Twilight (Film)

(2008). Twilight. Summit Entertainment.

Based on the book Twilight, written by Stephanie Meyer.

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke

Starring:

Robert Pattinson
Kristen Stuart
Billy Burke
Peter Facinelli
Taylor Lautner
Cam Gigandet

Plot: Bella Swan has come to live with her father in Forks, a dreary cold, rainy town in Washington. She meets handsome Edward Cullen, who she is intrigued by and soon finds herself falling in love with him. The only problem is he is a vampire and the scent of her blood is like a drug to him. His love for her is stronger and he decides that staying away from her is not an option. Edward and his family have chosen not to drink the blood of humans, instead drinking the blood of animals to survive. One day Bella and Edward join his family for a game of baseball and a trio of vampires interrupt the game. The vampires smell Bella and a stand off begins between the two clans, so Edward takes Bella away to safety, knowing that the vampires won't give up until they get her.

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: Ages 8 & up

Other movies in this series:

• Twilight Saga: New Moon
• Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Awards:

• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance - Kristen Stewart
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight - Cam Gigandet and Robert Pattinson
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss - Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Movie
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Male Performance - Robert Pattinson
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor Drama- Robert Pattinson
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress Drama - Kristin Stewart
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain - Cam Gigandet
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Album Soundtrack

Camp Rock (Film)

(2008). Camp Rock. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Run time: 98 minutes

Disney Channel Original Movie

Directed by: Matthew Diamond

Starring:
Demi Lavato
Joe Jonas
Nick Jonas
Kevin Jonas

Plot: Mitchie is an aspiring singer and wants to go to Camp Rock, but it is too expensive, so to go her mom has to be the caterer for the camp and Mitchie has to help out in the kitchen. Scandalous Shane Gray, lead singer of Connect 3, is at the camp trying to repair his image and hears a girl singing with a beautiful voice, but she takes off before he can see her. Mitchie tries to keep the fact that she helps out in the kitchen secret and Shane befriends her while still searching for the girl with the voice.

Genre: Musical

Interest level: ages 8-12

Subjects/themes: music, singing, dancing, be true to yourself, romance.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (Film)

(2009). Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Sony Pictures.

Run time: 90 minutes

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Starring:

Bill Hader
Neil Patrick Harris
Anna Faris
James Caan
Bruce Campbell
Mr. T
Andy Sandberg

Plot: Wannabe scientist Flint Lockwood has been trying all his life to create something amazing but never succeeded, like his spray-on shoes that don't come off. He isn't very popular in his hometown of Swallow Falls, until he finally creates something that does work. He creates the Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator, which turns water molecules into food. The first time the device works it rains burgers all over the town. The mayor of Swallow Falls sees dollar signs and wants Flint to make it rain food three times a day, and to get tourists to come they rename the town Chewandswallow. He doesn't realize it yet, but Flint might have bitten off more than he can chew. Pun intended. =)

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: ages 8 & up

Subjects/themes: family, growing up, science, food, romance.

The Witches (Film)

(1990). The Witches. Warner Bros.

Based on the book The Witches by Roald Dahl.

Directed by: Nicolas Roeg

Starring:

Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch
Jasen Fisher as Luke
Mai Zetterling as Grandma
Charles Potter as Bruno

Running time: 91 minutes

Plot: After the death of his parents, Luke and his grandmother move to England and she explains to him all about witches and how to spot them. She tells him of all the children she knows of who have mysteriously disappeared because of witches. Witches hate children. Look for purple eyes, gloved hands, itchy scalps, square feet with no toes. When Luke's grandma falls ill, she is advised to spend some time by the sea, so the two go stay at a fancy hotel. It just so happens that the annual witch convention is being held at the same htoel. Luke finds out too late and gets turned into a mouse, along with another boy named Bruno. Before he was turned into a mouse, Luke overheard the Grand High Witches plans for the witches of England to turn all the children into mice by putting a potion into chocolates. Luke must find his grandma and stop the witches!

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: Ages 9 & up

Subjects/themes: witches, loss, family, England, fantasy. 

