KIDS FIRST! News

The raves that are greeting Life of Pi are nothing new for the multiple award-winning director Ang Lee, but part of the credit also goes to advances in technology that enable the film’s special effects. Says KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Brianna Hope Beaton, age 13, “The visual effects are amazing.”

Young Pi is moving with his family from India to Canada, where his father will sell the animals from the zoo they had had in India. The boat on which they are traveling is shipwrecked by a violent storm, and the survivors eventually whittle down to just Pi and a Bengal tiger. Says KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Cheyenne Nguyen, age 9, “The special effect of the tiger is the best part. It seems so real, I thought that the tiger is actually in the boat with Pi.”

Brianna cautions that very young children may be a little frightened at some of the animal scenes. As Cheyenne says, “It’s too hard to watch the survival of the fittest.” But both rate the film highly. “I love the message and the visual effects. This is a great story of hope and determination,” says Brianna.

Life of Pi
Reviewed by Brianna Hope Beaton
(See her full review on video.)

This is truly an amazing story, with a great adventure that is hard to believe.

Pi (Suraj Sharma), an Indian boy, is on a ship with his family who is moving to Canada. One night, there is a terrible storm that sinks the ship and only Pi, a hyena, zebra, orangutan and a Bengal tiger whose name is Richard Parker survive. They are all in one of the small lifeboats trying to stay alive. After a while, it becomes only Pi and Richard Parker who are adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Pi is now trying to survive, but is in fear of Richard Parker.

Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, this adventure is created in 3-D and is one of my new favorites. The visual effects are amazing and capture the marine life really well, with all its beautiful colors. I like the way this film is set up like someone is telling it as a story; this really keeps my attention. One of my favorite scenes is when a big whale comes out of the ocean; it is so big and pretty to see. It is incredible. I also like the way we learn how the tiger is named Richard Parker. It is somewhat funny and unusual.

I would love to know how director Ang Lee directs all the animals in this film; it is truly amazing how they act. David Magee (screenplay writer) does a remarkable job transforming a great novel into an amazing script. Other members of the cast in Life of Pi include Vibish Sivakumar (Ravi Patel) and Rafe Spall (The Writer).

A big message I found is to never lose hope no matter where you are in life. Pi is in the middle of the ocean for many, many days with a big storm and a tiger, but thru it all he never loses hope to be rescued.

I recommend this film for ages 8 to adults. Younger ages may be a little frightened when they see some of the animal scenes, but other than that, this is a must-see. You can enjoy it with your family and friends.

I give Life of Pi five out of five stars. I love the message and the visual effects. This is a great story of hope and determination.

Believe the unbelievable and see the amazing adventure in Life of Pi. It triumphs into theaters on November 21st.

Life of Pi
Reviewed by Cheyenne Nguyen
(See her full review on video.)

Life of Pi is the most amazing 3-D-quality movie that shows underwater footage and sea life.

Life of Pi is based on a popular novel by Yann Martel that sold over 7 million copies. It’s about a boy name Piscine Patel, known as “Pi” (Suraj Sharma). He has a good life growing up in his father’s zoo in Pondicherry, a French colony. Due to hard times, they have to close down the zoo and move some of the animals to Canada with them.

The move to Canada is in a big Japanese cargo ship, and all the animals are at the bottom of the ship. The big storm hits the ship and sinks the ship. The survivors are Pi, the tiger (Richard Parker), zebra, hyena, orangutan and a rat. They are all in a small lifeboat from the cargo ship. After several days, the only two survivors are Pi and Richard Parker. They are afraid of each other but need each other to survive.

There are so many scenes with great cinematography. The most memorable ones are the underwater footage, and the sinking of the cargo ship is so real and clear. The 3-D brings out the glowing of the jelly fish and the blue whale vividly.

The special effect of the tiger is the best part. It seems so real, I thought that the tiger is actually in the boat with Pi.

The part I did not like is when the animals are fighting each other. It’s too hard to watch the survival of the fittest.

The acting in this movie is so great. Suraj shows a lot of emotions with his eyes, and he stays in his character, and the audience can feel his emotions. It’s so amazing to see his weight loss as the days go by at sea.

