Archives for May 2, 2016

Inspired by the beloved children’s book, Albert by Ole Lund Kirkegaard, this lively, animated tale whisks you on a journey that has to be seen to be believed! Albert is a smart and cheeky boy, but his taste for mischievous pranks make him a menace in his small hometown. When he accidentally destroys the statue of a local hero and famous hot-air balloon captain, Albert is determined to make up for his mistake. He decides to venture into the world with his best friend Egon and return as a hot-air balloon captain himself! But Albert and Egon’s quest takes a detour when a mean bandit takes advantage of the clueless boys to help him steal the world’s largest diamond. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ryan R. comments, “Albert Up, Up, and Away! is a cute animated DVD for younger kids that delivers positive messages about friendship, kindness and making smart choices.”

Albert Up, Up and Away
Reviewed by Ryan R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Albert Up, Up, and Away! is a cute animated DVD for younger kids that delivers positive messages about friendship, kindness and making smart choices. The story revolves around two best friends, Albert and Egon and the adventures they share. Not an average kid Albert learned to walk and talk at two months old. He has a tenacity for getting into trouble but never on purpose. His parents knew he would change the world one day. Years pass and Albert decides he wants get an air balloon and become its captain so he can replace the statue that he accidentally destroyed when he was younger. His best friend Egon wants to become a pirate captain. However, a mean bandit takes advantage of the bewildered boys and wants them to help him steal the world’s biggest diamond. Together they have to face this obstacle while their adventure develops.

This is a good film. The animation is well done but I found myself comparing it to other animated and it scores about average. I liked it although the storyline was too predictable for me, and the pace a bit slow. It is definitely better suited for a much younger audience. I recommend it for ages 3 to 7. It has good, clean humor and lots of action scenes, which younger kids would enjoy.

The menu offers scene selection, trailers and setup. Or you can just play the film. I enjoyed the scene selection feature because it makes it easy to return to where you left off. I enjoyed the trailer because it filled me in on what the movie looks like and gave me the general idea about the film before I started watching it.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it to people who like action, adventure and children films. It is now available now on DVD so, so go check it out.

Albert Up, Up And Away!
By Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

I found this movie to be very cute, quirky and funny. At first this movie reminded me of Dennis the Menace as it starts off in super hyper mood, but as the movie moves forward Albert calms down. I found this movie to be very cute, quirky and funny.

I loved the graphics and all the detail that went into creating the village scenes. It is crisp and clear and has incredible dimension to it. I re-watched the scene when Albert flies down a hillside in a barrel several times because it is so amazing and laughable.

The characters are like most kids their age. You can see yourself hanging out with them. Albert is my favorite because of his great heart and his willingness to tackle anything, to do the right thing and make people happy. He is very trusting which gets him into all kinds of trouble. This makes him a believable kid because, really we all want to trust people and believe that they are all good at heart. Unfortunately, there are bad people in the world that muck it all up.

When they set out to find another statue for the town, their adventure begins and we meet new characters and find Albert getting into the middle of a diamond heist with pirates. The pirates amused me with their comedic lines. They reminded me of vaudeville comedy. You wanted to shout “boo” whenever you saw them. They are the villains you love to hate. You can tell what they are planning and I found myself yelling at the screen, “Albert don’t do it!”

The street market is full of rides, food and games. It made me think of summer and I wanted to join in on the fun. One of the many lessons learned here is “do not steal.” It’s a great lesson everyone should learn. Also, I know that it is hard for children to know who to trust and who not to. Another less is “you can’t trust everyone you meet.” Friendship is very valuable as friends can help you out. Last lesson: If you make a mistake, just admit it and have an adult help you figure out a solution.

This was a very funny film with lots of lessons and laughs. I love that this was released in countries other than the United States such as Denmark. They use words which are not in our everyday vocabulary such as cheeky, which is my new favorite word. I recommend this film for ages 5 to 18 and give it 4.5 out of 5 hot air balloon stars. It is quirky and funny and a cute comedy – sure to make you laugh out loud!

Credit: KIDS FIRST!

Ratchet & Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way they’ll learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Abigail Zoe L. comments, “From the beginning to the end, the film kept me on the edge of my seat, as it is an adventurous, funny, heartwarming and witty story.” Ryan R. adds, “From the beginning to the end, the film kept me on the edge of my seat, as it is an adventurous, funny, heartwarming and witty story.” See their full reviews below.

