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Merry Christmas Llama Llama! * Three Sweet Stories About Friendship And Everyday Kid Problems

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Kids
Merry Christmas Llama Llama! * Three Sweet Stories About Friendship And Everyday Kid Problems

Llama Llama springs to life in these heart-warming tales based on the award-winning book series by author and illustrator Anna Dewdney. Celebrate the holidays with Llama Llama, Nelly Gnu, Luna Giraffe, Euclid Sheep, and Gilroy Goat as they give gifts, sing songs, and build snow sculptures. It’s a very Merry Christmas indeed! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Beatrice N. comments, “The holiday season has begun and Llama Llama is soooooooo ready for it! We all remember the loveable Llama Llama books, and now he has sprung to life on screen along with his besties including Nelly Gnu, Luna Giraffe, Euclid, and Gilory Goat!” Tiana S., adds, “Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is the perfect holiday movie for kids. Plus, it has two of my favorite holiday things – SNOW and GIFTS! It’s really great how all the episodes focus on friendship and giving.” Christine R. wraps it up with, “These sweet stories about friendship and everyday kid problems are presented in a comfortable, entertaining way that young fans of Llama Llama are sure to enjoy. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 8.” See their full reviews below.

 

Merry Christmas Llama Llama!
By Beatrice Nail, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10

https://youtu.be/gMN8S0CDkv8

LlamaMerryXmas400.200.jpg

Merry Christmas! The holiday season has begun and Llama Llama is soooooooo ready for it! We all remember the loveable Llama Llama books, and now he has sprung to life on screen along with his besties including Nelly Gnu, Luna Giraffe, Euclid, and Gilory Goat!

In this new holiday DVD Llama Llama starts his season off with a snow sculpting contest, singing Christmas songs and some secret Santa fun! If you are an imagination filled, wholehearted kid who enjoyed the books, written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney, this DVD is for you. I would have thought these episodes were so much fun when I was little, and I still enjoyed them as 10-year-old. My favorite episode is when Llama Llama is the judge of a snow sculpture contest and is having trouble deciding who the winner should be, between his friends. When faced with a problem little Llama turns to Mama Llama (Jennifer Garner) to help him out. Together, Mama and Llama Llama take you through solving the problem with a little bit of imagination and kindness.

The animation is really cool and unique. The characters are all hand-drawn, while the background is painted. There is also a bonus episode about Llama Llama’s favorite library book that someone else has checked out. This episode really deals with the love of reading and how sometimes we need to try different types of books and we may find something new we enjoy. The setting is mostly in Llama Llama’s friendly neighborhood, though he often goes to many different places during the day, such as school, the library, the park and much more. Llama Llama is voiced by Shayle Simons creates the perfect Llama Llama voice. There are three episodes included in this DVD and it is a little over 30 minutes long.

The message of these episodes is that, even if you are little, you can solve big problems with some imagination, so always use it!

I rate this DVD 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 6. The DVD is available now, just in time for the holidays. Look for it.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama!
By Tiana Sirmans KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 9

https://youtu.be/9TuplNpaBCY

Llama-Llama-Christmas-3.jpg

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is the perfect holiday movie for kids. Plus, it has two of my favorite holiday things – SNOW and GIFTS! It’s really great how all the episodes focus on friendship and giving.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is based on the book series by author and illustrator Anna Dewdney. The DVD includes three short stories of adventures that the lead character, Llama Llama (Shayle Simmons), goes on with his friends. In the first short story, Llama Llama has to judge a snow sculpture contest between his friends and pick a winner without hurting anyone’s feelings. In the next one, Secret Santa, Llama Llama and his friends are secret Santas and have trouble picking gifts and keeping their secret Santas a secret. In the bonus episode, Llama Llama Loves to Read, Llama Llama and his friends have to pick out books to read out loud to the younger kids. Llama Llama can’t find his favorite book at the library and his friend Gilroy Goat is nervous about reading out loud. In all three episodes, I really love seeing the great friendship between Llama Llama and how they always support each other. They always find ways to make other people feel good about themselves.

The three stories are all quite good and have great animation. One of my favorite parts was watching Llama Llama finish reading and then jumping into a pile of leaves. One cool thing is seeing how they finish things they have to do and are off to do something fun, like sledding. George Gabriel’s music is really catchy and short, which is perfect for the short episodes.

