KIDS FIRST! News

Enjoy Eshaan M. and Jude A.’s interview with Michael E. Uslan, The Batman Everything Guy. Uslan, a well-known figure in the entertainment industry, is the producer and brand-builder behind every Batman movie since 1989.

Uslan, who famously led a decade-long effort to bring Tim Burton’s Batman to theaters in 1989 will now oversee the development of the Stan Lee Universe across film and TV development for Genius Brands. In 1979, with production partner Ben Melniker, Uslan purchased film rights for the fictional superhero. Tim Burton’s “Batman” made it to theaters a decade later, launching a Caped Crusader empire of 16 feature films generating $7.1 billion in worldwide ticket sales.

For more than 30 years, Uslan has produced every Batman film, including Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy, Todd Phillips’ Joker, and Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman. He has written for comics and was a close friend of Stan Lee. His son, David Uslan will work on the project with him. Stan Lee Universe is a joint venture between Genius Brands and Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment, managed by Genius.

Interviewed by Jude A.(left) and Eshaan M.(right), KIDS FIRST! Film Critics

A gorilla named Ivan tries to piece together his past with the help of an elephant named Stella as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, “With realistic computer-generated imagery and a profound message, The One and Only Ivan captures its viewers’ hearts and minds. Throughout the ninety-four-minute feature, just about anyone will grow rather fond of Ivan and his pals. The film comprises a mix of human characters, settings and assets created with computer graphics that is both believable and intricate. The One and Only Ivan flows magically, and its power-packed message has been perfectly preserved and magnified from its literary inspiration.” See his full review below.

The One and Only Ivan
By Eshaan Mani, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

With realistic computer-generated imagery and a profound message, The One and Only Ivan captures its viewers’ hearts and minds. Throughout the ninety-four-minute feature, just about anyone will grow rather fond of Ivan and his pals. The film comprises a mix of human characters, settings and assets created with computer graphics that is both believable and intricate. The One and Only Ivan flows magically, and its power-packed message has been perfectly preserved and magnified from its literary inspiration.

The comedic feature film directed by Thea Sharrock is an adaptation of author K.A. Applegate’s Newbery Medal-winning book by the same title. The title character, a silverback gorilla, headlines at the Big Top Mall Circus in Atlanta, GA. Ivan enjoys notoriety and popularity far and wide for his façade of ferocity. He lives quite happily with his multi-species troupe of friends, including Mack, the ringleader, Stella and Ruby, the elephants, Henrietta the chicken and Bob, the dog. After experiencing a loss and then a new arrival, things at the Big Top take a turn. Ivan devotes himself to piecing together his past and, in the process, works together with his buddies to hatch a plan to escape from the circus.

Produced by Allison Shearmur, Angelina Jolie and Brigham Taylor, The One and Only Ivan does not disappoint when it comes to star power. Sam Rockwell voice-acts the part of Ivan, Bryan Cranston portrays Mack, and Bob is voiced by Danny DeVito. Sam Rockwell puts forth a compelling performance; his honest and emotional voicing of Ivan made me sympathize with the gorilla and hear his voice on a deeper level. Bryan Cranston puts on an inspiring and enthralling performance as Mack, the slightly hammy ringleader who isn’t afraid to take risks. His delivery was on point, as well. And lastly, a veteran in the Hollywood film industry, Danny DeVito – his comic timing, as in his other eighty-nine performances, is impeccable. Bob adds a lighter air to the film, especially at some sad moments. The hilarious script by Mike White, expert cinematography and graceful, powerful music also work together to make the viewing experience even more enjoyable. My favorite part of this film is the final circus performance – you’ll have to watch it to see why!

This Disney+ film gives us hope that we can all change the world and make a difference just like Ivan does – not only does he make a difference in his life but also in the life of his young responsibility. The One and Only Ivan is also a great film to show children as it teaches them empathy and promotes kindness and altruism. There is mention of death in The One and Only Ivan, and gunshots are heard.

I  rate The One and Only Ivan 4.5 stars out of 5 and recommend the film to children ages 8 to 18. The One and Only Ivan is coming to Disney Plus on August 21, 2020!

This week, we had the pleasure of interviewing Art Bell, author of the memoir “Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor” (Coming September 2020).

With a MBA in Economics from The Wharton School, Bell has applied his skills to television production with some of the leading companies of the world. Bell founded Comedy Channel in 1988 while at HBO, developing initial programming and brand for merged comedy networks (HA! and Comedy Channel) which became Comedy Central. He was President/COO of CourtTV and a founding partner of Scalar Media Partners, a consulting practice handling a range of clients and projects – Panasonic NA, Epix Pay Television Channel, AARP, A&E Television, United Health and The Weinstein Company. The practice developed media strategy, built corporate alliances and the international development of the 3D television industry.

Art Bell may be the funniest guy we’ve talked with about the state of the entertainment business and the constant state of change.

Interviewed by Benjamin P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, age 14

Today we have the pleasure to introducing you to Mark Simon, Producer/Director/Story Artist. Mark has worked in the entertainment industry for 30 years and has been a professional artist for over 40 years. Mark has storyboarded projects such as Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Black Lightning, Creepshow, Dynasty, Cult of Chucky, Little Rascals, Woody Woodpecker, The Waterboy, Spielberg’s seaQuest DSV and more.  www.Storyboards-East.com.

