Up (Film)

Title: Up
DVD, 2009
Directed by Pete Doctor

One of those movies that, in my opinion, is great for 'tweens' because of its combination of real life, grown up problems and the sense of wonderment that only a child possesses.

Description:

The film begins with a young boy named Carl who is full of spunk and zeal and a love for adventure and exploration. He finds that one of his heroes has to face claims of fraudulence yet never gets a chance to return, to Paradise Falls, the site of a legendary bird. Carl meets his future wife Ellie and they vow to build a house above Paradise Falls together. Fast forward to the present day, we find Carl living in the same place he did with his wife Ellie, but now she has passed away and Carl has retired. After fighting with his neighbors over the recent urbanization of his neighborhood, Carl is told he must move out of his home and into an old folks home. Deciding to fulfill his promise to his deceased wife, Carl ties hundreds of balloons to his house so that he can take his house with him to Paradise Falls.

Believing himself to be alone, Carl soon finds that a young boy from the neighborhood has accidentally tagged along. Russell draws the grumpy side of Carl out, as he had hoped to go on his voyage unimpeded. Russell and Carl find their way to Paradise Falls and discover that Carl's childhood hero still lives their in secrecy, still searching for the rare bird he had fraudulently claimed to have found. Muntz, as the man is named, turns out to be unworthy of the hero status Carl had once given him. It is up to Carl and his young friend Russell to find the bird for themselves and the process, Carl learns more about himself than he had anticipated.

Review:

It is difficult to cover all of the scenes in the film in such a short description but, needles to say, the film is filled with awe-inspiring animation and heart-warming relationships between the characters that are sure to satisfy the most stingy viewer. Real life problems like death and loss are not skirted over in this film, and in many respects this is a very, very sad film. The curmudgeonly old man and the chubby naive boy make for quite the disparate pair, but through Russell, Carl sees the young adventurous spirit he once was (and in some respects still is). A very beautiful movie and one worth revisiting over and over again.

Enchanted (Film)

Title: Enchanted
DVD, 2008
Starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey

Essentially a reinvention of the classic fairy-tale love story. Came highly recommended by my sister.

Description:

The fairy-tale princess Giselle lives in the magical land of Andalasia, which in the film is an animated land (except for the humans) filled with the requisite courts and royalty and animals that speak. However, an evil-stepmother-like character played by Susan Sarandon grows jealous of Giselle and sends her hurtling through time and space, when finally she lands in downtown Manhattan. She runs into a very handsome lawyer who's daughter convinces him to let the pretty princess stay with them in their home. Prince Edward, Giselle's husband-to-be from Andalasia, travels through the portal to save her, but he is followed by workers for his evil stepmother who will stop at nothing to make sure he fails. Combining elements purposefully copied from classic Disney films like 'Snow White' and 'Cinderella', Giselle learns much about herself and true love through her adventures in Manhattan.

Review:

Not exactly my cup of tea, but I can see why my sister enjoyed it so much. The talking animals are cute and funny and the inevitable misunderstandings and laughs that arise from a fairy-tale princess taking to the streets of New York are entertaining. The true love bit is beaten over the audiences head a little, but there is plenty of fun to be had. The story, the situations and the expectations outlined for young girls are totally unrealistic, but not in so unforgiving a fashion. While it might not portray the most realistic goals for a young lady, it is surely a film that 'tweens' will enjoy (maybe not so much for the boys, however).

The Black Stallion (film)

Title: The Black Stallion
DVD, 2009
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

One of the most famous kids' movies of all time, this was one that I found in the stacks at my local public library. I vaguely, and I mean quite vaguely, seeing it as a kid and thought it might be fun to revisit.

Description:

'The Black Stallion' tells the story of Alec and his Arabian Stallion simply known as "the Black". Set in the 1940s, the movie begins with Alec and his family on-board a cruise liner and he becomes enamored with the Arabian Stallion. The ship, in a horrible accident, catches fire and creates a panic on-board. After the accident, Alec finds himself on the beach of a deserted island, and the only other soul he finds that has made it to the island is the horse. Initially reluctant in dealing with the boy, the horse and Alec soon gain the trust of one another. After much trial and tribulation, the boy finally manages to climb atop the horse and ride him up and down the beach. Eventually rescued from their deserted island, the boy returns home with horse in tow. Their relationship grows and Alec soon learns just how fast of a horse 'The Black' is, signing the horse up for a hugely important horse race for the movies climactic scene.