The DVD has two different stories and a bonus story and they all have different messages, but they all have the same theme of friendship! In each episode there is some problem that needs to be solved and gives them a chance to show what good friends should do for each other.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is a great DVD for movie days around holiday break. I rate this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for age 3 to 12. Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is currently available on where DVDs are sold.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! Reviewed by Christine R., KIDS FIRST! Reviewer

https://youtu.be/9e7sw5vJDps

Llama-Llama-Christmas-2 (1).jpg

The DVD Merry Christmas Llama Llama! delivers two holiday stories and a bonus story about reading. This series is based on the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney. In “Snow Show,” the teacher announces a snow sculpture contest and the judge will be one of the students themselves. No surprise when Llama Llama is chosen, but can he be fair and choose just one winner? Mama Llama, voiced by Jennifer Garner, gives him advice that helps devise a clever way to ensure all his friends are recognized, while still awarding one champion. In the second story “Secret Santa,” classmates must keep their Secret Santa from each other, made especially tricky when they all end up at the same store. The timeless lesson is that giving gifts makes you feel good. Bonus episode, “Llama Llama Loves to Read” highlights the importance of reading practice. Gilroy Goat must overcome his reluctance to read aloud, which he does when paired with the perfect book and many repeated readings. Llama Llama must find a new book when his first choice is not in the library. These sweet stories about friendship and everyday kid problems are presented in a comfortable, entertaining way that young fans of Llama Llama are sure to enjoy. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 8.

 

 

Christmas With Molang * Adorable Stories With Important Messages About Christmas

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Christmas With Molang * Adorable Stories With Important Messages About Christmas

The magic of Christmas is all around! Join our best friends, Molang and Piu Piu, on their adventures during this idyllic season. It’s the perfect time to build a snowman, go ice-skating with friends, find the most beautiful Christmas tree and of course, meet Santa! Merry Christmas from Molang and Piu Piu! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Jolleen M. comments, “The adorable episodes on Christmas with Molang convey important messages surrounding Christmas, without having any dialogue. Kids of all ages would be able to understand the messages.”  Katherine S. adds, “The animation in this DVD is charming. It is simple, but with good attention to detail. The characters’ hilarious language is made up of gibberish words and sounds, which is very creative and entertaining. The music is upbeat and fits well with all the Christmas adventures.” Tiana S. chimes in with, “One of my favorite parts is when Molang and Piu Piu are ice skating and Molang lets go of Piu Piu’s hands and he flies away and lands on the back of a deer. The deer then takes off like a horse. I also find it hilarious that the music director Nicholas Varley has Santa enter to ninja music.” Elizabeth T. wraps it up with, “Christmas with Molang is a sweet DVD that parents can enjoy with their younger children. The episodes are short enough to hold a young child’s attention and there is enough charm and comedy to the stories that an adult might find themselves laughing at the characters’ antics as well.” See their full reviews below.

 

Christmas With Molang

By Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

https://youtu.be/MpfU90Zpj3Y

 

The adorable episodes on Christmas with Molang convey important messages surrounding Christmas, without having any dialogue. Kids of all ages would be able to understand the messages. The animation is filled with pastel colors and is pleasing to the eyes.The storyline follows two best friends, Molang and Piu Piu. Molang is a bunny and Piu Piu is a chick. They encounter problems throughout the day and, while finding the solutions to these problems, they learn a valuable lesson every time.  Normally Piu Piu is the one who is in distress and Molang finds a way to fix Piu Piu’s problem to cheer him up.

 

The animation is in a cutesy style from Korea. Molang was drawn by a university student named Yoon Hye Jin and is made to look like a sticky Korean rice cake. Everything is colored in light pastels and all the characters have round figures. Super adorable!

 

Although the cartoon is from Korea, the characters do not speak in Korean or in any real language for that matter. The fans have named the language that they speak Molangonese or Piupiualish. The audience is still able to understand what they are trying to say by the images shown and the strategic framing.

My favorite part about Christmas With Molang has to be the messages. Molang and Piu Piu promote the idea that Christmas is about more than receiving gifts. They help out other animal friends in their community and feel complete. Molang and Piu Piu inspire viewers to do good deeds for other people. They are an example to kids that “when you do good it comes around.”

 

Molang and Piu Piu also show how great it is to have a best friend. Molang and Piu Piu love each other very much and support each other all the time. These besties show how to sympathize and comfort others. These are important things to know to be able to socialize and be a caring person. Molang and Piu Piu promote positivity and love throughout the series.Christmas With Molang is the perfect cartoon to show kids of all ages during the holiday season. They will love how cute everything is and will be inspired to do kind things for other people. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 6. Christmas With Molang is out on DVDs now so be sure to check it out!

