KIDS FIRST! News

Grab your popcorn, because the Equestria Girls are back for a magic-filled triple feature including: Dance Magic – When Rarity finds out about a music video competition, she’s eager to convince her friends at Canterlot High to enter the contest. The girls soon learn that Crystal Prep Academy are also interested in participating in the contest. The students at CPA have many more resources and are better dancers! Will they be able to pull together and make a winning music video? Movie Magic – The Equestria Girls have been specially invited by A.K. Yearling to go on the set of the upcoming Daring Do movie and they are overjoyed. For super-fan Rainbow Dash, watching behind the scenes as her favorite heroine comes to life is a dream come true. But when a rare and important prop from the set goes missing, putting the movie on hold, Rainbow Dash’s dream becomes a nightmare. Mirror Magic – As the pages in her journal run out, there’s only one thing for Sunset Shimmer to do: return to Equestria to get a new journal! There, she meets Starlight Glimmer and agrees to bring her back to experience life at Canterlot High. But while Sunset Shimmer was away, a revenge seeking Juniper Montage finds a beautiful hand mirror enchanted with Equestrian magic. Not only can it provide a window into another land, but if you push the right button, it can also make things disappear into limbo, trapped between the two realms! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Jolleen M. comments, “This animated film has a great storyline and important morals that I loved to watch. Plus, all of the characters have their own unique personalities, which is cool to see.” Gerry O. adds, “The episodes all teach kids about friendship, teamwork and many other positive behavior. At times, the stories concentrate more on action or drama but they are never too mature for young children.” See their full reviews below.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Magical Movie Night
By Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

This animated film has a great storyline and important morals that I loved to watch. Plus, all of the characters have their own unique personalities, which is cool to see. The animation is spot on with detailed facial expressions and body language of the characters.

The stories, Dance Magic, Movie Magic and Mirror Magic are all about friendship, teamwork, persevering and forgiving. In the stories, the Equestria Girls work together solving obstacles that come up. They befriend, forgive and help their enemies. The Equestria Girls create peace among every one and teach others to create peace as well.

Ali Liebert makes Juniper Montage sound very determined, jealous and greedy, but also shows Juniper’s hurt side, where she is apologetic and depressed. Tabitha St. Germain portrays Rarity as very elegant, creative and calm. But at times, she is easily frustrated and very competitive. The animation for all of the My Little Pony films is really cute and detailed. I love this type of animation. The backgrounds are very detailed and the animation is really pleasing to watch.

My favorite part is when Pinky Pie’s (Andrea Libman) dream comes true when she sees a building made of pudding. Her eyes light up and you can see her pure happiness. I really love this part because it made me really happy to see Pinky Pie so excited. The pudding also looks delicious.

The message of these stories is that you should be kind to everyone, no matter what. Also, it promotes forgiving people and giving them second chances. The Equestrian Girls have their stuff and their ideas stolen, but they still forgive and become great friends even with the thieves. This collection of stories teaches children to have a good heart and enjoy life in the moment.

This is a wonderful DVD with big messages. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 3 to 8. This DVD is available August 8, 2017, be sure to check it out.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Magical Movie Night
By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15

With three unique stories and beautiful animation, this DVD collection entertains younger audiences while teaching them about friendship. It has a room for improvement and is far from the best of the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic series. Like the previous shows and movies of this series, the three episodes focus heavily on adventure and comedy. The episodes all teach kids about friendship, teamwork and many other positive behavior. At times, the stories concentrate more on action or drama but they are never too mature for young children.

The three episodes start after the latest film, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Legend of Everfree. The stories are all different, but generally focus on seven girls solving problems together. At the end, an answer comes to them and they all learn an important message about friendship.  Watching at least the previous film is helpful to the viewer since there are some references to previous plot elements. It would be very difficult to enjoy this DVD without having any prior experience with the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series.

Overall, this DVD has an enjoyable series of stories. They are bright, educational and are simple enough for younger kids to understand. Compared to the previous films and shows, the quality has dropped in some places. One of the strongest outliers to me is the comedy. In the past, the main character called Pinkie Pie (Andrea Libman) often plays a comedic role. In this collection, the comedy doesn’t come out goofy and funny as it usually does. It feels forced and almost annoying. Something else that I found lacking is the conflict in the stories. The first episode, Dance Magic, really suffers the most. The conflict in this episode focuses on the girls trying to raise money for a spring dance. Sadly, it has no good introduction and is simply explained at the beginning. This makes it not too important to the viewer and the way the characters treat this issue furthers the problem. One thing that has stayed consistent throughout the series is the voice acting and animation. Both have still maintained high quality and are one of the best parts of the show.

