Film Guide

What If The Stories You Told Magically Came To Life?

Hotel handyman Skeeter Bronson’s life is going nowhere, until his sister needs him to look after her two kids. Having to work in the day, Skeeter just has to do the night shift, which includes putting them to bed and reading them bedtime stories. Fortunately, the books that have been left foe them by their mother fail to impress Skeeter, and so he has to make up the bedtime stories.

The kids however are never satisfied with Skeeter’s direction and are constantly adding their own little events to the stories. These events however have a habit o coming true the next day, giving Skeeter an idea on how he can easily improve his life. Read the rest of this entry »

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a warmly inviting, sumptuous visual feast that instantly reminds you of any number of Studio Ghibli classics.  Based on Yasutaka Tsutsui’s 1967 novel of the same name, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time follows the daily life of an average high-school student, Makoto Konno.  She’s smart, but no genius, a little clumsy and loves playing baseball with her friends.  Then one day on her way home from school, the brake cable on her bike snaps and she crashes through a safety barrier just as a train is coming.

Rather than being instantly killed however, Makoto is transported back through time briefly to a point before, where she collides with another person, thus saving her own life.  A little freaked out Makoto rushes and talks with her aunt, who informs her it’s not an unusual talent for a girl of her age.

Makoto decides that this new found talent can be quite useful, helping her pass tests, get out of embarrassing situation and more.  However, she soon finds out that her jumping back through time is having an adverse affect on those around her and spends more of her time trying to make things right until she discovers something life changing through her new abilities.

An imaginative, beautifully drawn story that will captivate an audience of any age.

What the kids thought:

BJ: It was great, because it was about a girl who used her initiative t leap through time.  It has a happy but sad ending.  It was a very exciting story.

Aimee: It was good.  I liked the end bit.  I liked the story of a girl who can jump through time.  She could do what ever she wanted just by jumping.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read
Rating: PG: Contains low level offensive language
Released on: March 12th, 2009
Year of Original Release: 2006
Stars: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura
Length (Minutes): 98
Media Format: DVD
Languages: Japanese, English
Subtitles: English
Supported Audio: Dolby Digital Surround 5.1
Director: Hosoda, Mamoru
Studio: Madman

Kung Fu Panda is a delightful animated story about Po, a good natured but clumsy Panda with an eating problem, who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master like his heroes the Furious Five. Destiny puts Po on the road to fulfilling that dream, but it’s a road that is long and hard, and Po will have to overcome numerous obstacles to achieve the dream.

Fortunately for us, Jack Black voices Po, and the animators have done an excellent job of transferring Black’s mannerisms to the CGI hero. Black is in his element in Kung Fu Panda, the slapstick nature of the humour lends itself to Black’s comedic abilities and well as providing a stable of easy laughs for the audience, both young and old.

Kung Fu Panda is a great movie for the whole family with some great themes about destiny and discovering your inner strengths.

Positive Elements:
Po wants to honour his father despite not wanting to work in the family business.

Doing your best and believing in yourself are strong themes.

Negative Elements:
Plenty of cartoon violence, but nothing to be wary of.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: PG – Contains violence
Release Date: December 3rd, 2008
Stars: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan
Length (Minutes): 88
Media Format: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Languages: English
Supported Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
Director: Various
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Not having the baggage of having seen the original TV series, I was able to look at Get Smart for what it was: a well produced slapstick comedy. For those who don’t know, the plot follows the antics of Maxwell Smart, a dedicated if somewhat inept secret agent and his partner, Agent 99. The laughs come thick and fast as Maxwell’s bumbling’s actually work, and he’s proven to be an exceptional agent, with unusual means of getting the job done.

Of course, without agent 99 there to help him out from time to time, Maxwell wouldn’t be quite so smart.

All up, Get Smart is an enjoyable, light hearted – but action packed – caper that most of the family will enjoy. The acting verges on cheesy for the most part, but this follows inline with the direction of the movie, and the special effects and polish of the movie are all top rate.

Positive Elements:
Max shows that hard work, perseverance and believing in yourself are the main elements needed to achieve your goals.

Once Max achieves hi goals he doesn’t slack off, neither does he become egotistical.

Negative Elements:
Some of the action/violence may be too much for younger viewers.

The humour does creep into ‘toilet humour’ from time to time.

FilmGuide recommends that the first viewing of any DVD be a family affair so that parents know exactly what their children are watching, and can talk about any issues raised by the storyline.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: PG – Contains Violence.
Duration: 110 mins.
Genre: Action Comedy.
Director: Peter Segal.
Actors: James Caan, Terence Stamp, The Rock, Alan Arkin, Patrick Warburton, Anne Hathaway, David Koechner, Steve Carell.
Distributor: Roadshow.
Release Date: Available now.

Joe Kingman is the best quarterback in the business. He’s so big in the game, no one even comes close to him. In fact the only thing bigger that Joe, is his massive ego. His apartment looks like it belongs to an OCD clean freak and has pictures and memorabilia – all of Joe – adorning the walls and cabinets. Joe’s life is focused on Joe – he’d the main man, likes to party, likes the girls.

Then 8 year old Peyton turns up on his doorstep. She’s a daughter he never knew he had, and now doesn’t know quite what to do with. Through trial and tribulations, eg crushing disasters Joe learns what it is to be a father, a friend and a real man.

Filled with laughter and cheesy a plenty, The Game Plan will win the hearts of your kids – especially the girls – and probably leave you with a smile on your face as well. A great family movie night DVD.

Positive Elements:
Good, clean fun.

Shows the value of humility over pride.

Negative Elements:
Peyton’s main tool for getting what she wants is manipulation, to a trick you want to be encouraging your kids to try.

