KIDS FIRST! News

A mythical island with beasts of surprising size (fist-sized elephants and train-sized centipedes) is the setting for a Treasure Island-like adventure that will be released in theaters Feb. 10. Fourteen-year-old Blake Hawes, one of the winners of the 2012 KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Search, thoroughly delves into the story and its presentation in his sensitive and observant review (below) of the film. The understanding stood him well, also, as he sat down with stars Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Dwayne Johnson and Luis Guzman on location in Hawaii to get them to share their experiences filming the movie (on video for KIDS FIRST!).

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Reviewed by Blake Hawes
(See his full review on video.)

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a fun and entertaining movie and offers some brilliant eye candy in some of the most impressive action scenes. Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) has a new man in his life, his stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson). This movie is more about the relationship between Sean and Hank than a mindless cliché adventure movie. Sean grew up with a lot of loss of loved ones and people coming in and out of his life. Sean has trust issues with his new stepdad and doesn’t want to get too close to him, for he’s afraid that he’ll leave him due to his unfortunate past. Hank wants to play a bigger role in Sean’s life and hopes to finally make a bond between them.

Then they uncover the mystery of the Mysterious Island and go on an adventure to find Sean’s long-lost grandfather (Michael Caine). The only way to get to the island is by flying by helicopter. The quirky and fun tour guide (Luis Guzmán) is the comic relief in this huge journey. His daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) is Sean’s love interest in the movie. The plot itself is easy to understand for younger audiences and it is fun to see how it plays out in the end. The movie is chockfull of massive set pieces, which all are creatively brought to life by cinematography and editing.

Hudgens doesn’t deliver the most believable performance of her career because of the fact that she acts more like a big-city girl than a hardened islander of their destination. But all in all, she has great chemistry between Hutcherson in the movie, and should be commended for it. Guzmán however, delivers some tongue-in-cheek jokes throughout the film. He’ll offer a couple of chuckles throughout the movie for older viewers, but most of his jokes will appeal to the younger audience.

I like this movie because of its frantic action sequences and surprisingly well-suited soundtrack. This movie may be scary for younger viewers at points such as the lizard chase sequences. The intensity and the importance of the given situation during the final act of the movie gives the audience a very good reason to sit on the edge of their seats. Overall, I think the movie is very entertaining and has many great moments. I give it eight out of ten stars.

Photos: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island poster (top), Blake Hawes with Vanessa Hudgens (bottom)

A mythical island with beasts of surprising size (fist-sized elephants and train-sized centipedes) is the setting for a Treasure Island-like adventure that will be released in theaters Feb. 10. Fourteen-year-old Blake Hawes, a finalist in the 2012 KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Search (winners to be announced next week), thoroughly delves into the story and its presentation in his sensitive and observant review of the film.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Reviewed by Blake Hawes
(See his full review on video.)

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a fun and entertaining movie and offers some brilliant eye candy in some of the most impressive action scenes. Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) has a new man in his life, his stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson). This movie is more about the relationship between Sean and Hank than a mindless cliche adventure movie. Sean grew up with a lot of loss of loved ones and people coming in and out of his life. Sean has trust issues with his new stepdad and doesn’t want to get too close to him, for he’s afraid that he’ll leave him due to his unfortunate past. Hank wants to play a bigger role in Sean’s life and hopes to finally make a bond between them.

Then they uncover the mystery of the Mysterious Island and go on an adventure to find Sean’s long-lost grandfather (Michael Caine). The only way to get to the island is by flying by helicopter. The quirky and fun tour guide (Luis Guzmán) is the comic relief in this huge journey. His daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) is Sean’s love interest in the movie. The plot itself is easy to understand for younger audiences and it is fun to see how it plays out in the end. The movie is chockfull of massive set pieces, which all are creatively brought to life by cinematography and editing.

Hudgens doesn’t deliver the most believable performance of her career because of the fact that she acts more like a big-city girl than a hardened islander of their destination. But all in all, she has great chemistry between Hutcherson in the movie, and should be commended for it. Guzmán however, delivers some tongue-in-cheek jokes throughout the film. He’ll offer a couple of chuckles throughout the movie for older viewers, but most of his jokes will appeal to the younger audience.

I like this movie because of its frantic action sequences and surprisingly well-suited soundtrack. This movie may be scary for younger viewers at points such as the lizard chase sequences. The intensity and the importance of the given situation during the final act of the movie gives the audience a very good reason to sit on the edge of their seats. Overall, I think the movie is very entertaining and has many great moments. I give it eight out of ten stars.

Photos: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island poster (top), Blake Hawes with Dwayne Johnson (bottom)

Sure, you enjoyed the film when Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures released it 20 years ago, but now get ready to enjoy it in a whole new way. Newly tricked out in 3-D, the animated classic that spawned a live musical that took Broadway by storm is hitting the theaters for a fresh run this month as Walt Disney Studios gives it both a theatrical and DVD release. Nine-year-old KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Anthony Aranda, who’s seen Beauty and the Beast in both dimensionalities, shares what the 3-D adds to the experience.