 

Christmas with Molang

By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

https://youtu.be/tJl1hCCOho4

 

I love this DVD! It is full of cuteness and Christmas cheer! And it is perfect to watch on a cold, winter day.Christmas with Molang is about a bunny named Molang and a chick named Piu Piu going on fun-filled Christmas adventures. Episodes include A Beautiful Christmas Tree, The Snowman, At The Elves’ House and Santa.

 

The animation in this DVD is charming. It is simple, but with good attention to detail. The characters’ hilarious language is made up of gibberish words and sounds, which is very creative and entertaining. The music is upbeat and fits well with all the Christmas adventures. All of the episodes are adorable. My favorites are The Choir and The Frog, because they have the funniest story lines. The episodes are approximately five minutes each, so the total run time is about 30 minutes.

There are many positive messages throughout the DVD including the value of friendship, helping others and always have fun in what you do. Christmas with Molang has no bad language, but there are a few risky things that kids might try to do such as climb a Christmas tree, bother wild animals and go into houses Santa style.

 

I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 3 to 9. This DVD is available now so look for it.

 

Christmas with Molang
By Tiana S. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 9

https://youtu.be/HE8EMO6xS4Q

 

scene outside.png

Christmas with Molang is a cute movie full of all things Christmas! I love it. It’s a movie I would love to watch with my little cousins. The characters are so funny, playful and seem to always have fun.

 

Christmas with Molang is a DVD with six different short stories about Christmas on it. In each story the lead character, Molang and his friend Piu Piu experience a new lesson related to the spirit of Christmas. They build a snowman, go ice-skating, find the best Christmas tree and even meet a Ninja, back-flipping Santa Claus. Each time they go on one of their adventures, they learn a new lesson.

 

There are so many funny parts in each of the short stories. One of my favorite parts is when Molang and Piu Piu are ice skating and Molang lets go of Piu Piu’s hands and he flies away and lands on the back of a deer. The deer then takes off like a horse. I also find it hilarious that the music director Nicholas Varley has Santa enter to ninja music. Sometimes it is a little weird when the characters speak in animated baby voices. It could be a little annoying for older kids, because you can’t always understand what they are saying. However, because of the great animation, you can still tell what is happening. The scenes are very bright and colorful and full of the Christmas spirit.

 

The overall message of the DVD is to be kind to others, even strangers. In each story the characters are trying to help someone else or show how much they care about them. Also, it encourages you to show people you care and make new friends. Some day, when you are in trouble you’ll have help because you helped them.

 

I rate Christmas with Molang 5 out of 5 stars. It is a really cute movie for younger kids so I recommend it for ages 3 to 10. Christmas with Molang is available now wherever DVDs are sold.

 

Christmas with Molang

By Elizabeth T., KIDS FIRST! Juror

https://youtu.be/isF3dv75OhQ

 

M&P santa claus selfie (1).png

 

Christmas with Molang is a sweet DVD that parents can enjoy with their younger children. The episodes are short enough to hold a young child’s attention and there is enough charm and comedy to the stories that an adult might find themselves laughing at the characters’ antics as well.

Christmas with Molang follows a young cotton-ball rabbit and her best friend Piu-Piu, a small chick. Rather than focusing on Christmas itself, either in the religious or secular sense, these episodes take classic bits of the holiday season (skating, making snowmen, caroling, finding a Christmas tree) and give them a story-book feel, full of light-hearted antics and the joys of having a best friend to do everything with. The DVD is a set of six mini-episodes and contains a number of charming adventures and funny moments.

 

The best part of this series is that none of the characters actually talk. They make vocalizations, like minions, where some of the words are distinguishable, but must are just sounds. Because of this, the viewer is able to imagine their own dialogue, which adds more humor to the characters interactions. On top of this, Piu-Piu and Molang have some genuinely charming interactions, and there is a distinguished personality difference between the two characters, Molang being the imaginative and upbeat, Piu-Piu being a bit more practical and clever. Most children will just find the characters cute and funny. There are plenty of events with good comedic timing (characters getting run over by snowballs, creeping up behind bushes, or trying to avoid kissing a frog). There is a lot of physical comedy (falling, people getting knocked on the head and such), but they are mostly played for laughs. The only serious injury shown is when Piu-Piu takes a rather nasty fall, nasty enough for him to fall unconscious and temporarily lose his memory.

