Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

Who is Simon Miller is the latest release from WalMart / P&G’s Family Movie Night offerings and, it’s truly one of their best to date. Three of our youth film critics reviewed it and all, from 8-year-old Anthony to 14-year-olds Gabriella and Raven had great things to say about it. Here are some of their comments:

This made-for-TV movie is a super entertaining edge-of-your-seat movie. From the very first scene, it grabs you and you are hooked for the whole film. I really enjoyed this film. My favorite character is Sarah, played by Skyler Day, because she is very helpful in the mission to find her father and her acting is very convincing. The cinematography is great; the color is dark and the lighting makes the scenes gloomy.  That really helps build suspense in the film. The background music works well; it has a “spy” feel to it and generates the right  mood. I think that by the way the movie ends that we might expect a sequel. (Raven Devanney, age 14)

Are you into action and adventure? If so, then Who is Simon Miller? is a movie for you. It tells the story of the Miller family’s frantic search in finding out who their father, Simon, really is. After discovering their father’s secret office containing multiple passports of him with different names, they become suspicious. They decide to embark on an international trip in search of their father. I enjoy watching the family travel to places such as Paris, Geneva and other cities in Europe. I also like the theme of the movie. The Miller family constantly tries to stick together, despite all of the obstacles they encounter. They will even risk their lives for one another. However, some parts of the movie did not quite make sense to me. For example, the clues the family follows to find Simon. (Gabriella Chu, age 14)

I just got finished watching an excellent movie called “Who is Simon Miller.” The movie is about a family who doesn’t know as much about each other as they think.My favorite characters are Sarah and Kevin. I liked the kids the best in the movie because they were very smart and solved most of the puzzles in order to help find their dad. I would hope that if I was looking for my mom or dad that I could be as smart as they were. My favorite part of the movie is when the family found their dad. That is my favorite part because they spent a lot of time trying to find him and were so happy to find him. (Anthony Aranda, age 8)

We recommend this movie for ages 12 and up due to some violence plus a complicated storyline and scenes of teens traveling on their own to foreign contries.

See this movie on NBC on Saturday, August 6th at 8/7 central.  

This summer has been such fun! After spending a week with 15 kids at KIDS FIRST! Boot Camp, we are now prepping to launch KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions – a weekly radio show hosted by six KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, ages 8 to 14 – Ny’asia Bell, Anthony Aranda, Sam Connan, Gabriella Chu, Raven Devanney and Makai Weber Colvin.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that these six critics won a spot as a KIDS FIRST! Film Critic through our national competition last year.

Since January, they have been reviewing new films and DVDs, attending Red Carpet events and premieres and interviewing talent on and off the Red Carpet. On KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions, our youth film critics will be reviewing the latest film and DVD releases, interviewing talent and other guests and sharing their experiences as a KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

Bookmark Voice America Kids now! http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1950/kids-first-coming-attractions

Next Tuesday, Raven Devanney and Anthony Arranda will be reviewing the films, Mars Needa Moms and Winnie the Pooh which they just viewed while attending the Red Carpet premiere at our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Boot Camp on the Disney lot in Burbank. AAnd, they will be discussing what other films they saw and people they met while attending Boot Camp.

Also on next week’s show, a review of Who is Simon Miller, the new made-for-TV movie from P&G/Walmart and an interview with one of its stars, Drew Koles who plays the role of Kevin Miller. The movie will be broadcast on Saturday, August 6 at 8E/5 C on NBC. 

Synopsis: When unassuming geologist Simon Miller (Loren Dean) mysteriously disappears one night, the Miller family is thrown into a desperate search to find him. Simons wife Meredith (Robyn Lively) and their two kids, Sarah, 18, and Kevin, 15, frantically search Simons office for information. When they find a stash of passports, all with Simons picture but each with a different alias, they realize that their father has been keeping more than a few secrets. Who is Simon Miller? And what has he gotten himself and now his family into? Not sure they can even trust the dad they thought they knew, the Millers embark on an international mission to get him back. Its a heart- pounding adventure that tests the limits to which families will fight for each other.

DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD brings together a group of today’s leading creators of children’s media and educational technology. The series was developed by the acclaimed Fred Rogers Company in association with Out of the Blue Enterprises.We’re very excited to be creating a program that builds on Fred’s legacy in such fresh and innovative ways.  Fred knew that school readiness skills are the foundation for academic achievement, and a full life, and now a growing body of research confirms this,” said Bill Isler, President of The Fred Rogers Company.

Fred Rogers revolutionized children’s media with MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, and DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD continues on this path of innovation, helping the next generation of young children learn and grow in new ways,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS.  “Joining the PBS KIDS family of series that cover important curricular areas like literacy and science, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD fills a critical gap in children’s media today: modeling the behaviors and habits that kids need in order to excel in formal learning settings – essentially, learning how to learn.  It’s important for kids to learn pro-social skills like cooperation and listening, so that when they start school they are able to focus on the material at hand.”

The executive producers of DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD are Kevin Morrison, for The Fred Rogers Company, and Angela Santomero, cofounder of Out of the Blue Enterprises and the creative force behind the hit PBS KIDS literacy series SUPER WHY!.  In addition to this key partner, The Fred Rogers Company is joined by 9 Story Entertainment, bringing award-winning animation capabilities to the production, and top game designer Schell Games, which will spearhead the series’ digital educational applications.

DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD joins the PBS KIDS line-up of cross-platform content for kids ages 2 to 8, which includes a host of top-rated series including THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, CURIOUS GEORGE and WILD KRATTS.  With a transmedia approach, PBS KIDS is increasingly serving children wherever they live, learn, and play – on TV, online, through mobile devices, in the classroom, and through a new line of educational toys.

PBS Foundation has received a $250,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations to support PBS KIDS GO!’s robust digital playground of videos, games, mobile experiences, and other interactive content for children.  The grant will fund the continuation of innovative digital technology experiments and research in educational gaming for school-aged kids. 

 “PBS KIDS GO! was created for school-aged kids, who we know have limited choices for media content that is age-appropriate, fun and educational,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS.  “Through this initiative, we have developed engaging interactive content for kids that puts them in the driver’s seat, allowing them to explore and learn in a safe interactive environment. This grant will allow us to continue this important work.”

The grant will fund website expansions, game development, research, and PBS station and producer support for PBS KIDS GO!.  Upcoming projects include new short-form episodes of existing web-originals such as FIZZY’S LUNCH LAB, new site features to enable users to customize their experience on the site, and more content on new media platforms, such as mobile devices and interactive white boards.  Much of this content will be evaluated through educational impact testing and will help PBS produce content that serves a broader age-range of children as they build their reading, math and science skills.

PBS KIDS GO! is constantly experimenting with new technologies to help drive educational impact for kids,” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, Product Development and Innovation, PBS.  “We’ve had great success so far, and we’ve seen particularly significant growth over the past year. Unique visitors on PBSKIDSGO.org are currently up 30% year-on-year, and average time spent on the site is up 23%. And PBSKIDS.org has been the #1 kids entertainment site for free videos streamed for the past nine months. As PBS KIDS GO! continues to gain momentum, we will continue to look for ways to experiment and innovate across platforms to help increase learning.”

PBSKIDSGO.org includes the PBS KIDS GO! video player, which features over 3,000 video clips from PBS KIDS GO! series such as WILD KRATTS, ARTHUR and WORDGIRL, and averages 4.8 million streams per month (Google Analytics). The site also features four web-only series as well as in-video games and companion gaming sites for television programs.  Additional site features include the Webonauts Internet Academy, an internet safety site for kids, and the “Secret Box,” a customizable space for kids to store their own creations.

Support from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations will build upon the significant investment in PBS KIDS GO! from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).  PBSKIDSGO.org was initially funded by and continues to receive support through contributions from CPB.

Yes! Says one of our youth film critics, 13-year-old Raven Devanney. But, ages 13 and older only. Here are Raven’s comments:

“Transformers 3, Dark of the Moon is a non-stop thrill ride. This action packed film is a fantastic addition in the Transformers series. The cinematography and special effects are absolutely breathtaking in 3D! This film has so much action and the sound effects are so intense that it keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire film!

My favorite character is Bumblebee because he is so sweet and he is there to catch Sam when he falls…. Literally! And of course, once again, I love Shia LeBeouf’s performance! I have been a fan of his acting for years, even before Transformers. My favorite scene is in the beginning when it shows actual footage of the moon launch because it is fascinating to see how many people were so eager to witness that back then.

I love this movie so much because it has everything: Action, comedy, suspense and romance. The one thing I think is unnecessary in this movie is that every time the Decepticons are killed, they bleed. It’s weird because that didn’t happen in the first two films and they are machines—they can’t bleed! Also, the blood looks very unrealistic so it seems pointless.

This film is for ages 13 and up because there is a lot of adult humor that is very inappropriate for younger audiences. This film has a lot more violence than the first films. There are also somewhat gruesome deaths throughout the movie.

Reviewed by Raven Devanney, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

Reports from the opening of the new Pixar / Disney film, Cars 2 reveals it as a box office hit – with ticket sales of $68 million and an appeal for families with children under 12.  According to market research firm CinemaScore, those who came disagreed with critics and liked the movie, giving it an average grade of A-minus.

Storyline: Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. View the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1822465049/

Starring the voice talent of Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson (as Lightning McQueen), Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro, Brent Musburger and more.  

When you go to see it, write us here with Your Review! We’d love to hear what you think!

One more thing…. Disney just released their new Cars 2 Storybook Deluxe App for iPad – to coincide with the movie’s release. In the app, Cars star Lightning McQueen zooms back into action with his best friend Mater by his side as they head to the World Grand Prix races.  Readers of the storybook deluxe app will get to:

 * Choose between two reading modes that allow you to follow along as the story is read aloud, or to explore each page at your own pace.       
 * Play exciting games inspired from the movie—test your memory in Tokyo Lights and try your hand at Mater’s Tire Toss.       
 * Record your voice reading the story and hear it played back as narration.
 * Tap characters and objects for animated surprises.       
 * Also includes 5 coloring pages and 5 interactive jigsaw puzzles for extra 
 
The Cars 2 Storybook Deluxe App is available at the App Store on the iPad or at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cars-2-storybook-deluxe/id445409124?mt=8#.

Before you buy, you might want to check out their demo video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uSeMCzZAzk