Lick's Picks (movie reviews): Paint by Number - Genre for Children and the Young at Heart

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Paint by Number

Wanting to recapture your youth and go back to childhood fairytales, finger-painting and reading picture books? Or maybe you want to watch a movie with your whole family, your kids or someone else's kids? Then, you've found the right place!

In Paint by Number, we review movies for families, children, the child-at-heart in you and most general audiences. Find one even you can enjoy as an adult.

Lick Ratings Scale

Anastasia

2.25 Licks

1997

Rated G

Voices of: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, Kelsey Grammar, Angela Lansbury.

Animated musical fairytale of a princess who's been missing since the evil Rasputin cursed her family and began the Russian Revolution.

The best fairytales always begin in darkness and involve a few random con-artists, usually the desperate, harmless sort, who end up fighting the worst sort of evil upon finding their kinder, gentler "plays well with others" side. After all, behind every con-artist is an honest, fun-loving do-gooder wanting to break free from the self-imposed tyranny of having to con others just to have food to eat or a roof over one's head. Ah, the power of love!

Now, if only the princess had been a hooker at the start of this movie, now that would've made a real statement!

However, being a big fan of any romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan, this movie couldn't go wrong, even though it's just her voice in this one.

Beauty and the Beast

3.5 Licks

1991

Rated G

Voices of: Robby Benson, Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Paige O'Hara.

Can any fairytale movie by Disney go wrong? If so, not this one!

It's like being a fly in your own house......if you were in 1800's London, with talking tea pots and candlesticks, in a house with a big, burly beast and a beautiful ball-gown wearing damsel who loves him.

In each of us is a beast and a beauty. Every beast is beautiful in some way and every beauty is a beast...er, every beauty loves her beast. What I wonder though is which pot ran off with the kettle, and did one of them call the other black, pitch or midnight first?! That is one of the unanswered questions you won't find answered here, but that's beside the point. Beast, beauty or both, you'll enjoy this fairytale!

Make sure to note the ballroom scene, as it is allegedly credited as the first fully computer-generated animation of color and dimension in a scene, notably remarkable and breathtaking, especially for its time! That's certainly not to say it was the first computer animated film or scene...just that it presented a great challenge of groundbreaking complexity, proving an ultimate success and serious accomplishment once the final product was revealed!

Bridge to Terabithia

3 Licks

2007

Rated PG

Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick.

When a new girl moves into the neighborhood, she beats all the boys in a race, thus upsetting one boy in particular who’d wanted so badly to be better than the rest at this one thing. Despite that and the differences in their upbringings and backgrounds, the boy and girl become friends and create a fantasy world where they can escape from reality. In their fantasy kingdom of Terabithia, they can rule without fear, without doubting themselves and without others trampling on their dreams or spirits. (Even as adults, we can understand the attraction and joy to be had in a world like that.)

In tragedy, the real world beckons as fantasy cannot last forever, but through that friendship and imagination in this fantastical kingdom, one boy learns many a valuable lesson that helps him cope and gives him inner strength he’ll carry with him forever.

Bridge to Terabithia is a good movie to watch as a family, and it carries a great message we can all learn from. In this day and age where kids tend to grow up too fast or are kept too busy shuffling between events and sports, we need movies like this so we’ll remember the value and importance of imagination and creativity.

Chronicles of Narnia, The: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

3.5 Licks

2005

Rated PG

Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Tilda Swinton.

A magical wardrobe opens up to a mythical land known as Narnia that’s been overtaken by an evil witch. Four children are prophesied to become the saviors of Narnia, along with the help of a lion who’s the real leader of the kingdom. Disbelieving but destined to be future kings and queens, the children journey on an eventful and wonderful adventure.

Chronicles of Narnia is a great childhood fantasy story! The characters are all likeable, save for the White Witch (played by Swinton) who you’ll enjoy to hate (even if you know you shouldn’t hate).

The character design and make-up for the creatures of Narnia is remarkable! They could definitely give lessons to some of the “creatures” you see in reality…especially those that are allegedly human, underneath five or ten pounds of overstated make-up.

Corpse Bride (aka Tim Burton's Corpse Bride)

3 Licks

2005

Rated PG

Voices of: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Joanna Lumley, Albert Finney, Tracey Ullman, Christopher Lee.

Odd and dark but fun animated fairytale-like movie in the unique signature-style of Tim Burton.

If you’re a prospective groom, never go into the forest to practice your vows…especially with the wedding ring in hand. You may find yourself married to a corpse bride (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) just as Victor (voiced by Depp) does upon reciting his vows and placing the ring on what he thought was just a twig.