 

The stories, while simple, make a decent amount of sense, even without dialogue. The only continuity error is that the two are seen decorating the Christmas tree at the beginning of each episode, making the audience wonder whether this is taking place different years or whether something happened to the old tree. The story does include Santa Claus, which isn’t particularly accurate. One episode involves a frog caught in the snow, while real frogs would be hibernating during winter. Another lack of accuracy is that all the Christmas songs the characters sing are secular, with no mention of the original carols used in church.

 

The animation is pretty basic, with minimal movement and simplistic designs. However, this adds to the charm of the episodes and gives the stories an idyllic, story-book flavor. The voices for the characters are all performed by the same person, but there is a noticeable enough difference to tell who’s talking.

 

The most beneficial episode involves a snow-man. After Piu-Piu and Molang have build and decorated a snowman, their decorations (hat, scarf, carrot and chocolates) are stolen by some hungry forest creatures, twice. After seeing that the small creatures are in need, the two go back to their house and prepare food and clothing for the creatures in a heartwarming show of forgiveness and compassion. In all the episodes, the characters find creative ways to solve problems and are always ready to help out a friend.

 

More than anything, the DVD illustrates how to be a good friend, to help out when others have problems, is ready to forgive, and find joy in everyday things. Whatever situation Molang and Piu-Piu find themselves in, they are the best of friends and they are always laughing. These episodes have a lot less to do with Christmas, religious or secular, than they have to do with just being kind to others, regardless of the time or season.

 

Christmas with Molang is a genuinely funny and charming collection of short stories that illustrate friendship and finding joy in simple, every-day things. Through a simple style of story-telling and plenty of vocal effects, these mini-episodes spark the viewer’s imagination and bring back idyllic memories of Christmas activities. I recommend it for ages 2 to 6 and give it 4 out of 5 stars. Reviewed by Elizabeth T., KIDS FIRST! Juror.

 

The WE Empower United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Challenge

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Business
The WE Empower United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Challenge

To start or to continue receiving the weekly blogs via email, please sign-up using this link: subscribe to Innovative Leadership Institute weekly blog.

This blog is a follow-up of the interview WE Empower UN Sustainable Development Goals Challenge Winners with Amanda Ellis, Hadeel Anabtawi and Habiba Ali that aired on October 8, 2019.

Innovating Leadership, Co-creating Our Future was honored to interview Amanda Ellis, a co-chair of the WE Empower United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Challenge. Amanda shared the vision of the challenge, which is to recognize women business owners throughout the world who are contributing to their communities by running successful businesses and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With her were Hadeel Anabtawi and Habiba Ali, who were 2018 Challenge Winners. Their stories of challenges and triumphs are shared in the episode that aired October 8, 2019.

 

What is the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge?

It is a global business challenge for women entrepreneurs based on the United Nations 17 SDGs meant to recognize and honor those women who are inspiring those around them to promote positive change in the world.

The history of the sustainable goals and the list of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be found here. Goal 5 of these is Gender Equality and empowerment of women and girls and is the focus of this challenge.

 

What are the objectives of the Challenge?

There are three objectives of this challenge, to seek women leaders through the world and to:

  1. honor their achievements
  2. invest in their ability to create positive change
  3. ignite and excite others

 

How many finalists and awardees are there?

The challenge has 5 regions:

  1. Africa
  2. Asia-Pacific
  3. Eastern Europe
  4. Latin America and the Caribbean
  5. Western Europe & Other

Every year, in each of these regions 5 finalists are selected for a total of 25 finalists. From there, one awardee is selected from the 5 finalists in each region.

 

What’s new?

Since the recording of the show, the 2019 Challenge Winners have been announced and we wanted to briefly share about the next class of women changing our world.

 

2019 Challenge Winners by region:

 

Africa:

From the region of Africa, the awardee was Christelle Kwizera from Rwanda. Kwizera founded Water Access Rwanda, a company that works to provide safe water access to rural and semi-urban communities.

 

Asia-Pacific:

The awardee in the Asia-Pacific region was Lina Khalifeh from the country of Jordan. Khalifeh founded SheFighter, a self-defense studio for Middle Eastern women. SheFighter has grown globally to provide training and seminars on self-defense for women.

 

Eastern Europe:

In the Eastern Europe region, innovation is key to the awardee, Zoya Lytvyn from Ukraine. Lytvyn co-founded a K12 school that implements innovative education ideas, including a free online teaching program and trainings to make a quality education accessible to all in Ukraine.

 

Latin America and the Caribbean:

In Guatemala, Karla Ruiz Cofiño founded a Digital Awareness program, which is used for conferences and workshops to provide people with digital skills and knowledge and how to use it for positive influence.

