http://www.crunchyreviews.com Book and Movie Reviews That Answer the Question "Is it Appropriate for My Child?" Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:47:36 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "The Spy Next Door" without saying up front that what you see is what you get. If you've seen the previews, then it should be obvious to you that this movies will be filled with violent sequences (it's Jackie Chan, after all) and lots of improbable stunts (it's Jackie Chan, after all). In fact, even without seeing the previews, the fact that it's called "The SPY Next Door" and stars Jackie Chan should give it away.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/the-spy-next-door/ The Tooth Fairy is a movie that is heavy on message, and full of silly gags that give it several funny moments. That said, unfortunately they were unable to offset the "does this tutu make my butt look big", the innumerable displays of (necessary to the character but nausea-inducing) machismo, the downright mean-spiritedness of the main character's callous interactions with childen, and the hockey slams - oh, the many, many violent hockey slams.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/the-tooth-fairy/ Inkheart, which is shockingly rated 'PG', should be rated at least PG-13. It is goulish, and gruesome, with slavery, weapons, violence, and monsters galore.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/inkheart/ insists on always, always, always killing off one of their main characters in just about every children's movie? As if children's feelings aren't jerked around enough just by the fact of growing and learning, do we really have to subject them to getting attached to a character only to have it killed off? (Or seeing a parent figure get killed, as in Bambi, and The Lion King?) The Princess and the Frog is no different. ]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/the-princess-and-the-frog/ Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, and for the most part we weren't disappointed. However there are some scenes that were entirely inappropriate, and language that was disappointing, neither of which were necessary to the plot and both of which considerably reduced our enjoyment of the movie.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-the-squeakquel/ Old Dogs, starring Robin Williams and John Travolta, have been extremely mixed. This is a movie that reviewers either really don't like, or really do. Put us in the latter camp.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/old-dogs/ Planet 51 much more than I'd imagined that I would. In fact, we're going to see it again tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it. That said, I wouldn't take a child of below 9 or 10 to see it, at least not without some serious prepping. There are plenty of weaponful scenes, shooting, and some crude humour.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/planet-51/ Where the Wild Things Are, as the previews were awesome. So, sadly, we were really disappointed - the movie was much darker (thematically, not illumination-wise) then I'd expected, and it left me feeling that it was not so much a children's movie as it was an allegorical dissertation on the human condition and family dysfunction, thinly veiled as a cinematic representation of a beloved children's book.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/where-the-wild-things-are/ Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is an old family favorite, which we've read - repeatedly - with both of our children. From the previews, we know that the movie of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was going to be very different from the book, but we were still looking forward to it, with the knowledge that it would be different but seemed like it would stand on its own.]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-2/ Aliens in the Attic has a funny gimmick: aliens using video game controllers to control humans (they first have to shoot a mind control plug into the back of the human's neck, and it only works on adults). Unfortunately, while this allows for some very funny scenes, it also is the basis for a great deal of violence, along with the alien-versus-children violence which abounds, in both directions. ]]> http://www.crunchyreviews.com/aliens-in-the-attic/