My favorite character is Richard Parker. He helps Pi survive the shipwreck and at times he seems more human than creature.

The lesson in this movie is anything is possible. Pi survives over seven months in the Pacific Ocean with just faith and Richard Parker.

I rank this movie four out of five stars

I give this movie an age range of 8 and up.

Calling in the voice talents fo Alec Baldwin and Hugh Jackman, among others, DreamWorks Animation put together a company of superheroes made up of such childhood idols as the Easter Bunny (under the slightly different name of E. Aster Bunnymund), Santa and the Tooth Fairy. If that sounds a little mixed up, eight-year-old KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Morgan Bertsch finds that to be part of the 3-D movie’s charm. “It mixes up holidays, so you can watch it year around and get into the mood for the seasons,” she says. And there are plenty of heroes to go around: The Guardians need to protect the children from losing hope, but it’s the children who keep the world safe by having hope.

Paramount Pictures will be releasing Rise of the Guardians (the last of the titles it will be handling for DreamWorks) on November 21, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Rise of the Guardians
Reviewed by Morgan Bertsch  
(See her full review on video.)     

This movie is brought to you by DreamWorks. It arrives in theaters Nov. 21. As a KIDS FIRST! film critic, I got to see it before everyone else at a preview.  I have seen a lot of movies, and this movie had the most amazing graphics and best 3-D I have ever seen. I felt like I was in the same room as the scenes.  The snowflakes come right at you and make you feel like it is really snowing on you.

The Man in the Moon needs the help of The Guardians to defeat the evil Pitch.

The Guardians are amazing. The animators and writers did a stupendous job of creating believable characters.

The Guardians consist of Santa, who is from Russia. He is jolly and lives in an amazing castle. He has the cutest elves with jingle bells on their heads. They are very funny and helpful.

The Easter Bunny is tough. He’s from Australia and has a boomerang. His adorable eggs actually have legs and can run around.

The Tooth fairy is very different. She is a bird. She has pink wings and blue and green feathers. Her baby birds that help her are the sweetest little creatures.

The Sandman is the one who makes all your dreams come true while you are sleeping. The graphics for his amazing talents were fabulous.

Jack Frost was one of my favorites. Everything he touches turn into frost. The animation of the frost covering everything was absolutely beautiful.

Pitch wants the world to be dark and sad and to lose all hope.

The children keep the world safe by having hope. Santa has a magic globe, which is bright with lights as long as the children believe, but once they stop believing their light goes out.

The intricate design of the scenery was the best I have ever seen. Everything, from the smallest detail to the large wandering dinosaurs, is breathtaking.  

This movie is humorous, adorable and magical.

My favorite scenes are when the Easter Bunny goes on a sleigh ride with Santa Clause and also when the baby eggs are running around.  The sandman’s magic makes your heart glow.

The message is to stop and find out what makes you special. You have to find out what it is that you do best and find your center so you know how to make yourself and others happy.

I love this movie. It mixes up holidays, so you can watch it year around and get into the mood for the seasons.

I recommend this for ages 6 and up. Pitch is frightening. The oversized Santa might be too much for the little ones because — I am not joking — he looks like you are right next to him.

I give this movie five *****out five twinkling stars.

Photo: Morgan Bertsch at the Rise of the Guardians red carpet premiere

KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Anthony Aranda, age 10, makes a valuable observation when he says, “… the history is important to kids like me.” The movie Lincoln depicts the President during the Civil War, a pivotal time in United States history. “… it’s a really good movie to teach more about the Civil War,” Anthony says. He also feels the movie shows him this President, who has become almost a mythological figure in many depictions, as a “regular person.” Heavily researched, Lincoln‘s depiction of the man may provide a new perception amonth the older folks in the audience as well. Says KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Morgan Bertsch, age 8, “I thank Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks for making this fabulous movie.”

Lincoln
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda

Lincoln is pretty good but it was made for an older audience. I usually don’t watch too many movies that are this serious, but the history is important to kids like me. This movie is all about President Abraham Lincoln, and in the movie it’s the middle of the Civil War so Lincoln is trying to make peace between the North and the South. He creates the Thirteenth Amendment so there will be peace in the country.