FilmGuide recommends that the first viewing of any DVD be a family affair so that parents know exactly what their children are watching, and can talk about any issues raised by the storyline.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: G – Suitable for General Audiences.
Duration: 110 mins.
Genre: Drama.
Director: Andy Fickman.
Actors: The Rock, Kyra Sedgwick, Morris Chestnut, Gordon Clapp, Brian White, Roselyn Sanchez, Madison Pettis.
Distributor: Roadshow.
Release Date: Available now.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on a series of children’s fiction, sees two brothers and their sister relocate with mum to their great aunt’s house in the middle of nowhere. For mum this is a chance at a new life, to escape the messy reality of an unfaithful husband, and to tray and get her children back on track. The house has been left un-occupied for some years, as their aunt now resides in a mental institution…

Troubled child Jared soon discovers a secret passageway to a hidden stuffy in the attic, where he finds great-great uncle Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, along with a not warning him not to open it. Being a troubled young boy, he of course opens it, and opens his mind to a fantastical world of fairies and goblins, mystical creatures, some good, some decidedly evil.

Unfortunately for Jared and his family, on opening the book, he also re-kindles the war that had been left dormant, and evil strives to gain control of the book and the secrets it contains.

Jared soon realises that he has put his family in grave danger, and that he’s going to have to convince them to help him if they are going to overcome the dark forces.

Spiderwick is the movie I was expecting when I saw Bridge to Terabithia. The creatures in Spiderwick are real, not just imaginary, and take up far more screen time than Terabithia which works well for the film, creating a believable environment for the story to work its magic.

And magic it is, with spellbinding special effects and great acting, Spiderwick manages to bring a subtle story of faith alive, with plenty of thrills and a few scares along the way.

Positive Elements:
Positive story about the importance of family, focussing on redemption and forgiveness.

Helen is a mother with her children’s best interests at heart; she is probably one of the best example you’ll find of a mother in Hollywood movies.

Negative Elements:
There are a number of scenes that would be frightening to children.

The father makes for a very poor role model.

FilmGuide recommends that the first viewing of any DVD be a family affair so that parents know exactly what their children are watching, and can talk about any issues raised by the storyline.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: PG – Some Scenes May Scare Young Children.
Duration: 96 mins.
Genre: Adaptation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy.
Director: Mark Waters.
Actors: Sarah Bolger, Freddy Highmore, Seth Rogen, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Nick Nolte, Martin Short, Joan Plowright.
Distributor: Paramount.
Release Date: Out now.

Ben 10 Season 3 revolves around Ben Tennyson, his cousin Gwen, and their grandfather Max as they continue on their summer road trip aboard their campervan. Ben is the main hero, due mainly to the Omnitrix, a a watch-like alien device found by Ben in the first episode of the first season. This device bonds Ben’s DNA with Alien DNA to enable him to transform into one of ten alien superheroes who help Ben defeat that bad guys that pop up like clock work in every episode.

Things don’t always go to plan however, and Gwen and Max have to help out from time to time.

Rendered in traditional 2D animation, much like the saturation of Japanese animations found on TV after school, Ben 10 Proves that you don’t need flashy 3D graphic to capture a child’s imagination.

Ben 10 manages to succeed with a basic, traditional storyline of good vs evil, wrapped up in the excitement of alien life forms and a summer long adventure with granddad.

Positive Elements:
Ben 10 is all about good vs evil, and good winning every time. It’s also about remaining grounded as Ben tends to get into trouble when he gets to big for his boots.

Negative Elements:
Cartoon violence is still violence, and if children act out fight scenes from Ben 10, you’ll have to make sure they don’t take it past fun rumble and tumbling..

FilmGuide recommends that the first viewing of any DVD be a family affair so that parents know exactly what their children are watching, and can talk about any issues raised by the storyline.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: PG – Contains Medium Level Violence.
Distributor: Madman.
Release Date: Available now.

National Treasure 2 stars Nicolas Cage as Benjamín Franklin Gates, a modern day Indiana Jones with a storyline that mixes a little bit of American history with a whole lot of made up, treasure hunting excitement.

The main premise being similar to the first movie, one of protecting the family name through proving the existence of hidden treasure with a value too big to comprehend.

As per usual there is more than one treasure hunter after the fame and fortune and the excitement is cranked up as the movie turns into a chase through several countries.

As per the first film, the climax returns to a monument of American History, where the treasure is found in a huge, undiscovered cavern right under one of the biggest tourist locations in the country.

As thrilling as it is, Nation Treasure has an ace up its sleeve for family viewing; the complete absence of blood and for the most part, violence and death is implied rather than shown. The Heroes may break an occasional rule, but never resort to violence making it easy to separate the traditional good vs evil.

Positive Elements:
National Treasure 2 is as fictional as they come, but it is decorated with real American History, the influence of which was shown to me when I was in Borders recently and my daughter wanted to know where the American History section was!

Whilst marriage may not be the norm in this movie, both of the Gates men end up learning and accepting that they have flaws, and that they need to listen to and acknowledge the needs of their significant others.

Negative Elements:
Though implied for the most part, some of the violence may be too much for younger family members.

FilmGuide recommends that the first viewing of any DVD be a family affair so that parents know exactly what their children are watching, and can talk about any issues raised by the storyline.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: PG – Contains Medium Level Violence.
Duration: 119 mins.
Genre: Action & Adventure.
Director: Jon Turteltaub.
Actors: Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Bruce Greenwood, Harvey Keitel, Alicia Coppola, Justin Bartha, Christian Camargo, Ty Burrell.
Distributor: Roadshow.
Release Date: Available now.

This is a new category where we will be reviewing children’s and family friendly DVDs.  No matter what we might think or say about any DVD we review, FilmGuide recommends that the first viewing of any DVD be a family affair so that parents know exactly what their children are watching, and can talk about any issues raised by the storyline.