KIDS FIRST! News

Everyone loves a dog story, but Because of Winn-Dixie is no ordinary take on cute pets. Instead, it is a story of love, hope, friendship and community that takes us beyond appearances and digs deeply into the characters that make up this heart-warming film. Winn-Dixie isn’t just a dog, he is a symbol of hope, a reminder that we are all responsible for one another.

Originally released in 2005, this timeless family film is appearing throughout this month, February 2013, on HDNet Movies – kidScene.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Reviewed by Raven Devanney

Click here for Raven’s full video review!

Because of Winn-Dixie is a fantastic adaptation from the bestselling novel Winn-Dixie. I think this movie is absolutely adorable. The cinematography is so perfect because it’s exactly how I imagined it would be when I read the novel. The colors and feel of the story are captured beautifully.

My favorite character is Gloria because she doesn’t hold any harsh judgment over anyone and is a great friend to Opal. I also like Ana Sophia’s character, Opal, because she is very kind and strong even when she is sad. I like the scene when Opal first finds Winn-Dixie because it is a chaotic and funny scene. I also enjoy watching the relationship grow between Opal and the preacher (her father.)

This movie is for all ages because it’s a cute, funny family film that deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Because of Winn-Dixie is one of the many classic films brought to your home by HDNet Movies – kidScene.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Reviewed by Camille Bajema

Click here for Camille’s full video review!

I love this film because it has a great message: Friendship. This film is an adaptation of the book Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo and is about a girl named Opal (Anna-Sophia Robb) and her dad, the Preacher (Jeff Daniels), who just moved to a completely new town.

When Opal is sent to the Winn-Dixie grocery store to get macaroni and cheese, some white rice and two tomatoes, she finds a dog running wild through the store and names him Winn-Dixie, after the place she found him in. Opal befriends him and takes him home. Opal doesn’t have any friends yet and Winn-Dixie helps her fit into the new town, just like a true friend would.

My favorite scene in this film is when Opal makes friends with an old woman named Gloria (Cicely Tyson), and they have lunch together. I really like this scene because there’s a very nice bond between the two and this is when Opal meets her first human friend in Naomi. My favorite character is another one of Opal’s adult friends, Miss Franny, the town librarian. I like Miss Franny because she’s a kid at heart.

Because of Winn-Dixie is directed by Wayne Wang and produced by Kathleen Courtney.

I recommend this film to people of all ages because everyone can enjoy it, it has a great message, and in my opinion, this movie is just fantastic! I give this film five out of five stars because it’s an absolutely enthralling tale! Look for this classic family film on HDNet movies – kidScene this month!

Young love, sacrifice and the battle between good and evil all come together in Beautiful Creatures. In theaters just in time for Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2013, this PG-13 film is more than just a teen love story. The humor, depth of character, mystery, sets and costume designs offer something for every movie-goer. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Raven Devanney, age 15, got to see an advance screening of Beautiful Creatures and was pleasantly surprised by the art of the film.

Beautiful Creatures

Reviewed by Raven Devanney

Click her to see Raven’s full video review!

Beautiful Creatures is a refreshing twist of the age old tale of young love, sacrifice and the battle between good and evil. When Ethan Wate, played by Alden Ehrenreich, meets a mysterious girl named Lena, he immediately falls for her. But Lena and her family have a secret. They are all Casters and when Lena turns 16 her powers will be claimed for the light or the dark. Will Lena be strong enough to change her fate, and will Ethan be strong enough to deal with what happens if she goes dark?

