MONKEY:

I thought Godzilla King of the Monsters was a little to scary and it should be rated about a 3.5 stars. It was about a mom who made a device (the orca) that can talk to the titans and then the titans get released and then Godzilla and the hydra have a major fight. I liked it cause there is not a lot of person to person fighting and blood, but there is a lot of destruction.

MOMMY:

I am drawn to big action films. They are the perfect go-to genre when I am looking for pure entertainment that doesn’t ask a lot of me, and in return, I don’t ask a lot of them. There are great action films, to be sure – Thor: Ragnarock, for example, remains one of my favourite super hero movies because of the great storytelling, characters, acting, set pieces, special effects, and HUMOUR – but mostly, I expect action movies to take me away for a couple of hours and leave little lasting effect. Godzilla – King of the Monsters was that kind of standard action movie. Honestly, I really can’t say much more than that. It wasn’t great; it wasn’t a total waste of time. Mostly, I enjoyed watching Monkey’s first monster movie with him, and seeing his (and his sister’s) reactions to their first epic monster battles and extraordinary human heroics.

Monkey: Christmas chronicles is about two children a boy & girl. They’re mother has gone to work on Christmas eve. So the two children stay up to try to spy a peek of Santa and record him doing his thing going from chimney to chimney but little do they now that they could mess up Christmas. I thought Christmas chronicles was a good movie for all ages. It was a lol movie which i loved it was funny and exciting but the best part was the suspense.

Mommy: The Christmas Chronicles is a Netflix original film, so I was pretty sceptical when we put it on. Netflix has been really hit or miss in the last year and I’ve found it’s  weak stock only growing. Adding to my low expectations of Netflix films is my general dislike of kid actors. It’s not the kids’ fault; they have not had enough time to hone their craft and I find poor acting skills distracting. To my surprise, I really enjoyed this film! First, Kurt Russell makes a fantastic Santa. He nailed it! Love, wisdom, and playfulness pour out of this man. Second, the kid actors in this movie are actually pretty good and their characters are well-written and believable. When it comes to Christmas movies, I look for something fun to get me into the holiday spirit: cue music, comic relief, light-handed but clear morals, family imagery, and scenes of joy and cheer. The Christmas Chronicles hits the mark! I’ll be watching this one with the kids again next year.

Isla (unaware guest contributor): “Don’t forget to tell them how funny the elves are.”

Monkey:I did not like the fellowship of the ring of the lord of the ring series. I thought the fellowship of the ring was to scary for me the ring is something that the bad guy Sauron made the ring was taken from him when he was killed the ring was lost until a creature named Gollum found it. i thought that Gollum was a pretty creepy  character when the ring got dropped a hobbit named  Bilbo found the ring he kept it for a long time then he almost turned evil but he gave the ring Frodo his nephew to keep. I think it should only be watched by ages of 13 and over.

Mommy: Quick clarification, this is a review of the first 40 minutes of the Fellowship of the Ring. We couldn’t watch any further than that. This was also likely a parenting mis-step on my part. When the Fellowship of the Ring came out 17 years ago (yup, 2001!!), it became one of my favourite films. It had all the elements of a classic: underdogs against a formidable foe, reluctant cooperation between unlikely partners for the sake of the greater good, the hyper-creative, visual rendering of a fantasy world! There was sacrifice! Daring! Every group, with their unique traits, had an important part to play in the earth’s salvation! (As I write this, I’m just realizing how much the X-Men mimics the Lord of the Rings. I also love the X-Men series.) When my friends and I left the cinema after watching the Fellowship of the Ring for the first time, all we could think was, “I can’t wait until the next one comes out.”

As soon as my kids started to show an interest in fantasy books, I began counting down until I could watch the Fellowship of the Ring with them. I was convinced that they would love it as much as me. So… last week, when I saw a DVD box set of the special edition, extended version of the movie on the staff lounge counter at work, with a post-it message marked “take me,” I did! It was a sign! Nope! No, it wasn’t! Monkey was waaaaaay too young for this. I had forgotten how grotesque the orcs were, and that there was a scene of Gollum getting tortured. Poor kid, he woke up the next morning telling me that he had a nightmare.

I still catch Duncan spontaneously skipping into school when I drop him off. Part of the reason, I think, is because we keep scary — sometimes graphically violent — material like this away from him.  The movie just gets scarier after the first 40 minutes, so we’re putting this one back on the shelf. Maybe check back for a full review in 2023.

Monkey: Lilo & stitch is about a girl who found a alien and they became good friends Lilo named the alien stitch.I think Lilo & Stitch is a good movie for kids and adults because its funny and serious at the same time. I don’t remember much about it, really.

Mommy: Despite Monkey confessing that he doesn’t remember much about this movie, he did really enjoy it at the time that he was watching. Honestly, I’m not sure why Monkey likes the Lilo & Stitch movie so much. The story line is accessible (e.g. characters introduced, challenge defined, characters face challenge, dilemma or crisis ensues, resolution); the characters are relatable (e.g. girl, alien best friend, protective sister); there’s some childish comedy sprinkled throughout. But… when I compare it to other animated films… it’s pretty bland. It’s an inoffensive movie with themes about family and friendship, but there’s nothing visually creative about the animation, the narrative is predictable, and the characters are mostly stereotypes. This is a movie for the younger kid, and one where the parent may have a hard time not reaching for their smartphone for a distraction.

Monkey: Totoro is about a girl named mae and her sister when mae finds a tree that has a hole in it she goes in the hole she finds totoro they became good friends.when Mae tells  her father about totoro he does not believe her. I think totoro is a good movie and people of all ages will like it.

Mommy: It’s been a while since I’ve watched this movie, but I remember that I LOVED it. Here’s what has endured in my memory. A father and his two young children move to a new home in the countryside, presumably in response to the mother being sick in hospital. We – the audience – get to see the family create a new home, meet new neighbours, and take care of each other as they adjust to their new life. I would expect that the Hollywood version of this movie would focus on how hard it is for a young family to start a new life (but ultimately prevailing in the end, of course). There would be scenes of bravery, courage, and sacrifice. Oh the dramatic potential! But this is a Studio Ghibli movie, and thankfully, we can expect a different tone, pace, and thematic focus. I love that the characters are depicted taking all the changes largely in stride; major changes happens; people deal with them. The father and his daughters each adjust in their own ways, but all with a spirit of curiosity and honesty. The family’s new neighbours – both human and magical – bring love and whimsy to the story. I would definitely recommend this movie.