Archives for 2021

Everyone’s favorite spooky family is back in the animated comedy sequel, The Addams Family 2. In this all new movie we find Morticia and Gomez distraught that their children are growing up, skipping family dinners, and totally consumed with “scream time.” To reclaim their bond they decide to cram Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and the crew into their haunted camper and hit the road for one last miserable family vacation. Their adventure across America takes them out of their element and into hilarious run-ins with their iconic cousin, It, as well as many new kooky characters. What could possibly go wrong?

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tiana S. comments, “! In the follow up to the 2019 film, the Addams family brings the same amazing family values and fun in The Addams Family 2, which takes us on a new spooktacular adventure, complete with explosions, practical jokes, sibling rivalries and fun. This film is just as entertaining as the first one.” Kyla C. cadds, “Get ready to take an action-packed road trip across America when the Addams family comes back for another wild adventure! The Addams Family 2 has a fantastic storyline, characters and animation as well as strong themes.” See their full reviews below.

The Addams Family 2

By Kyla C, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

Get ready to take an action-packed road trip across America when the Addams family comes back for another wild adventure! The Addams Family 2 has a fantastic storyline, characters and animation as well as strong themes. Families of all ages should be super pumped for this relatable and fun new film.

The Addams Family 2 has a fantastic storyline that is focused on Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz), who is stuck between two families, not sure which one she actually shares her DNA. She uses her impressive chemistry and scientific abilities to try to determine her destiny. Is her real father Gomez Addams (Oscar Isaac), who raised her, or the one who gives seemingly incontrovertible proof, Cyrus (Bill Hader). The battle is a constant inner conflict within Wednesday as she faces decisions that could change her life forever. Along with this main plotline, there are other problems and situations, like how Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll) is showing strange symptoms or how Grandma (Bette Midler) is throwing a party when she’s supposed to be taking care of the house while the Addams are on vacation.

There are so many wonderful aspects that make The Addams Family 2 a must-see. The story is well-written with a conflict for each character and many strong subplots. The only slight weak point is that the story is a bit slow in starting. However, once the rising action begins, the film flies by in a flurry of adventure and humor. The funniness of this film is truly incredible. It is an action-based film, but still incorporates so much humor into every part. The locations are very accurate, despite being animated. For people who have visited some of these places, it is so cool to be able to see an animated representation of them. Some of the places include Niagara Falls, Miami beaches, Death Valley, Texas deserts and the Grand Canyon. Besides the strong story and fun locations, the family-based conflicts are so relatable for real families. Everyday things such as siblings arguing, parent-child relationships, struggles to belong and not feeling like yourself are common within the Addams family. Wednesday and Pugsley Addams (Javon Walton) are constantly fighting; Gomez Addams feels as if he falls short in including Wednesday in things and Morticia Addams (Charlize Theron) tries her best to comfort everyone. The animation for all of the characters is outstanding. The voice acting is one of the more positive aspects of the film; all the actors sound exactly like their character and we can imagine what the character is feeling or thinking. Bill Hader, as Cyrus, makes a wonderfully mysterious character. Chloe Grace Moretz’s Wednesday is a seemingly cold character who opens up as the film progresses; her voice acting really is superb. 

The theme of The Addams Family 2 is to be yourself and to not force someone to be who they’re not. It also emphasizes being careful about who you trust with important things. There are some very mild insulting comments and, of course, some creepy science scenes.

The Addams Family 2 gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 6 to 18 plus adults. Addams Family 2 releases in theaters October 1, 2021, so check it out!

The Addams Family 2
By Tiana S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

It’s time to take a road trip with our favorite creepy family just in time for Halloween! In the follow up to the 2019 film, the Addams family brings the same amazing family values and fun in The Addams Family 2, which takes us on a new spooktacular adventure, complete with explosions, practical jokes, sibling rivalries and fun. This film is just as entertaining as the first one.

