The Mentor Mom

Movie Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth

It has been hot and sticky here in Michigan of late.  Since we don't have a pool and the kids are utterly bored with our sprinkler and ripped Slip'n'Slide, we decided to head out to the movies.  The movie of choice this time was Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson (of one of my favorite movies of last year The Bridge to Terabithia).  Journey to the Center of the Earth is rated PG for intense adventure action and some scary parts. 

Plot:  If you don't want to know what happens, stop here. 

For those of you who are still with me, Brendan Fraser plays scientist/professor Trevor Anderson who teaches and studies earth sciences, volcanic activity to be specific.  Trevor's brother, Max, was also involved in the study of volcanic activity and disappeared while on an expedition ten years earlier leaving behind a wife and son, Sean, played by Hutcherson.  Sean, unenthusiastically comes to stay with his sloppy, single uncle for two weeks one summer.  While visiting his uncles laboratory, he notices some sensors going off indicating volcanic activity in Iceland.  Sean and Trevor hustle off to Iceland to explore the source with Sean's father's copy of Jules Verne's book, Journey to the Center of the Earth.  It should be noted that the book is filled with cryptic notes and codes from Sean's father.  In Iceland, they hire a mountain guide, Hannah (played by Anita Briem) to help them find the sensor.  During an electrical storm, they fall into an abandoned mine and eventually fall even further, yes, to the center of the earth.  There they find an amazing world filled with oceans, magma, dinosaurs and floating rocks. 

Violence:  There is really very little violence other than Sean and Trevor batting some very scary looking prehistoric fish while trying to cross a very treacherous sea. 

Sexual Innuendo:  No real sexual innuendo in the movie.  Sean and Trevor call "dibs" on Hannah in the beginning of the movie.  To be expected, she and Trevor start to fall for each other and seal the deal in the end with a kiss.

Strong Language/Crudeness:  There was no strong language that I can remember.  There was a scene where they discuss "all the schist.  As far as crudeness or "the gross factor," the movie was shot in 3-D (although this viewing was not offered at the theater where we saw the film) so there are lots of shots of things flying through the air.  The grossest I can recall is the saliva from the dinosaur.

Creepy Factor:  I don't recall anything particularly creepy in this film.

Scary Images:  By far the scariest part of the film is the dinosaur scene.  A large t-Rex chases Sean in a very lengthy scene.  Big teeth.  Big dinosaur.  Lots of peril.  My daughter had me by the arm during most of that scene.  Older kids will know that there is no way they are going to let the dinosaur eat the kid.  Younger viewers might be truly frightened by the dinosaur as well as the very scary looking fish I mentioned earlier.

Final Tally:  The kids and I collectively gave this movie an A-.  We really had a good time and will likely buy this one on DVD when it comes out.  Why?  We remained engaged throughout.  There was lots of action.  The characters were likable and real.  In particular, I loved that Hannah's character was a strong, independent woman with lots of brains -- you don't see that very often in films nowadays.  I also enjoyed watching the relationship between Trevor and Sean evolve.  I should mention that shortly after their arrival to the earth's core, they discover the demise of Sean's dad.  There is a rather sad moment when they say goodbye to him.  The awkward relationship between Sean and Trevor dissipates and they eventually grow close as a result of the mutual loss of Max.  Trevor is able to help Sean truly know who his father was -- it was rather sweet. 

I wouldn't recommend this film for children under the age of six of those kids who are frightened by mild peril.  Having said that, any child who was able to handle the last Harry Potter film should do just fine.  All in all, the journey to the center of the earth was a fun ride. 

Movie Review: Horton Hears a Who

After a very long week of sniffly noses, low grade temperatures and hacking coughs, the people that live in my house were well enough to go out to a movie this past Saturday.  The movie of choice was, of course, the recently released Horton Hears a Who featuring the vocal talents of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and Carol Burnett.  Okay, with a cast of greats like that, how can you go wrong?  Well, in my humble opinion, you can't! 