Instead, he finds out he’s now somehow wed to the “corpse bride” who heard his vows and wears his ring. She takes him to the land of the dead, but is he destined to be there forever? Will he fall for his new corpse bride – or can he find his way back to the woman he’s set to marry (in an arranged marriage)…and may even now realize he loves…back home in the land of the living?

Beautiful, touching fairytale with a message on the power love, even as twisted as this tale may at first seem. Tim Burton is a master of offbeat family fairytales with adult appeal!

Crocodile Hunter, The: Collision Course

3 Licks

2002

Rated PG

Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, David Wenham, Magda Szubanski.

The writers did a great job mixing story with what one expects of Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin and his partner in life and crime…er, crocs…Terri Irwin. Crocodile hunting is such a strange profession that you can’t help but think there’s no way you’d ever do that with your own life, but…crikey!…you’re glad Steve Irwin did as he gives a certain style and panache to the role and the profession.

If you’re male, you probably also realize it would be extremely rare to find a significant other who would be willing to go snake catching, croc hunting or spider nabbing with you, or to handle the creatures of nature as both Steve and Terri do. "Careful now. She’s a beauty, that snake," but….leave it to the professionals or "Crikey!" you may end up with actual venom in your veins that’s no laughing matter!

The only truly awful acting in this movie was done by those portraying US agents out to recover a satellite beacon that’s later discovered to have been swallowed by the crocodile Steve and Terri are trying to save from poachers and an irate land owner in the Australian Outback. However, with the mishaps and misadventures of the agents, the acting is a near non-issue as it’s just plain entertaining to see the "suits" flounder in nature…where the Crocodile Hunter reigns supreme!

Edward Scissorhands Director: Tim Burton

4 Licks

1990

Rated PG-13

Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Kathy Baker, Anthony Michael Hall, Vincent Price, Alan Arkin.

Never before have scissors looked so good on a man! He clips...he cuts...he slices, dices and trims! He's great in your kitchen, your hair salon and your yard, but try to keep him out of the bedroom. Otherwise, this fairytale fantasy would end more like a Quentin Tarantino film and you'd probably be in about 206 pieces strewn about this perfect little fairytale nine-to-fiver town where the men work and women stay home...to gossip!

Now you finally know how cruise ships really get those ice sculptures made. There's an Edward Scissorhands loose on every ship! Now, if only you had him at work so he could "cut the crap" for you, too!

Dark fairytales are a specialty for director Tim Burton. Not sure who bombed his G.I. Joe or who ran off with his collection of Star Wars action figures when he was little, but whatever horrific childhood tragedies brought about his love of dark fairytales...bravo! Every child should be so "lucky" as to suffer that internal pain!

Enchanted

3.5 Licks

2007

Rated PG

Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Rachel Covey.

Great family musical in which the animated “happily ever after” fairytale world meets reality. Banished from the animated world she knew as home, a young woman awaiting her prince to come rescue her ends up on the streets of New York…in full fairytale princess attire, not to mention full fairytale princess naiveté!

Will her prince rescue her? Will the wicked one that banished her keep her out of her animated land forever? Will she discover the simple pleasures of hot dogs, romance and divorce lawyers? Is there a happily ever after after all?

Well, it’s a fairytale, so some things are a “given.” =p However, knowing that won’t detract from your overall enjoyment of the movie.

Enchanted takes those animated fairytales we all know so well boldly and vibrantly into a new direction. Enchanted combines the animated world with the real. It does a great job of blending what one expects of the animated imagery/vision of fairytales with real world imagery. Thus, making the originally animated characters appear more “real.” With how well Enchanted does with that aspect, it seems plausible that animated characters could co-exist with us and can make that transition into reality.

Of course, had this been made in the 1980’s, it would’ve been even easier to transition that animated damsel or princess into reality…with the plethora of full-length, poofy, hoop-skirted prom dresses available at the time. Any fairytale princess clearly would’ve found her heaven…and all thanks to high school proms!

This movie is a great spin on the classic Sleeping Beauty type fairytales! Unique. Entertaining. Delightful. This is a fairytale that adults and children alike will enjoy!

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties sequel to: Garfield: The Movie (2004)

0.5 Licks

2006

Rated PG

Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Billy Connolly, voice of Bill Murray.

Garfield in England…and mistaken for a rich, royal cat that looks just like him. While briefly living the pampered life of royal luxury, Garfield discovers an evil plot against the royal cat, so it’s Garfield…and pals…to the rescue!

