Archives for February 2017

Twenty six cuddly ABC Monsters live within the walls of Capital Castle. Each monster represents a letter of the alphabet. Should any of the monsters go missing for longer than a day, all the letters will be wiped clean from every book in Capital Town! In this DVD, embark on adventures with Alice, Brian and Cherry Berry to search high and low for the letters Q, R, S, T and U. It’s a rainy day at Capital Castle. The big Capital Castle raffle is supposed to happen today but it has been canceled! The raffle is to be held in Alphabet Garden but with all this rain there is no way the raffle can happen. Get set for a spellbinding series of magical adventures that engages preschool children’s imaginations, while making learning exciting and entertaining. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Morgan B comments, “I definitely want to recommend this colorful, quirky show that teaches your kids about letters and words. It will definitely have them singing and laughing while they learn.” Ella L. adds, “ABC Monsters: Starring QRSTU is very impressive with its colorful animation and learning style. I really like the nature backgrounds when the characters are outside.” Jennifer V. sums it up with, “I really enjoyed this DVD along with the 4 young children who watched with me… My kids danced, acted out the letter shapes, and sang for the rest of the night. This DVD will definitely be watched again as the sing-along and word puzzle sections are awesome.” See their full reviews below.

ABC Monsters: Starring QRSTU

By Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

I definitely want to recommend this colorful, quirky show that teaches your kids about letters and words. It will definitely have them singing and laughing while they learn. I found myself doing that.  I even found myself doing exercises and having a wonderful time with all the fun characters including Cherry Berry who’s a magical fairy. I love her because she is very inquisitive and she knows what to do. We also have the funny and adorable Alice who is a princess that lives at Capital Castle with her mother and father, the King and Queen. I love them. She also has her BFF with her named Brian who wants to help all the ABC Monsters, just like Alice and Cherry Berry. And, he wants to help his BFFs Alice and Cherry Berry. I love that about his character. He is very kind and sweet.

This is a perfect show for all little kids because it teaches phonics, writing and reading, how to recognize words and letters and so much more. It’s really important for kids to learn how to solve puzzles and how to solve problems. This DVD is great at teaching them how to do those things as well. This is a perfect series. It has a wonderful, fun way of teaching. It’s energetic and gets them up, dancing and laughing and, the next thing you know, they’re singing the alphabet just like Alice, Cherry Berry and Brian. You’ll be smiling and telling them what a great job they’re doing.

I definitely encourage you to share this with your preschoolers because it teaches things that most kids don’t want to learn, but makes it fun and energetic so they will want to watch this DVD over and over again. My favorites episode is Rain and Raffles. I love that one because there is the adorable R-Monster, who is my favorite monster or alphabet letter. One of my favorites I should say, because there are many. Other than that episode, I really like the way that they have so many fun and new characters such as the adorable rabbit who has a magnificent garden full of radishes, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, any kind of vegetable you can think of. They’ve probably got it. There is even a gigantic radish that you’ll learn more about when you watch the DVD. I love this DVD because it’s fun and exciting and I love how it teaches so many different letters and so many different words. I mean, they have one amazing episode about the letter R. That’s what I call terrific. All these letters are just magnificent because they all are so different from each other. None of them are the same color and they all have their own perspective and personality which I love.

I recommend this DVD for ages 2 to 5. Kids will learn and have a great time. They’ll have fun as they sing, dance and learn. It’s also great teaching kids how to solve problems. Have fun. I give this 4 out of 5 Alphabet Fantastic Stars. This is available on DVD January 24, 2017 so, go check it out.

ABC Monsters: Starring QRSTU

By Ella L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

ABC Monsters: Starring QRSTU is very impressive with its colorful animation and learning style. I really like the nature backgrounds when the characters are outside. I also like how, at the end of every episode, a song plays and the characters sing and dance. The color and life put into the animation accentuates the themes of happiness and playfulness that the show exudes.

In this DVD, there are five different stories – Queen Scribble’s Quiz, Rain and Raffles, Sandy Shores, Ticket to Ride and Unique Cycle. Each story follows Alice, Bryan and Cherry Berry in  finding missing the letters Q, R, S, T and U. They follow clues and have to find words starting with the featured letter. For example, in the Q section, one of the clues is “Q Monster was nervous for the Q – – Z.” You have to fill in the blank with the clues the show provides the audience with (such as Q Monster saying, “I’m nervous for the quiz”). The show is a great educational experience for young learners.

This DVD targets preschoolers who are learning how to spell and they deliver a great production. This is a wonderful show for teaching young learners alphabet letters and simple words. The producers have been careful to make sure that the spelling and reading comprehension skills are tattooed into the audience’s brains by including songs and cute little riddles. I’m impressed with what the team at ABC Monsters has created.

This DVD is a colorful and energetic learning show suitable for ages 2 to 5 and I give it 3 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for a great learning show for your wee ones, be sure to check this out. It’s available on DVD January 24, 2017 wherever DVDs are sold.

