Holiday Titles from KIDS FIRST!

The story starts with a glimpse at a typical teenager, Nick (Ricardo Ortiz), who is annoyed that his computer isn't working and he could care less about Christmas. Meanwhile, his family is passionately preparing for Christmas and, despite Nick's lack of enthusiasm, they make him participate. Nick is shocked while putting up the lights and awakens only to discover that his family has drastically changed and Christmas has disappeared. With tables turned and as the only one who remembers its existence, Nick enlists the help of his best friend Ben (Josh Zaharia) to help him save Christmas and bring the magic of the holiday back to life for his family.

This film definitely kept my attention and I stayed curious wondering what was next in this crazy adventure. Richard Ortiz, as Nick, has great comedic timing and is very relatable. I couldn't help but root for him in his fight to save Christmas. It is so touching the great lengths he goes to get his family into the holiday spirit. The camera work is terrific with seamless transitions that make it easy to watch. The sets and props look so realistic and typical of everyday life by a middle class American family. I also enjoyed the costumes, especially when they dress up for Christmas as each outfit s personalized for each member of the family. My absolute favorite costumes are his sister Jojo's outfits and her hair styles bas they perfectly match her personality. We quickly see the fun relationship that Jojo and Nick have as well as the bond between all of the family members .I love how Nick uses simple items like pom-poms and candy canes all around and his family loves them. It really shows how much he adores his family and the strong bond between them. I love seeing the actors get into their different characters both with and without Christmas. The one shortfall is that the supporting actors didn't quite stand up to the dynamics of the main characters. Also, I was not so fond of the background music in some scenes and in a few spots the lip movements are out of sync with the person speaking.

The film's message is to always be grateful for what you have and to appreciate loved ones. It highlights the true meaning of Christmas and how traditions bring us joy. It also reminds us to never give up when we are faced with a challenge, especially if we are fighting for something we truly believe in.

I give Saving Christmas 4 out of 5 and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. This film premieres on VOD and streaming on November 5, 2024.

By Adele B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 10

Saving Christmas has everything I would expect from a Christmas movie, and some things that I didn't. Humor, charm, and the holiday spirit give this movie an original Christmas feel, but the mystery and dual reality make it enjoyable not just in December, but throughout the year as well.

Nick Baker (Ricardo Ortiz) is a 16-year-old boy whose only goals in life are to make movies, and open presents. So when his Mom (Casey James) tosses a thousand and one Christmas chores his way, he wishes for Christmas to disappear. To his surprise, it actually does, and with it, all the joy and opportunities Christmas provides, drastically altering the lives of those around him. Now, as the sole person who remembers the holiday, Nick must find a way to restore the season, and return Christmas to its former glory.

My favorite character in the film is Nick's best friend, Ben (Josh Zaharia). No matter what crazy idea Nick has, such as Christmas, Ben tries to find the positive in it. When Nick is late for a film group meeting, Ben tries to reason with the other members, telling them that Nick must have a reason for being late, and not to kick him out of the club. Nick's family is quite interesting. Each member of their clan brings something different to the table. When Christmas is forgotten, the way they change is fun to watch. Nick's younger sister, Jojo (Ella Wejr / Ellexis Wejr), goes from being a regular girl who loves the atmosphere of Christmas, to a professional, business women who is president of the debate club. Some parts of the film are kind of hard to understand, and make it slightly confusing. For example, in the beginning, we see Nick having the time of his life on his computer, but the montage ends and we see him sleeping at his desk. At first I thought that he only dreamt the whole thing, but later we learn that he often works during the night, as it "brings out his creativity." Some parts are kind of corny, but nothing that detracts it as a good holiday movie.

The film's message is that it is better to give than receive. Before Nick erases Christmas, he is on the receiving team when it comes to gifts. But once the holiday is gone, he sees how he took the kindness of others and everything they did for him for granted. Be forewarned that there is a bit of profanity in this film.

I give Saving Christmas 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Saving Christmas flies into theaters on Nov 5, 2024.

A Family Matters Christmas follows the lives of three siblings living in a newly blended household. They are all struggling to adapt to their new family, especially during the holidays and this causes them to fight all of the time. However, when the youngest sibling Aiden, (Randy Vince Iii) starts to read fairy tales about Christmas legends who haunt siblings who can't get along, he realizes that they need to stop the bickering. Unfortunately, it's a little too late and their household is greeted with a special elf who causes all three of them to swap bodies. Now, the siblings must learn to tolerate and help each other, or else they will be stuck inside these different identities forever.

