My official return to Doctor Who! I had missed the interdimensional adventures of the mysterious Doctor and his right hand woman, Rose Tyler. While Christmas is months away, that didn't prevent me from enjoying this episode. There was adventure, there was comedy, and not to mention suspense as well, plus plenty of British charm. What's not to like?
Content Concerns:
Sex: Kissing; talk of a live-in relationship. 3/5
Nudity: Slight cleavage. 4/5
Language: Three or four h-words; one d-word; four or five misuses of God's name. 2/5
Violence: Sci-fi action violence throughout; a sword fight that leads to someone losing a limb; a spaceship blows up, presumably killing everyone inside; two people are reduced to skeletons. 2/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Along with the violence, the aliens were rather scary, and tons of people nearly jump off buildings to their death. 1/5
Score: 4/5
Cute for what it was. It was a bit repetitive, but I still enjoyed it. The animation, as usual, was fabulous.
Like many kids of my generation, I grew up watching Disney productions on television and VHS tape...but I was always more partial to the live-action flicks. My favorites were George of the Jungle, Flubber, and My Favorite Martian, not Aladdin, The Lion King, or Beauty and the Beast. Lately, the House of Mouse has decided to go back to its roots by recreating their beloved animated classics in live action form, and, I have to say, this one was done very well. The special effects were excellent, the performances outstanding--especially by Helena Bonham Carter, whose role here was much different than in the Harry Potter flicks--and the story kept me interested, even though we all know how it ends. Better yet, an ethnically diverse cast and a stronger heroine made this an improvement on the original. All in all, great stuff.
Content Concerns: I won't do my usual listing; all I'll say is that, as you might expect, the makers kept things pretty clean here. No sex; no profanity, save for one misuse of the Lord's name; violence is limited to comedic pratfalls; all in all, usual Disney fare. The one exception is the wardrobe: Cinderella and other women wear low-cut outfits throughout. That's the only negative aspect of the film, really; it's a shame it had to be included.
Score: 4/5
My Thoughts: This show is one of my favorite Disney Channel sitcoms, and I enjoyed this episode just as much as the others. It's cute, it's funny, and it's clean; what's not to like? I have to hand it to Bradley Steven Perry, who plays Gabe; when he was upset, I really felt his pain. I may have been late to the party when it comes to this show, but I still love it!
Content Concerns:
Sex: None. 5/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: Name-calling. 4/5
Violence: Comedic pratfalls. 4/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: A scene of emotional intensity. 4/5
Other: Someone is insulted because of his weight. 4/5
Score: 4.5/5
My Thoughts: I almost always enjoy the cartoon adventures of the heroes in a half-shell, and this episode is no exception. Plenty of action, and a good dose of fun...what's not to like? I'm almost to the fourth season; I'm curious to see what adventures await the Turtles as the series continues!
Content Concerns:
Sex: None. 5/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: Name-calling. 4/5
Violence: Fantasy action violence throughout. 3/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The insect villain could be a bit scary for some kids, as could a scene that implies a character is eaten by a giant spider. 3/5
Other: A bit of crude humor, i.e., burping. 4/5
Score: 4.5/5
My Thoughts: This isn't my favorite Disney Channel sitcom, but I still enjoyed this episode for what it was. Jessie was likable, and the kids were hilarious. Maybe once I get into this series more, I'll enjoy it better.
Content Concerns:
Sex: A guy wears a tiara for the sake of a little girl; a boy is accused of wearing a dress, when it's actually a battle uniform. 3/5
Nudity: One tiny outfit on a teenage girl. 4/5
Language: A character says "OMG," which is an abbreviation for a misuse of God's name. 4/5
Violence: Kids play paintball; a girl falls down the stairs. 3/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Some bullying. 4/5
Other: References to bodily functions; a lizard burps twice; a scene of revenge which isn't vilified. 2/5
Score: 3.5/5
My Thoughts: This is just the kind of cuteness and humor that you'd expect from a show based on a legendary comic book franchise. Fans of Disney Channel sitcoms who haven't seen this yet should definitely give it a try.
Content Concerns:
Sex: A guy's posterior increases in size via a spell. 4/5
Nudity: Slight cleavage; a woman in a tiny outfit. 3/5
Language: Name-calling; nothing more. 4/5
Violence: None. 5/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: None. 5/5
Other: Usage of magic throughout; themes of revenge. 3/5
Score: 4/5
My Thoughts: Another fun adventure featuring the Caped Crusader; this time, brute strength alone isn't enough to win. It actually makes a very good point about the value of working for what you have instead of just having it handed to you. It had been a while since I'd seen any episodes of this show; I can't wait to check out the rest of the second volume of the Dark Knight's cartoon series.