I gotta tell ya, we had a good time!  The kids were laughing out loud through most of the movie and my husband and I found ourselves chuckling out loud here and there as well.  The movie is, of course, based on the classic book of the same name by Theodor Geisel (aka, Dr. Seuss) -- a favorite of both my husband and I.  Perhaps that was why we enjoyed it so much.  Maybe it was the awe inspiring visual affects.  Perhaps it was positive messages about making a difference and everyone being important no matter their size.  Or maybe it was all of the above combined with the fact that we didn't have to worry about sexual innuendo, crude jokes or cuss words. 

I know the movie has gotten some mixed reviews amongst the media.  If you are looking for adult humor hidden in a story for kids ala Shrek, this isn't the movie for you.  If you are looking for a completely family friendly story that displays warmth, empathy and kindness, you will enjoy this one.  So without further ado, here's the breakdown:

Violence:  None that I can recall. 

Sexual Innuendo:  None that I can recall.

Strong Language/Crudeness:  Finally, a movie without any swearing!  The only crude line had to do with farting butterflies (my kids FAVORITE line from the movie, of course).

Creepy Factor:  No creepiness here.

Scary Images:  The only potentially scary image might be the vulture hired by the Kangaroo to get the clover from Horton.  While he has a menacing appearance, he is more buffoon than villain.

Final Tally:  Horton Hears a Who got a solid 3.5 stars across the board from the entire Mentor Mom family.  It is refreshing to finally be able to see a G rated movie!  We fell in love with the characters, loved the imagery and enjoyed every minute of the film.  This film can best be described in one word:  sweet. 

Did you see the film?  What did you and your family think?  Post your reviews!

Movie Review: The Spiderwick Chronicles

Before I get into this movie review, let me give a quick shout out to all of those that have sent mojo my families way -- you well wishes, thoughts and prayers are most appreciated (and it is working!).

Ahem, okay, now on to another movie review.  The whole family decided to shake of the winter time blues by heading out to the theater this past weekend to see the Spiderwick Chronicles.  While both kids have been eagerly awaiting the movie release, Thing One (who has read the entire series of books) was about ready to burst at the seams.  I relied on his knowledge of the books to know if the content of the film would be something his sister would be able to handle and he assured me she would (I also did a bit of my own research).

For those who are unfamiliar, the movie is based on the Spiderwick book series by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi.   The movie encompasses all five books in the series; and (according to my son) it stays true to its roots.  The story is about twin brothers, Jared and Simon, and their older sister Mallory who move into their great-great uncle's (Arthur Spiderwick) eerie old house after the separation of their parents.  While snooping through the attic, Jared finds his uncle's field guide which shares information about an unseen world around them -- a world filled with faeries, goblins and other mystical creatures.  This book is sought by the ogre, Mulgrath, who is quite a scary looking dude.  So here is the breakdown:

Violence:  Let me start by saying that I love the fact that Mallory is a strong, smart teenager who happens to study fencing.  As a result, there is a good deal of sword swinging (at the goblins, of course).  SPOILER ALERT -- stop now if you don't want a give!

Okay, for those of you who are still here, there is one moment when Jared stabs what appears to be his father which could be a little disconcerting to younger kids.  It is quickly revealed, however that it was actually Mulgrath taking the form of his father.   

Strong Language: My kids were aghast when they heard young Jared say "What the hell."  Of course, they hear cussing on a regular basis in our home (I'll blame it on my husband), but hearing it come from a young kid in a movie caught them off guard.  I could have done without that and all the "Oh my God's."  Don't kids use the word "gosh" any more?

Sexual Innuendo:  None!

Creepy Factor: I didn't think the movie was too creepy.  You could see most of what was coming which allowed my daughter time to cover her eyes in time for those things she didn't want to see.