No adult should see this movie, unless watching it with children. The movie is cheesy, corny and obviously geared to a younger audience. Young kids will enjoy Garfield, but don’t expect to enjoy it yourself. This is no Shrek movie, nor any of its sequels!

Garfield: The Movie

1.5 Licks

2004

Rated PG

Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Stephen Tobolowsky, voice of Bill Murray.

Bill Murray is perfectly cast in the voiceover role for Garfield. He delivers the lines with the same tone and dry wit you expect from Garfield, and Breckin Meyer seems to fit the role of Garfield's nerdy but likeable owner Jon well (if any cat can ever truly be labeled as "owned").

This movie is aimed more for children than adults, but overall, there are still laughs to be had if you've grown up a cat-loving Garfield fan. Dogs named Odie, however, may want to avoid this movie as Garfield isn't your biggest fan, even if he does eventually try to rescue you after suffering a guilty conscience.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (first sequel in the *Harry Potter* series of movies)				4 Licks
	2002	Rated PG	Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Tom Felton.
	Harry returns for his second year at Hogwarts School, learning more in the magical world of witches and wizards. This first of the Harry Potter sequels is a bit darker than the first, but enjoyed equally as much. It also has a faster pace, since the main characters had already been introduced quite well in the original movie. This is truly a sequel you'll be glad you saw, and again...you'll be anxious to see the next! For those of you that read the books, the movies seem to remain true to the books and shouldn't disappoint the diehard fan base that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books have garnered.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (third sequel in the Harry Potter series of movies)

4 Licks

2005

Rated PG-13

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Miranda Richardson, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes.

More darkness and evil are afoot in this 3rd sequel, as evident at the Quidditch Tournament, as well as during the selection of contestants for the Tri-Wizard Tournament by the Goblet of Fire...where-in, surprisingly, Harry's name is thrown out as a fourth name!

Harry, Hermione and Ron are maturing into young adults...and it shows, not only physically, but also in the challenges and obstacles they face. These changes also affect their friendships and views of each other in some way. And yes, Hermione is becoming quite the hottie, turning heads...maybe even Ron's and Harry's...without the use of a magic spell or a sit 'n spin!

This is the darkest of the Harry Potter series so far, but I'm sure there's more to come! We have only to wait and embrace the darkness until then...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (second sequel in the Harry Potter series of movies)
4 Licks

2004
Rated PG Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, Julie Christie, Michael Gambon.

Year three at Hogwarts has Harry and friends learning to defend themselves against the "dark arts," and just in time, too...as news travels that murderer Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban Prison and is feared to be after Harry Potter. Mystery surrounds the plot, with a tie-in to events of years past...as Harry gleans more information on his family's past.
With each passing movie, the trio playing Harry, Hermione and Ron mesh even better together!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
4 Licks

2001
Rated PG Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Robbie Coltrane, John Cleese, Alan Rickman

Captures your interest immediately of what might be in today's mundane reality. The kids cast as Harry Potter and friends are perfect, and it's a nice surprise how well their young and untainted acting abilities add to the movie magic. This first film of the Harry Potter series introduces drama that kids go through, giving it a unique twist through the world of magic and magical abilities.
As you watch the movie, you find yourself wanting to learn more about Harry Potter, his background and his parents, as well as wondering just how strong and fierce his magics will become as he matures and learns to control his abilities.

As the movie ends, you are left wanting more...and cannot wait to see the sequel you know awaits!

Ice Age

3.5 Licks

2002

Rated PG

Voices of: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer, Jack Black, Goran Visnjic.

Ice Age is a great animated movie with lots of comedic moments! The actors voicing the characters do a great job with voice inflections and tones, enabling you to really feel their emotions and expressions.

It's easy to relate to the main characters, even though they're animated animals. After all, some of us are more animal than others. Some of us are also more animated than others.

The main characters consist of a sloth, a mammoth, a sabre-tooth tiger and a squirrel. As the movie plays out, you find yourself relating more and more to the animal leads, even though it's not initially flattering in any sense to find yourself relating to a sloth. A tiger, no doubt! *Rawrrrrr* But a sloth?! Don't worry, you'll get over it without the need for counseling afterwards!

Incredibles, The

3 Licks

2004

Rated PG

Voices of: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson.

An animated film with special effects for futuristic technologies that surpass those of The Jetsons, The Flintstones and The Superfriends Network. They'd surpass that of The Matrix and Star Wars III, but only if you had a really good imagination and were a cat who'd just had a healthy amount of catnip.

