Is the movie Ferdinand appropriate for kids?

Movie Title:    Ferdinand

Grade:   B

Rating: PG, 1 hour 46 minutes

In a Nutshell: I lived in Spain for a couple of years in my 20's, so I was curious to see Blue Sky Studio and 20th Century Fox would represent that beautiful country I fell in love with.  I especially wanted to see how they would make what is normally a very brutal “sport” into a kid-friendly movie!  

I attended one bull fight in Spain.  Once was enough.  The truth is that bulls in the ring die a bloody, violent death.  Does that sound like a kid movie to you?

Honestly, I couldn't decide how I felt about this movie.  The animation is colorful and sweet, but the backdrop for the entire story seems almost inappropriate for kids.

Uplifting theme: 

• We all have different dreams.  Live yours.
• Control your fears.
• Flowers make the world a better place!
• Hate vs. love.
• Pets are family.

Things I liked:

• Beautiful animation scenery and landscapes.  Detailed animation brings richness to straw, dirt, water, chipped paint, and moisture on the bulls’ nostrils. 
• Based on The Story of Ferdinand , the original Disney short was first shown in 1938 and even won an Academy Award for Best Short! 
• I thought it was funny when Ferdinand accidentally breathed in a caterpillar and then snorted out a fully-grown butterfly.  Ha ha
• The film introduces kids to a few Spanish traditions which make the country unique and magical, such as flamenco dance, the flower festival (Feria de las flores), and white-washed streets lined with baskets of flowers.  I liked it when they showed the old-fashioned, classic windmills of Spain and then the modernized windmills to contrast the rich tradition with the new Spain.  It doesn't quite do for Spain what the movie Coco does for Mexico, but it was a nice start.
• Bull in a china shop.  It had to be done.
• John Cena does a great job as the voice of Ferdinand.
• The dance battle scene was pretty cute.
• I never knew there was such a thing as a “calming goat” used around bulls.  Kate McKinnon is a fantastic comedic actress, really bringing life to Lupe, the goofy goat.
• The Austrian horses may seem out of place in the movie, but the Lipizzaner show horses are actually really famous in Spain.
• Segways.  Man, I love those.  So much fun.
• It’s amazing that they could build an entire feature film around a very short story.
• Nick Jonas' song Home has been nominated for a Golden Globe. The Ferdinand (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is sweet enough.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s not super funny with lots of quick laughs.  The audience I watched the movie with was pretty quiet and didn’t react much to what was happening on the screen.
• Some Spanish is spoken without subtitles, but nothing important is said that would make those lines crucial to the story.  They’re just added in to enhance the flavor of Spain.  The names of some of the characters are words in Spanish:  Guapo (Handsome) and Valiente (Brave).
•  The chase scene went from entertaining to completely ridiculous in about 2 seconds.
• Some movie critics complain that there are too many characters in this movie, but I didn’t mind.  
• Three great actors voiced the hedgehogs, yet I didn't even notice: Gina Rodriguez (I love her in Jane the VIRGIN), Gabriel Iglesias, and Daveed Diggs.  They don't get that many lines, and you pay more attention to their antics than to their voices.

Funny lines:

• “I’ve fallen and I can’t giddy-up!” – Austrian horse
• “I’m Una!  I’m Dos!  I’m Cuatro!” – Hedgehogs

“What happened to Tres?” – Ferdinand

“We do not speak of Tres.” - Hedgehogs

Interesting lines:

• “Why does not wanting to fight mean I’m scared?” – Ferdinand   (Great question!  It often takes greater courage NOT to fight!)
• “If we don’t look out for each other, who will?” – Ferdinand

                                                   

Tips for parents: 

• If your kids are sensitive to the horrors of killing animals for sport, this is not the movie for them.  There is also a disgusting “chop house” scene that might turn your kids into vegans.
• It’s a fairly long animation, and I noticed some of the younger children in the audience I sat with getting bored and fidgety.
• There is a scene where some characters sing and dance the “Macarena.”  Wow, young kids are definitely not going to know what that dance craze was.  That was a LONG time ago!
• Your kids are probably going to want a pet hedgehog now.  They may be shocked to learn that the adorable, little creatures don’t come in pink and blue.
• There is sort of a gay undertone in that bulls are supposed to be manly and macho, yet Ferdinand just wants to play with flowers.  In a trailer interview with wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, he explains that he can relate to Ferdinand and being judged, saying, “Don’t judge a bull by its cover.”  Always a good lesson for your kids to learn. 

@trinaboice 

Assassin's Creed disappoints

Movie Title:  Assassin's Creed

Grade:  D

Rating: PG-13, 116 minutes

In a Nutshell: I’ve never played this popular video game, but I was excited to see it, because my 4 sons have played it and the movie partly takes place in Spain, where I lived for 2 years.  

This action film features actors I really like: Academy Award nominee Michael Fassbender, Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard, and Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons.  With such a pedigreed cast, you would think this would be an incredible movie.  Alas, it falls short, like most video game movies.

Uplifting theme: 

• Interesting question: Are people born with a predisposition to violence?  What do YOU think?
• “People no longer care about their civil liberties; they care about their standard of life.” – Ellen Kaye (Charlotte Rampling)    Sadly, I think that’s true.
• Free will, choices, good vs. evil.

Things I liked:

• The look of the movie feels like the video game.
• There is a lot of impressive Parkour action, although some of it looks fake.  The stunt work was really great.
• It's imaginative and could have been really good.
• 
  
• Things I didn’t like:

• Cal Lynch only goes into the past three times, which is lame because that’s what people are going to the theater to see, not the boring present.
• There were some scenes with a lot of annoying drum beats.
• There were a lot of dust storms that got in the way of the audience being able to see the Spanish landscape and what was happening, especially in the beginning.
• There is a lot of mumbling, making it hard to understand what everyone says.
• How exactly is that elusive Apple of Eden supposed to control free will?  And the way to cure violence and anger in the world is by killing a bunch of people?  What the…?
• The plot is pretty nonsensical and confusing with frustrating story choices.
• The movie ends with a dangling thread to set up a sequel that most people probably won’t watch.
• The editing is super frustrating, because it keeps cutting to different angles really quickly and you don’t get to enjoy the action as much.

Interesting lines:

• “Why the aggression?” – Sofia

“I’m an aggressive person.” – Cal Lynch

• “You turn to violence.  I turn to science.” – Sofia
• “Love makes us weak.” – Maria (Arieane Labed)  Do you agree with that statement?
• “Tell my father I’ll see him in hell.” – Cal
• “What do you want from me?” – Cal

“Your past.” – Sofia

• “We work in the dark to serve the light.  We are assassins.” – Cal Lynch
• “We’ve been looking for solutions. You’ve eliminated the problem.” – Rikkin

Funny lines:

• “Violence is a disease, like Cancer.” – Sofia

“Violence is what kept me alive.” – Cal

“Well, technically, you’re dead.” – Sofia

• “You’re going to lead them right to it.” – Nathan (Callum Turner)

“No, I’m going to eat it.” – Cal

• “I’m here to be cured of violence.  Who’s going to cure you?” - Cal

Tips for parents: 

• You see people being burned at the stake during the Spanish Inquisition, although the shapes aren't outlined very clearly.
• Lots and lots of fighting, stabbing, and other violence.
• There are subtitles that move pretty fast. 
• The video is rated for Mature audiences, intended for ages 17 and up.  That alone might help you decide if you want your kids to watch this.
• 1 F-bomb

@trinaboice