 

Western Europe and Other:

Co-founding the organization 412 Food Rescue in the United States, Leah Lizarondo was recognized as the Western Europe and Other awardee. Her organization seeks to bridge the gap between possible food waste and those in need of food. Food Rescue Hero, a mobile food app, helps direct volunteers to transport extra food to nonprofits in need.

 

These women exemplify leaders who are seeking to be an innovative leader and change the world! Congratulations to all the finalists and the awardees!

To become a more innovative leader, you can begin by taking our free leadership assessments and then enrolling in our online leadership development program.

Check out the companion interview and past episodes of Innovating Leadership, Co-creating Our Future, via iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRADIO. Stay up-to-date on new shows airing by following the Innovative Leadership Institute LinkedIn.

About the Author

Susan Harper is the Business Manager at Innovative Leadership Institute and sometimes a travel blogger.

Photo by Christina Morillo

Christmas With Molang * Adorable Stories With Important Messages About Christmas

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Empowerment
Christmas With Molang * Adorable Stories With Important Messages About Christmas

ChristmasMolang.Cover..jpg

The magic of Christmas is all around! Join our best friends, Molang and Piu Piu, on their adventures during this idyllic season. It’s the perfect time to build a snowman, go ice-skating with friends, find the most beautiful Christmas tree and of course, meet Santa! Merry Christmas from Molang and Piu Piu! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Jolleen M. comments, “The adorable episodes on Christmas with Molang convey important messages surrounding Christmas, without having any dialogue. Kids of all ages would be able to understand the messages.”  Katherine S. adds, “The animation in this DVD is charming. It is simple, but with good attention to detail. The characters’ hilarious language is made up of gibberish words and sounds, which is very creative and entertaining. The music is upbeat and fits well with all the Christmas adventures.” Tiana S. chimes in with, “One of my favorite parts is when Molang and Piu Piu are ice skating and Molang lets go of Piu Piu’s hands and he flies away and lands on the back of a deer. The deer then takes off like a horse. I also find it hilarious that the music director Nicholas Varley has Santa enter to ninja music.” Elizabeth T. wraps it up with, “Christmas with Molang is a sweet DVD that parents can enjoy with their younger children. The episodes are short enough to hold a young child’s attention and there is enough charm and comedy to the stories that an adult might find themselves laughing at the characters’ antics as well.” See their full reviews below.

Christmas With Molang
By Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

https://youtu.be/MpfU90Zpj3Y

The adorable episodes on Christmas with Molang convey important messages surrounding Christmas, without having any dialogue. Kids of all ages would be able to understand the messages. The animation is filled with pastel colors and is pleasing to the eyes.

The storyline follows two best friends, Molang and Piu Piu. Molang is a bunny and Piu Piu is a chick. They encounter problems throughout the day and, while finding the solutions to these problems, they learn a valuable lesson every time.  Normally Piu Piu is the one who is in distress and Molang finds a way to fix Piu Piu’s problem to cheer him up.

The animation is in a cutesy style from Korea. Molang was drawn by a university student named Yoon Hye Jin and is made to look like a sticky Korean rice cake. Everything is colored in light pastels and all the characters have round figures. Super adorable!

Although the cartoon is from Korea, the characters do not speak in Korean or in any real language for that matter. The fans have named the language that they speak Molangonese or Piupiualish. The audience is still able to understand what they are trying to say by the images shown and the strategic framing.

My favorite part about Christmas With Molang has to be the messages. Molang and Piu Piu promote the idea that Christmas is about more than receiving gifts. They help out other animal friends in their community and feel complete. Molang and Piu Piu inspire viewers to do good deeds for other people. They are an example to kids that “when you do good it comes around.”

Molang and Piu Piu also show how great it is to have a best friend. Molang and Piu Piu love each other very much and support each other all the time. These besties show how to sympathize and comfort others. These are important things to know to be able to socialize and be a caring person. Molang and Piu Piu promote positivity and love throughout the series.

Christmas With Molang is the perfect cartoon to show kids of all ages during the holiday season. They will love how cute everything is and will be inspired to do kind things for other people. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 6. Christmas With Molang is out on DVDs now so be sure to check it out!

scene outside.pngChristmas with Molang
By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

https://youtu.be/tJl1hCCOho4

I love this DVD! It is full of cuteness and Christmas cheer! And it is perfect to watch on a cold, winter day.

Christmas with Molang is about a bunny named Molang and a chick named Piu Piu going on fun-filled Christmas adventures. Episodes include A Beautiful Christmas Tree, The Snowman, At The Elves’ House and Santa.

