KIDS FIRST! News

With Lionsgate release Abduction making its way through theaters across the country, KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Gabriella Chu (age 14) shares a thoughtful view from the age group the film seems to be intended for.

Abduction
Reviewed by Gabriella Chu
(See her full review on video.)

If you like to watch action movies or are a fan of Taylor Lautner, then Abduction is the fast-paced one for you. It’s about a teen boy named Nathan, played by Taylor Lautner, who finds a baby pciture of him on a missing persons website. As he investigates, he finds out his parents aren’t his biological parents. They get killed, and the CIA starts chasing after him.

If you want to unlock the mystery to why all these astonishing events are happening to Nathan in just one day, watch the movie.

In the beginning, the director films Nathan’s normal life, and then quickly transitions to a suspenseful action movie.

It’s exciting because Nathan constantly finds himself in the midst of an obstacle. On the other hand, the storyline and plot didn’t exactly work out for me. Although the movie shows that you shouldn’t trust anyone but yourself and close friends, some parts of the movie didn’t quite make sense to me.

I recommend this movie to teen 13 and up. There are intense fighting scenes, brief language and other teen behaviors not appropriate for children.

Photo: Abduction poster (top), Gabriella Chu (bottom)

With Columbia Pictures’ Moneyball opening in theaters today, KIDS FIRST! film critic Jonah Menegaz (age 13) scoops a preview for our KIDS FIRST! community. Yes, the movie’s got Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman onscreen, but Menegaz point to the cinematography as also worth paying attention to. Fellow KIDS FIRST! film critics Daniel Menegaz (age 13) and Gabriella Chu (age 14) make it unanimous: Moneyball scores a hit on all counts.

Moneyball
Reviewed by Jonah Menegaz

Moneyball is a great movie, starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as Peter Brand. Together, the two completely recreate how baseball is looked at and how it changed [as to] how the players are picked.

Since I am not a sporty person, I don’t like baseball very much and it kind of bores me, but this movie was fantastic and very interesting. I thought the acting was great and the actors got into their characters, and it kept me wondering what will happen next. I also thought the DP (director of photography) was awesome and how [the movie] displayed shots that set the mood for the scene. I also thought it was really cool how they used real footage from when the game was actually being played.

This movie was rightfully rated PG-13 because of the language — there was often cussing — and I think this movie is great for kids 11 and up. Overall, this is an excellent movie and you should go see it!

Moneyball
Reviewed by Daniel Menegaz

Moneyball is the invigorating true story about the rise of the Oakland A’s — a baseball team with a tiny budget. Starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as Peter Brand, the duo try to re-invent the game of baseball by using a new way of recruiting players. 

The movie was serious at times, but the comic relief is very funny. I thought it was really clever when they used real footage of baseball games in the film, as well as recreating games. The acting was also spot on. Considering I’m not the biggest baseball fan, this movie was actually really good.

I think the age group is about ten and up because, aside from two or three curse words, all of the subject matter was appropriate. Over all, I would give Moneyball 4 out of 5 stars.

Moneyball
Reviewed by Gabriella Chu

If you are a baseball fan, then Moneyball is an inspirational movie for you. It’s about a baseball team manager, Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, who tries his best to repair the Oakland A’s baseball team with his constrained budget. He hires a Yale graduate, Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, who teaches him to use statistics to compare baseball players among each other, instead of the conventional method of following his instincts to decide which players to choose and keep. If you’re wondering whether Beane’s uncommon and distrusted method will help his baseball team win more games, watch the movie to find out!

I think this movie is inspirational because its messages are very straightforward. The movie shows that sticking to the status quo is not always the best decision you can make, and it’s not money that makes something worthwhile, but it’s the journey that counts. Brad Pitt’s acting is exceptional, and the strong personality and ambition his character possesses emphasizes these messages.

Besides a few well-timed flashbacks, the director made the movie seem more like a book told through visuals, and not so much as a film. In addition, if Peter Brand didn’t exist as a character in the movie, there would be no story to the film.

I recommend this movie to teens 13 and up because there is some cursing, but nothing too serious. Moneyball tells a splendid story, and will be sure to delight baseball fans.  

Photo, top to bottom: Moneyball poster, Jonah Menegaz, Daniel Menegaz, Gabriella Chu 

Animation is for every age, especially when it comes from leaders of the genre at Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. This sequel to 2006’s award-winning movie Cars is in theaters now, and KIDS FIRST! film critic Ny’Asia Bell (age 7) gives us several reasons to make Cars 2 a summer entertainment choice.

Cars 2
Reviewed by Ny’Asia Bell

Today I will be reviewing the new Cars 2.

This movie was great – full of fast cars, lots of action and flawless animation.