Review:

Although, quite honestly, I found the film quite boring I can see how it has become a classic. The scenes of Alex and his horse on the beach are some of the most easily recognizable scenes in cinema. There is this feeling that pervades the movie that Alec, a kid, is the only one who truly understands and loves the horse. This is a very common theme in kids and 'tween' titles and is certainly at work here. There is a scene in which Alec loses the horse and searches frantically to find him. He finds that an old jockey has found him and claimed him as his own. After seeing Alec with the horse, he soon sees the errors of his ways and knows that the boy is the horse's real owner. A classic kids movie that many, especially horse-lovers, will cherish but that others may find a bit slow.

Osmosis Jones (Film)

Title: Osmosis Jones
DVD, 2001
Starring Bill Murray and Chris Rock

One of the various movies that the librarian gave me when I asked about 'tween' titles, 'Osmosis Jones' is a film that I had never heard of and thus had no preconceived notions.

Description:

The movie is a mix between live-action and animation as Frank (played by Bill Murray) ingests a virus after eating food that he has dropped when on the job at the zoo. He explains to his daughter that the 10-minute rule was still in effect and eats the questionable piece of food. Following the germ into Frank's body, the film becomes animated and the white blood cell Osmosis Jones is on the case. Frank takes a cold medicine called zenadrix (Drix for short) and the odd-couple duo try to get to the bottom of what's making Frank sick. What is really going on is that the evil villain Thrax has infiltrated Frank's immune system and plans on taking over Frank's body. It is up to Drix and Osmosis to save Frank from his own body.

Review:

The mix of live-action and animated sequences is a really neat idea as there is an entire world inside Frank. The animation is pretty slick and the voice acting is done well, with lots of familiar voices. The movie relies heavily (far too much so) on the type of potty humor that is easily found when exploring the body. Some of it is actually pretty filthy given the movies PG rating. For most 'tweens' however, the movie poses nothing really inappropriate. The dynamic between Frank (a single father) and his daughter who is trying to get him serious about his health is the only emotionally significant portion of the movie, and it is talked about so little that it is almost forgotten. Playing up this dynamic would have helped make the experience more rewarding for its' 'tween' viewers and might have made for a better overall film.

Toy Story (Film)

Title: Toy Story
DVD, 2010
Starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks

My younger brother and sister, both in the 'tween' age range, were insisting that I review 'Toy Story 3' for this digital record. But, having not seen the second installment and barely remembering the first, I decided I would do a little reminiscing of my own and revisit the first film in the series.

Description:

'Toy Story' tells a tale set in a world where, when no one is looking, all of the world's toys come to life. Andy is a young boy with plenty of toys, but the old cowboy Woody is his favorite. He doesn't go anywhere without his pal Andy and has even scrawled his name on Woody's shoe (a distinction of honor and contention between Andy and the other toys). This is all fine and well until on Andy's birthday he gets a Buzz Lightyear toy. The coolest space hero and coolest toy in the world, with his "To infinity and beyond!" catch phrase. Buzz Lightyear is not only Andy's new favorite plaything, but he also believes he is a real space hero and that he can really fly and convinces all of the other toys of these beliefs much to the chagrin of Woody. After a mishap at a pizza restaurant the two toys fall into the hands of the vicious and twisted neighbor of Andy; the dreaded Sid. Woody and Buzz must work together to escape their captor and return to their rightful owner Andy.

Review:

Much of the above description may be unnecessary, as this movie is ever so popular. But seeing it again, after 10 or more years, I forgot just how good the music, the voice acting and the story are. An absolutely great movie for kids of all ages. While not a particularly 'tween' title, even though the boy in the picture may be within that 'tween' age range, this movie is fun for your entire family (and I do mean entire). Everyone from the youngest to the oldest, for those who have yet to see it, will enjoy every minute to the very last drop.

Madagascar (Film)

Title: Madagascar
DVD, 2005
Starring Ben Stiller and Chris Rock

Another movie recommended by some of the children I work with (where are they getting all of these movies from?). This one I borrowed from one of my co-worker's whose children appear to be the Siskel and Ebert of kids movies.

