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A thoroughly cinematic drama, Elvis’s (Butler) story is seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). As told by Parker, the film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Heather S., comments, “This is an incredible and exciting film. From the opening scene until the credits roll, the movie is a roller coaster of emotions. Austin’s performance as the king of Rock n Roll is revolutionary. It’s impossible to take your eyes off of him. He truly becomes Elvis with his mannerisms and dancing.” See her full review below.

Elvis
By Heather S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Elvis is a movie everyone needs to see! One of the greatest biopics is finally here and it does not disappoint. Fans of all generations will love this film for years to come.

Elvis is told from the point of view of Colonel Parker (Tom Hanks) who used to be Elvis’s manager. He tells the story of how he met Elvis (Austin Butler) and how the singer took the world by storm. The film covers the years of Elvis’s life as a young adult until his passing.

This is an incredible and exciting film. From the opening scene until the credits roll, the movie is a roller coaster of emotions. Austin’s performance as the king of Rock n Roll is revolutionary. It’s impossible to take your eyes off of him. He truly becomes Elvis with his mannerisms and dancing. Austin’s performance is Oscar-worthy, just like the rest of the film. The movie humanizes Elvis, where audiences see him as more than just a performer. It’s heartbreaking to see how this larger-than-life legend never lived the life he wanted.

The film unites both Elvis fans and non-enthusiasts by showing this icon in a never-before-seen profile. Following Elvis throughout his life and witnessing his love of music made me feel as if he’s been a friend of mine for years. Producer/Director/Writer, Baz Lurhmann delivers an incredible film and story here. It is completely engaging, has a perfect mix of modern music and Elvis classics, along with swapping between Elvis and the Colonel’s points of view. Archival elements such as newspaper headlines and comic book art are put to good use and the film ends with a video recording of Elvis’s last concert. The costumes are spectacular. The scene of Elvis’s Las Vegas residency wearing his iconic white suit is beautiful since it looks like the viewers are watching a live performance. This is one movie that you should watch in theaters to capture its greatness. The music blaring; Austin’s acting; and the cinematography should be experienced on the big screen.

Elvis offers several themes, but the most important one is to live the life you want to. Elvis’s mother warned him of living a life to please others and that he would eventually lose himself, which is exactly what happened. Elvis never lived his life for himself and, in the end, it consumed him.

I give Elvis 5 out 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18 plus adults. It premieres in theaters June 24, 2022.

This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe. From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live–and hunt–alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ethan P. comments, “Jurassic World Dominion is an action-packed film filled with great comedy and strong actor performances. I also liked how they brought characters from Jurassic Park and World together into one movie.” Tiana S. adds,” Bigger and scarier dinosaurs, heart-pounding sound effects, and plot twists mixed with plenty of adventures are just what you can expect from Jurassic World Dominion! From the beginning to the end of the movie, there are tons of action-packed scenes to keep you literally jumping for more.” Benjamin P. wraps it up with, “The world of Jurassic Park roars back to life with Jurassic World Dominion, a long, spectacle-driven, dino-filled movie  — at times messy and confusing and good reminder of how this film doesn’t quite live up to Jurassic films of the past.” See their full reviews below.

Jurassic World Dominion
Ethan P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

Jurassic World Dominion is an action-packed film filled with great comedy and strong actor performances. I also liked how they brought characters from Jurassic Park and World together into one movie. In this version, humans and all animals learn to adapt to sharing the planet with all species of dinosaurs. 

Continuing from the Jurassic Park, and now World series, this movie is about how Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) makes a huge mistake when he and Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott) of Biosyn, try to engineer locust bugs designed to eat all the wheat crops, except for Biosyn crops, so they can control the food source. The problem is these giant bugs multiply out of control and threaten to eat all the human’s source of food. You might remember Dodgson from the first Jurassic Park movie, where he was trying to buy dinosaur embryos from an Ingen programmer named Dennis Nedry. The famous Barbasol can with a secret embryo compartment makes a cameo in this film as well. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) work together again to stop this madness by exposing their plan. While this is happening, Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) is being hunted down to be studied at the same lab.

