Playing with Fire: Young Kids Will Probably Love It

Movie Review: Playing with Fire (2019)
Version: Library borrow

In Playing with Fire, a group of fire divers swoop in to save the day at a fire-engulfed cabin. What they discover inside is a teen and her two young siblings huddled under cover waiting for their parents to return from dinner away. Fire safety code says the firefighters can't release children on their own, so they bring the threesome back to the station until the parents can pick them up -- the next morning. None of the crew are parents and find themselves unmatched against Brynn (Brianna Hildbrand), Zoey (Finley Rose Slater), and Will (Christian Convery), who turn out to be very wily orphans on the run from the Department of Protective Services. Awkwardly trying to match wits are Supe (John Cena), the leader of the station, Mark (Keegan-Michael Key), with a heart of gold, Rodrigo (John Leguizamo), the not too bright cook, and Axe (Tyler Mane), all brawn and no talk. The kids are clearly way ahead of them all the way.

Now, keep in mind this film was made by Nickelodeon so it's written with kid humor. Don't be surprised if you feel it lacks sophistication. Young kids, on the other hand, will probably be rolling on the floor with laughter. And appreciation for its pandering to their mindset. They know their audience! Where I found my first laugh and really began enjoying the film was about three-quarters of the way through -- and then it steamrolled to the end. Adults: be patient and give it a chance; watch it with your kids and enjoy them having fun through the first part of the film. I promise it gets better for you with the payoff towards the end. If you don't have young kids to watch Playing with Fire with, don't bother! You've been warned.

I won't pretend this film made my day (or evening). But if you have young kids and want to entertain them with an unoffensive film some afternoon or evening, Playing with Fire may be your answer.

The Star: A Quality Animated Film for the Whole Family

Movie Review: The Star (2017)
Version: Library borrow

We are well beyond Christmas, but we just watched The Star, which is an animated movie about the birth of Jesus Christ. I'm writing this during Holy Week, just ahead of Easter, so this may still have resonance for some audiences. It's a well-done film for the whole family that makes the birth story easily understandable for all ages, which fun side characters who make the story fun and relatable yet don't get in the way of the actual story. My older daughter who has intellectual disabilities and finds religious topics difficult to comprehend finally understood the Christmas story, thanks to The Star.

Adults may find the side characters -- donkeys, a mountain-climbing sheep, a silly dove, delirious camels, and Roman killer dogs -- silly and distracting. But they do keep the story from being overly simplified and slightly preachy. And kids love silly and distracting animal animated stories, so there's that.

The voice cast is pretty amazing, too. Steven Yeun plays Bo, a donkey who attaches himself to Mary and Joseph as they walk their way to Bethlehem for the Roman census, unaware that a seething Roman with two fearsome dogs is tracking them down. Keegan-Michael Key plays Dave, Bo's best friend, who is obsessed with joining a royal caravan instead and is a distraction from helping Mary and Joseph. Aidy Bryant plays Ruth, a bouncy sheep in search of this amazing star that has suddenly appeared in the sky and who helps Bo pursue Mary and Joseph in the wilderness. They comprise the core of the animal characters. Gina Rodriguez plays Mary and Zachary Levi plays Joseph. Also includes Christopher Plummer, Kelly Clarkson, Anthony Anderson, Patricia Heaton, Kris Kristofferson, Kristin Chenoweth, Mariah Carey, and Oprah Winfrey.

In The Star, Mary has been visited by the angel Gabriel to announce that she will become the mother of the promised Messiah. She finally returns from her months-long visit with her cousin Elizabeth to an anxious Joseph, who is ready to wed her. Then he discovers she is pregnant and begins to rethink his marriage, when he, too, is visited by Gabriel, and accepts his role, although not without trepidation over the responsibility of raising the child who will be the savior of the world. Then along comes the Roman census, requiring Joseph as the head of household to go to Bethlehem to register his family. Bo, meanwhile, is a lowly donkey tied to a mill grinding wheat. He can see through a knot hole in the wall a procession through town of a royal caravan, and his dream is to join the procession. His friend Dave, a wily dove, shares his dream. They escape, only to be chased by Bo's owner, and hide in Joseph's garden. Mary splints Bo's wounded leg and gives him extra tender care, creating a bond and allegiance that will end Bo's and Dave's dream of joining the caravan. And when a Roman thug arrives looking to find and kill Mary and the child in her womb, Bo goes all out to protect the special family he has adopted as his own. It is both a race to Bethlehem and to give safe birth to the Savior, with the help of Bo, Dave, and a few fun characters along the way.

In addition to a good story line, interesting characters, and great voice acting, The Story features top animation. This isn't a cheap production. It's right up there with hit films like Coco, Ferdinand, and the LEGO movies (although those were a different technology). You don't have to worry about your family being bored or weirded out by a cheap rip-off because of the quality -- the quality is there.

I can say without a doubt, The Star is a good film for the family, whether it's for Christmas or for Easter. Or anytime you want to entertain your youngsters with a good story.