Agent Cody Banks

Remember that kid from Malcolm in the Middle?  Well by the early 2000's he was in his prime and trying his hand at the action genre.  Agent Cody Banks is a teen CIA agent sent to stalk? a teenage girl (Hillary Duff) to gain intel on her scientist father and foil a diabolical plot.  I reckon that Agent Cody Banks follows the spy/Bond genre very well but unlike today's Bond, Banks is a heap more fun.

Rating:  We like action/comedy movies and this one was a lot of fun.  Good plot, great characters and some potty humour; an entertaining evening was had by all.

Naughty bits:  There is a lot of fighting but it's mostly cartoonish, however one scene in particular our kid did NOT like (spoiler alert) which was when the bad guy came to a rather grisly end.  It was a little graphic and scary but didn't last long (long enough for her though).  I was annoyed by the treatment and tarty dress code of the female spy; I guess in that way Agent Cody Banks was more like a Bond movie than it should be.  The language is pretty clean.

Snacks:  Pistachio Ice Cream

Family In-quotes: "Eat your burger"

Related Goodies:
Spy Kids
How to be a spy
The art of spying

Cool Runnings

The summertime outdoor theatre was showing Cool Runnings so this week's movie was decided for us.  We gathered our lollies and blankets, headed down to the park and settled in.  About ten minutes into the movie it started to rain so we gathered our things and raced out of there yelling "Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS!" and watched the rest back home on the comfy couch.

Cool Runnings [very loosely] tells the story of the 1988 Winter Olympic's very first Jamaican Bobsled team.  It doesn't end as you would expect such an underdog type movie to end but that's refreshing and not disappointing actually. 

Rating: There was a lot more talking in this movie than we remembered but it was still fun to watch the first time.  The characters are colourful and charismatic and there are some good one liners in there.

Naughty bits:  This movie is as clean as the freshly driven snow unless you object to calling yourself a "bad ass mother"

Snacks:  A hard boiled egg (kiss it first)

Family In-quotes: "You Dead?" "Ya Mon"

Related Goodies:
The true story which inspired the movie
The Bobsled song inspired by 2014 Jamaican Bobsled team
Footage of the 1988 Jamaican Bobsled team (some of which was used in the movie!)

The Gods Must Be Crazy

Long before unexpected hit District 9, South Africa was making some great movies; for example The Gods Must be Crazy.

And long before the Mockumentary was a thing The Gods Must be Crazy was killing it.  The movie starts with what appears to be a nature documentary which quickly develops into three story lines that weave through each other towards an epic climax.  There are moments of quiet humour as well as some of the best visual/slapstick gags I've ever seen.  The kid thought those parts were pretty hilarious too. And for the bonus round there are some good opportunities to teach your kids about African politics so I guess you could also call that a win?

Rating: We really enjoyed The Gods Must be Crazy and we will be keen to watch it again in a little while.

Naughty bits:  There is an undies shot and some National Geographic boobs plus hostage drama and gun violence but none of the violence includes blood and gore.

Snacks:  A nice cool bottle of Coca Cola

Family In-quotes: "Oeyoeyoeyoeyoeyoeyoey..."

Related Goodies:
The Happiest Bottle

Matilda

This 90's adaption of the classic Roald Dahl novel is soooo much fun.  It stars an adorable Mara Wilson with hilarious performances by Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman and Pam Ferris as Mrs Trunchbull is amazing!  She totally steals the show.

I think this movie really captured the over the top craziness of Roald Dahl's stories.  A younger child may be a little frightened by Mrs Trunchbull and her outrageous punishments (and her creepy house) but older kids (ours included) will just find it funny.

Rating: If you are a fan of Roald Dahl you will enjoy this adaptation.  Repeated viewings may be too much for an adult but the kids will probably want to see it again and again.

Naughty bits:  There are some mature themes (murder and adoption) and some cartoon violence but it's mostly as tame as Miss Honey.

Snacks:  Chocolate cake

Family In-quotes: "Chew your food; you're an animal!"

Related Goodies:
The new BFG movie has been announced but the old one is still pretty cool
Roald Dahl