KIDS FIRST! News

The action-packed new season of the franchise continues with the story of Tiny, an adorable Yorkie pup who, after winning the ‘Pup Star’ TV singing competition, is suddenly launched into an adventure when she’s replaced by a street Yorkie, Scrappy, and the two swap lives in a dog-filled, fish-out-of-water tale that ultimately demonstrates life truly is ‘better together.’  KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Abigail Zoe L. comments, “I absolutely love the music because it includes rap, pop, country, upbeat and sad songs that draws you in and touches your heart.” Samantha M. adds, “You’re never too young or old to love an animal. I fell in love with the first Pup Star film and seeing the second one made my heart melt. If you love animals as much as I do, this is undoubtedly the film for you.” Calista B. wraps it up with, “I want to acknowledge the really good editing in this movie. Since most of the characters are dogs, you must make their lip movements and actions look convincing. And I must admit, the lip movements and actions actually do look real. That must have taken a lot of time.” See their full reviews below.

Pup Star: Better2Gether
By Abigail Zoe L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10

Air Bud Entertainment has done it again and created a fun-filled family film with this follow up sequel to Pup Star. I like the movie because the story has a fun adventure and also introduces lots of new characters including the disco dog Shampoo, the perfect pal P.U.P. (Mackenzie Sol) and the “catankerous” Kitty Purry (Madison Pettis).

The story begins when Roland (Jed Rees) and Bark (George Newbern) kidnap Tiny (Kaitlyn Maher); or should I say dognap. Scrappy (Kaitlyn Maher) is put in Tiny’s place for the Pup Star finals because Bark wants revenge on Tiny. My favorite scene is Shampoo’s disco party! It is hilarious because it is quite unusual to see dogs dancing. Wow! He slides all around and spins on the ground like fidget spinner. My next favorite scene is in Kitty Purry’s cat alley. When Roland enters, his clothes are in perfect condition, but when he comes out, his entire outfit is in shreds.

My favorite characters are Tiny, Scrappy and Roland. Tiny is so loveable and a great singer. Scrappy is an awesome rapper with lots of attitude. Roland thinks he is pretty smart but he’s really like a dodo bird. It’s so funny that in almost every scene something bad happens to him which made me laugh like a howling husky.

I absolutely love the music because it includes rap, pop, country, upbeat and sad songs that draws you in and touches your heart. Kaitlyn Mayer has an amazing and versatile voice. She is able to not only sing pop but rap like nobody’s business. I like the special effects because they make the talking dogs and facial expressions look so real and, by the end of the movie, I believed that dogs can really talk and sing. Can’t they?

I don’t want to give away the ending, but you’ll most likely have tears in your eyes. The heartfelt messages of the film are about sticking together and that families are better together. I recommend this to ages 3 to 13. I rate this film 5 out of 5 Pup Stars. I highly encourage you to see this film! It is available on VOD August 29, 2017 so go check it out.

Pup Star: Better2Gether
By Samantha Marcus, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 17

This wonderful, animated film is one of my all-time favorites. Firstly, it’s about dogs. Secondly, any kind of dog you can imagine is in this film, so you are sure to love at least one. If you don’t love dogs as much as I do, that’s okay, because there are plenty of cats to go around as well.

After Tiny, a Yorkshire terrier, wins the Pup Star finale, her fame begins to flourish. Having multiple interviews and traveling around the country, she’s forced to remain astray from her family. Scrappy, an identical street Yorkshire terrier, switches lives with Tiny and their families and friends are completely unaware. Tiny and Scrappy encounter multiple adventures and learn a valuable life lesson: life is better together.

Kaitlyn Maher, who voices both Tiny and Scrappy, successfully illustrates the differences between the two, through Scrappy’s low-pitched raps and Tiny’s intense singing voice. During the film, there are also times where you aren’t able to tell the difference. Mackenzie Moss, who plays Tiny’s owner Lou, is the perfect dog owner. She loves Tiny more than anything in the world and, even though she’s actually loving Scrappy for a majority of the film, her heart is always with Tiny. You can see it in her smile when it’s Tiny’s birthday. The entire house is decorated. There is a cake – what more could you ask for?

The set is incredible! It looks so similar to the set of America’s Got Talent. The stage is filled with colorful lights, incredible singers and there’s even a real audience. It feels as if you’re a part of the show. My favorite part is when Tiny goes on “Jimmy Kibble Live” and competes with a super-fan. They play a game called “Who Knows Tiny Best?” Jimmy Kimmel Live is one of my favorite talk shows, so it is hilarious to see an imitation of it.

