KIDS FIRST! News

“The Watsons Go to Birmingham” is an original movie presented by Walmart and P&G for Walden Family Theater premiering September 20 on Hallmark Channel. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Keefer B loves the acting in this film and the moral: “You can’t live your life in fear and live a good life.” His full review is below.

The Watsons go to Birmingham
by Keefer B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
Video review available here:

This powerful, historical fiction takes place in 1963. The plot follows our protagonist Kenny (Bryce Clyde Jenkins) and his African American family from their house in Flint, Michigan to their family home in Birmingham, Alabama. While in Alabama, Kenny and his siblings are introduced to segregation and all its inhumanity.  In Michigan they lived free from sequestration except for what they experienced on TV. This film is seeded with real life situations and old black and white clips that are sewn together quite skillfully.

What I love about the film is the outstanding acting. The kids couldn’t be better. The characters go through so much they’re able to express a lot of emotion and does it show! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there have been a lot of films about segregation this year; 42, Lee Daniels The Butler and more to come. What makes this film stand out is that the story is from 10-year-old Kenny’s perspective. When we view the world through a black adult’s eyes, we know they’ve probably experienced segregation. From a child’s level, we see they can’t comprehend why they’re treated poorly because of their skin color. That’s what makes it more powerful.

My favorite character is Kenny. I relate to him because he’s sort of a nerd, kindhearted and in this film, confused. I like to see how he deals with the different situations he’s placed in. Jenkins does a tremendous job portraying this character.

My favorite scene is when Kenny almost drowns. Kenny is swimming in the lake and gets sucked down into a whirlpool. Luckily, his brother Byron (Harrison Knight) saves him. This scene is intense and I got a little teary-eyed when Byron embraces Kenny and won’t let go.

The moral is, “You can’t live your life in fear and live a good life.” After the drowning incident Kenny thinks the whirlpool (Whir Poo) is out to get him so he magnifies emotional situations to the point of over-whelming dread.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend this for 9-year-olds and up. I think this film is very educational. It’s a perfect film to show younger audiences and it has that family element to it that makes it entertaining.

Based on the best selling series “Dear Dumb Diary” by Jim Benton, this made for TV movie airs September 6 on the Hallmark Channel. “You might think it is a girl’s movie but I enjoyed it and so did my twelve year old brother,” comments KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Adam C, age 8. Adam’s full review follows along with Jailene’s video review. Check them out!

Dear Dumb Diary
Video Review by Jailene A. here.
Reviewed by Adam C., Age 8, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic
Video review available here.

If you enjoy comedy mixed with great musical numbers then you will love “Dear Dumb Diary.”  “Dear Dumb Diary” is about a girl named Jamie Kelly who attends Mackeral Middle School and dreams of being popular and of having the boy of her dreams, Hudson, love her.  She writes all of her secrets and dreams in her diary.  She is jealous of a beautiful girl named Angeline who she feels gets more attention from Hudson than Jamie feels she deserves.

My favorite character in the movie is Jamie Kelly (Emily Alyn Lind).  She is easy to relate to as most teenagers have insecurities and lots of dreams of how their life could be better.  Jamie keeps her room really messy and only cleans it when she wants to find her missing diary. She is funny and has a great sense of humor.  Emily is a very talented girl and does a wonderful job of acting, singing and dancing in this movie.

The musical numbers in “Dear Dumb Diary” are well choreographed and very entertaining.  They add a great deal to the movie because it keeps the viewer’s attention and adds an extra dimension to this already excellent movie.

My favorite part of the movie is actually a musical number.  It is the musical number where Jamie sings that there are too many beautiful people in the world and they need to leave to give the ordinary people a chance to shine.  The ordinary people put all of the beautiful people on a small yellow school bus and send them away.

The film has many positive messages that can apply to all age ranges.  The first is “do not judge a book by its cover.”  Angeline, who Jamie feels is mean in the movie because she is so beautiful, actually covers for her and returns her diary without reading a single word of it.  Jamie, even though she wants to shine and be the winner in the Jump-A-Thon, helps Angeline who doesn’t know how to jump.

Jamie and her best friend Isabella do this because Angeline has many sponsors and will enable the school to hire the art teacher back and provide many extracurricular activities for the school. Isabella and Jamie show maturity in putting the greater good of the school before their own personal glory.   Jamie’s best friend Isabella collects for a fake charity so she can get money to buy herself contacts.  In the end, Jamie and Isabella start a charity that helps less fortunate children to get glasses. Throughout the movie, Jamie is learning the lesson that inner beauty is very important.

