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Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey have partnered with Juliet Blake to produce this remarkable film starring Helen Mirren in a role perfectly suited for her as Madame Mallory, proprietress of a celebrated French restaurant. An Indian family opens their own restaurant across the street much to her chagrin and leads to confrontations that are hilarious and awkward. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “This has a lot of cooking with a bit of love spiced in with the cooking, there are some fantastic one-liners that make the audience roar with laughter and this is all included in a fantastic adventure.” Shelby R adds, “This film is not only about food and competition. It is about how a commonality can bring others together do something extraordinary.” See their full reviews below. Here is our coverage from the premiere which includes interviews with Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey (producers) and more. Enjoy

The Hundred-Foot Journey
By Shelby R, KIDS FIRST! Critic

Lasse Hallstrom, the director of Dear John, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Safe Haven and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, makes a heartfelt comedy about the struggles of an Indian cook trying to become a successful chef in France that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Om Puri plays Papa, one of my favorite characters, because he is stubborn, loveable and cares deeply for the well-being of his children and tries to make the best decisions for them. In the beginning, he and his children are in the middle of nowhere and a stranger takes the family under her wing. Papa finds a place for them to start a restaurant and Hassan thinks he is crazy for making an Indian restaurant hundred feet away from a popular French restaurant. Papa proves them wrong by making the restaurant very popular.

Hallstrom explores the different flavors and spices that educate the senses by showing the audience that the sacred culinary traditions being perfected by adding Indian spices and unusual ingredients. A memorable scene is when Hassan asks Madame Mallory to make an omelet with him. Madame Mallory has rejected his ability as a chef in the past and she questions him every time he adds something unusual to the omelet.  With one bite she can no longer deny that Hassan is a gifted chef and tries to give him an offer he can’t refuse.

Music adds the extra spice to the movie. When watching Hassan and his family makes their traditional meals the audience feels like they are in the middle of a family party but it is different because when Madame Mallory expects nothing less than perfection, which makes the audience feel like they are at a very classy and fancy restaurant. One of my favorite scenes is when Madame Mallory yells at Papa for having his Indian music up too loud and instead of Papa turning down his music, he turns it up louder just to make her even more upset.

This film is about only about food and competition it is about how a commonality can bring others together do something extraordinary. One lesson from this film is that you should always follow your dreams even when the people closest to you might not agree with your dream. Everyone will enjoy firework displays, colorful Indian costumes and the beautiful countryside of Paris, mouthwatering cuisines.

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. The Hundred-Foot Journey is playing now in theaters nationwide.

The Hundred-Foot Journey
Reviewed by Gerry Orz, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

What a fantastic way to wrap up the summer! I am not the biggest fan of romance films, which is what I expected from this film initially. However, The 100 Foot Journey is a funny, inspirational and delicious adventure that everyone will love.
This isn’t just a romance film. This has a lot of cooking with a bit of love spiced in with the cooking, there are some fantastic one-liners that make the audience roar with laughter and this is all included in a fantastic adventure.

The story starts when an Indian family that cooks at a school, has to leave the school for very sad reasons. They end up in France where they start a restaurant. However, across a 100 foot wide road, there is another, very different restaurant. A huge adventure starts with the chefs, the owners, and some other people too. If you want to find out what happens you got to watch the film!

This film is produced by a great partnership of Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey based on a famous novel, so it was bound to be a masterpiece, and it is! The actors are funny. They are very much in touch with their characters and they all fit their parts perfectly! The directing is very precise and it makes me want to read the book that the movie is based on!

My favorite scene is when they are a bit competing and there is a montage of different cooks/chefs from the two restaurants cooking pretty and yummy looking food. It shows you that, even though both restaurants are very different, both can make excellent food! It made me hungry and I swear I could smell it at times.

This movie has some adult oriented references and also some scenes little children won’t understand so a good age rating is 8 to 18. I also give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars for fantastic directing, cast, editing, ideas, and of course producing!

Guardians of the Galaxy
Reviewed Shelby R.
Video review here:

The sweet sounds of 80’s music, amazing stunts, hilarious one liners, a talking raccoon and a loving, giving tree named Groot are some of the highlights I like most about this film. Marvel has created a 3D futuristic adventure-comedy that explores the true meaning friendship. Chris Pratt plays Star-Lord who is a really good at making enemies and finds himself in trouble when Gamora, Rocket and Groot are after him for stealing the most powerful orb in the galaxy.

