KIDS FIRST! News

The latest installment of the Ice Age series features Scrat in his epic pursuit of his elusive acorn. To save themselves from peril, Manny, Sid, Diego, and the rest of the herd leave their home and embark on a quest full of thrills and spills, highs and lows, laughter and adventure while traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Benjamin P. comments, “Ice Age: Collision Course is a good film with excellent animation, laugh-out-loud comedy and includes all your fun and favorite characters from the past movies.” Kamhai B. adds, “I really enjoyed this movie because it is hilarious and action packed. One of the funny parts of the movie is when Sid’s grandma (Wanda Skyes) says “that plan is so dumb I wish it had a face so I could slap it.” Brandon C. wraps it up with, “It may just be my getting older, but I felt slightly bored throughout the movie. Don’t get me wrong, Scrat (Chris Wedge) is comedy gold and Sid (John Leguizamo) commands any scene he is in.” See their full reviews below.

Ice Age: Collision Course
By Benjamin P, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

Ice Age: Collision Course is a good film with excellent animation, laugh-out-loud comedy and includes all your fun and favorite characters from the past movies. The film follows Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), Diego (Denis Leary) and the rest of the Ice Age gang as they must divert an asteroid from flinging them into a new age called extinction.

My favorite character in Ice Age: Collision Course is Scrat (Chris Wedge) who started out as a small character in the first Ice Age film and slowly became a fan favorite and the mascot of the franchise. Scrat lights up the screen every scene he is in. His brand of slapstick humor is more present here than in any other Ice Age film. I even kind of sympathize with this character because he goes through all this trouble just for an acorn.

Another character I like is Buck. Simon Pegg’s talent really shines in his voice over work here. Buck has a big personality and, just like Scrat, has some of the movie’s most memorable laughs. He is in a lot of my favorite sequences. My favorite part of this film is when Buck tries to find a strategy to save the mammals from disaster. He seeks help from personalities in his mind including Neil deBuck Weasel. I’m a big fan of a television show Neil deGrasse Tyson did called Cosmos, so it was funny to see his foray into voice acting.

This movie is a pleasant surprise considering this is the fifth film in the franchise. I thought by now the series had run dry, but this one excels on several fronts in terms of how it looks and how much it will make you laugh. I recommend you see this in 3D. It was cool seeing asteroids barreling towards me. The effects are very polished. The computer animation in this film excels and mixes lush backgrounds with great character design. The film has good comedy, most of the time. There are one or two scenes in this film that take the joke one step too far or where it is just plain gross.

I give Ice Age: Collision Course an age rating of 5 to 18 because of some crude humor and sequences that could be scary to younger viewers. I give Ice Age: Collision Course 3 out of 5 stars.

Ice Age: Collision Course
by Kamhai Beard, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

I really enjoyed this movie because it is hilarious and action packed. One of the funny parts of the movie is when Sid’s grandma (Wanda Skyes) says “that plan is so dumb I wish it had a face so I could slap it.” An example of the action packed part is when Buck (Simon Peg) retrieves an egg from a group of dino birds who stole the egg. Another example is when the comet almost crashes into earth but Manny (Ray Romano) stops it from crashing into earth.

This movie is about a meteor that crashes into Earth every thousand years. So it is up to Sid (John Leguizamo), Manny and the other animals to stop the comet and save the day in only a matter of minutes. A side plot is about Peaches (Keke Palmer) who is getting married and moving far away from her parents. When her parents hear this, they try to stop her from doing it.

The graphics in this movie are great. I’ve seen other 3D movies, but this takes the cake. For example, when you see the 3D comets, they look as if they are real. So I think the graphics team excelled because the graphics are colorful, believable and bright. I also liked the part where they make everyone look old. I liked this part because it is just so realistic. I also like the storyline of the movie. It is so good, it had me at the edge of my seat. I think Ice Age: Collision Course is a great movie and recommend it to ages 5 through 13. I say 5-year-olds only because it will captivate and hold their attention. And I chose 13-year-olds because they will laugh and understand the hilarious humor in the movie. I the film 5 out of 5 stars because it is funny, entertaining, colorful and bright. You can find this movie at your local movie theater July 22, 2016. Thanks for reading, I’ll ice you later.

