KIDS FIRST! News

Hail, Caesar! follows a day in the life of Eddie Mannix, a Hollywood fixer for Capitol Pictures in the 1950s, who cleans up and solves problems for big names and stars in the industry. But when studio star Baird Whitlock disappears, Mannix has to deal with more than just the fix. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “What happens when you mix legendary actors, an original story, smooth and hilarious script and two of the greatest directors of all time, the Coen Brothers? You get Hail, Caesar! – an absolute hilarious masterpiece that I absolutely adore.” See his full review below.

Hail, Caesar!

By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

What happens when you mix legendary actors, an original story, smooth and hilarious script and two of the greatest directors of all time, the Coen Brothers? You get Hail, Caesar! - an absolute hilarious masterpiece that I absolutely adore.

This is a comedy that never bores the audience. It is delightfully smooth and original. There are some elements of romance a few times in the film, but not enough to call this film romantic. It has an exciting and original plot, with just a hint of dramatic turns throughout the story. What can be better than a movie about making movies, beautiful sets and intrigues behind the scenes?

The story starts when Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), a famous actor, disappears right before the filming of his final scenes for the movie, Hail, Caesar, where he plays the main character. Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is rushed to try to get him back before studio loses a lot of money.

 

Although the comedy makes the whole audience laugh out loud time and time again, the cinematography is what made me fall in love with the film. The Coen brothers who directed the film, execute mastery with every shot, from aerial to 360 degree views, each shot looks so carefully planned it is perfect for the scene and simply breath taking. The acting also excels with mega stars including George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson (DeeAnna Moran) and Channing Tatum. They play their parts as if they are that person and forever have been.

 

My favorite scene is when we first see Scarlett Johansson. The scene shows her doing a majestic and beautiful swimming show where she and others perform an extravagant number. What I really love about this shot is the camera angles showing everything from the side to the top, showing the scene in a very unexpected and wonderful way. The scene is peaceful and enjoyable and then ends with an abrupt joke (which is perfectly smooth, original and so unexpected). 

 

The comedy is somewhat mature, so I recommend it for kids age thirteen to eighteen. I give it five out of five stars for its excellent comedy, beautiful camera shots and an exciting, yet original story. Check it out when it opens in theaters February 5, 2016.

This sequel to  Zoolander brings back Ben Stiller as Derek joined by Owen Wilson as Hansel who take on the modeling industry again. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Lainey A. comments, “The sequel, Zoolander 2 a live action feature film, sadly does not live up to the standard of its predecessor.  The writing is not nearly as funny and the plot rambles.” See her full review.

Zoolander 2
Lainey A., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13

Zoolander , directed and co-written by Ben Stiller, was lauded for its clever writing and unthinkable poking fun at the modeling and entertainment industries.  The sequel, Zoolander 2 a live action feature film, sadly does not live up to the standard of its predecessor.  The writing is not nearly as funny and the plot rambles.  While the audience did laugh at times at the over-the-top acting, a lot of jokes just fall flat.

This movie is about Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) who is crazy famous for being the biggest model around.  His wife Matilda (played by Stiller’s real life wife Christine Taylor) dies in a construction accident leaving their son to be raised by Derek.  Sadly, his son is taken away because Derek can’t show that he is responsible enough to care for him. Derek and Hansel (Owen Wilson) reunite as friends and decide to participate in a fashion show to prove that Derek is responsible enough to win back his son.

Will Ferrell reprises his role as the antagonist Mugatu and is  really funny with his exaggerated appearance and acting. Unfortunately, the loose plot is hard to follow and even Will Ferrell can’t salvage this sequel.

This movie has many cameo appearances by Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Willie Nelson and the oneand only Justin Bieber.  I enjoyed being able to pick out so many of these celebrities but it sometimes is distracting with so many cameos.

My favorite character is Valentina (Penélope Cruz) because she is so self-confident and is part of many funny scenes.  Penélope is fun to watch and super entertaining.

My favorite scene is when Derek and Hansel attend their first fashion show of the movie.  They are made a laughing stock on stage while wearing shirts with the words “old” and “lame” which Derek pronounces Lame’ and have a huge bucket of prune juice thrown at them in front of many people.  The costumes are quite extravagant and interesting and visually entertaining. My favorite costumes are Derek’s because they really fit his personality and are over the top.