Out of the three, my favorite episode is Mirror Magic. The storyline is quite unique. It’s about a girl jealous of the seven friends who puts six of them in a magic mirror. It’s up to the seventh, Sunset Shimmer and her new friend Starlight Glimmer. This plays out interestingly in the show as Starlight, just like Sunset, is a villain turned good. This makes for some interesting chemistry between the two, which is entertaining.

As always, this series is meant for kids. For that reason, I recommend it for ages 7 to 13. I give this DVD 4 out of 5 stars for an overall good collection of episodes and high-quality animation, but a lack of good conflicts and a drop in quality.

Step documents the senior year of a girls’ high-school step dance team against the background of inner-city Baltimore. As each one tries to become the first in their families to attend college, the girls strive to make their dancing a success against the backdrop of social unrest in the troubled city. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Calista B. comments, “This is a film about life, dreams and passion…This movie is basically Dance Moms but with a heart, a soul and overall positivity.” See her full review below.

Step
By Calista B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

Step can be best described as a rollercoaster. This is a film about life, dreams and passion. You go on a journey with three amazing young woman who have used Step to shape themselves into empowering role models. This movie is basically Dance Moms but with a heart, a soul and overall positivity.

This documentary follows three strong, intelligent, beautiful African American high school seniors. It shows these girls in their home life and in their school life. It also shows what it was like for these girls living in Baltimore, a year after the Freddie Gray Protests in 2015. Many scenes in the film portray the “Black Lives Matter” movement and the importance of it. Blessin, our first protagonist and main focus of STEP is very likeable and relatable. The audience can understand her struggles and her angry outbursts. Blessin struggles more than the others with her grades, but she is the powerhouse and founder of the Step team. She shows her tender side when she cares for her nephew. The other girls, Cori and Tayla take school more seriously and have strong parental figures that help them through the tough times. Even though Tayla’s mom can be a bit overbearing, she has her daughter’s back, and in the end, that’s what’s important. Cori lives with six siblings, her stepfather and a mom who, in Cori’s own words, “is like a magic wand.” Cori’s mom was a teenager when she was pregnant with Cori but her faith helped her get through the rough times.

A big focus of this documentary is feminism and racial equality. The girls discuss this at the memorial for Freddie Gray. Their coach “Coach G” tells them that they are not only black but they are women. So they have to fight harder than others and how it should not be this way.  Not only that, but the two dance numbers shown in the film deal with these issues. The First Routine is about Black Lives Matter, and the other one is about Sisterhood. I was really impressed and found myself cheering these girls on through their journey and desperately hoping for them to succeed. Even though I am not a big fan of dancing, I have to admit these girls were really talented.

I definitely give this documentary 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this film for 10 to 18 year olds. Anybody who wants a positive and motivational movie should watch this film. This FOX Searchlight documentary comes out August 4th.

The Emoji Movie unlocks the never-before-seen secret world inside your smartphone. Hidden within the messaging app is Textopolis, a bustling city where all your favorite emojis live, hoping to be selected by the phone’s user. In this world, each emoji has only one facial expression – except for Gene, an exuberant emoji who was born without a filter and bursts with multiple expressions. Determined to become normal like the other emojis, Gene enlists the help of his handy best friend Hi-5 and the notorious code breaker emoji Jailbreak. Together, they embark on an epic app-venture through the apps on the phone, each its own wild and fun world, to find the Code that will fix Gene. But when a greater danger threatens the phone, the fate of all emojis depends on these three unlikely friends who must save their world before it’s deleted forever. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Imani B.G. comments, “I love how the world of emojis in the smartphone relates to the human world throughout the film. It gives the audience a way to associate themselves in the plot.” See her full review below.

The Emoji Movie
By Imani B.G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age: 15

The Emoji Movie is a kid-friendly fun and exciting film for people of all ages to enjoy and connect with. I love how the world of emojis in smartphone relates to the human world throughout the film. It gives the audience a way to identify with the characters and the plot. Families will definitely enjoy this amusing motion film and may even learn from it.

Alex’s (Jake T Austin) smartphone is home to all of the emojis. Each has its own facial expression except for Gene (TJ Miller). Gene struggles with being an emoji with multiple expressions and is determined to become normal like all of the other emojis. Gene asks for help from his new best friends, Hi-5 (James Corden) and Jailbreak (Anna Faris), a popular code breaker. During their epic adventure, the three face great danger and conflict with other characters. Join them on their experience.

I enjoyed every aspect of this film, but my favorite scene is when Gene realizes his uniqueness from the other emojis. Alex is having phone troubles and is on the verge of getting it fixed, which means the end for all things emojis. Gene steps in to make sure that doesn’t happen, which is a perk since he recognizes his worth. This scene sends a powerful message for kids to learn about liking themselves and recognizing their importance in the world.