Kiki's Delivery Service (Film)

(1989). Kiki's Delivery Service. Studio Ghibli and Disney.

Directed by : Hayao Miyazaki.

Starring:
Kirsten Dunst as Kiki
Phil Hartman as Jiji
Janeane Garofalo as Ursula
Tress MacNeille as Osono
Matthew Lawrence as Tombo

Plot: 13 year old Kiki is a witch in training. It is customary for witches to go off on their own for a year when they are 13 years old, so Kiki takes her black cat, Jiji, with her on her journey. They settle in a little seaside town, but people aren't so friendly. Kiki befriends a baker's wife named Osono after she delivers a baby's pacifier to one of her customers on her broomstick. Osono lets Kiki and Jiji stay in her attic and helps her start her delivery service. A boy named Tombo likes Kiki and thinks she is a cool witch, making many attempts at friendship with her. Kiki experiences some setbacks, like when she starts to lose her flying ability. In the end Kiki regains her abilities when she believes in herself and saves the life of her friend Tombo.

Genre: Anime Film

Interest level: Ages 9 & up

Subjects/themes: witches, growing up, believe in yourself, friendship.

Awards:

• 1990 Kinemi Junpo Awards- Readers Choice for Best Japanese Film Director- Hayoa Miyazaki
• 1990 Mainichi Film Concours - Best Animated Film

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Film)

(2010). Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. 20th Century Fox.

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Based on the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

Starring:
Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson
Pierce Brosnan as Mr. Brunner
Kevin McKidd as Poseidon
Sean Bean as Zeus
Brandon T. Jackson as Grove
Uma Thurman as Medusa


Plot: Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon, which makes him a half-blood or demi-god, he just doesn't know it. He is thought to have stolen Zues' lightning bolt, so is in grave danger. His teacher, Mr. Brunner and best friend, Grover, are actually a centaur and a satyr and take him to a training camp for children of gods to become fighters and heroes. On the way to the camp Percy's mother, Sally, gets turned to dust and sent to Hades by a minotaur. Percy must get his mother back, find the lightning bolt and return it to Zeus by the summer solstice to avoid a war between the gods.

Genre: Fantasy, Film

Interest level: ages 10 & up

Subjects/themes: destiny, greek mythology, adventure, family

Personal thoughts: I really liked the book, so I was a little disappointed by some of the things they left out. The story was a bit different, especially with the way the gods are portrayed as caring parents that are forbidden to see their children, when in the book it was because they were considered "deadbeat parents" who are too consumed with themselves. Miss. Dodd's character was minimal and the scene in the museum was downplayed. The movie is ok, but the book is way better.

Up (Film)

Title: Disney/Pixar's Up 

Released on dvd and blu ray: Nov. 10th, 2009

Director: Pete Docter

Music by: Michael Giacchino

Running Time: 96 min.



Starring:
Ed Asner- As the voice of Carl Fredrickson
Christopher Plummer- As the voice of Charles Muntz
 Jordan Nagai- As the voice of Russell
 Bob Peterson- As the voice of Dug

Plot: Carl is a widow who is being pressured to sell his house. He is forced to move to a retirement community when he hits a construction worker over the head when his mailbox gets broken. He makes his house into a kind of flying blimp by attaching thousands of helium filled ballons to it. He plans to go to South America to live in Paradise Falls, which is what he and his wife had planned on doing before she passed away. Carl meets Russell, a Wilderness Explorer, who wants to assist Carl in some way so he can get a badge for helping the elderly. Carl sends him on a wild goose chase, and releases the balloons to set out for South America. What he doesn't plan on is Russell still being on his front porch while they are flying in the air! Not being able to stop now, Carl and Russell get to Paradise Falls, but adventure awaits them when they get there.

Genre: Film, Adventure

Interest Level: Ages 7 & up

Subjects/themes: Adventure, loss, friendship, love, travel

Awards:

• Academy Award for Best Animated Feature 2010
• Academy Award for Best Original Score 2010
• Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film 2010
• Golden Globe for Best Original Score 2010
• Nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture 2010*

*Only other animated film to be nominated for Best Picture was Disney's Beauty and the Beast.