I give this film 3.5 out of 5 stars because, although it isn’t my type of humor, others might enjoy this.  It is entertaining despite the fact that many jokes are at the expense of others and some may find that offensive. Zoolander 2 definitely targets teen and older viewers.  I recommend this film for ages 10 to 18 because of its mild language, sexualreferences and crude humor.

If this sounds like the movie for you, definitely go check it out in theaters after it opens February 12, 2016.

From MacGillivray/Freeman productions and narrated by Academy Award® winner Robert Redford, National Parks Adventure takes audiences on the ultimate off-trail adventure into the nation’s awe-inspiring great outdoors and untamed wilderness. Immersive IMAX® 3D cinematography takes viewers soaring over red rock canyons, hurtling up craggy mountain peaks and into other-worldly realms found within America’s most legendary outdoor playgrounds, including Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Yosemite, and Arches. Celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the national parks with world-class mountaineer Conrad Anker, adventure photographer Max Lowe and artist Rachel Pohl as they hike, climb and explore their way across America’s majestic parks in an action-packed expedition that will inspire the adventurer in us all. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Benjamin P. comments, “I found myself even tearing up at the astounding landscapes in our country.” See his full review below.

National Parks Adventure

By Benjamin P, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 10

 

National Parks Adventure is a new, eye-popping IMAX celebration of the most amazing places in the world. I found myself even tearing up at the astounding landscapes in our country.

 

Narrated by Robert Redford, National Parks Adventure follows climber Conrad Anker, his stepson Max and their friend Rachel as they explore our National Parks. The film also takes you back in time to witness the camping trip that President Theodore Roosevelt took to Yosemite to see how much it needed to be protected.

 

National Parks Adventure has magical cinematography and an emotional soundtrack that puts a new spin on American classics such as “This Land Is Your Land.” The film balances a lot of stories and still makes the 45-minute film not feel rushed. It will keep your eyes glued to the screen because you will be enthralled in the history of how the park system was born and you’ll see the amazing adventures people have exploring the national parks today. It is very cool to see the parks I haven’t visited and get a sense of what it’s like to be there in real, and even bigger than real, life. I also like seeing the parks that I have visited from the filmmakers’ point of view.

 

My favorite part of the movie is when Conrad, Max and Rachel visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. There are shots of them climbing up frozen waterfalls that made me feel like I was right behind them. Another scene I loved was of cute little prairie dogs that IMAX makes look like towering creatures bigger than me.

 

I really enjoyed the cinematography. Five film crews visited forty parks and took nine months to make this movie. They shot it on 65mm IMAX film. That is a big deal because this will probably be one of the last IMAX films to use large-format celluloid instead of going digital. This movie is also a big deal for the national parks because 2016 marks the centennial of the park system.

 

National Parks Adventure takes you on an exciting and educational journey. Younger kids may not be able to appreciate the history so the movie is probably best for ages 5 to 15. But all audiences will enjoy this beautiful movie. It is one of the best IMAX movies I have seen.

 

I give National Parks Adventure 5 out of 5 stars.

From the Walt Disney Signature Collection comes the enchanting and inspiring classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this epic animated story of love and friendship, the kind and beautiful princess Snow White wins the hearts of the Seven Dwarfs and triumphs over the evil plans of a wicked Queen. Called “The Greatest Animated Film Of All Time,” it is available now on High Definition Blu-ray and for the first time ever on Digital HD, with special features the entire family will enjoy. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “Before Cinderella lost her slipper and before Aladdin met the Genie, Walt Disney did his most crazy and insane project ever – a feature animated movie, the first of its kind… This film was designed for all ages and I still agree.” See his full review below.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Blu-ray, Digital HD)
By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

Before Cinderella lost her slipper and before Aladdin met the Genie, Walt Disney did his most crazy and insane project ever – a feature animated movie, the first of its kind. The title of the film is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Parents and kids loved this film decades ago and, a generation later, families can now enjoy this beautiful classic in Blu-Ray.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a musical with catchy, and beautiful singing done by Adriana Caselotti, (Snow White), Lucille La Verne (Queen) and others. There is also a sense of adventure, and a magical romance, between Snow White and the Prince.