This film is truly an enjoyable viewing experience. The cinematographic quality of this film really stands out -- the camera work is very clear, and the colors jump. I really enjoyed the plot; the concept of the characters swapping bodies is really cute, and definitely creates a fun twist for a Christmas movie. It's really interesting to see how they all work things out in the end. Plus, all three actors portray multiple personas in different bodies exceptionally well, as they show us how their switched character might react to a particular situation. Additionally, the message of the film is really strong. It really emphasizes the importance of family, particularly around Christmas time, and reminds viewers how valuable our families are. This is an important highlight, especially for younger audiences, because it's something that can sometimes be forgotten.

The message of A Family Matters Christmas is that family is very valuable, and you should always hold to them.

I give A Family Matters Christmas 3.5 out of 5 stars, and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. It releases on VOD and DVD November 8, 2022.

By Mikella G, KIDS FIRST!, Film Critic, age 16

A Family Matters Christmas is all about family and love; it's the perfect movie to get you ready for the holiday season.

The storyline for A Family Matters Christmas is told by a grandma to her grandchildren. The story follows a boy named Aiden (Randy Vince III) and his sister Emily (Cheyenne Cummings) who are having a hard time getting along with their new step-brother, Brandon (Chase X Drewery). Ayden conducts a science experiment gone wrong and ends up summoning a Christmas spirit who makes him and his siblings switch places. They now must figure out how to walk in each other's shoes, and how to switch back.

The plot of this film may seem kind of basic, but there are a lot of twists that turn the basic story into something more. I really love the cinematography -- at the beginning, behind the opening credits, are some beautiful shots of the city which are just stunning. All the acting is outstanding and so is the script. I love the character of Grandma (Jo Marie Payton), because she's really sassy; I love the way she teaches her grandchildren to be nicer to each other. Another great character is Aunt Tracy (Tamieka Chavis), who is quite feisty as well and has a very powerful personality. I especially love the character Alternis (Stephen Fischer), the Christmas spirit, because his eccentric and loud personality is very exciting and fun. My favorite part of the film is when the kids first change places and don't know how to behave in each other's bodies.

The message of A Family Matters Christmas is that family is important, whether you are related by blood or not. Throughout the film, Brandon has a hard time learning to love his new siblings, but the body switch really helps him realize what family means.

I give A Family Matters Christmas 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. This film releases on VOD and DVD November 8, 2022.

By Kendall B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

The "switch-mas" spirit is in the air with the new film, A Family Matters Christmas! It's a fun family film that forces you to think about the true meaning of Christmas and shows just how important it is for family to come together and get along.

A Family Matters Christmas follows siblings, Aiden (Randy Vince III), Emily (Cheyanne Cummings), and their soon-to-be brother, Brandon (Chase X. Drewery), whose parents are looking forward to getting married and spending their first family holiday together. However, the sibling's constant bickering threatens to make Christmas not-so-merry. Aiden creates an experiment to bring his family together, but with a little "help" from the "forgotten Christmas Spirit," Alternis (Stephen Fisher), his spell causes the three siblings to switch bodies. They must work together to learn the true meaning of family to break the spell and switch bodies back before Christmas morning.

The main characters are Aiden, Emily and Brandon. I love how much each sibling changes the other sibling's life, just by switching bodies. My favorite part was seeing the sacrifices each sibling makes for the sibling whose body they took over. It forces each one to experience life as that sibling, and even helps them. For example, since Emily is more outspoken, while she is in Aiden's body, she is able to stand up for him against bullies at school -- something Aiden would never do himself. The "switch" really creates some hilarious moments, like when Brandon is in Emily's body and get a dose of what it is like to be a girl. The film is so entertaining, that you forget it starts off as a story being read about the characters' journey. This is a storyline that some people will say has been made before and, while that's true, what's important is the message behind it; plus it is entertaining.

A Family Matters Christmas shows us that family really does matter and that it's possible to get along if you take the time to get to know one another. While you may not always agree with your siblings or be best friends, it's still good to create some kind of bond with them. Parents should look out for adult drinking and some slightly intimate parts.

I give A Family Matters Christmas 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to18, plus adults. A Family Matters Christmas releases on Digital and DVD November 8, 2022.

Santa gets frazzled because of all the mistakes made by the head elf, Winnie. He fires her and she becomes angry and vengeful and comes up with an evil idea of turning the clock back, locking up Santa and sending him backward in time. Once he is a teenager, he comes up with ideas to try and get the other key back from Kirra.

The sets and costumes of the movie are very basic, but creative. The exciting story drew attention away from that. The soundtrack is exciting and really sets the tone. The plot is very predictable, but exciting and captivating, nonetheless. The characters' progressions are done well and individual to each.

The message of this film is to not lose hope and, if you are good, good things will happen and kindness prevails!

