Archives for June 2025

Karate Kid: Legends unites the iconic martial arts masters of one of the most beloved film franchises of all time to tell a completely new story full of action and heart. When kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) relocates to New York City with his mother to attend a prestigious new school, he finds solace in a new friendship with a classmate and her father. But his newfound peace is short-lived after he attracts unwanted attention from a formidable local karate champion. Driven by a desire to defend himself, Li embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition. Guided by the wisdom of his kung fu teacher, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tia O. comments, “Karate Kid: Legends is a fast-paced adventurous drama that I believe is one of the breakout movies of the year. Some key highlights are the witty humor, incredible acting, and great production values.” Sydney S. adds, “The cast delivers strong performances filed with lots of humor. The comedy in this film really brings it together. The humor is scattered throughout in random, unexpected moments, which keeps the audience engaged and entertained.” Avalynn G. wraps it up with, “The film’s message is about finding strength, balance and never giving up. No matter what the challenge is, Li always gets around it and even when he is knocked down he gets back up. Be forewarned that the film contains some profanity and violent scenes.” See their full reviews below.

Karate Kid: Legends

By Tia O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 16

Karate Kid: Legends is a fast-paced adventurous drama that I believe is one of the breakout movies of the year. Some key highlights are the witty humor, incredible acting, and great production values.

After his mom gets a new job in New York City, Li Fong (Ben Wang) is forced to leave China and karate behind. However, once he makes it to the Big Apple, Li catches the eye of a local karate champion for all the wrong reasons. With the help of Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Li enters into an ultimate karate competition and embarks on an adventurous journey. 

The humor in this movie really stands out – line delivery and physical humor from the pizza shop owner, Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson), Li’s math tutor (Wyatt Oleff), and Mr.Han (Jackie Chan) are really entertaining to watch. All the actors bring their characters to life and made me laugh out loud. The acting throughout the movie is good, particularly Ben Wang who gives Li depth and personality. Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprise their former roles so well. However, Sadie Stanley, Li’s friend in the film, comes off as a bit forced at times. The production really ties this whole film together with cool transitions, terrific graphic design elements, great background music and sound effects, and unique camera angles that make the viewer feel completely immersed and bring every fight scene to life. I give a huge shout out to the design, editing, and production team as well as executive producers Jenny Hinkey and Ralph Macchio.

This film’s message is: when life knocks you down, remember to always get back up. This message is explored when Li confronts his past and doesn’t let that affect his future. Be forewarned that it has mild cursing and violence.

I give Karate Kid: Legends 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults.

It releases in theaters May 30, 2025.

Karate Kid: Legends

By Sydney S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

Karate Kid: Legends is a heartfelt and exciting addition to the Karate Kid franchise. It mixes adventure and humor with both new characters and some favorite returning characters! However, some parts are a bit repetitive, especially the constant focus on the two branches of martial arts.

The story follows a young martial artist that moves across the globe and is forced into starting a new life, this time without fighting. However, that doesn’t stop him from continuing to pursue his passion. With the help of friends, both new and old, he learns to merge two types of martial arts in order to win a competition.

The main characters are Li Fong (Ben Wang), Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), Victor (Joshua Jackson), and Mia (Sadie Stanley). The cast delivers strong performances filed with lots of humor. The comedy in this film really brings it together. The humor is scattered throughout in random, unexpected moments, which keeps the audience engaged and entertained. I also really enjoyed the action scenes — they are well-executed, which definitely add suspension to the fighting. For instance, when Victor and Li are surrounded in a dark alley, the fight scenes are performed beautifully. A heartbeat sound effect adds another level of reality to the scene. Due to the length of the film, it’s hard to grasp the background of each character, making it difficult to understand their motivations. I found it difficult to empathize with the characters for the most part. However, the cinematography is wonderful and it nicely captures the emotions and interactions between characters. For example, when Li is training with Mr. Han and Daniel Larusso and they throw Li around, literally. However, the idea of the two types of martial arts is repetitive. Mr. Han’s kung fu and Daniel Larusso’s karate teaching methods clash. This exact situation happens in the series Cobra Kai, when Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence wrestle over which style of karate is better. The concept has been overused and it seems as if the creators are stretching it in this film a bit too much. My favorite part is the championship match. It’s set on top of a skyscraper, which is a neat addition. Without spoiling, the championship is thrilling and filled with anticipation. 

