Archives for April 6, 2022

Inspired by Scottish legend, this feel-good comedy follows the antics of the solitary forest elf Ghillie Dhu who becomes friends with a girl lost in the woods. When she is unexpectedly whisked away by her mother, a forlorn Ghillie sets out on a quest to find his lost companion. Years later, in the city, Ghillie meets Jessie Macrae, a plucky teenager determined to win favour with her high-flying mother by becoming a renowned hairstylist. When Jessie discovers that Ghillie has a gift for hair styling, they strike up a unique partnership which causes chaos for the manager of the chic hair salon and catapults Jessie to fame. Thanks to Ghillie, Jessie’s dreams are within reach, but will this meeting of two worlds be enough to overcome the deep hurts of broken relationships through the generations?

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Katie F. comments, “Jessie and the Elf Boy is a family-friendly film set in Edinburgh, Scotland. With a sweet storyline and its Scottish sense of humor, Jessie and the Elf Boy is one for the family to watch. My favorite part of the salon storyline is when Jessie discovers Ghillie, and he creates some amazing hairdos. I love the forest at the beginning of the movie where Ghillie’s home is set—it is beautiful, and highlights the amazing scenery that Scotland has to offer.” See her full review and interview with the director and star below.

Jessie and the Elf Boy

By Katie F., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Jessie and the Elf Boy is a family-friendly film set in Edinburgh, Scotland. With a sweet storyline and its Scottish sense of humor, Jessie and the Elf Boy is one for the family to watch. 

The story follows Ghillie Dhu (Huck Whittle), an elf that you can only see when wearing a special necklace. When a girl he meets in the forest moves away, he goes in search to find her, only to realize that that young girl has grown up. He then finds Jessie (Julia Brown), who he believes is that young girl from all those years ago. Jessie has just started a new job at her mother’s salon, and it turns out that this elf may just be the thing she needs to become the next big hairstylist.

Jessie deals with her mother freezing her out as well as trying to get her to notice the amazing things she can do—Julia portrays these characteristics really well. Huck Whittle is a newcomer making his debut in this film—his character, Ghillie, is very comedic about how he searches for his childhood friend. He discovers various things that he didn’t have in the woods—one of my favorites being fizzy juice. Jessie’s mother, Valerie, (Gail Watson), the owner of the hair salon, plays a very big part in the end, but I won’t say too much. My favorite part of the salon storyline is when Jessie discovers Ghillie, and he creates some amazing hairdos. I love the forest at the beginning of the movie where Ghillie’s home is set—it is beautiful, and highlights the amazing scenery that Scotland has to offer. 

The message of the film is that the truth will always come out in the end, and it will have its perks—good and bad.  I give Jessie and the Elf Boy 3 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it for ages 8 to 11, plus adults. The film will be released April 1, 2022 to digital platforms.

Embark on a global adventure in IMAX, following filmmaker Craig Leeson and UN Mountain Hero Malcolm Wood as they use extreme sports to explore the causes and effects of climate change. IMAX immerses you in an extraordinary journey to the top of Earth’s glaciers as Leeson and Wood hear from leading scientists and impacted communities about the imminent dangers if we fail to protect what’s left of these rapidly disappearing natural water reservoirs. Filmed over four years in twelve countries, The Last Glaciers captures the fragility of the natural world, the impact humans have on our life support systems and the friendship, personal challenges and tragedies experienced by the explorers during their journey. The Last Glaciers brings forward a call to action from the next generation determined to reverse the climate crisis for their own future.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Mikella G. comments, “The Last Glaciers is an informative, heartwarming film that sucks you into the storyline, and really makes you think about your life and the world around you.” Madeleine H. adds, “The locations where this was filmed are absolutely beautiful and discovering how much glaciers around the planet are shrinking is alarming.  Human impact on the planet’s warming is seen in the loss of vital glaciers around the world.” See their full reviews and interview with the director below.