The graphics are exciting and just as good as the CGI. My favorite part is when Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) throws a stick on fire at the T-rex to stop it from eating him. The scene is so realistic and is even better when he starts blowing out fire from his mouth! In comparison with the previous Jurassic Park movies, this film has extraordinary effects. The music is appealing for each scene and the story line is engaging, even though it was a bit predictable. The actors performed their characters very well.

The moral of Jurassic World Dominion is to respect nature and to adapt to changes—we see that message where InGen and Biosyn took dinosaurs for granted when using them to experiment and to try to make money.

I give Jurassic World Dominion 5 out of 5 stars for the finale of this great series of movies. I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Jurassic World Dominion is available in all theatres starting on June 10, 2022.

Jurassic World Dominion
By Tiana S., KIDS FIRST Film Critic, age 11

Bigger and scarier dinosaurs, heart-pounding sound effects, and plot twists mixed with plenty of adventures are just what you can expect from Jurassic World Dominion! From the beginning to the end of the movie, there are tons of action-packed scenes to keep you literally jumping for more. Fans of the Jurassic Park franchise will not be disappointed.   

Jurassic World Dominion centers around two different storylines. On one hand, Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), a teenager, who happens to be a clone of her biological mother, is kidnapped and taken to a company called Biosyn to become a science experiment so scientists can learn how her biological mother created her. On the other hand, her parents, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), set out on an adventure to rescue her. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) is suspicious of the works of Biosyn and its animal experiments, as well as its attempt to take over the food chain. She brings in Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to help her stop Biosyn from taking over. The two storylines eventually combine for one suspenseful adventure that happens to take place all while dinosaurs are threatening the characters’ existence.  

The main characters in this film are Maisie, Claire, Owen, Alan, Ellie, and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). There are references and character appearances from other movies in the Jurassic Park franchise. I enjoyed seeing how characters from different parts of the film join together to save Maisie and end up trying to save each other and become a family while working together. There are some funny scenes throughout the film, and I loved seeing the characters communicating with the dinosaurs and even making them promises. The movie takes you on an emotional rollercoaster as you root for the good guys to not only survive but to win.

This film touches on family and whether or not dinosaurs and humans can co-exist. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out. While I highly enjoyed Jurassic World Dominion, this film may not be suitable for people who have certain fears/anxieties or even suffer from PTSD. Parents should look out for scenes with extreme violence, gory deaths, and loads of jump scares. 

I give Jurassic World Dominion 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for kids ages 12 to 18, plus adults. This film roars into theaters on June 10, 2022.

Jurassic World Dominion
By Benjamin P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 16

The world of Jurassic Park roars back to life with Jurassic World Dominion, a long, spectacle-driven, dino-filled movie  — at times messy and confusing and good reminder of how this film doesn’t quite live up to Jurassic films of the past.

After the conclusion of the last movie, dinosaurs are now roaming the globe, largely un-checked and causing mayhem as humans and dinos learn they make bad companions. Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) live a humble existence, each adapting to this ecological shockwave in their own way. They’re raising a young girl, who wants more freedom from her protective family unit. She has to live in hiding because her genes may or may not be the key to figuring out how this dinosaur fiasco could help cure diseases and be the key to saving lives. She’s taken and suddenly, Owen and Claire find themselves heading out into this uncertain world of humans and dinosaurs in search of her whereabouts. They’ll need help from a paleontologist named Alan Grant (Sam Neill), a scientist named Ellie Satler (Laura Dern) and a mathematician named Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), who we haven’t seen together since the first Jurassic Park back in 1993.

With a set-up as game-changing as the one set up by the end of the last Jurassic World movie—and the return of the original cast—the pieces seemed to be in place for this to be a home run. Unfortunately, the return of Goldblum, Neill and Dern feels dropped into the plot machinations of the Jurassic World series to attempt to fittingly close out this 6-movie journey. Yet nothing happens to them that changes their characters in any substantial way and while it’s great to have them back, their return lacks purpose within the story of Jurassic World Dominion.