The film’s message is to never give up on yourself. Li struggles to remind himself of this, and in the end he states that he is doing the competition for himself. It also reminds us of the challenge of change as Li experiences when he moves to a new country and has to find himself again. Please be aware there is violence and mild cursing throughout the film. 

I give Karate Kid: Legends 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters May 30, 2025. 

Karate Kid: Legends

By Avalynn G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

Karate Kid: Legends is an incredible film that showcases action and bravery. I love how the setting changes from a beautiful quiet city to a loud and big city. It shows how much of a change it is for the characters.

The storyline follows a boy named Li Fong (Ben Wang) who used to live in Beijing, China and did Kung Fu all the time but he moves to New York City. He has to adjust to living there and even makes a friend. Li enters a karate competition and goes against a crazy person who wants to kill him. Li is helped by a sensei that helps him learn karate and he goes to the competition to hopefully win.

My favorite part of Karate Kid: Legends is when Li walks into a pizza shop In New York City and asks for stuffed crust pizza. Everyone that works there starts to mess with him because they don’t sell stuffed crust. After that happens, the people that worked there call him “stuffed crust” and his fighting name is Li Fong Stuffed Crust. Another favorite part is when Li is teaching Victor (Joshua Jackson) how to do Kung Fu and to box so he could win a boxing match. Li and Victor need to win so they can keep the pizza shop open and, in the process, they become good friends. I love how friendship is shown in this film — all of the friends stick together, no matter what. Though they might have their ups and downs, in the end everything works out and they are all friends again.

The film’s message is about finding strength, balance and never giving up. No matter what the challenge is, Li always gets around it and even when he is knocked down he gets back up. Be forewarned that the film contains some profanity and violent scenes.

I give Karate Kid: Legends 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. This film releases in theaters May 30, 2025.

The wait is over for Dune fans! Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, in partnership with HBO and Legendary Entertainment, is bringing the highly anticipated HBO Original drama series DUNE: PROPHECY: The Complete First Season to 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on May 13, 2025. The series is co-produced by HBO and Legendary Television. Get ready to binge all 6 episodes from the epic sci-fi adventure, along with over an hour of bonus content including 5 extended featurettes and an all-new, never-before-seen featurette exclusive to 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. Pre-order your copy today.

DUNE: PROPHECY: The Complete First Season is also available now to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango at Home, and more.

From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, DUNE: PROPHECY follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. DUNE: PROPHECY is inspired by the novel SISTERHOOD OF DUNE, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. 

DUNE: PROPHECY stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Camilla Beeput, Jihae, Tabu, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Barden, Emma Canning, Yerin Ha, and Barbara Marten.

Alison Schapker serves as showrunner and executive producer. Diane Ademu-John co-developed the series and serves as executive producer. Anna Foerster executive produced and directed multiple episodes including the first. Jordan Goldberg, Mark Tobey, John Cameron, Matthew King, Scott Z. Burns, and Jon Spaihts executive produce with New York Times bestselling author Brian Herbert, along with Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert as executive producers for the Frank Herbert estate. New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson serves as co-producer. The series is co-produced by HBO and Legendary Television with Legendary also producing the film franchise that has released two installments to critical acclaim, the first of which garnered six Academy Awards®. 

Across Max territories, the first episode of DUNE: PROPHECY has amassed approximately 15 million viewers. The series has been renewed for a second season at HBO.

SERIES INFORMATION:

DUNE: PROPHECY: The Complete First Season

Includes all 6 episodes from the first season, plus over an hour of bonus content including 5 extended featurettes and one all-new bonus feature exclusive to 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.

PRODUCT:                                           

4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, & Digital                  

Audio: English SDH

Subtitles: English

Running Time: 6 hours 30 minutes which includes bonus content

Rated: TV-MA

Credit: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment (WBDHE) distributes the award-winning movies, television, animation, and digital content produced by Warner Bros. Discovery to the homes and screens of millions through physical Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD retail sales and digital transactions on major streaming, video-on-demand cable, satellite, digital, and mobile channels. WBDHE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales, one of the world’s largest distributors of entertainment programming.

