoyable film to watch.

The Shane Gang is back and they now have the power and talents of five Slugslingers.  With new member Junjie, they discover that they and their world are in deep trouble. The Elemental Slugs are being corrupted by an evil force and the only way to stop them is to gather up all of the 5 elementals, before it’s too late.

Surprisingly, I really enjoy this movie with having all the Elementals coming together for a common cause. The aspect of the film that I love the most is that you never know what‘s going to happen next and it keeps you guessing. The action and anticipation makes it great especially when watching the fighting scenes. The film keeps moving at a good pace. It has lots of colors, but it is dark at times. The comedy keeps the film light and it never stays very serious for too long. Speaking of comedy, my favorite character is Pronto (Lee Tockar, voice), because he’s funny and he’s definitely the goof of the group. He is doing things that you wouldn’t think that he would do.

Other voice actors include Sam Vincent (Eli Shane), Shannon Chan-Kent (Trixie) and Andrew Francis (Kord Zane). They all have high energy and are true to their on screen characters. The interaction between all of the slugs is great. Director, Johnny Darrel, is no stranger to adventurous animations, he also directed Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 (2009), Spider-Man (2003) and Heavy Gear: The Animated Series (2001).

Trust people who have proven they can be trusted and who’s good for you is one great message in this film. Trust is earned and not just given away.

I recommend Slugterra: Return of the Elementals for ages 8 to 14. It’s a film that’s perfect for a family movie night. Kids who love being courage and animation, this is your film. I give this film 4 out of 5 five stars because it interests me, it’s adventurous and funny at times. I love the message about trusting. Slugterra: Return of the Elementals is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. So please check it out.

The Maze Runner
Willie J., age 15, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

In a generation where the “teenagers face adversity in a dystopian future” is the popular piece of entertainment, The Maze Runner is a refreshing entry. Using the element of surprise and leaving unanswered questions, this film proves to be a very formidable mystery, action-thriller.

The acting in this film isn’t much different than many other films with teen or child ensembles. They give good performances and they all come off as veterans, especially Blake Cooper (Chuck) who, in only his second feature film, seems like he’s been acting on-screen for years. I found him very impressive. The leading performance by Dylan O’Brian is also very good but, is limited to his rather conventional and predictable character. The most impressive performance in the cast comes from Will Poulter who plays Gally. His performance earlier this cinematic season in The Giver was also impressive and his performance in We’re the Millers was hilarious so, he is really showing his range. His character is wonderfully written and wonderfully portrayed, so props to him.

The visual effects in the film are also quiet amazing. Enrique Chediak, whose beautiful cinematography was at its best in 127 Hours, gives this film a very crisp look. He doesn’t over do his shot composition nor does he try to give unnecessary landscape shots. He lets the beauty of the film come from the special effects, which is a smart move (although there are some genuinely stunning shots). The seemingly effortless movement of giant set pieces is a testament to the great work of the visual effects team.

But, the best aspect of this film is the writing. The secret this film has is what Alfred Hitchcock famously called the “MacGuffin.” It is a plot device that the main protagonist pursues with little or no explanation. This film starts with a boy entering the world but we don’t know why. We get to the middle of the film and we still don’t know why these kids are isolated, who is keeping them there or how big their obstacle is and what stakes are attached. Usually, in a movie of this kind, those questions are all answered in the exposition of the film. Even when this film ends, we are still uncertain about why what we just saw happened. What is the motivation and who is behind it? Then, in a wonderful plot twist we leave with questions that only a next installment can answer or maybe not.

This is the rare case of a film that makes us WISH FOR a sequel not because more books were written and a bunch of producers feel the need to adapt every book in series, but because we are generally interested in what happens next. That is why I give this film 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend it for anyone age 14 and up, as it is a little bloodier and more profane than your average pg-13 thriller.

The Maze Runner is a tense, suspenseful mystery thriller, that keeps you asking and on the edge of your seat.