The animation in this DVD is charming. It is simple, but with good attention to detail. The characters’ hilarious language is made up of gibberish words and sounds, which is very creative and entertaining. The music is upbeat and fits well with all the Christmas adventures. All of the episodes are adorable. My favorites are The Choir and The Frog, because they have the funniest story lines. The episodes are approximately five minutes each, so the total run time is about 30 minutes.

There are many positive messages throughout the DVD including the value of friendship, helping others and always have fun in what you do. Christmas with Molang has no bad language, but there are a few risky things that kids might try to do such as climb a Christmas tree, bother wild animals and go into houses Santa style.

I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 3 to 9. This DVD is available now so look for it.

M&P santa claus selfie.pngChristmas with Molang
By Tiana S. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 9

https://youtu.be/HE8EMO6xS4Q

Christmas with Molang is a cute movie full of all things Christmas! I love it. It’s a movie I would love to watch with my little cousins. The characters are so funny, playful and seem to always have fun.

Christmas with Molang is a DVD with six different short stories about Christmas on it. In each story the lead character, Molang and his friend Piu Piu experience a new lesson related to the spirit of Christmas. They build a snowman, go ice-skating, find the best Christmas tree and even meet a Ninja, back-flipping Santa Claus. Each time they go on one of their adventures, they learn a new lesson.

There are so many funny parts in each of the short stories. One of my favorite parts is when Molang and Piu Piu are ice skating and Molang lets go of Piu Piu’s hands and he flies away and lands on the back of a deer. The deer then takes off like a horse. I also find it hilarious that the music director Nicholas Varley has Santa enter to ninja music. Sometimes it is a little weird when the characters speak in animated baby voices. It could be a little annoying for older kids, because you can’t always understand what they are saying. However, because of the great animation, you can still tell what is happening. The scenes are very bright and colorful and full of the Christmas spirit.

The overall message of the DVD is to be kind to others, even strangers. In each story the characters are trying to help someone else or show how much they care about them. Also, it encourages you to show people you care and make new friends. Some day, when you are in trouble you’ll have help because you helped them.

I rate Christmas with Molang 5 out of 5 stars. It is a really cute movie for younger kids so I recommend it for ages 3 to 10. Christmas with Molang is available now wherever DVDs are sold.

vlcsnap-2018-10-08-11h59m44s584.pngChristmas with Molang
By Elizabeth T., KIDS FIRST! Juror

https://youtu.be/isF3dv75OhQ

Christmas with Molang is a sweet DVD that parents can enjoy with their younger children. The episodes are short enough to hold a young child’s attention and there is enough charm and comedy to the stories that an adult might find themselves laughing at the characters’ antics as well.

Christmas with Molang follows a young cotton-ball rabbit and her best friend Piu-Piu, a small chick. Rather than focusing on Christmas itself, either in the religious or secular sense, these episodes take classic bits of the holiday season (skating, making snowmen, caroling, finding a Christmas tree) and give them a story-book feel, full of light-hearted antics and the joys of having a best friend to do everything with. The DVD is a set of six mini-episodes and contains a number of charming adventures and funny moments.

The best part of this series is that none of the characters actually talk. They make vocalizations, like minions, where some of the words are distinguishable, but must are just sounds. Because of this, the viewer is able to imagine their own dialogue, which adds more humor to the characters interactions. On top of this, Piu-Piu and Molang have some genuinely charming interactions, and there is a distinguished personality difference between the two characters, Molang being the imaginative and upbeat, Piu-Piu being a bit more practical and clever. Most children will just find the characters cute and funny. There are plenty of events with good comedic timing (characters getting run over by snowballs, creeping up behind bushes, or trying to avoid kissing a frog). There is a lot of physical comedy (falling, people getting knocked on the head and such), but they are mostly played for laughs. The only serious injury shown is when Piu-Piu takes a rather nasty fall, nasty enough for him to fall unconscious and temporarily lose his memory.

The stories, while simple, make a decent amount of sense, even without dialogue. The only continuity error is that the two are seen decorating the Christmas tree at the beginning of each episode, making the audience wonder whether this is taking place different years or whether something happened to the old tree. The story does include Santa Claus, which isn’t particularly accurate. One episode involves a frog caught in the snow, while real frogs would be hibernating during winter. Another lack of accuracy is that all the Christmas songs the characters sing are secular, with no mention of the original carols used in church.

The animation is pretty basic, with minimal movement and simplistic designs. However, this adds to the charm of the episodes and gives the stories an idyllic, story-book flavor. The voices for the characters are all performed by the same person, but there is a noticeable enough difference to tell who’s talking.