I absolutely love Beautiful Creatures. It is so aesthetically pleasing and the sets and costume design are beautiful. This is a far better film than I expected. It isn’t just another teen romance, I believe it has something for everyone. There is quite a bit of humor in this film that is an unexpected bonus, as well as political and religious quips that I found quite entertaining. One thing that really makes this film stand out from the rest is that the main characters aren’t visually perfect. They don’t look like cut-outs from magazines. I found it extremely pleasing to see that there is more than looks to film stars. I love all the emotion in this film, it is definitely a tear-jerker and it pulled at my heartstrings. I love that the acting in this movie. It really made me feel something beyond pure entertainment.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Lena and Ethan because it feels very real and natural. My favorite character is Link, played by Thomas Mann, is by far the funniest character. He is Ethan’s right hand man and is always cracking clever remarks and causing laughable moments. I love Thomas Mann from other films such as “Hansel and Gretel,” “Project X,” “Fun Sized” and other films, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him in this. He has a way of making an audience laugh at awkward moments which is perfect for this movie.

My favorite scene is when Ridley Duchannes comes to town. She is Lena’s cousin who has become a dark Caster and is trying to assist her aunt in making sure Lena goes dark and she is quite the character. She pretty much does whatever she wants, whenever she wants and she brings an edgy quality to the quiet town where this movie takes place.

I recommend Beautiful Creatures for ages 13 and up. It is a bit mature for younger audiences but it is perfect for teens and adults. It will make you laugh, cry and want to fall in love. I give Beautiful Creatures 5 out of 5 stars so go check it out. It releases theatrically on February 14, 2013.

A romance, yes, but with unusual twists and a complex story line. That is what makes the new film Safe Haven so interesting to watch. February 14 is known as a day for romance, and this year at the theater is no exception. Rated PG-13 for sexual and adult content, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Victoria Burns, age 14, recommends this film, even to those who are not fans of the romance genre, because it is “unique and not cliche.”

Safe Haven hits local theaters on February 14, 2013. Tune in next week to KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions Radio Show on Voice America Kids, to hear our Film Critics discuss this film and more.

Safe Haven

Reviewed by Victoria Burns

Safe Haven was surprisingly eerie for a romantic movie. I have never seen Julianne Hough play such an intense role before, and she is honest in her acting. She plays a distrusting woman in a new town looking to have no neighbors, friends or any emotional ties, but she forgets that southerners are strangely friendly. Her goal becomes more difficult.

I love the style that the movie is shot, flashing in and out from the present to the past.  This movie follows a woman named Katie who runs away from home, urgently from her husband who is stalking and trying to find her. She takes a bus in a disguise to any town and when the bus stops for a pit stop, she decides that the sleepy and quaint little town she has stopped in is the one for her.

Katie (played by Julianne Hough) has to start over with a new name, house and people.  First she gets a job at a local seafood shack and buys a new house. She stops at the local store for groceries and meets a charming little girl named Lexi (Mimi Kirkland), followed by her dad, Alex (Josh Duhamel), who coincidentally is the same guy that sold her coffee the first day in town. Neither of them at first admit it, but it is clear that there is an instant attraction. From then on, whenever Katie goes to the store she sees Lexie and meets her brother Josh (Noah Lomax) and flirts with Alex.  Katie tells all of her encounters with Alex to her one neighbor Jo(Cobie Smulders), and Jo encourages the idea of Katie dating Alex. The closer Alex and Katie get, the more dangerous their relationship becomes.

There is a twist when Alex, who is friends with the sheriff, sees a wanted for murder post with Katie’s face on it. He confronts her and tells her to leave. Later find out that Katie’s  husband she is running from, is the police. To find out what happens next, you’ll have to see it for yourself.

I give this movie five out of five stars because this romantic movie is unique and not cliché. I would recommend it for ages 13 and up or mature audiences, for the sexual scenes and for scenes of domestic and substance abuse. I am not a fan of romantic movies, but this one was the best I have seen. It even has an exciting twist that I never saw coming. I love this movie and will see it again.

KIDS FIRST! is so excited to announce our new KIDS FIRST! Film Critics for 2013! This group of 12 kids did such a wonderful job on their video review, written review and have already been fun to work with.

Drumroll please, in first name order, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… (hint, click on any of the winner’s names to see their video entry review):

The finalists that did not make the final 12 should be congratulated as well. The judges had a very hard time making this decision as every child that entered worked hard and showed that they had the potential to be great film critics. We encourage you to enter again when the contest is re-opened. With the experience and practice you have, your chances will be even greater next time.