The performances of the old favorites, Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum worked better for me than those of the newbies Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. There’s a tender encounter between Dern and a baby dinosaur that was really affecting—every emotion on her face feels pure and honest. She’s just as compelling in that moment as she is letting out a scream as locusts swarm around her. Sam Neill’s gruffness and grumbly demeanor still makes him a nice foil to Ian Malcom, and Jeff Goldblum feels right at home as Ian. He walks into this movie like a rock star, holding the attention of an auditorium full of enthralled listeners as he lectures in a black leather jacket. I’ll admit, it’s plenty of fun to see the original trio interact with the new Jurassic crew, comparing notes on their adventures and butting heads, but be warned, they don’t run into each other until almost two hours in.

The lesson of Jurassic World Dominion is elusive. At first, it seeks the answer to whether or not we can handle the consequences of what we do to the natural world. However, then, there’s a thread about parenthood that never gets fully developed. Indicative of Jurassic World Dominion’s greatest flaw, the ultimate point of this movie never explicitly reveals itself.  There is some mild violence, as well as some frightening sequences and frequent terror.

I give Jurassic World Dominion 2 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults.  Jurassic World Dominion stomps into theaters June 10, 2022.

Oh no! The mischievous Jabberwock has stolen the dreams of all the inhabitants of the galaxy! Enter Captain Snow White and the crew of the Fairytale Fun Force, the superpowered team of fairytale heroes: King Arthur, Little Red Riding Hood, Pinocchio, and Robin Hood! The brave team sets off on a galactic adventure to find out what happened to everybody’s dreams! Will Doodley Digs point them to virtual reality? Or will the Cheshire Cat lead them down into the dark Magic Forest? Maybe Dorothy has seen them in the wonderful land of Oz? Join the adventure and find out in Fairytale Fun Force!

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Anna Clara B. comments, “Fairytale Fun Force is a magical film so full of the cutest things that I couldn’t stop looking at the screen.” Ashleigh C. adds, “This film is perfect for a family movie night, with a perfect mix of action, comedy and adventure. Viewers and fans of parodies and remakes such as the show Once Upon a Time will obsess over this movie. While the characters are familiar and recognizable in appearance I love how the writers molded them with new personalities and quirks.” Katie F. adds, “Fairytale Fun Force is a cute and colorful cartoon made to entertain young children. Using our favorite fairytale characters and fairytale places, Fairytale Fun Force is an enjoyable animated film.” Pamela L. wraps it up with, “I really enjoyed Fairytale Fun Force with its upbeat storyline and well developed characters. It is a fun spoof on many popular children’s stories and movies that, when combined, create a unique story.” See their full reviews below.  

Fairytale Fun Force
By Anna Clara B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Fairytale Fun Force is a magical film so full of the cutest things that I couldn’t stop looking at the screen.

The film tells the story of five fairytale friends: Snow White, Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Little Red Riding Hood and King Arthur.  They all have a discussion about something they heard that is very strange, and, with that, they must to go to the whole galaxy to check the situation.

I like the film because it reminds me of my childhood, and everything is so colorful! I love the characters because, besides being the cutest, they bring other children’s stories with them. My favorite part is when they are going on one of their adventures, and King Arthur is looking at the beautiful landscape.  I love this because when he’s looking at this, his gaze is fixed, and the enchantment by what he sees is revealed. Something that I also really like is Snow White’s way of handling things—she’s very strong in her actions, and she doesn’t lose the focus in every situation. The CGI is perfect! Very well made. The animation in the background is excellent. The costumes of the characters suit the genre of the film, and it says much about their personality. The special effects are good, and it has magic! The scene transitions are well edited, too. I congratulate the team for this beautiful animation.

The message of Fairytale Fun Force is that we do not always have the right answer at first, and that we always have someone to count on!

I give Fairytale Fun Force 5 out of 5 stars, and I recommend this for ages 5 to12, plus adults. It releases on digital platforms, AVOD and DVD June 7, 2022.