Teenage inventor Miles Fletcher unlocks the lost secret to limitless energy, catching the attention of Luxos Energy, a corporation posing as heroes. Just as he perfects his invention, they betray him—stealing his work and shutting him out. With nowhere to turn, Miles must decide—give up or trust his friends and fight back. In a high-stakes battle of ingenuity vs. industry, he races to stop Luxos before they turn his discovery into a weapon.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ashleigh C. comments, “The Lightning Code is a thrilling and heartfelt adventure that blends science, friendship, and courage into a family-friendly sci-fi film that sparks your imagination! With high-stakes action, lovable characters, and a meaningful message about innovation and integrity, this film is a standout in the genre.” Braedyn M. adds, “The Lightning Code is not your standard issue sci-fi film.  A complex plot with multiple layers, mystery at every turn, and the trust and chemistry of friendship set the stage to prove that the future is truly what we make it.” Isabella V. wraps it up with, “The Lightning Code has such distinctive ideas and uses very interesting concepts to create a captivating story. The concepts and ideas for technology in this film are phenomenal – not only are they remarkable, but they are especially well designed and executed.” See their full reviews and Ashleigh’s interview with producer Joel Edwards below.

The Lightning Code
By Ashleigh C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 20

The Lightning Code is a thrilling and heartfelt adventure that blends science, friendship, and courage into a family-friendly sci-fi film that sparks your imagination! With high-stakes action, lovable characters, and a meaningful message about innovation and integrity, this film is a standout in the genre.

What I love most about The Lightning Code is how it balances big ideas, like clean energy and corporate corruption, with genuine emotional moments and exciting twists. The film is packed with action and mystery, but it never loses sight of the heart at the center of the story — a boy trying to honor his mother’s legacy and do the right thing.

The story follows teen inventor Miles Fletcher (Andrew Reid), who finally cracks his late mother’s code, an invention based on Nikola Tesla’s dream of limitless energy. When a powerful corporation called Luxos Energy steps in with promises to help, Miles believes he’s found a way to change the world. But Luxos has its own sinister agenda. With the help of his best friend Piper, her hilarious younger brother Jamie, and his loyal robot companion Newt, Miles must outsmart a tech giant and unlock the truth about his invention and himself. Andrew Reid brings charm and conviction to the role of Miles, making him both relatable and inspiring. Piper is a standout character too, fierce, loyal, and smart. The chemistry among the young cast is fun to watch, and Newt the robot adds humor and heart to the team. The visual effects are impressive, especially during the high-voltage scenes involving Miles’ invention. The film feels both futuristic and grounded, thanks to its sleek design and real-world themes. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Miles and Piper break into Luxos to retrieve the missing blueprints; it’s full of suspense, clever thinking, and showcases their strong friendship. The film also excels in building emotional stakes, especially in scenes that connect Miles to his mother’s memory and mission.

The Lightning Code carries a powerful message — young people can lead big changes, especially when guided by integrity, teamwork, and curiosity. It promotes perseverance, critical thinking, and trust in the face of deception. There’s no inappropriate content or bad language, making it a great pick for families.

I give The Lightning Code 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults who enjoy fast-paced family films with a message. It opens in select theaters on May 9, 2025. It’s a jolt of fun you won’t want to miss!

The Lightning Code
By Braedyn M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

The Lightning Code is not your standard issue sci-fi film.  A complex plot with multiple layers, mystery at every turn, and the trust and chemistry of friendship set the stage to prove that the future is truly what we make it.

Meet Miles Fletcher (Andrew Reid).  He’s a teenager like any other, except for the fact he has found the secret to perpetual energy.  Hoping to bring his invention to the world, he reaches out to Luxos Energy with the hope they support his project.  Unknown to him, Luxos is up to more than just clean energy, and it’s only a matter of time before Miles finds out.  With the help of his friends Piper (Sienna Ribeirio) and Jamie (Ryder Khatiwala), he must figure out how to stop this corporation giant, before the world is changed forever.

It might seem like this feature is pretty straightforward, but there are more twists and turns than I expected.  Multiple elusive storylines create an air of mystery, and how the parallel adventures from multiple times come together, through code, is fun to see.  There are times when Miles might feel stuck, only to find a phrase or a sequence from years before that shows the way through a challenge.  My favorite scene is actually one such instance.  After Miles learns the truth behind Luxos, he’s not sure where to turn next.  All seems lost until a saved childhood artifact reveals the code he must crack for him to keep going.  Now any good movie has laughter, and The Lightning Code is no exception.  This movie finds its own in Newt, a robot with a wicked sense of dry humor.  Built to help Miles’ endeavors, Newt always is there to provide a new side to the argument with hilarious and often sarcastic comments.  Of course Miles has more friends than just a realist robot.  The chemistry between Piper, Jamie, and Miles is clear as day, and brings the movie further into reality.  Director Kali Bailey wonderfully captures the spirit of teamwork as the friends work through the difficulties Luxos throws their way. 