I give this movie five out of five stars.  It’s a great family movie appropriate for ages 7 to 18. You might think it is a girl’s movie but I enjoyed it and so did my twelve year old brother. I feel the music and dancing help this movie appeal to a wider audience range.  It is airing on the Hallmark Channel on September 6 and will also be available for purchase at Wal-Mart on September 10.

New to DVD/Blu-ray this week is Blue Sky Studios’ animated feature film “Epic.” If you like fairy tales, then you will love this film. A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world — and ours. Rated PG, it’s the perfect film to share with your whole family.

13-year-old KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Brianna B says, “I absolutely love this film. It has a great plot, and some really great characters. I like how the visuals are outstanding, and flawless.” KIDS FIRST! Film Critics also discuss Epic on the KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions Radio Show. See Brianna’s full review below.

“Epic”
Reviewed by Brianna B.
Full video review here.

This is a great animation with a wonderful plot that is full of twists and turns.
Mary Katherine (M.K.) (Amanda Seyfried-Voice) accidently finds herself in a world where tiny people exist. Once she is turned into one of them she tries to help their home, the forest, become whole again. Along the way she meets some very interesting characters. Will she get back home, or will she permanently have to live in the forest?

I absolutely love this film. It has a great plot, and some really great characters. I like how the visuals are outstanding and flawless. The 3-D animation is so wonderful that it makes this film 100 times better in making the forest come alive. The costumes really relate to where the characters are in the forest. The background music is very fitting with the rest of the film. The actors do a remarkable job portraying their characters.

I am surprised about how much I love this film. I think everything about this film is great. My favorite character is M.K., because she is very much like me, not in her situation, but the way she acts about everything. I can see myself easily relating to her. My favorite scene is when M.K. is talking to her Dad about how he is not normal and all she wants him to do is be her Dad without all the gadgets and gizmos. This scene is very touching, and teaches us that once in a while you need to be there for your loved ones, but you should also do your own thing.

Director Chris Wedge directs a fantastic animated film. Also Writers James V. Hart and William Joyce, along with others, do a good job writing the screenplay. Other great voice-over talents in this film are Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson and Beyoncé Knowles.
A couple of messages that are in this film are: 1) Everything happens for a reason and 2) Do not take what you have for granted. Be thankful for everything that you have.

I recommend “Epic” for ages 5 to 16. It is really one of those films that everyone can watch and enjoy together. There is no content that is inappropriate for younger viewers. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars. It is truly a wonderful film with amazing animation and great characters. I will definitely look forward to seeing it again.

This story follows the life of Cecil Gaines who serves eight presidents as a butler at the White House. We see how the civil rights movement, Vietnam and other major events affect this man’s life, family and American society. Starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, this movie hit a home run with KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, 11-year-old Anthony A who says, “Cecil inspired me to speak more intelligently without saying the wrong things.” See Anthony’s full review below.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler
By Anthony A., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11
Full video review available here

This movie is really cool because its shows history in a way that will make you interested in it. This movie also shows how hard it was to survive in the not-so-far-off past.

This movie is all about a person named Cecil who is black and the movie is set in a time before everyone was treated equally and had the same rights. Cecil’s father is killed by a white man, who didn’t get arrested; he is not even talked to by the police. Cecil goes to work for a lady as her butler but eventually runs away. Eventually, when he is older, he becomes the President’s butler. He serves for them and meets people. However, his son keeps getting arrested over and over again because he is standing up with Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement and that takes his focus away from his work.

The main characters in this movie are Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), Earl Gaines (David Banner), Gloria Gaines (Oprah Winfrey), and Louis Gaines (David Oyelowo). My favorite character is Cecil because he works so hard and just wants things to change. He says that a black man has never been promoted in the 21 years he has worked for the Presidents and he doesn’t think this is fair.

My favorite part in this movie is every time Cecil speaks to the Presidents. He is so truthful and so nice to them. He inspired me to speak more intelligently without saying the wrong things. He did work for seven presidents so he had a lot of practice.

I recommend this movie for ages 10 and up because this movie has a lot of adult language. The movie talks a lot about the struggle for equal rights for all men which is something that I remember from watching Lincoln. There is historical violence and a lot of terms that I didn’t fully understand.