Fairytale Fun Force
By Ashleigh Clyde, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 18

Hilarious and enchanting, Fairytale Fun Force is a fun watch for the entire family.

Familiar storybook characters we all love go on a quest to explore a potential problem that could threaten the universe. Will Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Robin Hood, Pinocchio and King Arthur save the day?

This film is perfect for a family movie night, with a perfect mix of action, comedy and adventure. Viewers and fans of parodies and remakes such as the show Once Upon a Time will obsess over this movie. While the characters are familiar and recognizable in appearance I love how the writers molded them with new personalities and quirks. It is like rediscovering these childhood classic favorites all over again. My favorite character in this film is Snow White. While I might be biased since she is one of my favorite Disney Princesses she brings so much to the plot of this film. Speaking of the plot, it is really exhilarating and kept me on my toes. The comedy and punch-lines landed every-time, which is greatly appreciated.

The message of Fairytale Fun Force is just that – have fun as you journey through the unpredictability of life. See the obstacles as opportunities to learn, grow, make new friends and maybe even save the Galaxy.

I give Fairytale Fun Force 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. It releases on digital platforms, AVOD and DVD June 7, 2022. You don’t want to miss it.

Fairytale Fun Force
Katie Francis, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13

Fairytale Fun Force is a cute and colorful cartoon made to entertain young children. Using our favorite fairytale characters and fairytale places, Fairytale Fun Force is an enjoyable animated film.

When Captain Snow White realizes that her dreams, and her crew’s dreams, have disappeared, she sets off into space to find out if this is happening everywhere. She learns that a strange monster is stealing their dreams. From traveling to the Cheshire Cat in Wonderland to Dorothy in the Great Land of Oz, will they find this monster? And will anyone stop them?

Written and directed by Kelly Little and produced by Albert Burrows, Fairytale Fun Force includes character voices shared among a few people. The main cast includes Kesley Painter, Simon Hill, John Thompson and many more— I love seeing all the different characters together. The animation directed by Emanuel Barros is excellent. The colors and bright lights in this film really draw our attention.

Fairytale Fun Force teaches how when you work together, you will be victorious.

I give Fairytale Fun Force 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. It releases on digital platforms, AVOD and DVD June 7, 2022.

Fairytale Fun Force
By Pamela L., KIDS FIRST!

I really enjoyed Fairytale Fun Force with its upbeat storyline and well developed characters. It is a fun spoof on many popular children’s stories and movies that, when combined, create a unique story.

Fairytale Fun Force follows five characters from popular children’s fairytales – Snow White, King Arthur, Pinocchio, Robin Hood and Little Red Riding Hood – who are out to save the world from a thief that is stealing dreams.

The film’s structure is well developed and easy to follow. The setting takes place on a spaceship with the characters visiting various fictitious planets that are based on fairytales and popular children’s books. The storyline flows well, draws the viewer into the film and is unpredictable. The characters will be familiar to most children as they are from well-known fairytales that familiar to most audiences. It is easy to recognize the origin of the characters by both their costumes and their language. They are cute and attractive. For the most part, the voices are in sync with the character’s mouths, but at times they are out of sync. The vocabulary is a mixture of familiar words and phrases commonly used by children along with new words they can easily learn. Most are simple enough for young children to understand, while some will challenge children to expand their vocabulary. The images are colorful and bold, which will keep their attention.

The message of the film emphasizes how everyone working together solves problems. It teaches the importance of teamwork, how to work with difficult people and the value of perseverance.

I give Fairytale Fun Force 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. It releases on digital platforms, AVOD and DVD June 7, 2022.

From award-winning creator Julian Fellowes comes the motion picture event Downton Abbey: A New Era. The much-anticipated cinematic return of the global phenomenon reunites the beloved cast as they go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ newly inherited villa.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Heather S., comments, “It’s so incredible to return to the Downton Abbey era and the Crawley family. Each one is out of their comfort zone in this new movie, which is absolutely hilarious. It’s beautiful to see how much the characters have changed since the first time we met them in 2010. This movie focuses on relationships and characters that we haven’t seen that often.” See her full review and talent interviews below.