Anthony and his fellow 2011 KIDS FIRST! youth film critics have had a great year reviewing films and interviewing celebrities. Video reviews from all the hopefuls for 2012 are posted on our partner site WonderWorldTV. Be sure to vote – voting ends this weekend, at midnight, Jan. 15.

Beauty and the Beast
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda
(See his full review on video.)

This movie is being re-released in theaters in 3-D! It was very cool to see this in 3-D since I had already seen this movie at home in 2-D. The 3-D effects add a lot to the movie.

The movie is all about Belle, who finds out her father was taken by a Beast and she sets out to save him. She decides to take her father’s place as the Beast’s prisoner so that her father can go free. Belle will have to stay at the castle for the rest of her life. Belle starts to get to know the Beast and realizes he isn’t so bad after all. There is an enchantment on the castle, and if the Beast doesn’t learn to love another and have that person return the love then he will stay a Beast forever and everyone in the castle will also stay the way they are. 

Some of the main characters in the movie are Belle, Belle’s father, the Beast and Gaston. My favorite character is Chip. He is Mrs. Potts’ son and he is a little teacup. I like him because he is super funny and so tiny and cute. At the end, he says a really funny catchphrase to make people laugh. Chip says, “Do I still have to sleep in the cupboard?” even though he already turned back into a boy. I thought that was really funny. 

The re-release of this movie in 3-D is really cool. You can really feel like you can reach out and touch the trees and the castle in the movie. The Beast in 3-D is pretty scary at first (scarier in 3-D than he was in 2-D). Also, when they sing “Be Our Guest,” that whole scene is really cool because all the dishes and silverware are singing and dancing and that looks really cool in 3-D. During the fight scene at the end of the movie when the townspeople break into the castle, the clock is coming down the stairs and it looks like he is flying right at me. They do really good job.

I recommend this movie for all ages because the scary parts in the movie aren’t that bad. The Beast may scare some younger kids but only for a minute, and throughout the movie they learn that he is really nice after all. It is also really funny. Go out and see the re-release of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 3-D on January 13.  

Photos: Beauty and the Beast poster (top), Anthony Aranda (bottom)

The latest Mission: Impossible feature film, Paramount Pictures’ release Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, once again puts Tom Cruise leading an elite team of undercover agents (played by Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton) in a slick spy thriller. Unlike the capers of this film’s predecessors, this mission is not impossible to follow. While we may be suspending our disbelief that these agents can actually do the feats of skill and precision and daring that move our pulse rate into the danger zone, there are not the questions of why they’re doing them or, more basic, what exactly they’re doing that plagued Cruise’s previous Mission: Impossible forays. Fifteen-year-old KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Gabriella Chu shares why the film kept her on the edge of her seat.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Reviewed by Gabriella Chu
(See her full review on video.)

Are you into action? The latest Mission: Impossible has just been released. The Impossible Missions Force is blamed for the bombing of Kremlin, so Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team try to get back their reputation by preventing a nuclear missile from killing everyone on Earth. Can the team undertake this impossible mission?

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol is a quick-witted picture fast on its feet. From the beginning, I was on the edge of my seat. Scene after scene, Hunt and his team are on the move. There are so many cool and inventive high-tech gadgets in the movie combined with breathtaking visuals, making it even more intense.

I recommend this film to teens 13 and up. Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol is a wonderful cinematic experience filled with action, and I think almost everyone will enjoy its fast pace.

Photos: Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol poster (top), Gabriella Chu (bottom)

The iconic Sherlock Holmes has been a favorite of mystery buffs since his introduction to English literature in 1887, earning a knighthood for his creator, the Scottish physician Arthur Conan Doyle. Yet in spite of it being such a perennial favorite with a devoted following, Warner Bros.’ releases Sherlock Holmes, in 2009, and the current Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows are the only major film adaptations since the 1939 film The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The more staid Sherlock Holmes as played by Basil Rathbone has given way to a delightfully eccentric character in Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal. As KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Gabriella Chu (age 15) points out in her review, the British flavor of the story remains strong.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Reviewed by Gabriella Chu
(See her full review on video.)

Are you into action films? The Sherlock Holmes sequel is out in theaters now. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his sidekick, Dr. Watson (Jude Law), try to kill their foe, Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), because Holmes believes he is linked to a number of recent crimes. They discover that Moriarty invests in companies in England owning cotton and other goods. He plans to start a war so that there will be a high demand for the goods, so he can make a fortune. Will Holmes succeed in preventing this war?

The cinematography of the movie was impressive. Several action scenes were filmed in slow motion, making it more thrilling. However, the lighting of the movie is gloomy, and it doesn’t really match the tone of the movie since it is a combination of action and adventure with a dash of comedy.

The storyline of the movie didn’t quite work for me, either. Although the film is like Mission Impossible in the 19th century, it’s a bit hard hearing what the characters are saying since they have a British accent, and the plot gets confusing at some parts. I did enjoy the ending of the film, though. It was interesting watching the director’s comparison of the face-off between Holmes and Professor Moriarty to a chess game.

I recommend this film to teens 13 and up, especially to fans of Sherlock Holmes. If you have a sharp eye and keen hearing, then you might find Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows intriguing.

Photos: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows poster (top), Gabriella Chu (bottom)