Description:

'Madagascar' tells the story of a group of zoo animals from the wilds of Africa. The only problem is, that these New York City animals are much more Big Apple showbiz types than real African wildlife. Alex the Lion (voiced by Stiller) is the star of the show, drawing in the biggest crowds with his mighty Lion's roar. Alex and his best friend Marty the Zebra grow disillusioned with the captive life and plan an escape from the zoo with a group of their friends. The animals are captured upon their escape and are deemed too wild for captivity and shipped off to an African wildlife reserve. A group of surly and strangely militaristic penguins take over the boat en route to Africa and accidentally crash-land the ship in Madagascar. There the meet the mighty (or not so much) King Julien of the lemurs (voiced hilariously by Sasha Baron Cohen) and discover more about themselves than the ever could in the zoo back home.

Review:

With such a great cast of voice actors, it is no wonder this movie is such a success. The story is really cute and funny and the viewer really falls for the characters. The lion Alex starts to regain his hunter's instincts after his escape from the zoo and the audience starts to empathize with him. The penguins, acting like a rogue military battalion, provide much of the comedy relief (along with the lemur king) and both kids and adults will be chuckling along constantly. With just the right mix of moral consequences, character development and downright knee-slapping comedy, this is a movie that is sure to satisfy the whole family.

The Pebble and the Penguin

Title: The Pebble and the Penguin
VHS, 1995
Starring Martin Short and Tim Curry

My roommate found a collection of VHS tapes at his mom's house and suggested this film by the same Director as 'All Dog's go to Heaven'. The voice actors (listed above) were reason enough to check it out.

Description:

This movie tells the story of Hubie, a penguin whose species is known for giving a pebble to a female of their kind and mating with that one female for life. The only problem is that Hubie is too shy to give his pebble to the girl that he really likes named Marina. Also, the evil and muscular penguin Drake (voiced by Tim Curry in his typical villain role) has his eyes on Marina and will do just about anything to get her. Hubie is then caught by a fishing boat and finally escapes with the help of another penguin named Rocko. Rocko and Hubie initially butt heads, but over the course of their trip back to Hubie's home, the become friends and vow to get the pebble to Marina before Drake can.

Review:

Probably more geared towards elementary school kids (and thus the younger end of our 'tween' spectrum) the movie is a fairly formulaic animated kids movie. Their are some song and dance numbers, but the music isn't all that catchy and the same song is repeated more than once. The voice acting by Martin Short and Tim Curry is really well done, as one might expect from those two, and the story is, for the most part, endearing. I would not go out of my way to recommend this movie, being a rather rudimentary movie, but its not all that bad.

Spy Kids (Film)

Title: Spy Kids
DVD, 2001
Starring Antonio Banderas

One of the kids at my work was very quick to tell me that I just had to watch this movie, once I told him about my assignment for my class. It is the type of movie where the grown-ups are in trouble and the kids have to come in and save the day; I can see why he likes it so much. So, at his request, I checked it out.

Description:

Carmen and Juni are pretty typical kids and have two loving and supportive parents. The only difference between Carmen and Juni and other kids is that their parents are spies. The brother and sister duo go about their daily lives oblivious to this fact until one day their parents are kidnapped by an evil villain Fegan Floop (played very well by Alan Cumming). The kids flee to a secret house their parents have set up and begin to learn the skills and techniques to become spies and save their parents. They try to get help from their uncle Machete, but he is still angry with his brother (their dad) and refuses to help the children. Carmen and Juni are forced to infiltrate Floop's hideout and save their parents themselves!

Review:

The two kid actors that play Carmen and Juni are quite good in the movie and the plot is fun and silly with just enough seriousness. The underlying tension between the characters is interesting and provides a surprising amount of moral evolution for the kids. For instance, Carmen has a bed-wetting problem (despite being the older sister) and Juni is very insecure and scared of the bullies at his school. The kids overcome their differences and help to show their Dad and Uncle of their ways. The family is of Latino heritage and it is nice to see that reflected in the movie. 'Spy Kids' is a really fun movie for kids, if only short of classic, and the characters take the film a little past a purely entertaining experience and make the kids think (if only a tiny bit).

Astro Boy (Film)

Title: Astro Boy
DVD, 2011
With Nathan Lane and Nicholas Cage

Based on the classic and greatly popular Japanese manga and T.V. show of the same name, this movie is a 2009 CGI rendition of 'Astro Boy' which has been, in a sense, Americanized to fit the palates of American movie goers.

