Movie Review: Thor 2

So I'm sure everyone and their dog has seen this movie but I'm going to review it anyway.
It was quite simply amazing. The first Thor movie honestly wasn't my favorite but the sequel was awesome.
There were so many good things about this movie. For one it was surprisingly hilarious. I didn't expect it to be so humorous but alas it was. Also Christopher Eccleston playing the bad guy was very awesome for a Doctor Who fan like myself, and not to mention Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston returning to play Thor and Loki.
I really don't have a lot to say except it was great.

The movie is rated pg-13
click the link to check out kids in mind for further info on rating.
http://www.kids-in-mind.com/t/thorthedarkworld.htm

Movie Review: You've Got Mail

This charming 90's romantic comedy is funny and cute. It's cozy, mostly clean except for a few suggestive comments, and it stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It's about two rival bookstore owners: she owns a cozy, family heirloom children's book shop, and he's the owner of a major bookstore chain. The two despise each other in real life, but do not realize that their online chatting partners they're slowly falling in love with...are each other.
You will not regret watching this fun movie.

Parents, this movie is rated PG-13. Here's the link to Kids in Mind:
http://www.kids-in-mind.com/y/youve_got_mail_1998__203.htm

Star Trek Into Darkness Movie Review

Okay so this is a very late review but better late than never I suppose. Anyway if you liked the first movie you'll love the sequel. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto return to the big screen for a high-action adventure with a spectacular villain played by the fantastic Benedict Cumberbatch going by the name of John Harrison. I admit I didn't actually expect much out of it  (I like Star Wars better than Star Trek don't hate me:) but I was very impressed with how well done the movie was. It kept me on the edge of my seat (and not only because of Benedict) I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first movie. It was just amazing so if you haven't already get your behind to a red box or to a friends house to see it!

Parents: Um it's rated PG-13 for reasons so I'd check it out here:
 http://www.kids-in-mind.com/s/startrekintodarkness.htm

Movie Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Sea of Monsters

So, if you're a major PJ fangirl, like myself, you found yourself furiously panting after watching the first movie. The plot was distorted and it was wrong in so many ways. But, if you're letting that keep you from going to see Sea of Monsters, push aside the memory of the destroyed first film and buy your flippin' ticket! For a movie, it was an excellent representation of Rick Riordan's bestselling sequel. The guys were hot (Percy and Luke....ah), Annabeth's hair was BLOND (a detail they could've fixed in the first movie), they had all the characters (Clarisse and Thalia and Mr. D) and it was hilarious and awesome!

Camp Half-Blood is going great when suddenly the magical borders that protect its contents start to flicker, caused by the poisoning of Thalia's pine tree. The only thing that can heal the tree-and the camp- is the Golden Fleece, a special artifact that can heal anything. However, it is in the Bermuda Triangle (most commonly referred by demigods as the Sea of Monsters) and guarded by the deadly cyclops Polyphemus. Not only that, but right when Percy is feeling like a lousy one-quest wonder, Poseidon sends him what seems like a manifestation of humiliation: a cyclops brother named Tyson.

Watch it. Fangirls, try not to judge it for content and details. I mean, as much as we want a three-hour copy of the book, Hollywood has not yet unlocked the fullness of the literature it portrays. So enjoy!

Parents, this film features thematic action: monsters, fighting, etc. If you're unsure whether it suits your family, consult these awesome websites that outline every bit of adult content for you:

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/p/percyjacksonseaofmonsters.htm
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/percy-jackson-sea-of-monsters

Movie Review: Now You See Me

I LOVED THIS MOVIE! It's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. It's more than good. I'd watch it ten times in a row. Well, maybe like days in a row. It's about a group of four magicians that believe in the Robin Hood principle: robbing the rich to feed the poor, taking back the money scoundrels swindled from the people of America. But they do it through magic.
This movie is so good because of its intriguing plot.
Cynical FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) gets the assignment to nail these guys, and gets paired up with an INTERPOL agent (Melanie Laurent) and begins working with Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), a man that makes his living on pointing out how magicians do their tricks and tearing down their careers. Although no one, not even the Four Horseman themselves, know who the fifth magician helping them is.
This movie is reveal after reveal, action on top of action. Debating about watching it or not? Think it looks stupid? Well, it isn't. Mwa ha ha ha ha!

Parents, this movie isn't exactly kid-friendly for a few reasons. Check out what these cool sites have to say:
http://www.kids-in-mind.com/n/nowyouseeme.htm
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/now-you-see-me
Thanks!

Movie Review: Pride & Prejudice

I recently received this movie, and watched ALL 5 1/2 HOURS of it...yep!
It may seem daunting, and you may be obsessed with the Keira Knightley and Matthew Mcfayden version (also amazing), but you'll change your tune when you allow yourself to experience the charming glow of this classic. It's practically word-for-word, and Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle are amazing as Lizzie and Mr. Darcy. Five hundred stars, and I recommend it to anyone!