The main characters in the movie are Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln’s wife and Lincoln’s son. My favorite character is, of course, Lincoln because he is a good guy but he needs to spend time with his family more. He is too distracted by the Thirteenth Amendment that he almost forgets about his family. He really loves his family, but he also really loves the citizens of the country.

My favorite part in the movie is when Lincoln’s son is riding in the White House with a goat and a carriage. Another funny part is when one of Lincoln’s advisors walks in looking for the President and sees his son sitting, reading the paper like a grown up. There were some scary parts during the movie when the soldiers were fighting and getting hurt. This was a sad part for me, also, to watch.

To me, the movie is more than just what we know from the history books. I think it shows me a little more about Abraham Lincoln as a regular person. And it’s a really good movie to teach more about slavery and the Civil War, which is a really important part of our history.

I would recommend this movie for ages 12 and up only because the movie was meant for an older audience and there is some pretty graphic stuff in there. But if you love history, this is a great movie for you. Go out and see this movie in theaters now.

Lincoln
Reviewed by Morgan Bertsch
(See her full review on video.)

I thank Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks for making this fabulous movie. Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field do a fantastic job on their characters, as Abraham Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln. He was the 16th President, who really wanted to abolish slavery. They really studied on their characters. And you will learn about the voting process.

Also, they really studied their characters and they really took them very seriously, and really show a bunch of emotions with them. I think they do a great job.

This is actually a time piece with an amazing all-star cast. And also, the costumes are fantastic!

There’s a little bit of language and also parts of violence, but the history lesson is everything that everyone should learn. And also, the PG-13 rating is OK, but you will know that kids will really learn a lot from this movie.

I give it five twinkling stars.

James Bond audiences span the generations, so it’s a little strange to be faced with him being considered “too old” to be out in the field as a secret agent. Yet it doesn’t seem to diminish the charm and attraction of the character. KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Victoria Burns reviews Skyfall and thinks “this is one of the best” – and this 14-year-old has seen all of the James Bond movies.

It’s actually the villain who comes in for Victoria’s greatest praise. Javier Bardem, she says, plays the villain so well, “it’s just like he is him … I don’t know what he’s like outside that character, but I will forever remember him as Silva, that awesome villain – who should win an Oscar.”

The movie is directed by Sam Mendes, who did win an Oscar – as director of American Beauty, in 2000.

Skyfall
Reviewed by Victoria Burns
(See her full review on video.)

I recently watched Skyfall, the latest James Bond movie, and it was amazing. I pride myself on being a fan of all James Bond movies – I’ve even seen them all – and I, personally, think this one is the best.

I really, really like the villain. That might sound a little weird, but as I explain, you’ll see why.

James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, has a new villain who is coming for M, played by (Dame) Judi Dench. For some reason, he just really wants to get revenge on M. He keeps hacking on her computer and sending her a message that says, “Think on your sins.” And that’s very confusing, because she doesn’t know what he’s trying to get her for.

On top of that, James Bond is being told that he’s too old to continue field work and M is being told that she’s too old to continue being head of MI6. Through the whole movie, James Bond has to find out why the new villain, Silva, played by Javier Bardem, is trying to kill M and get back at her.

This villain is no ordinary villain. He is incredibly smart, and he is an ex-agent of MI6, and he and M have some strange history. It’s really crazy, and you’ll find out if you see the movie.

Javier Bardem plays the best role. I’d never seen him act before, and he is just amazing. He plays that villain so well, it’s just like he is him. He engulfs that character; he becomes that character. I don’t know what he’s like outside that character, but I will forever remember him as Silva, that awesome villain – who should win an Oscar. (Just putting that out there.)

This movie is great. It causes James Bond to think back on his family, which he has problems with because, as we know, his family was killed. Skyfall is the place where his home is, and where most of the action goes down.

This movie is great. You should go see it. But I would only recommend it for ages 13 and up because there is some sexual content and there is a lot of violence. And that might not be suitable for younger ages. And it’s long, and you might not understand what’s going on if you don’t have a good understanding of countries and war and elements like that.