Ice Age: Collision Course
By Brandon Cela, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 18

Going into this movie, I realized that I had not seen an Ice Age movie since I was a kid. While I still knew the main characters and the type of film I was in for, nothing prepared me for Ice Age: Collision Course. The movie follows the gang in their quest to survive and possibly stop an asteroid from hitting Earth. With the help of their new acquaintance Buck (Sean Penn), the original gang and their families band together through a big adventure in a very kid-friendly movie.

It may just be my getting older, but I felt slightly bored throughout the movie. Don’t get me wrong, Scrat (Chris Wedge) is comedy gold and Sid (John Leguizamo) commands any scene he is in. At the same time though, I just got annoyed by the other characters. The comedy feels a bit forced and I did not care for the characters. Also, I did not hear any great lines from Manny (Ray Romano) or Diego (Dennis Leary) for that matter.

Like I said, this movie is not meant for me. There is a great amount of kid-friendly comedy and the film has a Zootopia sort of tone of teaching the audience morals and life lessons. From a technical standpoint, I saw no flaws as everything is sound, from the editing to graphics to audio.

That being said, Ice Age: Collision Course lacks in entertainment value. When you have Ray Romano and Dennis Leary – two great comedic talents – at your disposal and you give them little to nothing to work with, you are not utilizing your talent properly. It would be the equivalent of the New England Patriots not starting Tom Brady as their quarterback. It makes no sense. In conclusion, while the film as a whole is not as appealing as I thought it would be, there are still some great moments throughout the film including some sneaky references and a few Neil deGrasse Tyson appearances. I give Ice Age: Collision Course 3 out of 5 stars for the great technical aspects but lackluster entertainment value.

Chess doesn’t gather nearly the audience that head bashing sports do, but every now and then the film industry turns to this highly intellectual sport for inspiration. Endgame follows 5-year-old Jose (Rico Rodriguez, Modern Family) who has learned how to play chess like his grandfather and joins the Brownsville school team where he has the chance to use his skills and, for once in his life, find himself in the spotlight. Based on a true story, this film will touch your heart and perhaps inspire you to indulge in the game. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Morgan B. comments, “This film is a wonderful combination of emotions – one minute you are sad and crying, then the next you are happy and laughing.” Benjamin P. adds, “Endgame is an interesting film with some good characters and memorable performances, but the plot could use a little work.” See their full reviews below.

Endgame
Reviewed by Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

Chess, the game that is so simple, yet so complex and difficult is coming to your TV screen in this great film called Endgame on Blu-ray. This film is a wonderful combination of emotions – one minute you are sad and crying, then the next you are happy and laughing. I love that the film does this and that it really makes you feel like you are there.

The acting in this film is very well executed, but my favorite character is Jose (Rico Rodriguez) who is one of the stars of Modern Family. He is goodhearted and loves to play chess just like his grandmother or Abuelita in Spanish (Ivonne Coll) who starts teaching him the game of chess at the age five. Jose is going through a tough time. We see him stumble and fall but friends, family, chess and determination come to the rescue. Karla (Justina Machade), Jose’s mother is depressed and sad for many reasons and she is mad because her mother has taught her son how to play chess even though she doesn’t approve. The principle (Jon Gries) doesn’t think that there should be a chess club and that it is a useless cause. Mr. Alvarado (Efren Ramirez), a teacher at Jose’s school thinks that all children should know chess and that it can change their world for the better. Sandy (Cassie Brennan) is adorable and very funny. I like that she tries to help Jose (Rico Rodriguez) when he is playing chess with other competitors by distracting them with her flirtations. She uses her girly charms to her advantage.

Movies that show women as strong mother and grandmother figures are so important to our youth. I love all the women in this film. They have many complex aspects to them. There is always a fine line between grandparents’ and parents’ roles which is funny because they all want the same thing – for their children to be happy and healthy.

My favorite scenes are those when Mr. Alvarado (Efren Ramirez) have the children play chess on a life size chess board and they are the chess pieces. I love these scenes because they are hysterical and this is great idea for children to learn how to play chess. I will be trying this with my friends and family now because it looks like so much fun.

