04 Mar 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 5+
Tags: adventure, fairies, Fairy Tale, insects, Magic, ocean, puppets, single parent, theatre, toys, whales
Rated: G
Length: 88 min.
Age: 5 and up Commonsense Media sez: 6 +
Scary Factor: Stromboli character waving an axe and threatening; young Lampwick’s terror as he turns into a donkey; Coachman herding the donkey-boys with a whip; enormous whale Monstro chasing them at the end
Also: scenes with alcohol and smoking are too numerous to mention; some leering and mild sexual innuendo from lady’s man Jiminy; character playing with fire; wanton destruction
Intense: some children may have trouble with Pinocchio’s ‘death’ near the end, but keep them watching because he isn’t dead for long!
Language: “Give a bad boy enough rope and he’ll soon make a jackass of himself!”
Interests: fairy tales, fairies, magic, puppets, insects, ocean, whales
Next: Dumbo (also astonishingly not-politically-correct)
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04 Mar 2011
by Kim
in Movies
Tags: action, adventure, boats, crocodile, fairies, London, Magic, mermaids, pirates, romance, strong girls
Rated: PG – frightening scenes, violence
Length: 113 min.
Age: 8 and up. commonsense media sez: 9+
Scary Factor: violence and killing among the pirates, though no show of blood and gore; the mermaids are truly creepy, and Hook is genuinely threatening
Intense scenes: Wendy is shot down and believed briefly to be dead, Tinker Bell drinks poison and nearly dies, Peter is bashed around by Hook during final fight
Sexuality: only some sexual tension between Peter and Wendy, limited to a couple kisses; there is a glimpse of bare Lost Boy behinds at one point
Also: a brief sight of Hook’s amputated arm may bother the squeamish (though the wound is old: no blood); as always, the pirates smoke and drink, and liquor and cigars are offered to Wendy (she turns them down)
Interests: fairies, pirates, magic, mermaids
Next: read the original novel Peter Pan, see the grittier pirate movies (Pirates of the Caribbean are for the 12+ crowd)
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03 Mar 2011
by Kim
in Movies
Rated: PG
Length: 144 min.
Age: 8 and up. commonsense media sez: 8+
Scary Factor: children are captured and threatened with death, realistic violence in fight scenes, a Lost Boy main character is stabbed and killed by Hook, several people are shot and killed, someone is stuffed into a chest with scorpions
Intense/Questionable: Hook talks frequently about committing suicide, and the kidnapped children’s terror is intense at times
Bad behavior: the usual, for pirates… drinking, smoking, and there seems to be a brothel now in Neverland
(not very good – don’t bother with this one)
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03 Mar 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 4+
Tags: adventure, boats, crocodile, fairies, London, Magic, mermaids, pirates
Rated: G
Length: 76 min.
Age: 4 and up. commonsense media sez: 5+
Scary Factor: Nothing too bad at all – everything handled with great humour, especially Hook and pursuing crocodile.
Cringe Factor: “What Makes the Red Man Red” song, and stereotypical depiction of ‘redskins’; also not very enlightened re. female role models
Violence: much ‘play’ violence, violent language on part of kids, bloodless swordfights, at some point in past Peter cut off Hook’s hand, but this is not seen
Interests: fairies, pirates, magic, mermaids
Next: see it on the stage! (an excellent first play), read the book, older children (8+) could watch the 2003 live action Peter Pan
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01 Mar 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 4+, Old Movies, Silent Movies
Tags: action, chase, detective, history, mystery, romance
Black and White, Silent Movie
Rated: unrated
Length: 45 min.
Age: 4 and up.
Scary Factor: nothing to speak of. A little uneasiness perhaps regarding an explosive billiard ball that never quite gets hit… more suspenseful than scary.
Interests: detectives, mysteries, history, silent movies
Next: other silent movies: The Gold Rush, Safety Last! ; more Buster Keaton: Steamboat Bill Jr. (6+), The General (7+), shorts
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28 Feb 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 4+
Tags: British history, castle, history, romance
Rated: G
Length: 83 min.
Age: 4+ commonsense media sez: 5+
Scary Factor: Much brawling, though very slapsticky. Battle at climax involves fire and threat. At the end it appears for a moment that Robin has been killed, but the suspense doesn’t last long.
Interests: Robin Hood, history, British history, kings, knights, castle, romance
Next: MOVIE: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
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28 Feb 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 4+
Tags: country life, family, illness, Magic, nature, siblings, spirits, strong girls
My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro
Rated: G
Length: 86 min.
Age: 4 and up. commonsense media sez: 5+
Scary Factor: soot sprites are creepy, and provide one big Startle Moment (see below); Totoro seems scary at first glance, but is soon revealed to be friendly
Also: issue of Mother sick in hospital may bother some, but whole situation is treated gently, and without worry until late in film when girls grow concerned (see more below)
Interests: monster/spirits, magic, nature, country life, Japan
Next: Director Miyazaki has two other films for this age group: Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service; for older kids try: Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle
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26 Feb 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 4+, Old Movies
Tags: American history, Christmas, family, Hallowe'en, history, siblings, song and dance, strong girls
Meet Me in St. Louis
Rated: Canada – PG (parental guidance?! probably because of Hallowe’en sequence) ; USA – Approved
Length: 113 min.
Age: 4 and up. (more for comprehension and attention span)
Scary Factor: Hallowe’en scene (see below)
Intense stuff: the Christmas Eve scene with the snowmen makes me cry, but I don’t think children will be such marshmallows over it!
Interests: history, family, musicals, song and dance, old movies
Next: Judy Garland: The Wizard of Oz
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25 Feb 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 2+
Tags: babysitters, cities, family, history, London, Magic, song and dance
Mary Poppins
Rated: G
Length: 139 min.
Age: 2 and up.
[ Commonsense Media sez: 6 and up! However they also say: “Parents need to know that this is a fine movie for children of any age.” I suspect the age 6 is recommended primarily for full plot comprehension, ie. the business at the bank, the suffrage movement, etc. ]
Scary factor: Nonexistant. A movie with no jeopardy! No violence! No villain! The only potential trouble spot, and one which bothered my daughter, was when dotty old Admiral Boom shoots fireworks at the chimney sweeps (none are hit, it’s all colour and noise). My daughter’s alarm, however, was due to a previous experience with noisy fireworks. We simply muted the sound during that scene until she decided she wasn’t scared anymore.
Interests: song and dance, magic
Next: for song and dance, how about the That’s Entertainment compilations, full of great sequences from MGM musicals. For more Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke, Sound of Music or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, though they’re more suitable for older audiences.
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24 Feb 2011
by Kim
in Movies, movies 4+
Tags: animals, Fairy Tale, Magic, Princess
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Rated: G
Length: 83 min.
Age: 4 and up. commonsense.org sez: 5+
Scary Factor: huntsman drawing dagger to kill Snow White is a momentary threat, Snow White afraid in the dark forest, the Queen concocting spells and transforming into an old crone, the dwarves chasing the Queen is rather exciting/suspenseful, image of face in mirror is creepy to some
Intense scenes: Snow White eats poison apple and falls down, dwarves grieving over Snow White’s dead body might be a little intense for some.
Interests: fairy tales, princesses, magic, animals
What’s Next: read the original Grimm’s version, MOVIES: Cinderella
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