Content Concerns:
Sex: None. 5/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: None. 5/5
Violence: As usual, superhero action violence throughout; nobody dies, but a character jumps from a tower in order to escape a dream. 3/5
Drugs: Possible alcoholism. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Sequences: Along with the violence, there is some emotional intensity, and the villain, once revealed, is a bit scary. 2/5
Score: 4.5/5
My Thoughts: Another enjoyable adventure with the magical Russo family. This one features the adorable and hilarious Harper in a main role, and her crazy outfit made the episode all the more fun. That said, since this episode features supermodels, the fashion sense is not as modest as usual for Disney Channel.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Flirting. 4/5
Nudity: Short skirts and mild cleavage. 3/5
Language: None. 5/5
Violence: A comedic pitfall. 4/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: None. 5/5
Other: Several people are heard vomiting; a Dungeons-and-Dragons-esque game is played; as usual, magic is featured throughout. 2/5
Score: 4/5
My Thoughts: Yet another hilarious misadventure with those crazy Duncans! Gabe has a big scheme; Amy and Bob are trying to outdo each other; Charlie is her usual cute self...this is what we've come to expect from this show and Disney Channel sitcoms in general! Try watching this show and see if you don't laugh.
Content Concerns:
Sex: A misunderstanding leads to a false accusation of extramarital affairs. 4/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: Nothing worse than "gosh". 4/5
Violence: Comedic pratfalls; nothing more. 4/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: None. 5/5
Other: Someone vomits into a picnic basket. 4/5
Score: 4.5/5
My Review: An interesting start to the series. Commander Riker and Counselor Troi look so young, I didn't even recognize them at first. Of course, this is just the first part of the series premiere, so, I'll have to see where it goes from here. One thing that surprised me was that a rather iconic character was introduced in this episode; most of the novels I've read don't even feature him.
Content Concerns:
Sex: None. 5/5
Nudity: An occasional short skirt. 4/5
Language: Two or three uses each of the d-word and h-word; one use of the a-word; a possible misuse of God's name. 3/5
Violence: Two people get frozen; they are both healed. One character describes past acts of violence by humanity. 3/5
Drugs: None. 5/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The courtroom scene. 4/5
Score: 4/5
While I appreciate the message this movie has, it's hard to get past the poor production values. The acting is terrible, the filming is shoddy, and there's so much narration from the title character, I felt like I was listening to an audiobook. Whatever happened to "show, don't tell"? Even the closed captions were full of mistakes. Fans of Christian cinema can do much better than this; it's not quite the mess that C Me Dance was, but it's pretty close.
My Thoughts: I enjoyed this episode. I'd previously seen Bizarro in Superman: The Animated Series, but this was my first time seeing a live-action version. After a surprising event in this episode that I won't spoil, I wonder where a certain part of the story arc will go from here.
Content Concerns:
Sex: Nothing more than kissing, albeit a bit passionate in one scene. 4/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: One usage each of the b-word and h-word. 4/5
Violence: Superhero action violence throughout; no deaths, though. 3/5
Drugs: Adults are seen drinking alcohol. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Along with the violence, Bizarro gets a bit creepy-looking, and a character undergoes a transformation via what looks like a seizure. The final scene is also creepy. 2/5
Score: 4.5/5
In my opinion, this is the worst episode I've seen of this show so far, and I've been watching them in order, starting with the first season.
Not quite what I was expecting. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2015/08/movie-review-garage-sale-mystery.html
Amazing animation, and wonderful action sequences...but rather intense for a "PG" film:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/movie-review-iron-man-and-hulk-heroes.html
This movie may be old school, but it isn't a classic. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/quickie-movie-review-one-magic-christmas.html
Prepare to be surprised...
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/quickie-movie-review-expelled-no.html
An independently produced gem. For more, read my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/quickie-movie-review-secrets-in-snow.html
Sorry, Nickelodeon, but you messed up big time with this one. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-fred-movie.html
My first holiday movie of the season...and I didn't like it one bit. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-holiday-engagement.html
The Old Testament book comes to life in this Pure Flix film. For more, see my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-book-of-daniel.html
A TV episode masquerading as a movie. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-batman-superman.html
Could a movie like this be any good? Depends on how you look at it. For more, see my review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-s-club-7-seeing.html
A great movie for the young...or young at heart. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/quickie-movie-review-space-warriors.html
A modern day Joseph story...with a heart that shines brightly:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-seasons-of-gray.html
I think we all know who wins:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-girl-vs-monster.html
This sequel ramps things up, in more ways than one. For more, see the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-revelation-road-2-sea-of.html
A unsettling portrait of an all-too likely future for our planet:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-divergent.html
Good production values...but a poor plot. For more, read the review:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/movie-review-revelation-road-beginning.html
