The Help (2011)

The Help is a postive and upbeat movie. I enjoyed it very much because of the amazing cast, plot, and the time that it took place. I found myself believing that I was actually back in the time during this time, and it changed my views on my daily life to this day.

This movie made me think about what my ancestors went through back then–all of the poor black men and women who had to go through hell everyday of their lives. It really makes you wonder how people could do that to others just because of their skin color. I think that this is something good for all young children to learn and that is why I recommend it to them. However, some scenes might be disturbing for them to watch–as well as confusing.

Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Emma Stone) is a southern young woman who returns from college determined to become a writer. But her personality and decisions turns her friends’ lives — and the small Mississippi town — upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of southern white families. Aibileen (Davis), Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up — to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter’s life-long friendships, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories — and as it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unwittingly — and unwillingly — caught up in the changing times.

This movie is based off of the book by Kathrn Stockett. I personally loved the book to death and I preferred the ending of the book better than the ending of the movie. But, I loved both of the plots–especially the cast in the movie. They are all known before this movie for their excellent acting and this movie only helped show that. I guarantee that someone in this movie will win an Oscar.

I recommend this movie to those who love historical movies. I think that this will show children what it was like back then and help them learn how far we have come from as a nation, but I also think that it might be confusing. To top it off, it is an extremely long movie which left me waiting for the ending–which seemed to be coming five different times throughout the movie.

I loved the movie and I know that you guys will too–so head to your local theater and check it out! I give this movie a four out of five stars! Great job to the director, cast, and the amazing plot which they transferred amazingly from the book to the movie–which isnt very common in most movies!

A Bugs Life (1998)

This week I am writing about my favorite childhood memory movies! When I thought about it, this movie immediately came to my mind. This is probably my favorite movie I watched as a child because of how clever, funny, and entertaining it was and still is.

Every year, a bunch of grasshoppers come to the anthill and eat what the ants have gathered for them. The “offering”, as the ants call the ritual, is a part of their fate. One day in spring, when the offering’s preparation has just been finished, Flik, unliked inventor ant, accidentally drops the whole offered seeds into the river. The grasshoppers come and give the ants a second chance to collect food until fall. Flik sets off to find bugs that are willing to fight the grasshoppers (nobody expects him to succeed anyway) and, due to a double misinterpretation, returns with a circus crew, giving everybody new hope. When the misunderstanding finally gets cleared out, there is only little time left for a new plan, which has to work, or else.

I still watch this movie to this day. In fact, I watched this movie before I wrote about it on here. It is so funny and teaches children great lessons in life. One is that being different is okay. Being different makes you unique and makes you come up with things that will effect people throughout your community. It also teaches that good things can come from anyone, nor matter how old or big you are. If you set your mind to something, you can achieve it. The last thing you learn from this movie is how you need someone to depend on–whether it is a parent, a friend, or someone in your community–it is good to have someone there for you.

I love this movie because of the plot. Pixar continues to amaze me with there creative ideas for movies. This one went above and beyond my expectations and left me with tears in my eyes from both laughing and crying. The ending will leave you teared up and wanting more from this amazing tale of how one ant can make a difference.

I recommend this movie to anyone, any age. It is child friendly, besides a few scenes which might be scary for children. They arent awful, but they can definitely scare them since they are a little bit violent. Besides that, it is a fun and uplifting movie which I give a five out of five stars!

Ratatouile (2007)

Ratatouile is another wonderful children movie. I have seen this movie multiple times because of how amazing this movie is in both the anamation, plot, and lessons in life for younger generations. I find that it encourages younger generations through the plot, which teaches wonderful lessons in life that you would want your children to know and love for their futures.

A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family’s wishes. The obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession causes problems to arise. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself located beneath a restaurant made famous by his cooking hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the dangers of being an unlikely and unwanted visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy’s passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

I believe that the lessons that are expressed through this movie are that you should never stop yourself from following your dream. If you like and enjoy something, never stop because of what you are or who you are. You should always follow your dream whether it is cooking, playing in the NFL, or going to Yale. This movie also enphasizes on being unique and stepping aside from what others think and believe and making your own opinion. You should never just go with the flow; step outside of your comfort box and make a mark on this world.

I loved this movie because of many things. The humor that went along with it left you laughing with tears in your eyes. Another great thing was the fact that you got to see life from a rats point of view–which has never been done before. It was a unique and creative idea which really made you feel the feelings that rat probably go through. It was a breathtaking experience unless you are like my mother–who cant stand the sight of rats. (Half way through the movie, she left the theater because she couldnt take it anymore.)