The fact that it is based on true events is astonishing. I like that it is so real and well portrayed as it makes you become really engaged in the characters and the out-come of this true story. Hurray! I love the end of a movie when they have captions that tell you what happened to the real characters after this event in their timeline.

I wish that this film included just a bit more about chess and explained it a bit better. I have played chess many times and enjoy the game. Although you do not need to know how the play chess to enjoy the drama and family struggles, basic knowledge of the game helps you to better understand what is going on especially when they show scenes regarding competitions. I liked that they showed it as a game of strategy and that you need to know your opponents next move and never lose focus.

I recommend this film for ages 9 to 18 and think adults will also like this film because it is about chess and they might even learn a new chess move or two. Children will learn from this film because they will be able to see Jose struggles and see how he deals with issues such as anger, frustration and hurt.  I give this film 4 ½ out of 5 chess piece stars.

Endgame
By Benjamin P, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

Endgame is an interesting film with some good characters and memorable performances, but the plot could use a little work. Although, at the end of the movie, I had a smile on my face.

At a very young age, Jose (Rico Rodriguez) starts to learn chess from his Abuelita (Ivonne Coll) but he has always been in his brother’s shadow. When tragedy strikes, Jose receives a calling to become a chess champion. The movie is inspired by the true story about a school in Texas that built an champion chess team.

My favorite character is Mr. Alvarado (Efren Ramirez) because he never gives up on the kids and even spends his rent money to get them to a tournament. Another character I like is Jose’s grandmother because she is always giving him good advice, encouraging him to do the right thing and she teaches him to play chess. There are other performances that stand out for me. Rico Rodriguez puts a lot of effort into his role and he is very believable. So does newcomer Alina Hererra who plays Jose’s friend and is the person who gets him interested in playing chess for the school.

As much as I like the characters and the actors, the plot is uneven and I feel as if I’ve seen parts of it in other films. Some scenes are pretty inspiring, but others just feel cheesy and stylized. When the plot tries to take an emotional turn, sometimes it ends up going flat and didn’t resonate with me. I enjoyed the ending of this movie anyway because it is a pleasant surprise.

Compared to films about baseball or football, chess doesn’t get much attention in the film industry, so it is nice to see it recognized in this film. I am also surprised how deep the film delves into social issues. The ending also managed to surprise me in spite of the plot problems in how it was executed. I like some of the music in this film and it really signals the right tone in some scenes.

I recommend this film for ages 12 to 16 due to some language and some crude humor. I give it 2 out of 5 stars. It’s not perfect but if you like Rico Rodriguez from the TV series Modern Family or chess, you’ll probably enjoy Endgame.

From the producers of Despicable Me, The Lorax and Minions comes another family-friendly animated film in this story about a terrier named Max whose quiet life is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray mutt whom Max instantly dislikes. With vibrant animation and a great cast, this is one you can share with your entire family. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Willie J. comments, “This film will not dazzle you with a wonderfully woven plot, but it will undoubtedly entertain you with dynamic characters and strong jokes that land more often than not.” See his full review below.

The Secret Life of Pets
By Willie Jones, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Let the debates begin and if they haven’t begun, allow me to start: Zootopia or The Secret Life of Pets? – two acclaimed comedic animated movies featuring talking animals. Well, I’d like to throw in my opinion – The Secret Life of Pets, while less cleverly plotted, is much better written and animated. This film will not dazzle you with a wonderfully woven plot, but it will undoubtedly entertain you with dynamic characters and strong jokes that land more often than not.

The day of New York City misadventures for Max and the newly picked up Duke, is reminiscent of those zany 50s and 60s comedies. Without coincidence, those decades were very popular for films set in the “City that Never Sleeps”, particularly for comedies. Jokes about hipsters moving to Brooklyn and New York City alleyways are featured in the film, paying homage to the city. But even better than that, are the beautiful shots of New York City in this film. It would give the opening scene in Manhattan a run for its money. The cinematography in this film is absolutely gorgeous, worthy of being full sized paintings to hang on your wall. Master shots include New York City at night with the lights from the moon and the buildings illuminating the city, aerial shots of the city in the daytime with beautiful weather and an air of inspiration. The images captured in this film are among some of the best of any animated feature ever and I’ve no issue saying that.