Scary Images: By far the scariest image in the film is Mulgrath.  He is scary enough looking in ogre form, but some kids might be freaked out a bit when he shape shifts into a snake and chases Jared.

Final Tally:  Okay, Thing One, Thing Two and my husband all gave it an A.  I gave it a marginal B.  While they all thought it was great, I personally just didn't find myself really caring about any of the characters.  Perhaps it is unfair that I compare most films in this genre to the Harry Potter series which a hard act to follow.  The characters in the Potter series just seem too have more depth.  Perhaps I just wasn't sold on Freddie Highmore playing twins.  Nonetheless, if your kids enjoyed the Harry Potter series, they will likely enjoy the Spiderwick Chronicles. 

Did you see the film?  What were your thoughts?  Post your reviews!   

Movie Review: The Golden Compass

The holiday season always bring out a plethora of new movies.  Earlier this week, I took the kids out to see The Golden Compass starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.  The movie is based on the book by Philip Pullman. 

I must admit that I did a bit of research before taking the kids to see this film.  I had received information from various people prior to the movies release that it denounced the existence of God.  Not being one to believe everything that I hear, I checked it out a bit further.  After reviewing some articles on the matter, it seemed that the hype regarding the movies 'anti-Catholic' theme was just that -- hype. 

The next hurdle was determine exactly why this movie garnered a PG-13 rating.  I am always cautious about taking kids to these kinds of films without checking the nature of the ratings out beforehand, lest we have another Transformers incident -- that discussion regarding pleasuring oneself between the boy and his parents caught us off guard when we rented the film!  For those who aren't aware of it, you can get more information on the reasons for specific movie ratings on imdb.  The PG-13 rating on the Golden Compass was due fantasy violence much akin to that in the Harry Potter series.  Since my kids had both weathered these movies without incident, I thought we'd give The Golden Compass a go. 

You know, I started to write a synopsis of the plot, but it just didn't sound as good as this one.   Beware, there are some spoilers in this synopsis!

So, what did I think of this movie?  I enjoyed it for the most part.  It was a bit confusing here and there -- so many things to understand, e.g., dust particles, daemons, gobblers, etc.  It probably would have helped to have read or listened to the book.  Things made a bit more sense as the movie went on.  I loved that fact that the main character is a girl.  Lyra is spunky, smart and confident.  It was a welcome reprieve.  The scenery was lush and vivid.  The computer animated characters were incredibly life like. 

Okay, so what about the scare factor?  I must say that the polar bears are VERY scary -- lots of growling and snarling!  I think the recommendation that some scenes may be too intense for young and very sensitive children is warranted.  There are lots of fight scenes that include death, which again might be too much for young and sensitive children.  If your child has seen the most recent Harry Potter film without any concerns, they will likely handle the fight scenes and violence in this movie without incident.

Both of my kids enjoyed the film, although I'm not sure how much of it my daughter really understood.  Due to the complexities of the story line, I wouldn't suggest the film for kids under the age of nine.   For those who are unaware, this movie is part of a trilogy, so we were left hanging at the end wondering Lyra's fate.  My son so enjoyed the tale, that he is planning to check out the next book in the series from the library.

As far as all that religious controversy, I found nothing in the film that came even remotely close to the topic of religion.  I found the movie to more akin to George Orwell's 1984, i.e., the Magisterium representing "Big Brother" trying to rid the world of free thinking.  I'm sure some could try to relate that to the whole religious argument, but that seems really far fetched to me.  I saw the theme as a way to discuss the importance of free thinking and the positive traits that Lyra and the other characters demonstrated. 

In summary, my kids and I enjoyed the film.  I wouldn't say rush right out and see it, but it may be worth catching at a matinee.  If your kids handled the violence in the last Harry Potter film, your kids can likely handle the images in this film.  The dialog and concepts may be difficult for younger kids to follow.  My overall grade:  B.

Did you see the film?  What did you think of it?  Share your thoughts and opinions for others who are considering catching this flick!