Archives for March 30, 2025

This series sees British national treasure Sir David Suchet (Poirot) travel around the world, following in the footsteps of the Queen of mystery, Dame Agatha Christie. Before becoming the world’s best-selling author, Agatha Christie embarked upon a world tour in 1922 with her husband at age 31. Her ten-month itinerary of the then British Empire took her across South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, along with a holiday to Hawaii. Perceptions of Agatha Christie’s character tend to be dominated by the persona she adopted in public life, when she was seen as a shy individual who disliked fame. But this was a defensive wall erected by Agatha. Now, 100 years on, this journey is an opportunity for Sir David, and all fans of the author, to discover a lesser-known Agatha – the woman she really was. And through recreating her surprising and fascinating journey, he’ll also have a unique chance to explore the history and complex legacy of the British Empire.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Isabella V. comments, “Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet is an incredible and informative documentary that informs us so much about Agatha Christie and the places and cultures that inspired her. I learned so much about so many different cultures and their history that I never would have known without watching this.” See her full review below.

Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet 
By Isabella V., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13 

Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet is an incredible, and informative documentary that informs us so much about Agatha Christie and the places and cultures that inspired her. I learned so much about so many different cultures and their history that I never would have known without watching this. 

This five-part docu-series follows Sir David Suchet as he follows in the footsteps of Agatha Christie, visiting the places she used in her novels. While doing this he learns more about Agatha Christie herself, the history of these places and what they were like when she was there. 

The cinematography is gorgeous; every shot is so thoughtfully planned and has such beauty. I especially love the shot over Victoria Falls in Episode One. They also picked the perfect person to host this series; not only is Sir David Suchet entertaining and charismatic, he also knows what he’s talking about. He played Agatha Christie’s character Hercule Poirot for 25 years and is extremely dedicated to learning more about her and the places seen in her stories, making him an amazing guide. The amount of information given in this series is outstanding, there are so many facts and details about her and these locations, and they take time to flesh out these ideas; every piece of information helps us better understand who this remarkable author really was. Sir Suchet recreates her journey here to Southern Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. One of my favorite places to learn about was Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, which Agatha Christie visited when going to Australia. Another experience of hers I enjoyed learning about was her ride on the Puffing Billing Railway, and the current unique features it has to offer with being able to sit on the windows.

This series allowed me to understand a woman, who I knew almost nothing about beforehand, in a deep way. It also teaches us about so many different cultures and regions and helps us see the difference between what they were like during Christie’s era and today.  

The series’ message is about going for what you want to do, even if it might not seem possible. Agatha Christie wrote mystery novels at a time when it was very unusual for women to do so, and she was extremely successful. Be warned that the series mentions and discusses topics such as slavery and racism. 

I give Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases on BritBox on March 8, 2025. 

When Karen the Computer decides to take over the world, it’s up to Plankton to stop her – with a little help from SpongeBob and the Gal Pals (Pearl, Sandy, and Mrs. Puff).

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ari C. comments, “I absolutely love Plankton: The Movie. The fun storyline and fantastic voice acting gave me lots of giggles. I also love the visually amusing graphics and the fun and happy atmosphere. You may be thinking that this is just another SpongeBob movie, if so, you are sorely mistaken. This is Plankton’s (Mr. Lawrence) movie. The film’s message is that love is all you really need.” See his full review and interview below.

Plankton: The Movie
By Ari C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, age 12

I absolutely love Plankton: The Movie. The fun storyline and fantastic voice acting gave me lots of giggles. I also love the visually amusing graphics and the fun and happy atmosphere.

You may be thinking that this is just another SpongeBob movie, if so, you are sorely mistaken. This is Plankton’s (Mr. Lawrence) movie. After 20 years of being pushed around and dismissed, Plankton’s wife, Karen (Jill Talley), has had enough. Plankton’s epic failures at world domination has Karen fed up. She is ready to remind him that she can be three times as evil and should not be ignored. Their marriage problems swirl into world-wide chaos. Unlikely characters must team up to save Bikini Bottom, the whole world, and a marriage.

This film is engaging with its amazing graphics; I feel like I am in a visual circus.  I commend Mr. Lawrence for voice acting Plankton and for writing the story.  Mauricio Bartok and Piyush Dhuppe are the animators for this film and they have created a virtual visual playground.  This film is like a roller-coaster that took me on an awesome adventure with its many twists and surprises. It still keeps the classic SpongeBob characters such as SpongeBob (Tom Kenny), Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), and Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown). This movie is absolutely hilarious. Even though I don’t watch SpongeBob a lot, I really enjoyed the comedy and have always been a Plankton fan. I love how Mr. Lawrence has held on to his role as Plankton, going back to when he started in 1999. It’s amazing that he has stuck to this role for so long. Everything from the fantastic storyline to the mesmerizing animation make this film a treat to enjoy. There are a couple of heartwarming scenes, but there are also plenty of action scenes that give the movie a thrill. My favorite part is when an implant causes Plankton to have a wild hallucination. That was crazily exciting and fun.

The film’s message is that love is all you really need.

I give Plankton The movie 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. It releases on Netflix March 7, 2025.