The most beneficial episode involves a snow-man. After Piu-Piu and Molang have build and decorated a snowman, their decorations (hat, scarf, carrot and chocolates) are stolen by some hungry forest creatures, twice. After seeing that the small creatures are in need, the two go back to their house and prepare food and clothing for the creatures in a heartwarming show of forgiveness and compassion. In all the episodes, the characters find creative ways to solve problems and are always ready to help out a friend.

More than anything, the DVD illustrates how to be a good friend, to help out when others have problems, is ready to forgive, and find joy in everyday things. Whatever situation Molang and Piu-Piu find themselves in, they are the best of friends and they are always laughing. These episodes have a lot less to do with Christmas, religious or secular, than they have to do with just being kind to others, regardless of the time or season.

Christmas with Molang is a genuinely funny and charming collection of short stories that illustrate friendship and finding joy in simple, every-day things. Through a simple style of story-telling and plenty of vocal effects, these mini-episodes spark the viewer’s imagination and bring back idyllic memories of Christmas activities. I recommend it for ages 2 to 6 and give it 4 out of 5 stars. Reviewed by Elizabeth T., KIDS FIRST! Juror.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! * Three Sweet Stories About Friendship And Everyday Kid Problems

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Merry Christmas Llama Llama! * Three Sweet Stories About Friendship And Everyday Kid Problems

MerryXmasLlama.cover.jpgLlama Llama springs to life in these heart-warming tales based on the award-winning book series by author and illustrator Anna Dewdney. Celebrate the holidays with Llama Llama, Nelly Gnu, Luna Giraffe, Euclid Sheep, and Gilroy Goat as they give gifts, sing songs, and build snow sculptures. It’s a very Merry Christmas indeed! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Beatrice N. comments, “The holiday season has begun and Llama Llama is soooooooo ready for it! We all remember the loveable Llama Llama books, and now he has sprung to life on screen along with his besties including Nelly Gnu, Luna Giraffe, Euclid, and Gilory Goat!” Tiana S., adds, “Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is the perfect holiday movie for kids. Plus, it has two of my favorite holiday things – SNOW and GIFTS! It’s really great how all the episodes focus on friendship and giving.” Christine R. wraps it up with, “These sweet stories about friendship and everyday kid problems are presented in a comfortable, entertaining way that young fans of Llama Llama are sure to enjoy. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 8.” See their full reviews below.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama!
By Beatrice N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10

https://youtu.be/gMN8S0CDkv8

Merry Christmas! The holiday season has begun and Llama Llama is soooooooo ready for it! We all remember the loveable Llama Llama books, and now he has sprung to life on screen along with his besties including Nelly Gnu, Luna Giraffe, Euclid, and Gilory Goat!

In this new holiday DVD Llama Llama starts his season off with a snow sculpting contest, singing Christmas songs and some secret Santa fun! If you are an imagination filled, wholehearted kid who enjoyed the books, written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney, this DVD is for you. I would have thought these episodes were so much fun when I was little, and I still enjoyed them as 10-year-old. My favorite episode is when Llama Llama is the judge of a snow sculpture contest and is having trouble deciding who the winner should be, between his friends. When faced with a problem little Llama turns to Mama Llama (Jennifer Garner) to help him out. Together, Mama and Llama Llama take you through solving the problem with a little bit of imagination and kindness.

The animation is really cool and unique. The characters are all hand-drawn, while the background is painted. There is also a bonus episode about Llama Llama’s favorite library book that someone else has checked out. This episode really deals with the love of reading and how sometimes we need to try different types of books and we may find something new we enjoy. The setting is mostly in Llama Llama’s friendly neighborhood, though he often goes to many different places during the day, such as school, the library, the park and much more. Llama Llama is voiced by Shayle Simons creates the perfect Llama Llama voice. There are three episodes included in this DVD and it is a little over 30 minutes long.

The message of these episodes is that, even if you are little, you can solve big problems with some imagination, so always use it!