The story begins when the Queen discovers that she is not the fairest of them all, and that Snow White is. Out of jealousy, she orders the death of Snow White. However, Snow White gets away. She comes upon 7 dwarfs which she befriends. The Queen angrily learns about her failed death, and decides to poison the young princess!

Since this is the Blu-Ray/Digital HD Edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, it is packed with extra features including a tour of the animation studios in the 1930s, actual interviews with Walt Disney, cool facts, (Did you know Snow White was originally designed to have gold hair? Who knew!) and so much more. My favorite part concentrates on how Walt Disney hired over 300 artists, how he spent so much money on making it perfect, and just how much speculation and hate he got for attempting to make (and being very successful as a result) a 90 minute animated film.

Even though this film was made almost a century ago, the quality of the animation is as good as films made today. Hand-drawn animation has a quality of from the human touch that CGI can never achieve. In terms of the soundtrack, Walt Disney had a knack for making his animated films not only have background music, but he created it in such as way that the music becomes an integral part of the story. For example, when Snow White and the Prince first meet, they sing a song together and it represents almost, “Instant love,” better than words ever could. This story is based on a classic European fairy tale, and Walt Disney hired a few people who specifically made European-styled drawings, to make the film feel like the original fairy tale, which was perfect for the film. The voice-over sound quality is also top notch, amazingly so since again, it was made almost 100 years ago. I would easily compare it to the voice over acting and quality of the late 90s. This film was ambitious in terms of being the first animated feature film, but also was first feature film to have a female lead.

My favorite scene is the meeting of The Prince and Snow White. In the scene, Snow White is cleaning outside and she explains to her bird friends what a wishing well is. A prince overhears her fantastic singing and is love-struck when he meets her. This scene is one of my favorites because the music is beautiful, the animation is spectacular and this scene specifically illustrates my point about European artists designing the backgrounds. It really looks like a European castle of some sort.

This film was designed for all ages and I still agree. I recommend it for ages 6 to 13 specifically. Younger kids will enjoy the bright colors, dancing and singing. Older kids can appreciate how difficult it was to make this film and the storyline itself. Adults who have happy memories of seeing this film years ago will also enjoy it. Overall, it’s a great film for the family. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars because of the spectacular animation, exciting story (typical of films made by Walt Disney) and clear voice acting. This film is available online on January 19 and in stores on Blu-ray on February 2, 2016. Don’t miss the change to add it to your family film collection.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
By Willie Jones, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

One of the hardships I encounter as a KIDS FIRST! Film Critic is trying to objectively review older films. The difficulty is mostly because they are often better than many films today. Even more difficult is reviewing a film objectively that was a part of my childhood. It’s so easy for nostalgia to cloud my view. So, before I watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I told myself to review it without passion or prejudice, and tackle it like I would any other film. Then I started watching it and everything I had prepped myself for went out the window. I got caught up in the songs, the vintage style of animated filmmaking and the general feeling of classic, feel-good Disney. Then I realized that the nostalgia that befell me WAS the appeal of the movie. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is timeless because it transcends generations. Watching it now as I did ten years ago, took me back 10 years. It felt nice to return to an innocent state for 80 minutes.

The film hasn’t lost anything. The songs are still just as catchy, the story is still just as cute and the animation still puts a smile on your face. It’s interesting watching the first Disney animated feature today, because we’re all so taken with the animation and maturity of Pixar. Even the Disney Renaissance films which are now 20 years old aren’t as cute or innocent as Snow White is. Fortunately, that’s not a bad thing; it’s actually quite refreshing. It’s feel-good and puts a smile on your face. The simplicity of it all is a great contrast to the complex animated features of today and it’s quite affecting. It transports you to a different state of mind that allows you to let go and enjoy.

So many times parodied and adapted, watching where it all started gives you a great appreciation for all the other adaptations, and reminds you of which is best. I actually contend that Snow White is the best of the classic Disney princesses. It has the best collection of songs with “Heigh-Ho,” “Some Day My Prince Will Come,” and “I’m Wishing/One Song.” The band of dwarfs are still an entertaining, eclectic group of characters than compliment the more one-dimensional princess. I watched it with my younger sister and she was in love with it from start to finish. I was in love with it, all over again, from start to finish. I recommend this classic film for ages 3 to 18 as well as adults and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

The universe is in grave danger of extinction! The evil Snake extinguishes the stars as he passes through the galaxy, causing chaos and plunging the planets into darkness. The Little Prince must leave his Asteroid home and beloved friend, Rose, in his quest to outsmart the Snake and save the universe from doom.  KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Mia A. comments, “The Little Prince: The Planet of Bubble Gob, is a fun and creative movie that I enjoyed, especially because of the animation.” Benjamin P. adds, “I really like the modern characters the show adds because they have a lot of perseverance and they always want to create something new to help their planet.” See their full reviews below.