This film’s message is that there is always another way.  Though Luxos proves to be a serious threat, Miles and his pals find a way through the dark, in order to light up the world.

I give The Lightning Code 5 out of 5 stars, and recommend it to ages 12 to 18 plus adults. The Lightning Code releases in select theaters on May 9, 2025.

The Lightning Code
By Isabella V., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

The Lightning Code is such a unique movie with incredible visuals and ideas. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen, and the mysteries and puzzles always had me invested thanks to their distinctiveness. 

The movie follows Miles Fletcher (Andrew Reid) as he attempts to finish his mother’s work and discovers how to harness energy through lightning. However, due to this discovery, Luxos Energy, a company searching for the same thing, attempts to stop Miles from helping the world with his machine.

The Lightning Code has such distinctive ideas and uses very interesting concepts to create a captivating story. The concepts and ideas for technology in this film are phenomenal – not only are they remarkable, but they are especially well designed and executed. For example, the machine for power is so special and cool looking, and I love how the way it works is well explained. The story is very well-written, with noteworthy plot points and characters such as the protagonist, Miles Fletcher. His character arc is extremely well-developed, and his actions and reactions are all believable as a result of our following his reasoning as it occurs. However, some earlier scenes suffer from a lack of buildup, leading to them to make less of an impact than later scenes, despite their importance. These scenes are helped by the impeccable camera work by Diego Cacho which highlights the emotions of the characters through the visuals. On the whole, the visuals are extraordinary – the sets help tell the story and the bigger effects, such as the explosions, all leave their mark. The music choices add a lot, especially in the montages, such as when “The Spark” is used when Miles is inventing – they help tell the story through the lyrics.

The film’s message is to put trust in the people that you care about, and trust that they care about you. Be warned that there are guns and violence is shown in parts of the movie.

I give The Lightning Code 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12. It releases in select theaters on May 9, 2025.

They can’t even agree on what to read, so how are they going to solve a murder?

Having recently moved from London to a small Cornish seaside village, Nova Davies started a book club at the local community center, but so far it’s a disaster. The five members disagree on everything, and to make matters worse, a significant sum of money is stolen during one of the meetings, putting the much-loved community center at risk.

Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when he disappears and a dead body turns up at his house. But the book club has their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove Michael’s been framed, while romance reader Arthur believes there’s a mystery woman involved, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark forces are at play. 

While trying to locate Michael, solve the murder and recover the stolen money, each of them has their own secrets to protect. But despite the danger closing in, they won’t rest until they’ve cracked the case and gotten everyone safe at home with a book, where they belong.

This is a real fun Summer read!

About the Author

Freya Sampson works in television as a creator and executive producer. Her credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British royal family as well as a number of factual and entertainment series. She studied history at Cambridge University and in 2018 was short-listed for the Exeter Novel Prize. She lives in London with her husband, two young children, and an antisocial cat.

Sofia has had enough of everyone thinking she’s sooo nice. “Sweet,” “innocent,” and “goody two-shoes” are how her classmates would describe her, but there’s more to her than that. She wants everyone—especially her forever crush, Mark Chen—to see that she has other sides.

To help her level up to Official Cool Girl, Sofia enlists trendy and confident Holden—the guy who everyone else has written off as a total player and a first-class jerk. Under Holden’s guidance, Sofia learns to revamp her style, ride a skateboard, and stand up for herself. At the same time, Holden learns that when he’s alone with Sofia, it’s safe to drop the cool guy act and just be himself.

When their efforts start to pay off, Sofia is faced with a choice. Should she stick with the plan—and risk losing herself in the process—or take a chance on the person everyone says will break her heart?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

G. F. Miller absolutely insists on a happy ending. Everything else is negotiable. She is living her Happily Ever After with the love of her life, three kids, two puppies, and some chickens. She cries at random times. She makes faces at herself in the mirror. She believes in the Oxford comma. And she’s always here for a dance party.

Arriel Vinson’s debut novel in verse, Under the Neon Lights (on sale June 3), is a sparkling and heartfelt story that follows a young Black girl as she navigates the complexities of first love, the path to self-discovery, the gentrification of her Black neighborhood, and the empowering world of roller skating. Through Vinson’s lyrical and evocative verse, readers are invited into a vibrant and dynamic world where neon lights illuminate the struggles and triumphs of adolescence.

Happy Summer reading!

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to facilitate this featured book post. Images were also provided.