The recent Cinemagic Film Festival invited young people to submit reviews of films screened at the festival. Here we publish the winning entries in each age category, as judged by Ticket Editor Conor Goodman and Niamh Creely of Film Ireland magazine. Congratulations!
WINNER 10-12 AGE GROUP SIÚBHAN O’DONNELL, OUR LADY OF MERCY CONVENT SCHOOL, BOOTERSTOWN, DUBLIN
FILM: JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE
THIS movie was basically just a concert with a few boring clips of the Jonas Brothers and their fans. There is really not much more to say.
Of course, younger children up to about age 10, or children who are crazy about the Jonas brothers might love this film, but I didn’t; in fact, I was bored out of my mind. I might have enjoyed actually being at this concert but it was just a boring old movie. Who wants to watch a movie of a concert for an hour? Hardly anybody, that’s who! People want to be at this concert to scream, laugh and see the Jonas Brothers live, but all they saw was a movie of other fans doing this.
I must admit, I was excited when I first found out I was going to the movie, but I was extremely disappointed by it. In fact, as the credits came on to the screen, I smiled for the first time in that movie – I was almost screaming with joy at the end.
The highlight of this movie for me was Taylor Swift's song; I am a big fan of her song Love Storyand I was extremely pleased when I saw that she was a guest star in the movie. Her song was amazing – though I am not quite sure of the name – and my friends sitting beside me really enjoyed it too.
Probably what took away from this movie most for me were the children sitting behind me shouting the word of every song into my ear. Although this has nothing to do with the movie itself, I would warn you that if you are sitting in front of or beside any little kids obsessed with the Jonas Brothers, you are most likely to hear them belting out every word or at least the chorus of every single song.
Though I did not like this movie myself, I would recommend this to any child who loves the Jonas Brothers or their songs as, judging by the delighted looks on the faces of the children sitting near me, they will love it.
And so, after telling you so thoroughly what I think of the Jonas Brothers: The 3D Live Concert Experience, I happily rate it two-and-a-half out of 10.
WINNER 8-9 AGE GROUP NATHAN LYONS DUFFY, CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SCHOOL, DUBLIN
FILM: JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE
MY FRIEND Louis asked Cinemagic about the Jonas Brothers movie. They very kindly gave my whole class tickets to the premiere.
On the evening of the premiere we were all very excited. As we entered the cinema we were given free crisps and coke and 3D glasses. We all got to sit together.
Then Mary MacAleese, the President of Ireland, arrived and gave a speech! We all stood up and clapped and cheered. The President left and the movie began.
The movie started with Big Rob waking the Jonas Brothers up and getting them ready. Then they went out and they were chased by a crowd of screaming girls. They escaped in a black helicopter which was very cool.
My friends and I were all standing and dancing in our seats. It was like a big party. The Jonas Brothers sang a song about love, and they had 3-D effects of birds, and they even put in the Bonus Jonas! The concert had special guests too: Demi Livito and Taylor Swift.
The 3D effects were the best I’d ever seen. Sometimes it really felt as if I was in the picture. I really enjoyed the movie; it was a lot of fun. I feel special that I got to see it before anyone else. Thanks Cinemagic, it was GREAT!
WINNER 12-14 AGE GROUP EOIN MURPHY, DE LA SALLE COLLEGE, WATERFORD
“GREAT cooking is not for the faint of heart. You must be imaginative, strong-hearted; you must try things that may not work and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true: anyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great.”
This is a thought-provoking line from Disney Pixar's Ratatouille. The line dares the audience to follow their dreams and achieve their aspirations – to attain greatness regardless of what others may say.
Ratatouilletells the tale of a rat named Remy (Patton Oswalt) who possesses an appetite for fine cuisine. The aspiring chef resides in the handsome French countryside with his chubby sibling Emile, voiced by the wonderfully whimsical Peter Sohn; his disheartening father Django (Brian Dennehy), along with a pack of grubby rats. Remy obtains an enhanced sense of smell – he can detect many delectable aromas as well as toxic scents, and is promoted to "poison checker" – which sets him apart from the grimy vermin that surround him in his natural habitat. After a horrendous mishap in the country, Remy is separated from the colony and is left to fend for himself in the French sewers. Due to malnourishment, our furry protagonist quickly begins seeing hallucinations of the recently deceased chef Gusteau, which dares him to explore his murky surroundings. Once at the surface, Remy discovers he is in the heart of Paris, France's breathtaking capital.
The “little chef” soon locates chef Gusteau’s restaurant where he meets the garbage boy Linguini (Lou Romano), which is Remy’s ticket to cooking in one of the world’s best restaurants.
Ratatouilleis a marvellously vivid tale which is as light and sweet as a chocolate souffle. Oswalt does a terrific job as the adorable rodent, delivering every line with exceptional enthusiasm and an admirable youthful quality. As Anton Ego, Peter O'Toole gives an outstanding performance as the grave, contemptible food critic. Romano relishes his part as the anxious "garbage boy" who is catapulted into a life of fame and fortune due to Remy.
The animation in Ratatouille is simply perfection. It engages the audience with its bright, complementary colours, and Pixar's exceptional attention to detail shines when Remy sees Paris for the first time; the sky is a superb shade of rosé blended with lilac, as bright lights from France's awe-inspiring architecture sparkle along side the dazzling Eiffel Tower.
Brad Bird does a fine job as the director of this audacious Oscar-winning Disney flick. The writers of the film also give original flavour and a much-needed freshness to the animation genre and will leave the audience full, satisfied but longing for more.
Most importantly, Ratatouillehas heart and a wonderful message without being overtly "cheesy", moral or sentimental. It will be devoured by all audiences and is a must-see movie; simply a feast for the senses. Bon appetit!
CALLING YOUNG FILM FANS
Cinemagic has launched its annual call for young film enthusiasts, aged 10-18, to help select the films for its next festival. Applicants must be available for a workshop in Belfast on July 6th-8th. Apply for a place by writing/e-mailing a letter saying why you would like to be a Cinemagic Young Film Consultant, and include a review of your favourite film. Send this, along with name, address, age, phone number, email address and name of your school/college to: Claire Baxter, Cinemagic, 49 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1JL or claire@cinemagic.org.uk to arrive by Monday, June 22nd 2009. Telephone: 048-90311900.