The Addams Family 2 focuses on Wednesday Addams (Chloe Grace Moretz), who is feeling misplaced and not very “Addamsy,” so she is slowly pulling away from her family. To get his family closer, her father, Gomez Addams (Oscar Isaac) takes everyone on a road trip in a haunted RV. At the same time, the family is being followed by a creepy man, Mr. Mustela (Wallace Shawn), who is threatening to break up the family after it is discovered that Wednesday may not be an Addams. Gomez and Morticia Addams (Charlize Theron) have to find different ways to protect the family, which initiates a series of wacky adventures on this road trip.

The movie follows Wednesday as she learns about who she is, however, the main character is the entire Addams family: Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley (Javon “Wanna” Walton), Uncle Fester, (Nick Kroll), Cousin It (Snoop Dogg) and Grandma (Bette Milder). I love how the storyline focuses on family and how the Addams family will fight tooth and nail together to stay a family. The audience will not have a problem connecting with the characters as they all have a strong presence in this sequel and are well-developed. The audience will be spooked by the protective, yet, funny role, played by the family’s butler, Lurch (Director, Conrad Vernon). This film is hilarious. My favorite part is when Wednesday uses a voodoo doll to help Pugsley impress a group of girls by dancing and then tosses him into the Niagara Falls in true Addams’ fashion. The music keeps the film energetic and. of course, wouldn’t be complete without a concert performance by Cousin It.

The message of The Addams Family 2 is to love and accept each other and it reminds us that family goes beyond genetics.  Throughout the film, different characters try to force others to change qualities they dislike about them instead of accepting them as they are, and perhaps just working on themselves. 

The Addams Family gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 6 to 18, plus adults. The Addams Family 2 creeps into theatres and On Demand October 1, 2021.

The Croods: Family Tree continues the evolving story of the croods and Bettermans as they learn to live together on the most idle farm in prehistory. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Avalon N. comments, “DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: Family Tree is an amazing and hilarious show. With all the characters from the newest movie, this show is sure to get you laughing.” See her full review below.

The Croods: Family Tree

By Avalon N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13

DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: Family Tree is an amazing and hilarious show. With all the characters from the newest movie, this show is sure to get you laughing.

This show is about the prehistoric Croods living with the Bettermans. While the kids get along, the adults have their fair share of mishaps as they learn how to live together on a farm. In one episode they try to capture the punch monkeys; in another they get Dawn’s Grr back.

This show is so fun to watch because of its humor. No matter how many mishaps the make,  they are always back for more and that makes this show engaging. It has an amazing group of voice actors. Tran reprises her role as Dawn; A.J. Locascio reprises his role as Thunk from Dawn of the Croods. The new voice cast features Amy Landecker as Ugga, Kiff VandenHeuvel as Grug, Ally Dixon as Eep, Artemis Pebdani as Gran, Darin Brooks as Guy, Matthew Waterson as Phil, and Amy Rosoff as Hope. All the voice talent excels at making the Croods sound prehistoric and the Bettermans sound “evolved,” as Hope would put it. Another great thing is the design of the farm they live on. It looks so amazing, like something you would want to live in, but if you look closer it is made out of things that were found in prehistoric times. The wall, the house and “The System” are made from bamboo and vines. The house is in a tree; so they live in a tree house. It also credits them with making a lot of things like windows, which are similar to TV and showers.

The message of this show is anyone can get along, no matter how different they are.

I give The Croods: Family Tree 4.5 out of 5 and recommend it for ages 6 to 14, plus adults can watch it with their kids on movie night. This is available on September 23th, 2021 on Hulu and Peacock.

The unimaginable has happened… Equestria has lost its magic! Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi are no longer friends and now live separated by species. But idealistic Earth Pony Sunny (Vanessa Hudgens) is determined to find a way to bring enchantment and unity back to their world. Teaming up with open-hearted Unicorn Izzy (Kimiko Glenn), the pair travel to faraway lands where they encounter the likes of charismatic and brave Pegasi Pipp (Sofia Carson) and Zipp (Liza Koshy) and the ever-responsible fellow Earth Pony Hitch (James Marsden). Their mission is full of misadventures, but these new best friends each possess their own unique and special gifts that may be just what this ponyverse needs to restore magic and prove that even little ponies can make a big difference. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Giana N. comments, “My Little Pony: A New Generation is a continuation of the My Little Pony series. It will remind you of the original, but it’s more modern. It is very entertaining and interesting. If you have watched the My Little Pony series before, you will enjoy this.” Maica N. adds, “My Little Pony: A New Generation is a new upbeat, vibrant and adventure-filled movie. If you’ve seen previous My Little Pony shows or movies, you will be pleasantly surprised with this new one. With all different types of ponies coming together, and saving the day with the power of friendship, you will be entertained the whole time.” See their reviews and interviews below.