But, the imagery isn’t the best part of the movie. Naturally, its the characters of the film. For a comedy of this nature to be successful, the writer/s must come up with strong characters who make strong choices. So the jokes end up bolder and have a higher probability of landing. This movie is filled with those. Archetypes pervade the movie  such as the longing ingénue, the idiotic gang leader, the fearless elder and the neurotic straight man (the main character). These familiar characters were popular in comedies during the 50s and 60s and further highlight the style of film this is, which is quite refreshing. As a matter of fact, the relationship between Duke and Max is reminiscent of Walter Matthau (Duke) and Max (Jack Lemmon), who were a successful duo in cinema in the 50s and 60s. This film is so much like others of that era, I can see Billy Wilder directing this.

Lastly, and what impressed me most, is the score. It is an up tempo, lighthearted score. But, what makes it so impressive is how often it is used. In today’s comedies, a score isn’t used often. Because we’re in an age of off-beat, dry comedy, an accompanying score ruins the tone and wipes away the awkwardness. This film uses the score like those comedies of the 50s and 60s, which creates a more lighthearted comedic tone and gives comedic rhythm to the scene. It also makes scene transitions less awkward and helps with pace. The score itself is a wonderful, having been scored by the great Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 & 2). I’d love to see it in contention for the Best Score Oscar (although seeing the fate of Inside Out’s beautiful score, it may not happen).

So with all of this nostalgia, the movie really impressed me. It’s not easy to go against the grain and pay homage to classic Hollywood. Speaking of which, I am loving this trend in animated films today that reference older movies. Inside Out referenced Chinatown, this movie referenced Some Like it Hot (a cat says to a dog trying to date her, “I’m a cat” and the dog says “Well, nobody’s perfect”), The Birds, and Grease (even singing a song from the musical). It’s very satisfying for movie fans.

With all of that said, I give this movie 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. The reason it misses out on perfection for me is because I feel the plot could have been tighter and I wish the film had a little bit more to say, or at least say it meant to say a little louder. But nonetheless, I know your kids will enjoy this film and you will too. I recommend it for ages 6 to 18 and it can be seen at a local theater near you when it opens July 8.

The producers of Despicable Me, The Lorax and Minions bring us another family-friendly animated film in this story about a terrier named Max whose quiet life is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray mutt whom Max instantly dislikes. With vibrant animation and a great cast, this is one you can share with your entire family. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “What do you get when you combine a fantastic cast, beautiful animation, original story and hilarious jokes? You get this new animated masterpiece, The Secret Life of Pets.’ Mia A. adds, “I could not wait to see The Secret Life of Pets and I was not disappointed! I LOVED it! The Secret Life of Pets is an animated comedy that is both funny and sincere.” See their full reviews below.

The Secret Life of Pets

By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14

What do you get when you combine a fantastic cast, beautiful animation, original story and hilarious jokes? You get this new animated masterpiece, The Secret Life of Pets.

The Secret Life of Pets is predominantly a comedy however, there is much more to this story than nicely delivered jokes. The film also dips into a cute romance story with a very strong main sense of adventure. Some action is involved to spice things up as well as some drama to keep the viewer at the edge of their seats and help see the relationship between the on-screen characters to their own pets.

The adventure begins when Max (Louis C.K), an ordinary house dog, gets a new doggy brother, Duke (Eric Stonestreet). The two don’t exactly become friends at first and when they end up at a park, they get separated and must go on a huge adventure where they meet many strange and interesting creatures as they journey back to their owner.

This film is a rare case where there is truly nothing to complain about. The comedy appeals to all ages. In the audience, kids were laughing throughout the entire film and so were adults. The story is entertaining and never gets boring or drag on. And, it keeps creating new fun ways to entertain the viewers. I also enjoyed many small references to other films. The whole movie has a very relaxed feel, which is perfect.

The cast is legendary with Louis C.K, Kevin Hart (Snowball), Albert Brooks (Tiberius) and more – all making the characters truly come alive.  Visuals of downtown New York are stunning and greatly enjoyable. It is also worth mentioning that I greatly enjoyed the classical soundtrack of the film which is very unexpected for an animated family comedy. But, it elevates the jokes in many places and spices things up without going overboard.