Downton Abbey: A New Era
By Heather S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

The Crawley family returns once more! Downton Abbey: A New Era brings all our favorite characters together again in interesting circumstances. Fans will love what’s in store in this new film. 

Downton Abbey: A New Era focuses on the secret past of the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith). She comes into possession of a property in the South of France. Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and his family head to France to investigate why the villa was given to his mother. Meanwhile back at Downton, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) hosts a crew of filmmakers and actors who use the estate as a set for their new film. 

It’s so incredible to return to the Downton Abbey era and the Crawley family. Each one is out of their comfort zone in this new movie, which is absolutely hilarious. Lady Mary becomes a voice actress temporarily and seeing Robert hate the film crew for taking over his property is as funny as possible. The Crawleys have seen the times change and preparing for cinema to take over is amazing. It makes audiences realize how this generation saw life change so rapidly.

Tom Branson (Allen Leech) is happily married and some new couples flourish in the film too. It’s beautiful to see how much the characters have changed since the first time we met them in 2010. This movie focuses on relationships and characters that we haven’t seen that often. It’s refreshing to watch the pure relationship Daisy (Sophia McShera) and Andrew (Michael Fox) have and I loved watching fan-favorite Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) chase her love. The wardrobe is as spectacular as ever, even adding some Victorian pieces for the film being made at Downton. The comedy is brilliant and cunning, reminding us why we love Violet as much as we do.

There are many messages to take away here. Lady Mary learns to embrace the new era of filmmaking and life as she gets out of her comfort zone and realizes that it’s okay to try new things. Lord Grantham learns that, even though being Earl and having property is a big part of his life, it is not everything. He realizes how important his family is to him.

I give Downton Abbey: A New Era 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18 plus adults. It releases in theaters May 20, 2022. 

Theodore Templeton is framed for embezzlement and forced to revert back to his old Boss Baby self and crash with his brother Tim and his two nieces, brainy big kid Tabitha and fellow Baby Corp employee Tina. Together, Boss Baby and Tina co-lead a new Field Team fighting to increase Baby Love while keeping a new group of arch-nemeses – The Uncuddleables – from destroying Baby Corp itself.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Katherine S. comments, “Boss Baby: Back in the Crib is a great show for the whole family. This new animated series is the next installment in the Boss Baby franchise and is super entertaining for kids while still staying relatable to parents.” See her full review and interviews below.

The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib
By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib is a great show for the whole family. This new animated series is the next installment in the Boss Baby franchise and is super entertaining for kids while still staying relatable to parents.

When Theodore Templeton (JP Karliak) gets framed for embezzlement by his employees, he is forced to turn into his baby self and hide with his brother, Timothy (Max Miittelman) to escape from the FBI. While staying at his brother’s house, he rejoins Baby Corp. and goes on many secret missions and exciting adventures with former characters and a whole new crew.

Since this show is based on The Boss Baby, Boss Baby: Back in Business, and Boss Baby 2: Family Business, I would recommend watching them in advance as the series references characters and storylines from these movies and show, but it is not necessary. And even though there are several different storylines in the Boss Baby franchise, this series still stays fresh and unique. Although it’s not for my age range, it’s is the perfect show for young children and their parents to enjoy.

The strongest performances of the show come from JP Karliak, Mary Faber and Ariana Greenblatt. JP Karliak as Boss Baby is so funny and excellently mimics Alec Baldwin, who voiced Boss Baby originally. Mary Faber voices Tina, and she brings such a happy and sweet mood to the scenes she is in. Ariana Greenblatt in the role of Tabitha has the perfect proportions of clever, smart and caring that a big sister would have. My favorite character is NannyCam No Filter CEO Baby, voiced by Nicole Byer because she is so hilarious and brings a wonderful personality to the long line of Baby Corp CEOs.

The message of The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib to fight for what you believe is right. This show also has great themes of teamwork and friendship, and how everyone deserves love.

I give The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 11, plus adults. It comes out on Netflix May 19, 2022.