I give it five out of five stars because James Bond movies are the best. And I can’t wait for the next one to come out. I love how these movies always give you a sense that there’s going to be another one coming up, because you always want more and they continue to give you more. I love the James Bond movies because of that reason.

There was a new song specially written for this movie. It’s performed by Adele, and it’s called “Skyfall.” I love how, in the intro, it’s playing – in the long intro is this song playing. And the song is the title of the movie, and the song is amazing. I love Adele. And it perfectly goes with the storyline.

Out of the video game and into … well, not real real life, but the big screen version of it. And gaining a huge following with non-gamers and gamers alike. The story, explains KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Anthony Aranda, “… is all about a guy named Wreck-It Ralph who is tired of being a bad guy so he leaves his game to win a meda so, for once, he can be the hero.” The 10-year-old, who has been a KIDS FIRST! film critic for two years, notes he has seen a lot of movies and this one “is the best movie I have ever seen.” Raves echo from fellow KIDS FIRST! film critics: Raven Devanney, age 15, says, “It’s so original and funny!” Morgan Bertsch, age 8, says, “Everyone will find somone they can relate to …” And Cheyenne Nguyen, age 9, says, “… you feel like you are traveling with these characters and they are alive with feelings.”

Wreck-It Ralph
Reviewed by Cheyenne Nguyen
(See her full review on video.)

Wreck-It Ralph is a great Disney movie, with arcade games Hero’s Duty and Sugar Rush and Game Central Station.

This is an animated movie about Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly), who is one of the most famous bad guys in the arcade game. Ralph is very sensitive and is tired of being left out because he plays a bad guy. One day, Ralph goes “turbo,” escapes from his own game and wanders into other arcade games to gain hero status.

Fix-It Felix has to go find Ralph to get him back to the right game or else the owner will unplug their game machine. Fix-It Felix teams up with Hero’s Duty Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) to find Ralph. They go through 8-bit arcade games from the ’80s and ’90s to find Ralph. This is when we get to see old characters like Pac-Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario and Sugar Rush’s Vanellope.

All the famous arcade games characters come alive in this movie. The storyline connects all the characters so well. Watching this movie makes you feel like you are traveling with these characters and they are alive with feelings.

The special effects in this movie are out of this earth. They have almost 190 unique characters in all the game worlds. And Ralph is the character that pulls all the different game worlds together. It’s amazing to see the difference from the games in the ’80s to the current games. The 3-D really puts the characters right in front of your face like you are playing at the arcade.

The music in this movie ranges from the ’80s, with Kool and the Gang, to current pop stars like Rihanna. This is a big range of music.

The message in this movie is, become whatever you want to be just because you really want it. Ralph was programmed to be a bad guy, but he feels that he can be a good person, too, and this pushes him to go for what he wants.

My favorite character is Vanellope Von Schweetz. Her attitude makes her very funny and spunky.
 
I rank this movie five out of five stars.  

I give this an age range of 5 and up.

Wreck-It Ralph 
Reviewed by Morgan Bertsch
(See her full review on video.)

KIDS FIRST! brings you the newest Disney animated movie, Wreck-It Ralph.

With names like John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, Sarah Silverman, Adam Carolla and Mindy Kaling, the expectations for this movie are high. They are definitely met.

The animation is done in 3-D and brings the action to life. It is very detailed, colorful and original. The characters are amazing. There are new ones and old favorites you will be sure to recognize. This is gamer heaven.

Every gamer dreams of the day they can actually be in the game they are playing, and this movie tries to make that a reality. We get to see what goes on inside video games and what they do when you are not playing them.

Ralph decides he is tired of being the bad guy and wants to be the hero. All he wants is a medal to make everyone love him. This proves to be easy — but keeping it is a challenge when a small girl decides she wants it more. Ralph is not getting it back until he helps her. This adventure has spectacular reach-out-and-touch scenery and awakens all your senses.

Sugar Rush is an amazing candy land that had every kind imaginable. Even the cars are made of candy. There are mysteries and a big race at stake. Warning: You will crave candy, so be sure to have some on hand. King Candy, Sour Bill, Vanellope and all the racers are fantastic.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Calhoun and her gang are on a bug hunt. You do not want these bugs in your house. She comes with her own great adventure.