While the animation was amazing in this film, overall I felt much of the content was too deep and/or dark for a G rating. There were several incidents involving gun usage and other forms of aggression with knives. Also the characters don’t speak to each other very nicely which might not be a good sight for children to experience. Most disturbing of all was when Remy’s dad takes Remy to a shop whose window is filled with dead rats hanging in traps. It was upsetting to my 4 year old cousins who was nearly crying. I also think that many of the complexities of the message regarding stealing and giving credit, which is clearly to hard for younger children to understand and accept.

I overall loved the movie but due to some scenes in the movie, your young children may not. I believe that it is overall a great message for children, but it may be too scary and complex for them to truly get the real meaning and grasp what is made of it. I would recommend this movie for families with older children because it is a good movie for them to experience. I give this movie a four out of five stars!

Finding Nemo (2003)

Finding Nemo is a classic children’s movie, which captures any one–nor matter how old you are–heart. The breathtaking animation makes you believe that you are actually in the sea, experiencing the lives of the hilarious characters. The vocal use from the talented actors and actresses are amazingly done, making you believe in what they are saying. All of these key factors, all added in with an amazing and well thought out plot gives you another Pixar hit!

A clown fish named Marlin (Albert Brooks) lives in the Great Barrier Reef when he loses his son, Nemo, after he ventures into the open sea, despite his father’s constant warnings about many of the ocean’s dangers. Nemo is abducted by a boat and is sent to a dentist’s office in Sydney. Marlin, who lost his wife when Nemo was born, ventures off by himself to try to retrieve Nemo. On his adventure, Marlin meets a hilarious fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a blue tang suffering from short-term memory loss. The companions travel a great distance, encountering various dangerous sea creatures such as sharks, anglerfish and jellyfish, in order to rescue Nemo from the dentist’s office, which is situated by Sydney Harbor. While the two are doing this, Nemo and the other sea animals in the dentist’s fish tank plot a way to return to Sydney Harbor to live their lives free again.

I loved this movie because of the humor. When you hear the name Ellen DeGeneres, you know it will be funny. Whether you are an adult or a child, you will be clutching your sides from the laughter you will experience. Even though this movie is eight years old, I still watch it to this day–because it is a classic! You can never go wrong with this movie!

I recommend this movie to anyone, any age! Especially for young children because this amazing movie also teaches great lessons in life. Right now it isnt in movie theaters, but I highly recommend buying it because you will be watching it more than once–I promise. Families will love this movie, so I highly recommend it to them! I gave this movie a four and a half out of five stars!

Footloose (2011)

Last weekend, I went to watch the remake of the classic Footloose. For older generations, this movie used to be the “it” movie of the year, and set actors and actresses into a career of future movies. I enjoyed this movie, even though it wasntas good as the first (but how could it get better?). I was glad that they made a remake because so many people in the younger generations dont know what the movie is about. This movie remade the original movie and its amazing plot and also added modern touches into it, through dancing, music, clothes, and dialogue.

Footloose is a remake of the 1984 dance musical starring Kevin Bacon, about a teenage boy from the big city who challenges a town’s laws against dancing and loud music. With drama thrown in the air, this movie keeps you always on your toes. The cast was well thought-out with unknown and known actors/actresses who all blew your mind with their dancing and acting. Footloose has an uplifting, positive ending with strong biblical references and Christian content, but before that happens, the movie indulges in plenty of teenage rebellion, foul language, and some inappropriate lewd behavior.

Because of this behavior, I do not recommend this movie for younger watchers. Although it is a great movie, it did deserve its PG-13 rating, and may disturb some viewers. Besides that, I recommend this to teenagers and adults who have and havent seen the original. It is a classic for a reason, but most remakes arent at good as the original–but I beg to differ from this 2011 Footloose. The dancing was amazing as well as the acting, all with a positive message–that anyone can make a difference.

I give this movie a four out of five stars!

Avatar (2009)

Avatar was the “it” movie in 2009, taking people’s breaths away with the special effects. Not only was the plot interesting, but the colors were so vivid with detail, making you actually believe that you are there. I was amazed with everything that would pop out at you, making you jump at how real it was. I loved this movie and it continued to shock me that it wasnt animated, but the actors and actresses had equipment attached to them that made them pop up on the screen. Everything that you saw was actually them, not an animated look-alike.