Lightning McQueen is voiced by Owen Wilson, and his long-time best friend, tow Mater, is voiced by Larry the Cable Guy. They accept a challenge from Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro) to compete in the World Grand Prix in Tokyo. While there, Mater gets mistaken for an American secret agent, and eventually helps to solve a big and dangerous case.

My favorite characters are Mater, because of his courage and humor. He is a real hero.
Then there are the characters Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) and Finn McMissile (Michael Caine). I loved all their cool gadgets.
 
My favorite part of the film is when Mater cracks the case and finds out what car is behind all this mayhem.
 
I rate this movie 4 out of 5 stars, because it does contain some violent scenes. I recommend this movie to kids ages 7 and up.
 
Photos: Cars 2 poster (top), Ny’Asia Bell (bottom)

Howl’s Moving Castle, from the renowned Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki (who also wrote the screenplay adaptation from the novel of the same name), was nominated for numerous film awards followiong its theatrical release in 2004. Among its wins was Animation of the Year from the 2005 Hollywood Film Festival. The film is presented in July on HDNet KidScene. KIDS FIRST! film critic Sam Connan (age 12) gives us the low-down on it, with high praise:

Howl’s Moving Castle
Reviewed by Sam Connan
(and see his review on video)

I just finished watching Howl’s Moving Castle and I thought it was a wonderful movie. I’ve seen it before and I still think it’s a wonderful movie. It’s about a young girl named Sophie who gets turned into an old woman by the evil Witch of the Waste. She seeks the help of a wizard named Howl, but the problem is that she can’t tell anybody about this curse that she’s under.

There are a lot of references to war in this. Howl is against the war. He doesn’t care what flag the ship is flying or what uniform the soldiers are wearing, he just wants the war to end. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody; he just wants a peaceful resolution.

Hayao Miyazaki is the man who directed and animated this film, and he did an absolutely wonderful job. Each frame is like its own piece of art, and when it’s all strung together, it makes a beautiful movie.

The music is also very good.

I would recommend this for all ages. For littler kids, there are no real scary parts, and there’s a lot of colors and excitement and funny parts. And for older kids and adults, it’s a very interesting plot line.

If I had to characterize this, which would be very hard to do because it’s a very unique kind of movie, I would categorize this in the “great” category. I would put it up with Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings – not that it’s anything like them, but it’s just as wonderful as them.

All in all, I would have to give this a three out of three stars, which is a very hard ranking to get.

Photos: Howl’s Moving Castle poster (top), Sam Connan (bottom)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of many film classics being brought to your home by HDNet Movies, a KIDS FIRST! sponsor. HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, including the best classics of the 1950s-1970s, favorites from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films. Additionally, HDNet Movies offers kidScene, a morning and Friday night programming block specifically for kids and families. HDNet Movies kidScene can be followed at hdnetmovies.com and via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNetMovies.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight and Verizon FiOS.

During the lead-up to today’s theatrical release of Relativity Media’s Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, KIDS FIRST! film critic Gabriella Chu enjoyed the rare opportunity of a sit-down chat to interview the movie’s star, Jordana Beatty, and the author who penned the books that the film is based on, Megan McDonald. As a long-time fan of the Judy Moody series, 14-year-old Chu brought a special appreciation to those interviews as well as to the review that follows here.

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
Reviewed by Gabriella Chu (also on video)

Get ready to have an exhilirating ride this summer! The renowned author Megan McDonald has brought her Judy Moody series to life on screen! The movie tells the story of a third-grader named Judy Moody who plans to have the most thrilling summer of her life, until she finds out that her best friends are going away to exotic camps. She is bummed out because she does not think she can have a fun summer without her friends, but she changes her mind when awesome Aunt Opal comes to stay for the summer. She realizes that a fun summer does not always mean going away to foreign places, but instead, imagination is the key. If you’re wondering how wild Judy Moody’s imagination is, go see for yourself!

The acclaimed writer of the Judy Moody series, Megan McDonald, is also the screenwriter of the movie. Her imagination went wild. Aunt Opal and Judy Moody are always thinking of such creative, cool, hilarious and brilliant ways to have fun. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. From scene to scene, the movie is like a rollercoaster ride. It is so much fun and you can never predict what Judy Moody is going to do next. By the time you finish the movie, you don’t even know what passed. She has so many wonderful ideas that you cannot keep track of all of them. Jordana Beatty, who stars as Judy Moody, fits her character’s personality and appearance like a glove. Literally, director John Schultz used the set, wardrobe, animation and bright pops of color to bring Judy Moody’s world to life.

This movie will inspire you to have a magical summer or it may bring back happy childhood memories. It is perfect for all ages. I highly recommend it for you to watch with your entire family, but it is also a fantastic choice to go see with friends.

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer will be in theaters nationwide on June 10. Don’t miss it!

Photos: Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer poster (top), Gabriella Chu (bottom)
View Gabriella Chu’s interviews with Jordana Beatty and with Megan McDonald.