My Little Pony: A New Generation

By Giana N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 10

My Little Pony: A New Generation is a continuation of the My Little Pony series. It will remind you of the original, but it’s more modern. It is very entertaining and interesting. If you have watched the My Little Pony series before, you will enjoy this.

The storyline follows Sunny (Vanessa Hudgens) who is an Earth pony and she meets a unicorn named Izzy (Kimiko Glenn). Unicorns, Earth ponies and Pegasi aren’t friends anymore and it is unlikely to see them together. Sunny and Izzy realize that all the ponies don’t have any magic and they need to find out why. They travel all through Equestria to find out how to get magic back for everyone.

The songs in this film are very catchy and creative. My favorite song is “Glowin’ Up” performed by Sofia Carson, because it is upbeat, sets the mood and is a good song all around. The storyline is fun and shows us how the times are much more different than it was with the original ponies. My favorite character is Sunny, because she doesn’t believe what others want her to believe and she never gives up. She grew up with people always telling her that the other ponies were bad, but she knows how to see the good in them, so she thinks differently. Also, when times get tough Sunny never gives up.

The message of My Little Pony: A New Generation is friendship is magic. If you have been a My Little Pony fan since earlier shows, this message will pop right into your head. This is a great film to watch with the family. is an awesome film to watch.

I rate My Little Pony: A New Generation 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 11. You can watch this film on Netflix starting September 24, 2021. Be sure to check it out!

My Little Pony: A New Generation

Maica N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, Age 14

My Little Pony: A New Generation is a new upbeat, vibrant and adventure-filled movie. If you’ve seen previous My Little Pony shows or movies, you will be pleasantly surprised with this new one. With all different types of ponies coming together, and saving the day with the power of friendship, you will be entertained the whole time.

My Little Pony: A New Generation is about a young Earth pony named Sunny (Vanessa Hudgens) who is set on bringing back the friendship, magic and unity between the Earth ponies, the unicorns, and the Pegasi. Teaming up with a unicorn named Izzy (Kimiko Glenn), which is frowned upon by Sunny’s best friend and sheriff Hitch (James Marsden), Sunny goes on a quest to get the divided crystals that would bring Equestria back to the way it used to be. Along the way she makes new friends, and faces new challenges.

My favorite thing about this movie is the music. Beautiful harmony is one of my favorite things, and every song in this movie has that element. My favorite song is “Fit Right In” performed by Vanessa Hudgens, Kimiko Glenn, James Marsden, Liza Koshy and Sofia Carson. The different parts that everyone sings and the visuals that accompany it make it a stand-out scene that audiences will remember. The whole vibe of this song matches the tone of the movie extremely well. My Little Pony: A New Generation is a movie targeted towards younger audiences, so naturally they aren’t going to explicitly refer to the more mature morals. However, within the plot of the film, it’s evident that one of the messages is that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from or what you look like, you shouldn’t be judged by someone before they get to know you. Everyone should be included, and treated with kindness. The Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi were taught to be afraid of each other. But, once they meet and hear the other sides of their stories, they become friends and realize that it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, they make their own decisions about the others. My favorite characters in this show are Sunny and Hitch. They’re definitely an example of a dynamic duo. Even though they are different, with Hitch being professional and overprotective and Sunny being adventurous and a risk-taker, they make a great team.

The message of My Little Pony: A New Generation is something that all of the ponies can agree on no matter where they’re from – friendship is magic. No matter what they are told about each other, they will always come together for friendship.

