Sports Fan or Not, ‘Moneyball’ Scores Big
With Columbia Pictures’ Moneyball opening in theaters today, KIDS FIRST! film critic Jonah Menegaz (age 13) scoops a preview for our KIDS FIRST! community. Yes, the movie’s got Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman onscreen, but Menegaz point to the cinematography as also worth paying attention to. Fellow KIDS FIRST! film critics Daniel Menegaz (age 13) and Gabriella Chu (age 14) make it unanimous: Moneyball scores a hit on all counts.
Moneyball
Reviewed by Jonah Menegaz
Moneyball is a great movie, starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as Peter Brand. Together, the two completely recreate how baseball is looked at and how it changed [as to] how the players are picked.
Since I am not a sporty person, I don’t like baseball very much and it kind of bores me, but this movie was fantastic and very interesting. I thought the acting was great and the actors got into their characters, and it kept me wondering what will happen next. I also thought the DP (director of photography) was awesome and how [the movie] displayed shots that set the mood for the scene. I also thought it was really cool how they used real footage from when the game was actually being played.
This movie was rightfully rated PG-13 because of the language — there was often cussing — and I think this movie is great for kids 11 and up. Overall, this is an excellent movie and you should go see it!
Moneyball
Reviewed by Daniel Menegaz
Moneyball is the invigorating true story about the rise of the Oakland
A’s — a baseball team with a tiny budget. Starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as Peter Brand, the duo try to re-invent the game of baseball by using a new way of recruiting players.
The movie was serious at times, but the comic relief is very funny. I thought it was really clever when they used real footage of baseball games in the film, as well as recreating games. The acting was also spot on. Considering I’m not the biggest baseball fan, this movie was actually really good.
I think the age group is about ten and up because, aside from two or three curse words, all of the subject matter was appropriate. Over all, I would give Moneyball 4 out of 5 stars.
Moneyball
Reviewed by Gabriella Chu
If you are a baseball fan, then Moneyball is an inspirational movie for you. It’s about a baseball team manager, Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, who tries his best to repair the Oakland A’s baseball team with his constrained budget. He hires a Yale graduate, Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, who teaches him to use statistics to compare baseball players among each other, instead of the conventional method of following his instincts to decide which players to choose and keep. If you’re wondering whether Beane’s uncommon and distrusted method will help his baseball team win more games, watch the movie to find out!
I think this movie is inspirational because its messages are very straightforward. The movie shows that sticking to the status quo is not always the best decision you can make, and it’s not money that makes something worthwhile, but it’s the journey that counts. Brad Pitt’s acting is exceptional, and the strong personality and ambition his character possesses emphasizes these messages.
Besides a few well-timed flashbacks, the director made the movie seem more like a book told through visuals, and not so much as a film. In addition, if Peter Brand didn’t exist as a character in the movie, there would be no story to the film.
I recommend this movie to teens 13 and up because there is some cursing, but nothing too serious. Moneyball tells a splendid story, and will be sure to delight baseball fans.
Photo, top to bottom: Moneyball poster, Jonah Menegaz, Daniel Menegaz, Gabriella Chu