The story follows Cassie heading back to her hometown for the holidays when she learns that the Christmas festival, her late mother's passion project, is no more. She quickly gets to work to recreate the event in her mother's memory and to help raise funds for the struggling library. She meets Nicolas, an out of town stranger who helps her plan the event. As they grow closer and Christmas grows near, Nicolas works up the courage to tell her his royal secret.

Cassie (Lisa Durupt) and Nicolas' (Marcus Rosner) love story takes the focus, with settings and scenes of the film fading into the background. Arthur (Michael Lazarovitch) plays a strong supporting role with a nice touch of amusement. Walt (John Treleaven) and Melinda (Diana-Marie Stolz) support Cassie on her journey towards the event and give off vibes that a little love might be bringing them closers as well.

Christmas with a Crown showcases the importance of family and tradition, especially during the holidays. The initial meeting of the main characters shows a bit of rudeness, but that quickly dissipates and the remainder of the Christmas with a Crown features only the positive message of family, teamwork, working towards a common goal, and tradition.

I give Christmas with a Crown 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. It is available December 1, 2020 on Digital and DVD.

This story is about a family with 14 adopted kids work together to stop a developer that wants to close down the community center and how they work together, aided by a little holiday magic to overcome the situation.

The film is a bit slow paced, but I like that it shows the importance of moral values and gives examples of how kids can take responsible actions, help each other and give back to their community. The story is a bit predictable and sometimes jumps through the scenes without much context. It takes about 30 minutes to completely understand what is going on in the film. Kids may need patience to sit through the first half hour. The screenplay just doesn't quite weave a captivating story. It does show how kids can patiently work through things and how to take responsible steps to help everyone around you. My favorite part is the acting. You can see that the actors (Corbin Bernsen, Dennis Haskins, Calhoun Koenig, Bruce Xavier and more) put in a lot of effort throughout the movie.

It also touches on the topic of racism when an elderly businessman or a couple treats some Asian Americans poorly. We see how the individual tries to tackle the problem with a smile and without retaliation. I was somewhat dissatisfied that it touches on these sensitive topics yet does not address how to deal with the problems or why it is necessary to curb such behavior.

This film definitely uses the right vocabulary for its target audience. And, the music enhances the theme of the film, which really gets to kids.

The message of the film is: Take care of your family and friends and act responsibly. P>I give A Bennet Song Holiday 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults.

Reviewed by Laxmi D., KIDS FIRST! Adult Reviewer

>A Bennett Song Holiday is a film about a multicultural family where each member has talents and stories. They come together around the holidays and face the oppression of a businessman wanting to take over the building where one of the family members works and which serves the community. Using the main story from the novella "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, this movie highlights how kindness and family can change any unexpected outcome in life.

The movie touches on so many different themes including family, racism, misogyny, pop culture, minorities (deaf, LQTBQ+, POC), adoption, non-traditional families and more. It includes so many themes without going deep into any of them. The main storyline is good and shows the importance of family and coming together in times of adversity, but it wanders.

The movie runs almost two hours, which is a bit lengthy for younger audiences. The music and dancing are definitely attractive, but it's still long. The flow of the scenes is good, but missing is back stories of all the adopted kids. Each one has their own unique qualities, but we know nothing about their past so it's difficult to get a sense of character development.

The film is all about family, togetherness and overcoming unexpected situations in life, however there are two scenes that deal with adult affairs. One turns out to be a misunderstanding, but the other is real as one man discovers his fianc� is having the affair with his brother. That, plus another scene that feels unnecessarily intimate seem unsuitable for younger children. Also, there are racist and misogynistic comments that are never addressed, which is disappointing since those could have led to great lessons.

The locations of the movie are well-chosen and art is one of the main components of the movie - music, dance, and visual artwork. The representation of different cultures and religions is featured, using words such as "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa" to show appreciation for the ways that people of different cultures celebrate the holidays. The movie does show how family is more than just blood and names and that family is defined by those who are with us when we need them most.

I give A Bennett Song Holiday 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 13 to 18, plus adults.

Goldie, Benny the Beaver and Baby Bear travel along an amusing journey of danger, mystery and magic. Most importantly, we find out if spells are cast and if wishes really do come true. Curious children decide to collect gifts on Christmas Eve, but find much more than they bargain for.

I enjoyed the actor's performances, the graphics and the storyline. The message is about learning to be brave and put differences aside to problem solve. I really liked seeing a new version of this childhood classic with a holiday theme that appeals to kids and families. I had to stream the video on a different device because the first one kept pausing. But, once I got it working, it was entertaining and held my attention immediately after the first few minutes. The film progressively gets better. The story is a little predictable, but the ways in which problems occur is unexpected. The costumes are also quite charming.

The production quality is very good, although some scenes and graphics don't match the actual settings. But, all images are clear. The sound is great. I enjoyed the bonus features and bloopers at the end. It gives us a chance to see the actors without their costumes on.