When his brother is killed, Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the forign world of Pandora. There he learns of Parker Selfridge’s intentions of driving off the native humanoid “Na’vi” in order to mine for the material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake must attempt to infiltrate the Na’vi people with the use of an “avatar” identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Marine moves forward with his ruthless orders, forcing the soldier to take a stand and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

This movie was very intense with many fight scenes that might not be great for younger children. There is also a “sexual” scene in the movie which might be inappropriate for some, but in my opinion, it wasnt that bad. The movie had a typical plot, but the effects were just amazing, leaving you breathless.

James Cameron has always been one of my favorite directors. He really captures the moment and makes you feel like you are actually there. This movie went above and beyond, and is going to set a new standard for modern day movies. With Avatar 2  will be coming out in 2014, making everyone, including me, excited to see what Cameron has in store for us.

I think that the rating of PG13 was appropriate for this movie, so I recommend not taking any younger children to the movie. Also it is 2 hours long, which can be a rather long time for a child. Overall though, I recommend this to anyone that is above the age of 13(even my grandma liked it!), because they will love the graphics, plot, characters, and action of this movie. I give this movie a four and a half out of five stars!

The Blind Side (2009)

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Blind Side, which came out in 2009. Although it was released two years ago, I never forget about this amazing true story, which makes me think all of my decisions through. Seeing how just one woman and her family helped one person was beyond spectacular to watch, leaving you crying, laughing, and smiling throughout the movie. The most breath-taking part of the movie was the fact that this is a true story, and that the once brainless ghetto boy is now a smart Raven’s football player.

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is a big African American boy, who lived in the ghettos of Tennessee. With a mother on crack and all of his ten brothers and sisters scattered around the dangerous areas, Michael had no where to go. After living with his friend and his friend’s family, they got him into a private Christian high school, where he was to play sports for them. But with him failing all of his classes and being surrounded by thousands of white people, he couldnt play sports and felt out of place.

That was until Leigh Anne Tuohy found this man walking down the side of the road during winter with only a part of shorts and a t-shirt on. Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullocks) is a snappy woman who demands what she wants and wont take no as an answer. Taking this big stranger into her home with her family of SJ (Jae Head), Collins (Lily Collins), and husband Sean (Tim McGraw), they quickly become a big family. Leigh Anne gives Michael all of the necessities he needs including love, which he never had heard or felt in his childhood.

Soon they figure out that Michael can play football, and play it well. He soon gets his grades up to where he can play football for the high school, college, and later on in his future of pro football. With drama added into the air, this movie gets the audience on their toes as they cling to their seats with anticipation.

Besides the amazing true story plot line, the actors and actresses were so well put together. Sandra Bullock is one of our times greatest actresses, and this movie only made me realize it even more. Her ability to show emotion through her character’s sharp attitude is the reason why she won so many awards as Leigh Anne Tuohy. I loved this movie so much and it made me realize how lucky I am and how just one person could help the world. I recommend this movie to everyone, especially families, because this movie will make you realize how important family is and the love and support you get from them.

Dolphin Tale Movie (2011)

Dolphin Tale is a new movie coming to theaters all over the world. What is great about this movie is that everyone, nor matter what age, will be amazed by this true story movie. Sawyer (Nathan Gamble), who is a young boy, is currently failing school, without a dad and with no friends. Spending most of his time locked into his room, his cousin (Austin Stowell) is worried about leaving him while he goes to the army. Asking his cousin to try and make some friends and promising to return, Stomwell leaves for the army.

Winter, a two year old female dolphin, is found caught in a crab net by Sawyer the next day. Cutting the rope and calming the dolphin down, he occupies the dolphin’s attention until the rescue marine center comes to the scene. Soon, Sawyer makes new friends with all of the workers, coming to visit them and Winter all summer long. They soon all connect and are like a family, until they realize that they have to cut off Winter’s tail. When they do this, Winter eventually learns how to swim, but it is damaging her spinal cord which could cause her to die. Not only that, but Sawyer’s cousin returns from war after an unexpected explosion paralyzed his right leg. With all of this going on, Sawyer (Gamble) finds a man who specializes in making human body parts for people who got them cut off. This ambitious man, Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman), decides to take on the challenge of fixing Winter’s tail. Sad to say, Winter isn’t a big fan of having a replacement tail. 

I’m not going to spoil the ending for you, but I will tell you that it is a happy ending. It left me crying at least six different times, because of the connection between this dolphin and so many disabled people that come to see Winter. The once shy and friendless boy transforms, making you see and learn that friendship is the key to happiness, enjoyment, and survival. I give this movie a four out of five stars and recommend it to families with younger or tween children.