One of my favorite scenes is when Star-Lord distracts Ronan from destroying the universe by singing Sweet Child and dancing. Everyone asks him what is he doing and he explains that this is what people do on Earth and he challenges Ronan to a dance off. A memorable moment is when Ronan comes charging toward the guardians and he says “Star-Lord.” Star-Lord replies finally because everyone is always calling him by his real name, Peter Quill and he wants a cool superhero. It is funny that he is excited by people calling him his alias when he should be worried about getting blown to pieces.

Alexandra Byrne, (known for designing costumes for Thor, The Avengers and Finding Neverland) has changed the look of costumes for Sci-Fi and adventure movies. Every costume has more depth for each character especially that of Star-Lord. In the opening scene, you see Star-Lord with a dark maroon cape and metal mask and then, when the aliens try to kill him he escapes by flying via his built-in rocket shoes. The cinematographer, Ben Davis, creates a galaxy never seen before. Throughout the movie I felt as if I was sucked into another galaxy filled with unique aliens and different landscapes.

The moral of this film is that friendship is more important than anything. James Gunn shows how desperate all of the characters are to get 4 billion units and then get rid of each other. But, they are meant to do something greater together and that is to protect the galaxy and learn how to love others. I recommend this film for kids 12 to 18 and I give this five stars out of five stars.

Guardians of the Galaxy
Reviewed by Gerry O, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

Video review here:

This is a funny and action packed adventure that fans of Marvel will adore! When I heard about this film, I thought this will be another add on to the series of films based of super hero comic books, and well, maybe it was time for something fresh, but Guardians of the Galaxy pleasantly surprised me – it is a fantastic adventure that many people will enjoy.

The film has something interesting for everyone – a sense of adventure with a side of romance and perfectly timed jokes as well as can’t-beat action all rolled up in one film.

The story starts with a young boy who just experienced a tragic loss and has been abducted by aliens. What do you think they do to him? Train the boy to be an outlaw. Twenty years later, he finds a powerful object and teams with other outlaws to make sure it doesn’t get in the wrong hands. Can they succeed or would he switch to the “dark side?” You have to watch the movie to find out

This movie is stupendous. The jokes aren’t everyday flat jokes, they are one-of-a-kind, ironic humor all the way. The special effects are crystal clear and pretty amazing and, to add to all that, the story is nicely done and plays smoothly. However, even though the jokes are a bit more unique, the rest is rather normal. One item I craved for and didn’t get was to see something unique that would separate this film from the rest of the comic book-based films. However, I still greatly enjoyed it.

My favorite scene is when StarLord (as he calls himself) is about to face a huge enemy that may destroy billions of lives. What does he do? He starts a dance off! The villain is very confused which gives enough time for the crew to plan something to save everyone!

This movie has some gore and a lot of very intense scenes so I recommend it for ages 10 to 18. I also give it 4.5 out of 5 star for over all a good film, but not much different from a lot of others.

My Little Pony is a perennial favorite with kids of a certain age and adults as well, as I discovered last year at the premiere of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls. A huge following of 20 and 30-year-olds arrived in costume to celebrate the feature film debut of this iconic series. About this DVD Gerry O, age 12, a self-proclaimed fan comments, “This collection has more than just favorite characters – there are a lot of family matters, some good lessons, a lot of comedy and some pretty thrilling moments as well as great and catchy music.” Kendyl P, age 12, adds, “(This DVd) is an adorable collection of episodes complied on one DVD! While watching the different episodes it reminds me of the fun times my sister and I shared when we were younger watching My Little Pony on television.” Their full reviews are below.My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Keys of Friendship
Reviewed by Gerry O, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

This is a fantastic collection of My Little Pony episodes. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Keys of Friendship is a collection of the best episodes from My little Pony including a sing-along. If you are as big of a fan as I am, you will be very entertained by this collection.

This collection has more than just favorite characters – there are a lot of family matters, some good lessons, a lot of comedy and some pretty thrilling moments as well as great and catchy music.