Fix-It Felix and his golden hammer are on the hunt to fix Ralph.

I think this movie is fantastic because several stories are going on at once, and that makes it a perfect movie for everyone. It is easy to keep track of everything that is going on, and just when you think you know what is happening, there are more surprises and a new character you will love.

Wreck It Ralph keeps you laughing. The stories of love and friendship make your heart leap. The emotional ride is complete, with believable characters full of human traits as well as flaws. It makes you stop and think about the way we all threat each other and how we should open our eyes and be aware of other people’s feelings. Everyone will find someone they can relate to and an arcade game they will want to go out and play.

The age range is 4 and up. There are a few scary bugs, but otherwise the candy scenes will make them love this movie.

 I give it five ***** twinkling stars.

Wreck-it Ralph
Reviewed by Raven Devanney
(See her full review on video.)

Wreck it Ralph – featuring the voices of Jane Lynch, John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman – is a breath of fresh air. It’s so original and funny! You’d be crazy to miss this epic adventure.

I absolutely love this movie! It’s so clever; there are so many hilarious references of older movies; and the comedy reaches out to children, teens and adults. Not only were my brother and I laughing throughout the film, but my parents were, too. The animation is amazing because the way the characters move and act really portrays the fact that they are from a video game. I especially love the way the do-gooders dance and move about, because it’s very abrupt and choppy and it gives them all a virtual feel.

I love all of the characters so much because they all have their own funny little quirks. I like Ralph because, even though he is the bad guy, he isn’t a bad guy and he proves that when he helps Vanellope. I also like Vanellope because she is supposedly a glitch but she never lets that stop her. She is adorable and determined and says some of the funniest things! I really enjoyed Fix it Felix Jr. because he is so innocent. And last but not least, I love King Candy! He is the ruler of Sugar Rush and he is so wacky. He reminds me a lot of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland.

I don’t have a favorite scene because I love this whole film. But there are so many funny one-liners and jokes that I love. Also, the references to other films are hilarious. For instance, outside of the Candy King’s castle there are Oreos marching, and they are singing the song that the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz sing. It is very funny.

Wreck-it Ralph teaches you that you aren’t a label and that everyone is unique. It shows that you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone; you just have to believe in yourself. I recommend this film for all ages because it is so cute, funny, touching and original and has some killer 3-D scenes. Wreck-it Ralph is in theaters near you starting November 2nd, so grab your 3-D glasses and check it out!

Wreck-It Ralph
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda
(See his full review on video.)

This movie, to me, is the best movie I have ever seen. And I have seen a lot of movies, so that is saying something. It has easily become my favorite. It has such a good story line and makes me laugh a lot. Another thing that I like about this movie is the 3-D, which makes it look really cool and made me want to see more.

This movie is all about a guy named Wreck-It Ralph who is tired of being a bad guy so he leaves his game to win a medal so, for once, he can be the hero. First, he goes to a game called Hero’s Duty, but, while in that game, he ends up flying into a different game called Sugar Rush. When he is in that game, he makes a new friend named Vanellope.

The main characters in this movie are Wreck-It Ralph, Fix-It Felix Jr., and Vanellope. My favorite characters are Wreck It Ralph and Vanellope because, first, Wreck-it Ralph is a nice guy but can do mean things. He also doesn’t like be treated meanly so he leaves his game to try to win another game to earn a medal. He does finally win a medal, but then it gets stolen. That’s when Vanellope comes in. She is a really nice girl except she was mean to Ralph for a little bit. She has a glitch in her so everybody says she is a freak, but really she is a good person.

My favorite part is when Vanellope is making a car with Ralph and he wrecks everything. But when the car is complete, she really loves the car. I think it is really cool how it is just like a mini game. You will have to watch to see what I mean!

I recommend this movie for ages 4 and up because there are some things that could scare a younger audience. But mostly it’s just really cool, and I think it is a great family movie that kids and parents will both enjoy. Go out and see this movie in theaters.

Photo: KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Morgan Bertsch at the premiere of Wreck-It Ralph