I rate My Little Pony: A New Generation 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. No matter how different the ponies look, you will feel the nostalgia from the relationships between them. My Little Pony: A New Generation comes out on Netflix September 24, 2021. Make sure you check it out!

Fifteen years before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat, a full decade before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned separate-but-equal legislation, Pauli Murray was already knee-deep fighting for social justice. A pioneering attorney, activist, priest and dedicated memoirist, Murray shaped landmark litigation—and consciousness— around race and gender equity. As an African American youth raised in the segregated South—who was also wrestling with broader notions of gender identity—Pauli understood, intrinsically, what it was to exist beyond previously accepted categories and cultural norms. Both Pauli’s personal path and tireless advocacy foreshadowed some of the most politically consequential issues of our time. Told largely in Pauli’s own words, My Name is Pauli Murray is a candid recounting of that unique and extraordinary journey.

My Name is Pauli Murray
By Ashleigh Clyde, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, 17

The documentary My Name is Pauli Murray is a missing piece of history that has not been taught in our classrooms. It amplifies the life of an African American female whose struggles pushed her to create everlasting change in our modern society.

My Name is Pauli Murray shares the life of Pauli Murray, an African American queer woman, who shattered the status quo by fighting for women’s and civil rights. She was a student, lawyer, minister and a heroine in many aspects. This documentary sheds light on all of her societal triumphs and personal defeats.

As an African American female, I felt a great sense of sadness after watching this documentary. This film shows that the society I currently live in is a direct result of Pauli Murray’s impact and yet, I never learned about her in school. Directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen, producers and directors of the documentary RBG bring to live the legacy of a woman unknown to most people. There are little questions the audience has about her life after the film’s completion. One aspect I did not like is how the film breaks her life into phases of her career paths. This set-up hampers us from seeing the connection between her personal life and her careers. However, that may be due to my curiosity about knowing more about her and her life. My favorite part of this film is the repetition of the quote, “She was ahead of her time.” Pauli Murray refused to move to the back of a segregated bus 15 years before Rosa Parks did. Many people think that certain historical events, radical ideals, and justice comes with a timeframe when, in actuality it does not. That is what this film teaches us.

The message of this film is that you are not ahead of your time; it’s just that the world may not be ready for you. Yet, soon enough, they will be. This film does contain violent scenes showing racial injustice.

I give My Name is Pauli Murray 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults. My Name is Pauli Murray opens in theatres September 17 and streams on Prime Video October 1, 2021.

My Name is Pauli Murray
By Calista B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 17

My Name is Pauli Murray is a documentary about Pauli Murray, a civil rights activist, women’s rights activists, lawyer and poet and non-binary advocate for LGBTQ rights. It goes into detail about Pauli’s life, as well as the many great things Pauli accomplished and the impact they left on the future. This film is very informative and overall a well-structured documentary. It was an enjoyable viewing experience.

It was really interesting to learn about Pauli Murray, because before watching this film, I had no idea who they were. And Pauli was definitely a person who deserves to be remembered—not just for their legacy and cultural impact but also for who they were as a person. My Name is Pauli Murray does take time to discuss Pauli’s personal life and hardships, and that is one way in which this film makes Pauli relatable to  people of this generation. I was particularly interested in the discussions of gender identity and presentation. It was heartbreaking to hear about Pauli’s difficulties being non-binary, because nowadays we do have words to describe what Pauli felt. .

I also really enjoyed the editing and presentation of this documentary. Not only was this film extremely educational and thought provoking, but it was also fun to watch. There were many instances where quotes from Pauli would appear on screen to drive the point of a specific section, which was very effective. My Name is Pauli Murray has a unique visual style, and the pacing is excellent.

I definitely think My Name is Pauli Murray is crucial viewing for anyone who is interested in civil rights and gender equality. The film tells a very inspirational story about an unsung hero who was before their time and who deserves to be heard. However, it should be known that this film includes graphic depictions, as well as descriptions, of racist hate crimes. There are many moments that showcase photos and footage of these events, and this could be potentially triggering.

I give My Name is Pauli Murray 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 14 to 18. This film comes out in theaters September 17, 2021 and will be released on Prime Video on October 1, 2021.

---