My favorite scene is when Duke and Max run into a sausage factory during their journey home. At the factory they, of course, eat many sausages and both overeat and imagine a heavenly sausage world. This goes back to the very relaxed feel of the whole film and the scene is completely random but seems to fit perfectly and made the audience laugh nonstop.

This film is meant for kids, but It appeals to adults too. I recommend it for ages 6 to 18. Some of the scarier animals may be a bit much for younger kids. I rank it 5 out of 5 because of its original idea, fantastic casting, new and funny characters, wonderful soundtrack and great sense of humor.

The Secret Life of Pets
By Mia A, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

I could not wait to see The Secret Life of Pets and I was not disappointed! I LOVED it! The Secret Life of Pets is an animated comedy that is both funny and sincere. It is about a dog named Max (Louis C.K.), his new brother Duke (Eric Stonestreet) and their friends.  Max doesn’t like Duke so he does things that he hopes will get him kicked out of the family home. One day Duke comes up with an idea that he hopes will get Max taken away. His idea backfires and causes Max and Duke to get caught and almost sent to the pound. Will Max and Duke get home? Will their friends find them and help them get home?

My favorite character is Gidget (Jenny Slate) who is a white little dog who likes Max. She is very sweet and kind, but when it comes to helping her friends, she will fight anyone. This is a funny trait of Gidget’s because she is a super sweet dog but she will fight to protect her loved ones.

My favorite scene is when Duke and Max are in a wiener factory and there is a little song where the hot dogs come to life. Little kids might not like this scene because the singing hot dogs get eaten by Duke and Max and they eat the hot dog’s heads off.

Though there are many morals to this movie, the most important is “Do not judge someone before you get to know them.” Max doesn’t like Duke when he first comes, but later on he learns to appreciate him.

The Secret Life of Pets is a funny animated film about cute animals, but it may not appeal to younger audiences. There are some scenes that might be too scary for little kids.  Also, Max and Duke say this to save their lives but, be forewarned they do say “put their owner in the blender.”

I recommend The Secret Life of Pets for kids ages 5 to 15 due to the scary scenes. Older audiences may like this movie if they love animals and fun cartoons. I rate this movie 5 out of 5 stars because it is entertaining and about my favorite subject…animals!

This movies opens nationwide July 8, 2016, go it in a theater near you.

This latest installation of the Tarzan mythology follows Tarzan who has acclimated to life in London and is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Harmony M. comments, “Alas, Tarzan lovers rise to the continuation of this legendary story, but take a seat because this film is disappointing.” See her full review below.

The Legend of Tarzan
Harmony Makhfi

Alas, Tarzan lovers rise up to the continuation of this legendary story, but take a seat because this film is disappointing. The film covers Tarzan’s life after he left Africa to live in England as John Clayton and returns to Africa to help his country. After a series of dangerous obstacles and captures, Tarzan fights to save his love Jane.

I found the film’s plot so confusing and disconnected that it was difficult to give a thorough summary without looking it up. The film stars Alexander Skarsgard as Tarzan who, in the movie, is quite civilized, British and sophisticated despite the fact that he was raised by gorillas in the jungle. This disappointed me because it is one thing to make a bad movie but it’s even more disappointing when the film has a template to follow and doesn’t. In the original film, Jane is British but in this adaptation she is American. This really confused me because of its inconsistency with the original story. Another disappointing aspect is that the apes in this film were not his friends. They were his enemies. The back story of Tarzan is all about how he was raised by gorillas and how they are his family. I did not enjoy seeing Tarzan fighting the creatures that are supposed to be his family.

Looking past that inconsistency and hard-to-follow plot, on the positive side, the film has impressive visuals that make it quite entertaining. The characters are not ones you get attached to or gain a bond with and, me for that makes the movie lack the emotional connection it needs to really draw in the audience.

I feel as if the film doesn’t focus on appropriate things. It focuses a lot on business schemesto get money rather than the emotional struggles and journeys in the jungle.

The film has little details and aspects that are alright, such as the casting, but I just did not find the movie compelling. I think it would interest people that like historical fiction and recommend it for tweens and teens. People between the ages of 30 to 60 would also enjoy it because of its complexity and historical background. I would not go out of my way to see this and rank it 2 out of 5 stars because I was so disappointed in it.