The Last Glaciers

By Madeleine H., KIDS FIRST!, age 9

I was thrilled and moved by the documentary film The Last Glaciers. Watching the paragliders climb to the top of mountains and jump off is a big thrill. The locations where this was filmed are absolutely beautiful and discovering how much glaciers around the planet are shrinking is alarming.  Human impact on the planet’s warming is seen in the loss of vital glaciers around the world.

The Last Glaciers is a powerful journey made by extreme sport paragliders and mountaineers with award-winning filmmaker, Craig Leeson. Mr. Leeson set out to film the extreme sport athletes who climb mountains and paraglide off them. What they discover in the not-so-snowy- French Alps leads them on a new quest. The team travels the globe and climbs to daring heights, in challenging conditions, and then they paraglide from mountain peaks to film the condition of glaciers on three continents. 

This documentary offers lots of interviews with scientists that study ice cores, from whom we learn about the increasing impact fossil fuels have made on our planet as they compare ice cores that have trapped gasses for over a million years on Earth. A NASA research team flies an airplane equipped with research equipment over uncharted Antarctica to map the changing environment.  From scientific research to extreme sports and paragliders flying off of mountain peaks, we wonder if we are seeing the last glaciers. My hat’s off to Craig Leeson, the director and producer of this amazing film, who had to overcome his own feat of heights and learn how to paraglide in order to create this film. His co-director, Malcolm Wood, shares his skills as a mountaineer and paraglider to assist Mr. Leeson and the team to reach critical mountain peaks that they paraglide from and film the glaciers.  The stunning natural beauty of the French Alps, the Peruvian Andes and the Himalaya’s is captured by expert cinematographer, Cody Tuttle.

This film is visually beautiful and delivers an important message about climate action. Our planet and its inhabitants are at risk of losing important sources of water from mountain glaciers around the world.  We need to reduce our use of fossil fuels to help save the last glaciers.

I give The Last Glaciers 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 18, plus adults. You can find The Last Glaciers in select IMAX theaters now. 

The Last Glaciers

By Mikella G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

The Last Glaciers is an informative, heartwarming film that sucks you into the storyline, and really makes you think about your life and the world around you.

This documentary follows the main climbers as they take us through their journey of scaling glacier mountains. Throughout the film we learn about how the climate crisis has seriously affected the glaciers, along with the rest of the world.

I really enjoy how informative The Last Glaciers is—it explains how climate change is affecting the world, and raises awareness to the subject. In addition, the structure and tone of the documentary is very easy to understand. For instance, there are lots of visuals, and even though climate change is a complex subject the language is clear and easy enough for the average person to comprehend. Another thing that stands out to me is the quality of the visuals. All of the scenery is beautiful, and even in the extreme weather conditions they had during shooting, they still managed to get good shots. Lastly, the emphasis on the importance of the message is really well done. Throughout the entire film they are constantly reinforcing how important it is that we make a change.

The message of The Last Glaciers is that if we all don’t start actively making a difference to stop climate change, then soon enough we’ll all be affected.

I give The Last Glaciers 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 9 to 18, plus adults. The breathtaking documentary The Last Glaciers is playing in select IMAX theatres now. Trailer:

One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ethan P. comments, “The new Marvel film Morbius has a lot of action, which I liked a lot, though I did expect more from this movie. The graphics are fantastic, especially the way they make Morbius “poof” in and out as he moves to show his super speed. Not only do the graphics and lighting look good, but also the costumes fit each scene perfectly.” See his full review below.

Morbius
By Ethan P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

The graphics are fantastic, especially the way they make Morbius “poof” in and out as he moves to show his super speed. Not only do the graphics and lighting look good, but also the costumes fit each scene perfectly. This movie—one of Marvel’s darkest— can be classified as a horror film due to the violence and blood-thirsty vampires.. My favorite part is when Morbius says, “I am Venom” since this is a reference to the movie Venom which was funny. Another favorite part is a funny scene where Morbius says, “You won’t like me when I’m angry” which is a reference to The Hulk. 

The moral of Morbius is you don’t have to change yourself—you are perfect for who you are. Morbius learned this when he started killing people. He realized he became something that was not him at all and regrets it.

I’d give Morbius 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults. Morbius comes out in theaters April 1, 2022.