Director Louis Koerner from Ireland said, “Once again, a tour de force of telling imagery. Greatly appreciate your invaluable assistance in making sense of all of our madness!”

Mark’s latest book is Attacked!, a memoir of when he and his family were attacked at their house and he became the first person in the country to hold parents responsible for the actions of their kids in a court of law. www.MarkSimonBooks.com/Attacked

Mark has won over 200 international awards for projects he’s written and directed. Prior to storyboarding and producing, he was an art director in live-action film and TV in Los Angeles, CA and Orlando, FL. While in Los Angeles, he designed many feature films, music videos and commercials. He then became the second art director at the new Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, FL in 1989. He is a second degree black belt and two-time national champion in Tae Kwon Do.

Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (or simply Wizards) is an American computer-animated fantasy limited series created by Guillermo del Toro, and produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and Double Dare You Productions. The series is the third and final installment of the Tales of Arcadia trilogy, following Trollhunters and 3Below, and was released on August 7, 2020 on Netflix. In the newest installment, wizard-in-training Douxie (Colin O’Donoghue) and the heroes of Arcadia embark for the control of magic that will determine the fate of those supernatural worlds that have now converged.

Tales of Arcadia first launched in 2016 with the Emmy-winning series Trollhunters, including a first-ever Emmy win for del Toro and Rodrigo Blaas for Outstanding Directing, followed by the second installment 3Below in 2018. On the surface, Arcadia appears to be a slice of timeless Americana, but it is no ordinary town. It lies at the center of magical and mystical lines that make it a nexus for many battles among otherworldly creatures including trolls, aliens and wizards. 

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, “Guillermo del Toro’s new series Tales of Arcadia: Wizards will enrapture its viewers because of its high-quality animation, detailed emotional rollercoaster plot and strong script. The eight-time Emmy award-winning team behind this production creates a whole new fantasy world to dive into with the intricate CGI in this show—the mesmerizing floating castle of Camelot, incredible flying contraptions and futuristic technology complete the look. Designed with the utmost care, the many characters of this show are illustrated with clear lines and realistic coloring for skin, whether human or monstrous, hair, fangs and even fingernails—now that’s detail-oriented!” See his full review below.

Wizards: Tales of Arcadia
By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

Guillermo del Toro’s new series Wizards: Tales of Arcadia will enrapture its viewers because of its high-quality animation, detailed emotional rollercoaster plot and strong script. The eight-time Emmy award-winning team behind this production creates a whole new fantasy world to dive into with the intricate CGI in this show—the mesmerizing floating castle of Camelot, incredible flying contraptions and futuristic technology complete the look. Designed with the utmost care, the many characters of this show are illustrated with clear lines and realistic coloring for skin, whether human or monstrous, hair, fangs and even fingernails—now that’s detail-oriented!

Now to the plot of Wizards: Tales of Arcadia. The main character in this TV show is Hisirdoux or Douxie, our favorite clumsy wizard-in-training. After a stand-off with the Arcane Order – an evil band of magicians led by the wily Morgana – goes wrong, the group of do-gooder wizards (Merlin and Hisirdoux, along with the Guardians of Arcadia: Claire, Toby, and Steve, as well as Archie and Jim) set off on a time-twisting adventure to the times of 12th-century Camelot.  The control of magic, the nature of all the supernatural worlds, and Hisirdoux’s status in his mentor’s eyes all lie in the balance.

The plot is intricate and crafted carefully – there are several plot twists along the way, and all of the characters are nuanced and lifelike. Well, the ones that aren’t monsters are lifelike. I found it very hard to peel my eyes away from the screen throughout the ten episodes! Surprisingly, for a fantasy series, I was unable to predict what would happen next!

A highly talented and vaunted figure in television series lore, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, one of the many executive producers of the film, is well-known for his expertise in the industry. It shows in this TV series as well. Throughout the series, I found myself going through tears of joy and sadness, and cracking a super-wide smile at several parts. The script of Wizards, written by Andie Bolt, Ian Rickett and Lila Scott, was truly feature-film quality.

Colin O’Donoghue plays Hisirdoux; I found “Douxie” to be possibly the most nuanced of all the characters, and O’Donoghue is excellent at portraying all the facets of his personality. Steven Yeun plays Steve on the show, and he portrays the clumsy jock with comedic genius. Lena Headey plays the conflicted Morgana with finesse. Those are my three favorite characters on the show, with Archie as a runner-up – you have to love the cat/dragon’s sarcastic commentary and incredible portrayal by Alfred Molina. Toby seems like an accessory character in this show and does not have much importance in lines or scenes.

There are several sweet messages incorporated throughout the show—messages of acceptance, perseverance, camaraderie and believing in yourself. The emotional development and maturing of Hisirdoux surely will cause you to shed a few tears as well, and you can’t help but be proud of Callista, a troll with an interesting secret, for stepping up and casting aside what other trolls thought of her.

I rate Wizards: Tales of Arcadia 4 stars out of 5 and recommend it to children aged 10 to 15. Wizards: Tales of Arcadia is coming to Netflix August 7, 2020!