The overall message of the film is to learn to accept who you are, no matter what others think of you. In the beginning, Gene has trouble figuring out who he is and why he isn’t like the rest. That leads him to wanting to be normal. Fortunately, Gene later realizes who he is, with a little help from his friends, and finally accepts himself. Kids and even adults can learn a lesson from this and apply it to their lives by building up their own self confidence.

I recommend this film for ages 5 to 18. There are scenes that tweens and teens can enjoy, but it also contains some scenes are suitable for 5 to 13 year olds. Adults will most likely enjoy this as well. It really is a film that the whole family will get a kick out of.

I rate The Emoji Movie 4 out of 5 because of its exhilarating storyline, wonderful cast, colorful animation and overall message. The Emoji Movie opens on July 28th, 2017 so, be sure to check it out so you can laugh along with the characters and enjoy it as much as I did.

Learn phonics skills with Twiki and Twini! In this collection of 26 episodes, Twiki and Twini take us on fun and educational adventures to discover new words and new sounds. In each episode, Twiki and Twini encounter different objects themed together such as animals, trucks, and more! As each object is presented in the episode, your little one will then watch as Twiki and Twini spell the word out phonetically in fun, illustrative letters that resemble the word being spelled out with their friends. For instance, when spelling out chicken the letters resemble a chicken with its feathers and legs. Each adventure continues with a total of four to five words being spelled out in each episode. In this Season 1 collection, your little one will learn how to spell colors like red and blue to food words like fruit to animal words like snake . The fun and learning never end with Twiki and Twini! Get ready to enter into an unexpected universe comprised of sounds, words, and images. ” KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror, Eli B. comments, “Twiki & Twini are curious little birds that lead us to lots of discoveries! There are plenty of relevant and silly sounds along the way. The stories are led by the narration and interaction with the kiwis via a child and an adult. This gives a sense of inquiry and offers soft guidance simultaneously.” KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Carla P. adds, “I like that this DVD teaches vocabulary and spelling to little kids. They learn how to spell words correctly and expands their vocabulary. This show is great for learning words that used in daily life.” Na’im S. wraps it up with, “This DVD is about friendship, education and fun… All of the adventures have a different storyline and include lots of word building exercises and other educational things to help learn different things such as spelling and grammar.” See their full reviews below.

Kiwi: Season One
By Eli B., KIDS FIRST! Juror

Kiwi is a stop-motion, animated educational children’s series with two very funny and lovable kiwi birds, Twiki & Twini, as the lead characters. In each episode, the kiwis go on adventures discovering new worlds of words and sounds. For example, some of the focus words include “cow,” “fruit,” “map,” “house” and “blue.” Words are spelled out phonetically and are used in clear and cohesive imagery and storyline. Twiki & Twini are curious little birds that lead us to lots of discoveries! There are plenty of relevant and silly sounds along the way. The stories are led by the narration and interaction with the kiwis via a child and an adult. This gives a sense of inquiry and offers soft guidance simultaneously. I really enjoyed this DVD and recommend it for children ages 2 to 6. The menu offers “Play All” or “Stories, individually” (26 of them at 11 minutes each). I give this 5 Star out of 5 stars.

Kiwi: Season One
Reviewed by Carla P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

I like that this DVD teaches vocabulary and spelling to little kids. They learn how to spell words correctly and expands their vocabulary.  This show is great for learning words that used in daily life.

Kiwi: Season One teaches little kids vocabulary and spelling. This DVD has 26 episodes that teach new words and sounds so kids can learn how to spell words correctly and expand their vocabulary.

The series features two kiwi birds named Twiki and Twini who go on adventures and teach kids how to spell out words in a fun way. They encounter new animals, objects and other items as they teach kids how to spell out each word. The objects or animals are all related to a particular theme. There is barely any speaking by the characters in the show, but there is great narration that gets the kids intrigued with the story.

The animation is a stop motion clay animation (claymation) technique similar to other popular kid’s shows such as  Pingu. Claymation is not used a lot today since currently computer generated imagery (CGI) is used more frequently. However, the show does features some computer animation like the graphics when word are spelled out on the screen.

There are not too many other characters, but my favorite character is the recurring rabbit in the first few episodes. The rabbit eats a lot and even tries to eat a whole cake! The rabbit is very funny and had me chuckling the whole time.  The premise of this show is to teach little kids phonics, vocabulary and spelling.  It’s great for preschool learning and for introducing kids to spelling words that are used in everyday conversations. I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 3 to 6. This DVD is available now so, go check it out.