The episodes show, as usual, the pony friends learning about friendship. However, Twilight, who recently became an alicorn (unicorn and Pegasus) doesn’t feel like she is doing enough of her job as a princess. However, she will become more important than ever when an ancient beast comes back from his prison to rain chaos in Equestria! (The country where ponies live.)

I thought this was a very smart choice of episodes since the DVD contains about half of the full season. These episodes really are exciting and, even though some people may not know it, pretty funny and really show some good lessons. For example, in one episode about family, ponies argue a lot but at the end they are still just a family.

My favorite episode is when one of them learns that she is a cousin of another friend. When they realize there may be an error, they go on a road trip to find out the truth. On the way there, the family argues and feels bad that they may look like a dysfunctional family. At the end, they see that even though they argue, they are still a great family. I like it because so many families in real life feel like that and we all need to understand that it happens with everyone. Nobody is perfect.
There is nothing parents should worry about and even infants will like the bright colors of the show and its wonderful sounds. I give this DVD an age rating of one to 18. I also give it 5 out of 5 stars.


My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Keys to Friendship
By Kendyl P, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic age 12

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Keys to Friendship is an adorable collection of episodes complied on one DVD! While watching the different episodes it reminds me of the fun times my sister and I shared when we were younger watching My Little Pony on television.

This DVD includes four different episodes and each one offers a different friendship lesson. The DVD is filled with beautiful music, great family lessons, a bonus sing along and wonderful comedy!

My favorite character is Rarity; she is a beautiful pony! Rarity and I have some similarities – she likes fashion, enjoys working with her friends and working hard to get the job done – just like me!

My favorite episodes are Twilight Kingdom, Parts 1 and 2 when Twilight has to defeat the evil monster but has to find her own special power! I enjoyed watching the ponies work together to help Twilight discover her special gift.

The message of this series is everyone has a special talent or character trait that makes him or her unique and important. After each episode, one of the ponies does something brave and commendable by putting its friend first. The pony then receives a little object, as a reminder, and it is very useful at the end of the show.

I love the voices of actors, Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball and Andrea Libmar in this DVD Their voices are perfect for their characters.

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Keys to Friendship is the perfect show for little girls. I highly recommend this movie for girl’s ages 2 to11. They would love this movie! I give it 5 out of 5 shining stars. You can purchase this DVD in stores near you July 29, 2014.

This sequel to the reboot of the original Planet of the Apes (1968) explores new and uncharted territory. And, it serves as a prequel to the original films in the series. What we see is a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar that is threatened by a band of human survivors from the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.  KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O, age 12 comments, “…this is a sequel and an eighth movie. I expected that it would feel a bit stretching, but it isn’t.” See his full review below.

Dawn of The Planet of The Apes
Reviewed by Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

What an exciting and thrilling blockbuster! I was worried about this film. This was the 8th add on to the Planet of the Apes series, second to the reboots. So this Is a sequel and an eighth movie. I expected that it would feel a bit stretching, but it isn’t. In fact, Dawn of The Planet of The Apes’ main purpose Is to show another side of these super apes and to set up the story for the next film in the franchise.

This isn’t just about fighting; in fact, fighting scenes, even though they are epic, take very little part of the film. There is romance within humans and apes families, sometimes, the apes can act funny. Dawn of The Planet of The Apes is thrilling and kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time! Also it has a story line no one expects!

The original Planet of the Apes book is about humans that went to a planet ruled by apes. When they come back to Earth, the same thing happened to our planet. The reboots, (Dawn of The Planet of The Apes and Rise of the Planet of the Apes) are pretty much prequels. So, Caesar leaves civilization with his ape friends while the human race almost goes extinct due to a deadly virus. The remaining humans struggle for power. Will they be able to find a new source of power or will it be up to the apes and their leader to decide the humans’ fate?

For me, this is a fantastic addition to the series. They don’t try too hard to make it too action-packed and cool looking. The apes look extremely realistic and I really like that. They include some scenes from Rise of the Planet of the Apes which helps to pull it all together nicely. The action and fighting even has some stuff from the original 1963 Planet of the Apes book! The director made it a perfect length and, in fact, this is the first time I’ve seen what I would call a “trailer” movie (a movie that looks like an hour-long trailer for the next one in the series) that is entertaining and includes a surprise ending.