The Little Prince: The Planet of the Bubble Gob
By Benjamin P, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 10

The Little Prince: The Planet of the Bubble Gob is an imaginative, colorful film with great animation and takes some of my favorite characters from a classic story on a new exciting journey. I really like the modern characters the show adds because they have a lot of perseverance and they always want to create something new to help their planet.

The Little Prince: The Planet of the Bubble Gob is based on the characters from a famous French story by Antoine de St. Exupery published in 1943. Here, the Little Prince, alongside his best friend Fox, are sent around a futuristic universe saving planets from the evil clutches of the malevolent Snake. One day, the Little Prince and Fox discover a mysterious new planet and find out it is inhabited by a species called the Creatall who are always inventing new things to help their people and their planet, like a kooky machine that shoots toast. Soon, the Creatalls’ technology senses a wave coming to destroy their planet. The Little Prince finds out that a giant recycling machine called the Bubble Gob is causing these massive and dangerous waves. The Little Prince must find the Great Inventor who made the Bubble Gob to fix the glitch but he has gone into hiding and no one knows why. The Little Prince must find the inventor before the entire planet is wiped out so the Little Prince, some brave Creatalls and the goofy but loyal Fox set off to save it.

My favorite character is Oddzn’end, the first Creatall the Little Prince meets, because no matter what others think of him, he always tries to come up with inventions to help them.

The Little Prince: The Planet of Bubble Gob made me think about what to do to help the environment and be more aware of how to help the planet. It also showed me how important it is to help others even if you won’t benefit yourself. The Little Prince helps people even when he knows he could get hurt and it’s not his planet that’s in trouble.

I really enjoyed the animation because it takes the story to a magical level with the creation of the planet and its oceans. It is rich and lush and made me wish the planet was real so I could go visit it.

I recommend The Little Prince: The Planet of Bubble Gob for ages 6 to 12. The Snake and the Bubble Gob are a little scary and may be alarming to younger children. I give The Little Prince: The Planet of Bubble Gob 4 out of 5 stars.

The Little Prince: The Planet of Bubble Gob
By Mia A, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

The Little Prince: The Planet of Bubble Gob, directed by Pierre-Alain Chartier, is a fun and creative movie that I enjoyed, especially because of the animation.

This version of The Little Prince is about the Little Prince going to The Planet of the Bubble Gob, a planet where the people are called Creatall’s because they create a lot of things.  Sadly, their ocean is completely full of the useless inventions.  The Master Creator creates a big trash collector (the Bubble Gob) to fix the problem, but it actually causes big waves.  The Little Prince has to help to fix the problem.

The characters, the Rose, Fox and Little Prince, are from the book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In this movie, the plot is different than the original book, but his friends the Rose and the Fox are included.  My favorite character is the Fox because he is the only animal.  He is a cute talking animal who is very feisty and just wants to get the job done so he can go eat a snack.

The animation brings a new twist and is as entertaining as the plot of the movie.  The colors are especially vibrant and repeatedly draw my attention to the Fox and the settings.  I found myself really wanting to look at each of the different inventions the Creatall’s have made.

The animation brings the settings in the movie to life!  The buildings are very unusual and are made with a lot of cool items that otherwise would have been junk.  The houses are very unique because they are on poles that rise up and down to avoid the dangerously high waves of the littered ocean. Even the litter in the ocean is interesting to look at as you can see all the different colors even though you are looking down on it from the sky.

Young girls will like the character of Ilmus. She is a strong female character who is smart, works hard and doesn’t give up on people. The moral behind The Little Prince is that even if you make a mistake, people will forgive you.

I rank The Little Prince: The Planet of Bubble Gob 4.5 out 5 stars.  I recommend the ages 5 to 12 because there are fights in the dark with an evil snake and ghouls, which might be frightening to younger kids.