Description:

'Astro Boy' tells the story of a young boy and his scientist father. They live in the city of Metro City, a city way up in the sky populated by a plethora of robots; all with the inherent intention to make humans lives better. Toby (who is to become Astro Boy) is the young boy and protagonist in the story who is tagging along with his father who is going to show his newest invention to the city's mayor. The demonstration goes horribly wrong when the robot Toby's father is unveiling loses its' cool and begins to fight back against the demonstrations. Toby is killed in the resulting melee. However a new robot is created with a touch of Toby's DNA resulting in a robot that has all of the memories of Toby (the titular character Astro Boy). Toby's father is reluctant to accept this new robot version of his son and shuns him in an act of denial. After Astro Boy falls from the lovely Metro City down toward the junk heap and shoddy, over polluted land below, he befriends a new group of humans and robots alike and must make his mark in the Robot Games to thwart the evil mayor and win back his father.


Review:


While it is not the best of the CGI movie lot, there is some fun to be had with 'Astro Boy'. The animations seem to be a little cheaper than some of the more famous movies (but I am no expert and could be completely off). The story is fairly good and there are some fun and eventful happenings that make it an eventful experience. While it provides no lasting moral impact for 'tweens' it is a fun (if a little mindless) movie that most kids will appreciate.

Bolt (Film)

Title: Bolt
DVD, 2009
Starring John Travolta

Description:

This film tells the story of an action-hero dog named Bolt. The only problem is, Bolt hasn't a clue that his whole life is really a television program! He jumps over helicopters and saves his human counterpart Penny from danger; but then the cameras stop rolling. One day, Bolt sneaks out of the studio where he lives and encounters the 'real-world'. A cat named Mittens (voiced by Susie Essman) shows Bolt that he really is just a regular dog that has no super powers whatsoever. Bolt is initially reluctant to accept the truth, but in one scene out in front of a billboard for his show, the reality of Bolt's situation is immediately evident to him. The hamster Rhino is one of Bolt's biggest fans and it is his trust in Bolt that saves Bolt from his depressed state and convinces him to go and find Penny.

Review:

In a kind of 'Truman Show' type of plot, 'Bolt' is a pretty entertaining movie. The first few minutes of the movie (if one has not read anything about the movie previously) make the viewer think bolt really is a super-dog. The voice acting is really well done with the cat Mittens and the hamster Rhino really taking the cake. The fact that the hamster rolls around in a ball the entire movie and the fact that Bolt's presence drives him to delirium is sure to get the kids laughing. It is by no means the best movie out there, but it was certainly entertaining and is one that I am sure most kids would get a kick out of.

Dragon Hunters (Film)

Title: Dragon Hunters
DVD, 2009
Featuring Forrest Whitaker

Description:

Lord Arnold has sent out two knights to take care of the horrid dragons that ravage his homeland, but it has been 20 years since they were sent out and, odds are, that they won't be returning. His niece Zoe, who is about to be sent away to a convent and cannot be trained in the ways of dragon hunting, decides to take off from her uncle's home is search of some brave and noble men that might be able to help her with her problem. Set in a vaguely medieval world of floating miniature planets and strange, monstrous looking creatures, Zoe finds the knights she has been looking for. Unfortunately, the two knights she has found to hunt the dragons turn out to be two bumbling, stumbling dolts. Zoe and her new found companions must overcome the odds and save the kingdom from the dragon.

Review:

The world in which 'Dragon Hunters' is set is beautifully conceived, with strange floating little planets making up the landscape and peopled by a bevy of strange characters. While the film is very beautiful and unique in its design, the CGI animations seem a little choppy and rushed, as if the quality of the images is too much for the animations to handle. The story is good, not great and is so predictable that you almost know how the movie will unfold before it does. Nonetheless, it is a unique and gorgeously designed movie that I think most kids would enjoy.

Battle For Terra (Film)

Title: Battle For Terra
DVD, 2009
With Evan Rachel Wood and Luke Wilson

Description:

This science fiction movie takes place on the planet Terra, where the peaceful and artistic Terrians float through their beautiful cities like hummingbirds. Coming on their massive spaceship dubbed "The Ark", the last of the human race are traveling through space in search of a new planet to call home. When one of the humans crashes on the planet, he is rescued by a young Terrian named Mala, who agrees to help the man repair his ship if he will in turn help her to find her father who was taken hostage by the humans. Mala and the man, named jim, finally make it back to the human mothership in orbit around Terra. Mala finds her father nearly dead in a laboratory-like room full of captive Terrians.