My favorite scene is when we see a small group of humans working on the power station. When they wake up, the youngest is sitting with an ape that acts as a teacher to young apes and is very loyal to Caesar. The kid gives him a book and reads along with him. It shows how well they actually understand each other and how alike humans and apes are. It shows friendship and how two creatures of different species can be friends.

This film has some violence and intensity so I recommend it for ages 12 to 18. I also give it 5 out of 5 stars for fantastic graphics, a well planned story, excellent cinematography and stupendous acting.
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Transformers: Age of Extinction
Reviewed by Raven Devanney

It’s been years since the Decepticons and the Autobots battled for the fate of the humans in Chicago and human defenses against alien forces are at an all-time high. A government branch of humans is targeting all Transformers, Autobots and Decepticons alike, with the help of a menacing assassin. While all of this is going on, Cade Yeager, a struggling inventor from Texas tries to make enough means to keep his property and put his daughter Tessa through college.  While looking for parts to help his inventions, he stumbles upon a broken down, rusted truck and decides to fix it up. To his surprise, the truck turns out to the mighty Optimus Prime. Cade fixes him and decides to help him defeat the forces coming for Earth yet, again once he realizes what the government is doing to Transformers. Now, the fate of the entire human race lies in the hands of Optimus and this family of humans and, without them, we might just face extinction.This film is entertaining and visually very well done. Director Michael Bay uses the first IMAX Digital 3D camera, making the images more immersive and stunning than anything that’s been seen on the big screen so far. It’s very intense to be sitting in the IMAX Theater seeing these 50 ft. robots captured in such a realistic way. If you’ve seen any of the previous films from this franchise you know that they are nothing short of action packed. The cinematography and CGI is able to show the intense battle scenes and large scale attacks in a breathtaking, edge-of-your-seat way. One thing that I don’t like about the visuals is the inconsistency of the Transformers from film to film. The main characters look the same but some of the Autobots that are introduced in this film are designed completely different than in any of the previous films. Their faces are constructed to have features that look extremely humanesque and it is strange to see them next to Optimus and BumbleBee who still have the classic Transformer look. Another inconsistency is that, in the last film, every time a Transformer was hit they would spill a blood-like-liquid, but in this film, if they are injured, the liquid that comes from the wounds is bright green.

It is very strange to see a Transformer film without Shia Labeouf but, I am quite impressed with Mark Wahlberg and the way he tackles this role. I think he’s a fantastic actor and really grounds the film. I’m also a fan of Nicola Peltz and think she is decent in this film. However, I am really sick of the way girls are portrayed in this franchise. Every single leading lady looks like a Victoria’s Secret model, is completely helpless about 75% of the movie, can never figure out how to help them self and has to be told to run before they do. Near the end, they have one moment of courage and that’s pretty much all. It’s a formula that is completely predictable in all of the Transformer films, but alas, it’s what sells.

Like I said before, this film is entertaining and it enjoyable. It kept me engaged, concerned for the characters, shocked and, I’ll admit, I did almost cry near the end. However this film is peppered with extremely cliché and honestly annoying lines and interactions. From the very beginning, Tessa is introduced as a stereotypical film version of a teenage girl. She rolls up with her friends screaming and giggling about how excited they are to party and be crazy. The whole interaction is cheesy and unnecessary and sets her up to look like a bimbo. After that, her boyfriend, who looks suspiciously similar to the Hemsworth brothers, comes to save the day and the rude, inappropriate and just plain stupid things he says to Tessa’s father drove me insane. There are several lines in the film that prompted me to say to myself, “Really? Was that really necessary?” The last irritating thing is the fact that they really drove the whole “American Way” and patriotism to the ground. In every seen at Cade’s ranch there are at least two American flags shown and it is constantly mentioned that they’re just good ole’ Texas folk, protecting America with cries of: “Don’t mess with our country!” “Think of your country!” “Fight for your country!” Previous films were less centered on our nation and more about the human race as a whole.

Despite my qualms regarding this movie, it is entertaining and the visuals are extremely well done. I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend this film for ages 13 to 18 due to the violence and language. However, if you have seen the previous films and are under 13, then this film should be suitable for you. If you’re a fan of Transformers, action or just want to experience the first film to ever use the million dollar IMAX Digital 3D camera, be sure to check out Transformer: Age of Extinction in theaters now.