The message of the film is concise, yet extremely powerful: life is better when you’re together. No matter who you may be with, as long as you have a support system, there is nothing that can tear you down. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to kids ages 6 to18. Adults will love it too. You’re never too young or old to love an animal. I fell in love with the first Pup Star film and seeing the second one made my heart melt. If you love animals as much as I do, this is undoubtedly the film for you. Catch this film on VOD August 29, 2017. I can’t wait to see Pup Star 3.

Pup Stars: Better 2Gether
By Calista B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

This film is a perfectly cute kid and family furry-friendly movie. Sorry, there are lots of puns in this film. It is clearly geared to younger kids, but at least I can say there is a very clear effort to make this film watchable for older siblings and even parents.

The story centers around a celebrity pooch named Tiny and a streetwise dog named Scrappy who are forced to switch places after Tiny is dog-napped. Scrappy is coerced to purposely lose The Pup Stars Final competition pretending to be Tiny.

First, I want to acknowledge the really good editing in this movie. Since most of the characters are dogs, you must make their lip movements and actions look convincing. And I must admit, the lip movements and actions actually do look real. That must have taken a lot of time. Kudos to the film’s editor, Jason Dale. All the dogs in the film are likable and you just want to cuddle up with Tiny and Scrappy.

This film has some flaws in terms of its story. First, the humans are incredibly oblivious and bumbling. When Scrappy meets Tiny’s family, she does a terrible job hiding that she isn’t Tiny, yet they completely buy it. No one seems to realize Tiny and Scrappy have switched places. All the human characters are either self-absorbed or really incompetent. I also have an issue with how predictable the storyline is. I knew the big reveal within the first few minutes of the film. Not only that, this type of story has been done before. This movie is pretty much Parent Trap, but with dogs and an American Idol twist.

I have to say that the music is surprisingly really good. The song Tiny sings, “Is This For Real?” is pretty catchy and I even found it stuck in my head after the movie was over. The singing overall is also great. I admit, the movie’s soundtrack is kind of a guilty pleasure for me.

Before the movie starts, it is revealed that they are working on Pup Stars 3 and I am curious how many movies they can make, especially since the first one only came out last year and they go straight to VOD. I wonder what the plot will be for the next movie and hope they don’t depict the humans as totally incompetent next time.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 3 to 10, as this is a solid family film. It will be released on VOD on August 29, 2017 so, check it out.

Pup Star: Better 2Gether
By Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Pup Star: Better 2Gether, the sequel to Pup Star, is an amazing original film that really hits the heart.  The storyline is unique and the ending is so adorable. The film teaches the important messages of honesty and owning up to your mistakes.

The storyline begins when Scrappy gets put up to impersonate Tiny. Bark instructs Scrappy to lose the Pup Star Competition as Tiny so that he can win. Bark kidnaps Tiny and tries to keep him contained. Eventually he escapes and tries to find his owner and reveal the truth.

Kaitlyn Maher voices two completely different characters and personalities well. She voices Tiny’s sweet and affectionate personality and also voices Scrappy’s rough, snarky personality. I also love the voice acting of Steve Valentine as Simon Growl. It is a really good Simon Cowell impression. At first, I thought it was actually Simon Cowell voicing his dog counterpart.

The animation that makes the dogs dance and talk looks so real. It is so cool to see the dogs break-dancing at the disco party. It is also amazing to see the dogs singing and talking. They sound beautiful and angelic.

My favorite character is Scrappy, because she is so courageous and has such a strong personality, even if she seems harsh. She is a great example of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” I don’t want to give any spoilers, but she is very confident and knows what’s right.

The message of this film is to have confidence in yourself and do what’s right. Tiny has confidence that she can find her owner. She doesn’t give up and that helps her greatly. Scrappy knows what’s right and she becomes successful and happy at the end. These things benefit both dogs and the film teaches that it will benefit you as well. They are very important lessons that will help you throughout your life.

This film is very inspirational and super-cute. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages of 3 to 18. Who doesn’t love puppies?  Definitely check this film out when it comes out on VOD August 29^, 2017.

Audience Interviews in NYC by Na’im S., Niles G., Evelyn P., Rohan F. and Damon F.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 20th, 2017 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Feature Film Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.