Where this movie lacks is in the child actors, who were less than desirable. They reminded me of how it would feel to watch Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 65 (when his grandchildren accidentally leave him home alone at the nursing home over the holidays).

I think it's awesome that the casting directors for this film appeared to have employed a couple of psychiatrists to get into the minds of retired superheroes. These superheroes are really messed up, and that shouldn't be a surprise. After all, it's obvious that most wear their tights a little too tight or they'd never dream of pulling half the stunts they do!

Elastigirl steals the show as best actress...after all, what man doesn't dream of his very own Elastigirl?! See this movie...even if it's just to dream!

The supermodel that was cast as Mirage was definitely not an actress and should've stuck to being a clothes hanger. A Pretty Woman-style romance for her with Mr. Incredible would've given her a little more credibility in her role.

Little Mermaid, The

4 Licks

1989

Rated G

Voices of: Rene Auberjonois, Buddy Hackett, Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes.

It's my life story. I was born with flippers and a seashell bra...and eventually met a talking crab who became my trusty, reliable companion. Hey, it has to be better to know one or eat one than to have them!

Okay, so it's not my story, but what woman wouldn't want to be a mermaid, having a bunch of seamen imagining or dreaming of her, eventually being whisked away by one hot, brawny man who can stand on all twos...instead of flopping or floundering on his dorsal fin?

If you've ever wanted to escape your family for more than a few hours or days, now you know...it only works if you're a mermaid or merman who falls for a human, loses the license to swim and makes it to dry land. No matter your species, another Disney classic is born!

Princess Diaries, The

1 Lick

2001

Rated G

Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Heather Matarazzo, Hector Elizondo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, Sandra Oh.

Oh, please! Like a princess would even write her own diary! Doesn't she have a handmaiden for that?!

If you want to see this, you should really just go find your Li'l Pony, Princess Barbie, a castle or two and make your own story. It'd be better...and cheaper, so long as you have a few multiple personalities, child's artwork backdrop and a video camera.

As an adult, you probably won't find The Princess Diaries inspiring, nor the acting --- by the Princess ---- impressive. However, if you have young daughters, little sisters or nieces dreaming of being princesses when they grow up, they're the ones who would enjoy this movie. And therefore, you may suffer through this. Spike your soda. It may help.

Princess Diaries 2, The: Royal Engagement

0 Licks

2004

Rated G

Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Heather Matarazzo, Hector Elizondo, John Rhys-Davies, Tom Poston, Caroline Goodall.

The best way to watch this movie is while you're stuck on an airline, glancing up on the screen through eyelids wide shut, with the headset volume turned all the way down.

Less than imaginative sequel with a predictable plot and outcome. It's a fairytale princess needing a husband before they'll allow her to be queen. Obviously, the legislature of her country is stuck in medieval times, much like the plot of this stilted sequel. With this movie and its predecessor, I'm suddenly glad I never grew up to be a princess...or an "actress" trying to pretend the acting slipper fit and I mistakenly believed I knew how to pretend to be a princess.

If you must watch a princess movie...don't choose this one, not even for the little princesses in your life. You'd be better off buying them costumes, tiaras and faux glass slippers, while calling them each "princess" for the next two years, if that's what it takes to stop the temper tantrum when you don't return home with this movie!

Scooby-Doo				2 Licks
	2002	Rated PG	Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Rowan Atkinson, Linda Cardellini
	If you enjoyed the Scooby-Doo cartoon, you'll enjoy the movie. The cast is great, especially Matthew Lillard as Shaggy. He really nailed the voice and persona of the character! And when Shaggy is afraid, you practically think he crapped his pants. And, "Jinkees," you just know he's had his share of "Scooby Snacks," too! As for the rest of the cast...Fred is even preppier than ever before. Velma is a typical teen ugly-girl-in-glasses-would-be-prom-queen-material-without. Daphne's got great legs...er, fashion sense! And Scooby? What can you say about a dog with a perennial cloud of smoke about his head? Woooooooooooooooof!

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed				1.5 Licks
	2004	Rated PG	Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Seth Green, Peter Boyle, Alicia Silverstone.
	This sequel is much the same as the first Scooby-Doo, but not quite as fun. Once again, if you liked the cartoon, you'll likely enjoy the movie. However, this time around, you might find the thought of your own "Scooby Snacks" a bit more more appealing than the plot or movie itself. Then, you'd see some real "monsters unleashed," or at least you'd think you did!

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