Mrs. Bennet, hyperactive, annoying and a fidgety flibbertigibbet at times, is bent on marrying off all five of her daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Kitty, Lydia, and Mary. All are excited when charming Mr. Bingley moves into a manor not far from their own, and he has a grumpy and unmannered yet extremely handsome friend, Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth hate each other, you could cut the tension with a knife. But will Lizzie's slight curious interest-and Darcy's undying admiration- spark a new and beautiful romance?

Kids-in-Mind and Common Sense Media do not have reviews, but there is nothing visually explicit, no violence, but there might be a religious exclamation or two in there. Gee, after five hours of movie you forget!

Movie Review: Iron Man

Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, is an epic superhero tale about a snarky billionaire weapons-developer, Tony Stark, who doesn't see anyone's needs but his own and doesn't care about anything but money, fame and ladies...until he's kidnapped by terrorists in Afghanistan. He was shot in the chest, but a brilliant doctor inserts a small arc reactor, connected to a car battery, that is keeping the shrapnel from entering Tony Stark's heart. He is then ordered to build a Stark Industries missile for the terrorist, but has a different idea. Under harsh conditions, he invents something new: the Iron Man suit.
This movie teaches about changing for the better. It teaches about realizing what truly matters and taking responsibility for one's actions. And, of course, how awesome it is to be a hero with a missile-shooting super suit. Anyway, this movie deserves five stars. It's a start to an incredibly freaking awesome series. Watch it. Love it. Obsess over it.

As far as parent reviews go, Iron Man contains lots of violence (it's a superhero movie, for crying out loud :), some language, and an...erm, adult scene. Here are the links to Common Sense Media and Kids in Mind:
http://www.kids-in-mind.com/i/ironman.htm
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/iron-man

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

    Last night I went to see Iron Man 3, and frankly, it is the best movie I have ever seen before. It is also the best out of all three Iron Man movies and out of all the Avengers movies. I enjoyed every second of it! Marvel has truly outdone itself with this action-packed (seriously- it's better to keep track of what didn't explode), intensely intense, amazingly incredible, fantastic movie. In this third installment to the Iron Man story, America is having scary, mysterious surprise attacks from an insane terrorist that calls himself the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). His bombings and attacks have got everyone terrified, except, of course, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). All he's scared about is how on Earth he's going to protect his girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). He has anxiety attacks everywhere he goes, everyone is expecting him to do something (but how can he when no one knows where the lunatic Mandarin is), and he needs the help of a friend, Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), or, with his new star-spangled suit courtesy of Tony himself, The Iron Patriot. At the same time, a creepy science experiment gone evil is threatening the stability of the world itself. This was a fantastic and amazing movie, 10 out of 5 stars.
As far as parent reviews go, Iron Man 3 contains almost constant scenes of violence (it is, after all, a superhero movie). Here are  the Kids-In-Mind and Common Sense Media reviews:
http://www.kids-in-mind.com/i/ironman3.htm
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/iron-man-3
Scroll to the bottom of the home page to see a poster.

Movie Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

   This excellently crafted movie starring the excellent looking Chris Evans is intense, inspiring, and all-out awesome. Scrawny Steve Rogers wants desperately to serve his country and enlist in World War II, but has too many physical flaws and just…isn’t built for it. But when kind Dr. Erskine gives him a chance- a chance to become more than he is physically with a special new experiment, he hesitantly-but gladly- accepts. This movie follows good-hearted Steve in his quest to serve his country- and he ultimately becomes Captain America: America’s Super Soldier.

As a parent review, I recommend this movie for at least thirteen years and older, for some references and superhero violence. I think I should always include Kids in Mind or Common Sense Media with PG-13, so here’s the link:

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/c/captainamericathefirstavenger3d.htm

Anyway, this is a five-star movie. Loved it!

Movie Review: Miss Congeniality

Miss Congeniality, rated PG-13, is a hilarious comedy about FBI Agent Gracie Hart, who is enlisted to go undercover as a Miss United States contestant. She claims all the talent she has is sarcasm and a gun, and she's as cynical as they get about Miss United States. All her opinions change as Gracie Hart, stuffed into a dress, given a sash and renamed "Gracie Lou Freebush", meets the other contestants and finds out that it isn't any old beauty pageant; it's a 'scholarship program.' Sandra Bullock stars and does a fantastic job, if I do say so myself.
(as far as parental reviews go, I'd watch it before you let your kids see it. If you don't have it but you want to screen it first, Kids In Mind has reviewed it in detail for you: http://www.kids-in-mind.com/m/miss_congeniality_2000.htm. Five stars.