ABC Monsters: Starring QRSTU

By Jennifer V., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

https://youtu.be/Q81hFQ40yNw

I really enjoyed this DVD along with the 4 young children who watched with me. Cherry Berry is great guide throughout the episodes. The kids also enjoyed Una Underhill and her umbrella. The songs are fun and very catchy. The characters are colorful and helpful to one another and there is not any violence of any sort. The kids really enjoyed the music and they really liked that music is included within each episode, not just at the very end. The DVD has a sing-along portion as well as dancing and acting out letter shapes that are very kid friendly. My team clapped and laughed a lot while watching this. They shouted out answers to the word and alphabet questions.

One thing I really appreciate is how this DVD really gets kids involved. It is not just something that they sit back and watch. There is a lots of interaction and learning. In addition, each episode is short enough to hold the younger ones’ attention. Also, there is repetition of the letters within each episode which helps younger ones learn their letters. After watching this DVD, my kids were still singing the alphabet song and talking about the letters.

This DVD is perfect for preschoolers or young ones learning the alphabet (ages 2-5). There is lots of interaction, helpful characters and a fun sing-along that will entertain your kids and have them dancing. The bright colors and calling out answers to the word puzzles make it even more exciting. My favorite part is the assortment of songs which really help kids to remember the letters they just learned, even after the episodes has ended. My kids danced, acted out the letter shapes, and sang for the rest of the night. This DVD will definitely be watched again as the sing-along and word puzzle sections are awesome. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Credit: KIDS FIRST!

There are big changes brewing in Gotham, but if Batman (Will Arnett) wants to save the city from the Joker’s (Zach Galifianakis) hostile takeover, he may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up. Maybe his superhero sidekick Robin (Michael Cera) and loyal butler Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) can show him a thing or two. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Arjun N. comments, “The LEGO Batman Movie is a superb superhero movie which serves as a great homage to many aspects of Batman history.” Na’im S. adds, “The LEGO Batman Movie is fantastic! I was laughing throughout the entire film! I really enjoy all of the jokes and comedy that was put into it.” See their full reviews below.

The LEGO Batman Movie

By Arjun N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

The LEGO Batman Movie is a superb superhero movie which serves as a great homage to many aspects of Batman history.  I really liked the animation, voice acting and humor in this movie. This exactly what a Batman fan would want.

This movie is about Batman/Bruce Wayne (Will Arnett) who is the crime fighting vigilante of Gotham. Despite all his glory, he feels lonely. He wants to be part of a family, despite his selfish behavior. His butler, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) soon brings him an adopted kid, Richard Grayson (Michael Cera). Richard grows fond of Batman, and the two go to fight crime, with Richard’s superhero name being Robin. Once the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) attacks Gotham with a various variety of villains, Batman must team with Robin, Alfred and the new commissioner of the GCPD, Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) to stop the attack. During this, Batman must also learn to accept his new family.

Will Arnett delivers a show-stealing performance as Batman, my favorite character in the movie, and he is great in switching between the dark vigilante of Batman and the charismatic billionaire of Bruce Wayne. Also, he greatly presents the aspect of wanting a family. Ralph Fiennes as Alfred is impressive as a caring guardian for Bruce. Michael Cera portrays another excellent performance as Robin, and his nerdy characteristics are put into play. Zach Galifianakis is good in presenting the Joker with his humor and villainy. Rosario Dawson also manages to deliver with her heroic motives.

The animation by Stewart Alves is incredible. It improves on the what The LEGO Movie did right, and the color pallet used for Gotham really fits how Gotham looks like. The movie’s humor impressed me. The movie has a ton of fourth wall breaks. The characters in the movie even act like they know they are movie characters which adds to the fun. The movie even makes jokes about other movie franchises. My favorite scene in the movie is when Batman just happens to chill for a moment and watches a bit of Jerry Maguire. It really gave a good laugh.

The movie has a good message in working as a team. When Gotham is invaded by large number of criminals, the only way to fix the problem is to work as a team. I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 18 years old.  This is a movie which will appeal to all ages. This film opens in theaters on February 10^rd, so go and check it out for a unique superhero experience.

The LEGO Batman Movie

By Naim Smith, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

The LEGO Batman Movie is fantastic! I was laughing throughout the entire film! I really enjoy all of the jokes and comedy that was put into it. But I wish they would have added some more jokes into the movie that younger kids would appreciate because after all Batman is a superhero and little kids love superheroes.

This movie is about Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Will Arnett). Batman has been fighting crime for a very long time, but he is starting to do and say some very bad things to the people around him because he is very lonely without a family. Because of his loneliness Batman adopts a son, Robin (Michael Cera), which forces him to be more responsible and take care of his son. Usually, Batman doesn’t want to work with others but he is forced to during the film.

This movie is made by the same production company as The Lego Movie so if you liked that movie then you will definitely love this movie. But, if you haven’t seen The Lego Movie you will probably still enjoy this movie.

My favorite part of the movie is the use CGI, which made each scene in the movie really entertaining.  The action in this movie is so incredible that when I watched the movie in IMAX I was blown away. I recommend that you do not sit in the front unless you want your eyes to actually fall out.

This movie teaches kids how to work together with others, be responsible, and be kind to others. Even though this is a superhero movie, it was not directed towards little kids because of the humor and violence. I give the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend this movie for kid’s ages 6 to 18 and also adults would really enjoy it. Go check this movie out in theaters February 10, 2017.

Credit: KIDS FIRST!