Once on board the human ship, Mala and Jim learn of the humans plan to 'terraform' the planet and make its atmosphere breathable for the humans. Mala and Jim must do whatever they can to save the Terrians and all of the other native life on their planet from the overzealous humans.

Review:

A fun, CGI animated sci-fi movie for the kids, "Battle for Terra" is a pretty good movie for kids and adults alike. The plot is a little bit predictable and derivative of other movies and books, but the movie is beautifully animated and is quite engaging. Some of the voice acting is pretty dry, but the plot and the animated effects help to take your focus away from the movie's setbacks. Overall, a pretty good movie that should be fun for the whole family. There are some scenes of death and some explosions with disastrous results, but there is nothing that should make the film inappropriate for 'tweens'.

Rio starring Jesse Eisenbergm and Anne Hathaway

This movie was the second that our class watched on our 'movie day' and Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway provide the voices for the two main characters of Blu and Jewel.

Description:

Rio tells the story of a pet Blue Macaw, named Blu, that lives with his owner in Minnesota. Blu's owner, Linda, gets an offer from an scientist from Brazil to mate her bird with a female he has in captivity and thus save their species from extinction. Upon their arrival in Rio, Jewel and Blu escape from their cages and are unexpectedly captured by poachers and their evil cockatoo Nigel, who deal in rare birds.

Blu and Jewel eventually ecsape from their captors and are lost among the crazy city of Rio during carnival. Through their adventures, Blu and Jewel meet a cast of Brazilian birds, namely a tucan named Rafael, and a bulldog that help them evade the poachers and help them find their way back to Blu's owner. All the while, Blu has to hide from Jewel the fact that he cannot fly and the two grow closer throughout the film. Jewels wish to escape back to the jungle does not fit with Blu's desire to be back in captivity with his owner. The movie culminates in a long chase scene which ends with the "happily ever after" ending of Blue and Jewel falling and love and his eventual ability to shake his fears and learn to fly.

Review:

Rio was a pleasant enough movie to watch and the kids enjoyed it, but it was very derivative and did not really offer anything substantial for the adults or the children watching. The plot was extremely predictable and the characters were more along the lines of caricatures. The music was pretty well done with the kids singing some of the songs well after the movie had ended. All and all, an appropriate enough film for the tween-aged kids, but nothing of exceptional quality.

Megamind starring Will Ferrell

At my work, we recently had a movie day after an overnight camping trip; a nice relaxing day for the kids (and teachers). We watched two movies that day and the first one was entitled Megamind, an animated feature with actor Will Ferrell voicing the lead role.

Description:

The film begins with the main character, an evil villain named Megamind, explaining his early life as an alien from a far off galaxy being sent to Earth as his home planet slowly dies. Along his trek to Earth, the young Megamind encounters another young extraterrestrial on his way to Earth, a youth who will become Metroman, Megamind's lifelong rival. The story covers the two as they grow up and continually but heads, with the good Metroman repeatedly victorious over the evil Megamind.

After one particular battle, Megamind believes he has finally killed Metroman and is surprised at his own feelings over the matter. After finally killing his superhero foe, Megamind finds himself sad and alone, not realizing his need for Metroman. Through all of this, Megamind finds himself in love with a young television reporter named roxanne, but can only get close to her by using a device that changes his appearance to match anyone he chooses. To combat the loneliness, Megamind injects a young man, and his love interest's co-worker, with a drug that will give the recipient the powers of Metroman. Megamind eventually learns that Metroman never actually died but instead had staged his death to get away from the popularity and media attention that comes with being a superhero. Megamind, over the course of these events, realizes the good inside him and his hitherto unacknowledged need for others in his life.

Review:

Megamind provides a good amount of humor for both kids and adults; a nice quality for materials for tweens. It has some pretty hilarious moments and some during which the teachers were laughing, some during which the kids were laughing and plenty combining the two. One recurring trend that I found especially hilarious was Megamind's propensity to place an awkward cadence to his pronunciations, often stressing the wrong syllabus (Will Farrell's various attempts at saying 'Metroman' were quite funny). This movie did well to walk the line between staying appropriate for kids and at the same time not "dumbing down" the humor to any degree. While the plot was a little bit cliched and obvious and could have been more challenging or interesting without losing the children, it was a pleasant experience and one that I would recommend for kids and adults alike.

P.S.

Here is a photo of me and the kids at my work enjoying Megamind!