KIDS FIRST! is very proud that many of our 2012 Film Critics will be continuing on with us. We welcome back: Raven Devanney, Morgan Bertsch, Cheyenne Nguyen, Camille Bajema, Anthony Aranda, Julianna Noone and Brianna Beaton. They will all continue to do reviews and work on the KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions radio show, and will also serve as advisors and mentors for our new critics.

It’s going to be a great year at KIDS FIRST!

When we imagine a post-apocalyptic world, it usually includes a lot of broken down buildings, stray dogs and a bunch of raggedy and tough survivors, but rarely zombies! Warm Bodies, rated PG-13, is a hilarious look at what could be, a world in which humans are uncommon and zombies roam the land looking for fresh bodies to eat.

This may not sound appealing, but according to 15-year-old KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Raven Devanney, it’s actually quite hilarious. A quirky romance/comedy/horror film, it stands to remind us of the true meaning of humanity and the importance of staying connected with others.

Warm Bodies

Reviewed by Raven Devanney

Click here to see Raven’s full video review!

The newest addition to the Zombie, Romance, Comedy and Horror genre. I call it, a Zombromance, or a Zomedy! It’s set in a post apocalyptic world consisting of zombies, bonies and a small population of humans. When a zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) meets a Human girl named Julie, he starts to feel like there is more to life than just being the walking dead. He begins to cure himself, retrain himself to talk and become more human. He inspires more zombies to try to cure themselves, and slowly they begin to become more human. Will R and Julie defy the odds and stay together, or will the fact that one of them is a zombie keep them apart?

I absolutely adore this movie. I will definitely see it over and over again. When I think of zombie movies I think of nasty rotting creatures and lots of blood and gore. Naturally the zombies eat people in this movie, but it is filmed in such a way that brought a sense of humor to the whole thing and the blood was very minimal. Even the zombies don’t look that bad. In fact, Nicholas Hoult makes one attractive zombie! I like the lighting and sets in this film a lot. You can definitely tell that it is a post apocalyptic world, but the zombies still try to maintain somewhat consistent routines. I thought it was cool too see zombie security guards and janitors. Although they weren’t doing much, you still got the sense that there was some humanity left in them.

My favorite character is R because he is such a sweetheart. He goes against his urge to eat people to save Julie and he proves that he is more than just a mindless flesh eater. Even though he is relearning how to speak, he is still quite slow so he can only mutter out simple words and phrases. Nicholas Hoult does a fantastic job keeping this character dull and Zombie-like, while still giving glimpses of his emotions and personality. This movie shows that R still has completely normal thoughts, he just can’t express them, as if he is trapped in his own mind. R voiced over most of the movie and it was hilarious to hear what he was thinking, compared to what he was actually able to do. He made me laugh even in more intense situations, making him my absolute favorite character.

I can’t say I have a favorite scene because this whole movie is incredibly well done. I do love all the times that R and his Zombie friend M or “Marcus” interact. They try to communicate and connect and it’s so funny and touching to see their friendship show even though it’s challenging for them to express it. I also really enjoy the seen when Julie (Teresa Palmer) and her friend Nora (Analeigh Tipton) give R a makeover. R is so reluctant to have makeup put on him, which I thought was funny because most teenage boys are. The music in this scene was particularly funny and entertaining and it is a memorable scene.

I think there are so many underlying messages in this film, but the one that stands out to me most is that we need to take the time to connect with our surroundings and the people in our lives. In this film it shows a flashback to the world before the zombie outbreak, and R is saying that back then everyone could connect, but in the flashback everyone is on their phones texting or playing video games. It is a really strong reminder that we are so wired and constantly tuned into technology that we often forget to be with our family and connect with our loved ones

I recommend this film for ages 13 and up because teens and even adults will love this movie, but kids under the age of 13 may find it to be too mature. I give Warm Bodies 10 out of 10 stars so go check it out at a theater near you!