If you thought “Cars” was brilliant, then you’ll be sure to love their latest animated adventure, “Planes!”  It’s an action-packed comedy featuring Dusty, a small plane with dreams of competing in an around-the-world race.  The only problem is that Dusty is a crop-duster who’s afraid of heights!  As you can imagine, this makes it very difficult for Dusty to achieve his dreams.  But, with the help of his best friends and a trained navy fighter plane named Skipper, Dusty finds new hope and inspiration.  KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Molly J, thought that “the visual effects in this film are spectacular” and at times it feels as if you are flying right alongside Dusty. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Brianna Hope B says, “It is a great film. It has hope, adventure and good humor.” Their full reviews follow.

“Planes”
Reviewed by Brianna Hope B.
Video Review available here:

This film is too cute, funny and has great animation.
Dusty, (Dane Cook-Voice) is a basic crop-dusting plane with big dreams of competing in an aerial race. However he is afraid of heights, yes that’s right, heights! In order for him to even get up the nerve to compete and pursue his dreams; he needs the help of his mentor, Skipper, (Stacy Keach-Voice) and his friends.

“Planes” has a good story line and I really like it. It has hope, adventure and good humor with comedians Brad Garrett (Chug-Voice), Sinbad (Roper-Voice) and many more. All the voice actors do a great job portraying their characters. Of course, the 3D animation is spectacular with great detail and lots of lively colors. My favorite scene is when Skipper starts training Dusty and Chug and Dottie (Terri Hatcher-Voice) are talking too loud for Dusty to concentrate. Skipper yells at them to be quiet and they straighten up immediately, but keep talking. This is really funny. My favorite character is Roper, because he says and does the funniest things. He always seems to be rambling about something and is funny.

Writer, Jeffrey M. Howard, writes a comedic script that gives kids something to enjoy and feel good about. Another well known comedian voice cast who I enjoyed in this film is Cedric the Entertainer (Leadbottom-Voice).

As Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”  I really like this and believe this message is demonstrated throughout the film.

I recommend this film for ages 7 to 13. Kids who love Disney animation films will love this one as it is similar to other Disney films. It’s also a great film for the family to see although older teens may not be too interested in it.

I give “Planes” 4 out of 5 stars because I would like to see more originality and uniqueness, but overall it is a great film and I really enjoy watching it. I know you will too. Reviewed by Brianna Hope B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

Planes
Reviewed by Molly J
Video review available here

Well folks, Disney’s done it again! “Planes” is truly a heartfelt underdog story that tells the audience to believe in themselves.  There are always plenty of obstacles in life, but if you dig deep, you can find the courage to become whatever you dream of.  In Dusty’s case, he dreams of becoming the fastest air racer in the world!  His closest friend is Dottie, a forklift and ace mechanic.  Although she tells Dusty that he isn’t built to race and that chasing his dreams is downright dangerous, Dottie always has his back, no matter what he decides.  I love Dottie because she is such a loyal friend to Dusty.  She is strong, super smart and practical.  When anyone messes with her friend, she lets them have it!

Skipper is also very protective of Dusty.  He was an ace flier in WWII and chooses to be alone and quiet until Dusty talks him into training him for the race.  He wants to train Dusty hard so that he races well and stays safe.  Skipper finds that he can learn a few things from Dusty, too.

The visual effects in the film are spectacular and, being 3D, there are plenty of scenes where the audience feels as if they are flying along with Dusty!  The race takes us to amazing places like India, Europe and Mexico.  The music is great too, combining old favorites with lots of new songs.  Since the racers come from countries all over the world, the music is based on the background of the characters, which includes Italian, Mexican and British music, plus many more types.

It’s no surprise that the director of Planes, Klay Hall, is an airplane enthusiast.  He started drawing airplanes at an early age and his father and grandfather were both pilots.  The executive producer of “Planes,” John Lasseter, is a two-time Academy Award-winning director.  He directed huge hits like “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Cars” and “Cars 2.”   The voice-over cast includes such big names as Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Teri Hatcher, Sinbad, Val Kilmer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

My favorite scene in the film is when El Chupacabra (El Chu), the legendary Mexican racer, sings to a female racer, Rochelle.  El Chu is trying desperately to win her affection but, keeps failing in hilarious ways.

I give “Planes” five out of five stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, although it’s fun for whole families to watch together, like mine did!  It comes to theaters Friday, August 9th, so be sure to check it out!