Kiwi: Season 1
By Na’im S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

This DVD is about friendship, education and fun. This series is about two kiwis named Twiki and Twini, who go on different adventures throughout different episodes. All of the adventures have a different storyline and include lots of word building exercises and other educational things to help learn different things such as spelling and grammar.

This show is directed towards little kids, ages 2 to 5. I watched this DVD as if I was younger and I would definitely like it as a younger kid. I would enjoy watching it, but I would probably get out of my seat and start playing around and doing the things that they tell me to do and try to spell the words. This show is best to watch before bedtime because you might stay seated and repeat what they tell you to say. I watched it with a 5-year-old and a two-year-old and got to observe them watching it. The 5-year-old said she loved every part of it and she started dancing to the music. The 2-year-old was a little more descriptive and loved the way the characters interacted with each other.

The graphics are really good for a animated show. It does remind me of music video style graphics because they often stand in front of a white background and there isn’t much going on in the different places they explore.

I give this show 3out of 5 stars because of the graphics and because I felt the  episodes were too short at 5 minutes. Because the episodes so short, they don’t pack a lot of things in which makes it kind of boring. I recommend this DVD for ages 2 to 5. It is available now on DVD, so go check it out.

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets is the new adventure film from Luc Besson, the director of The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, based on the comic book series which inspired a generation of artists, writers and filmmakers. In the 28th century, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha-an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tristan T. comments, “From the start, it is visually stimulating. Between the wildly imaginative alien characters and the vivid and breathtaking scenery it captures the audience from beginning to end.” Arjun N. adds, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets fascinated me because of the excellent, ahead of its time special effects. The stunt work is top level. The spectacular direction delivers flair to the story.” See their full reviews below.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
By Tristan T., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. From the start, it is visually stimulating. Between the wildly imaginative alien characters and the vivid and breathtaking scenery it captures the audience from beginning to end. It is truly a fun and entertaining film to watch.

Based on the comic book series “Valerian and Laureline,” Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, follows two agents Valerian (Dane DeHaan)and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) as they race to capture the villain and save Alpha and the future of the universe. It is both exhilarating and comical to watch their pursuit.

One complaint I have is that there is so much more to be explored in Alpha and the universe you become engrossed in. For instance, there is a virtual reality called The Marketplace that is so amazing. If you visit www.valerianmovie.com, you get a glimpse of it. I am crossing my fingers we will see a sequel from the writers, Pierre Christin, Jean-Claude Mezieres and Luc Besson.

My favorite character is General Okto-Bar (Sam Spruell). I appreciate his character arc and the way he develops throughout the film. He is very relatable and, even though he plays a general, he shows a level of connection with others not often found in that position. The legendary director, Luc Beeson, from The Fifth Element and Lucy, to name a few, made this an extraordinary film to watch.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence, some language and suggestive humor. I recommend it for ages 11 to 18, but I truly think everyone in your family will enjoy it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It is playing in theaters now so, go check it out.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
By Arjun Nair, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets fascinated me because of the excellent, ahead of its time special effects. The stunt work is top level. The spectacular direction delivers flair to the story.

The storyline is about Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), who are operatives that maintain order in the human territories. Under operation from Commander Filitt (Clive Owen), the team embarks on a mission to Alpha, the City of a Thousand Planets. While on the mission, the team meets shapeshifter Bubble (Rihanna), who helps them. However, a mystery at the center of Alpha could threaten the existence of every person in the city. Only Valerian can unlock the secret beneath the threat.

Dane DeHaan as Valerian bravely presents his character who tries to save the universe, while at the same time impress his partner, Laureline. Dane is excellent in his battle scenes, especially in the final showdown. Cara Delevingne, as Laureline, expresses her extreme love and confidence in her effort to rescue Alpha. Clive Owen as Commander Filitt seems heroic, but puzzles Valerian with his classified files. He is my favorite character. Rihanna, as Bubble, can transform into any shape to help the team. She also represents a slave who craves freedom. Sam Spruell as General Octo Bar is noble and firm in how he presents his orders and also tries to solve the mystery of the classified files of Commander Filitt.

The direction by Luc Besson is splendid. Innovative camera techniques are used to present most of the locales, especially in The City of a Thousand Planets. My favorite scene is when Valerian takes a shortcut across the city. It is a treat to watch, due to how the environments switch. My only problem in this film is that it jumps everywhere following various sub-plots, which makes it difficult to follow. Despite that flaw, the special effects make it worthwhile.

The film’s message is that it is sometimes necessary to break conventional rules for a worthy cause. I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18 because of its intense action and brief language. The movie releases in theaters on July 21^st, so check it out for one, ahead of its time sci-fi film.