Ratchet & Clank
By Abigail Zoe L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 8

Interviews with cast & crew:

I love the animated movie Ratchet & Clank which is based on the popular Play Station video game. From the beginning to the end, the film kept me on the edge of my seat, as it is an adventurous, funny, heartwarming and witty story. One of the funniest scenes is when Dr. Nefarious shoots Chairman Drek with a laser gun and turns him into a sheep.
The story follows the main character, Ratchet who wants to be a member of the famously respected Galactic Rangers team but unfortunately, is told he doesn’t have the right “stuff.” According to Captian Qwark, Ratchet may have heart but physically just doesn’t measure up as he is too small. However, Ratchet meets and names a robot Clank who is similarly small and both human and robot not only become the best of friends but a powerful duo. Together they make it their mission to try to save the Solana Galaxy from the evil Chairman Drek.
My favorite part of the story is when we learn the robot doesn’t measure up to his own kind. In fact, he is considered a “defect” to be terminated because he’s small, thinks for himself and doesn’t want to hurt humans but wants to help them.
I particularly enjoyed all the various voices talent for the animated characters. My favorite is that of Ratchet’s and I was fortunate enough to personally meet and interview both James Arnold Taylor and Bella Thorne (the voices of Ratchet and Cora) immediately following the movie screening. I loved seeing how their actual facial characteristics and physical mannerisms are incorporated into their animated on-screen film characters.
There’s not just one moral to this movie but three stand out in my mind. First, is to always believe in yourself and never give up. Second, as told to Ratchet, “To be a hero you don’t have to do big things just right things.” Third, if the right thing requires you to do the wrong thing then probably the right thing is the wrong thing to do. I love these golden nuggets that make the characters seem very real as cleverly penned by the director, Kevin Munroe.
All ages will like Ratchet &Clank and it’s particularly well suited for ages 5 to 12. There’s no bad language that make it appropriate for young audiences. The sophisticated storyline, fun adventure, basic struggle of good vs. evil and plenty of twists and turns will appeal to more mature audience, as well. It’s also a story about two underdogs who together try to rise to the challenge. Do they succeed? Well, you’ll have to see the movie to find out!
Finally and on a personal note, I just love the relationship between Ratchet and Clank – two orphans in the universe finding each other and creating a lasting bond. Together the dynamic human and robot duo try to do the right thing in the right way.
I can’t wait until the sequel or maybe even a TV series. I give this film 5 out of 5 galactic stars. Go see this movie. You’re going to love it!
Ratchet and Clank
Reviewed by Ryan R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
I was very entertained watching Ratchet and Clank, which is a CG animated movie based on the iconic PlayStation video game. Its animations are delightful and it has a great plot. Ratchet and Clank prove that, if you want to do something, it is not the size of the individual that matters it’s the heart!
In this movie, we meet Ratchet (James Arnold Taylor) who is the last of his kind, a foolhardy “lombax” who has grown up alone and dreams of being a Galactic Ranger, a well known hero. When he meets Clank (David Kaye), a small-sized robot who helps him accomplish his dream. Together they join forces with a team of interesting heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save every planet in the Solana Galaxy from being destroyed by the alien, Chairman Drek. I enjoyed this movie and I think other kids will enjoy this film.
I loved watching this movie because the CG animation is amazing and the colors are very vivid and rich. The characters look great. It looks very child-friendly for younger audiences. I was satisfied with the comedy, because the jokes are funny and some of them are related to technology in our everyday lives. I enjoyed the plot of the movie because it tells a wonderful story of Ratchet and Clank without doing a disservice to the franchise. I also loved the voice acting performances of Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, Jim Ward, James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Armin Shimerman and Sylvester Stallone. They all give stellar performances suitable for their characters. This movie also has a nice pace. It’s not rushed and doesn’t drag either. I can’t say anything negative I have to say about this film.

This movie has messages about friendship, heroism, discovering one’s identity and the importance of listening to each other. It also shows that you should think before you act. These lessons can help kids learn about the importance of listening and understanding.
I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for kids ages 4 to 18. I think adults might like this as well. I also recommend it to people who like family, action, adventure, movies based on video games and comedy movies. It’s in theaters April 29, so make sure you go see it with your kids.

Credit: KIDS FIRST!