I rate this DVD 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 6. The DVD is available now, just in time for the holidays. Look for it.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama!
By Tiana S. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 9

https://youtu.be/9TuplNpaBCY

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is the perfect holiday movie for kids. Plus, it has two of my favorite holiday things – SNOW and GIFTS! It’s really great how all the episodes focus on friendship and giving.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is based on the book series by author and illustrator Anna Dewdney. The DVD includes three short stories of adventures that the lead character, Llama Llama (Shayle Simmons), goes on with his friends. In the first short story, Llama Llama has to judge a snow sculpture contest between his friends and pick a winner without hurting anyone’s feelings. In the next one, Secret Santa, Llama Llama and his friends are secret Santas and have trouble picking gifts and keeping their secret Santas a secret. In the bonus episode, Llama Llama Loves to Read, Llama Llama and his friends have to pick out books to read out loud to the younger kids. Llama Llama can’t find his favorite book at the library and his friend Gilroy Goat is nervous about reading out loud. In all three episodes, I really love seeing the great friendship between Llama Llama and how they always support each other. They always find ways to make other people feel good about themselves.

The three stories are all quite good and have great animation. One of my favorite parts was watching Llama Llama finish reading and then jumping into a pile of leaves. One cool thing is seeing how they finish things they have to do and are off to do something fun, like sledding. George Gabriel’s music is really catchy and short, which is perfect for the short episodes.

The DVD has two different stories and a bonus story and they all have different messages, but they all have the same theme of friendship! In each episode there is some problem that needs to be solved and gives them a chance to show what good friends should do for each other.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is a great DVD for movie days around holiday break. I rate this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for age 3 to 12. Merry Christmas Llama Llama! is currently available on where DVDs are sold.

Merry Christmas Llama Llama!
Reviewed by Christine R., KIDS FIRST! Reviewer

https://youtu.be/9e7sw5vJDps

The DVD Merry Christmas Llama Llama! delivers two holiday stories and a bonus story about reading. This series is based on the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney. In “Snow Show,” the teacher announces a snow sculpture contest and the judge will be one of the students themselves. No surprise when Llama Llama is chosen, but can he be fair and choose just one winner? Mama Llama, voiced by Jennifer Garner, gives him advice that helps devise a clever way to ensure all his friends are recognized, while still awarding one champion. In the second story “Secret Santa,” classmates must keep their Secret Santa from each other, made especially tricky when they all end up at the same store. The timeless lesson is that giving gifts makes you feel good. Bonus episode, “Llama Llama Loves to Read” highlights the importance of reading practice. Gilroy Goat must overcome his reluctance to read aloud, which he does when paired with the perfect book and many repeated readings. Llama Llama must find a new book when his first choice is not in the library. These sweet stories about friendship and everyday kid problems are presented in a comfortable, entertaining way that young fans of Llama Llama are sure to enjoy. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 8.

Pastor Gives Proceeds of Book to Local Church

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Empowerment
Pastor Gives Proceeds of Book to Local Church

What happens when the Monster you’re fighting is inside of you?

Monster in Me Book Cover.jpg

 

Pastor of Mountain View Church in Queen Creek, Arizona turns two time author. His latest book entitled “The Monster Is In Me, The Monster Is Me”is centered around three ideas: Recognizing the enemy, Resisting The enemy, and Rewriting our identity. Daniel Voss is on a mission to help others turn the monster into a masterpiece. As a leader in generosity with a heart to serve, 100% of the proceeds of this book goes right back to the local church.
“For the past 40 years, I have been running from what I thought was a mythical monster, only to discover the monster is real. The monster is in me. The monster is me. I am my own worst enemy. I wrestle daily with the man in the mirror. Dealing with a difficult person in never easy, especially when that person is you.”
∙ The first person to cause me problems is me – self-honesty.
∙ The first person I must change is me – self-improvement.
∙ The first person that can make a difference is me – self-responsibility.
I can’t promise you won’t have any more struggles after reading this book, but I can promise you will have the tools to fight them in a better way and see yourself in a new way.
Turning a monster into a masterpiece is no easy task unless God is on your side. Allow Him to crucify the old you and resurrect a new you. He paid the price of victory so you could live as royalty. So, stare down your fears, shatter your insecurities, and shake off your apathy. Today is a new day. It’s time to defeat the monster within and be the masterpiece God created you to be.
In a day and age where anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts run wild, Daniel shares a timeless truth of what’s beneath the surface will soon surface.
For more information about “The Monster Is In Me, The Monster Is Me” or Mountain View Church contact us via website MV.church or email at info@mv.church
Contact Information:
Mountain View Church
480-677-2100
Info@mv.church

4 Industries That Need Strong Leaders to Guide Them Through the 4th Industrial Revolution

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4 Industries That Need Strong Leaders to Guide Them Through the 4th Industrial Revolution

To start or to continue receiving the weekly blogs via email, please sign-up using this link: subscribe to Innovative Leadership Institute weekly blog.

This guest blog is provided by Ashley Wilson as a companion to the Mark Sims interview on Innovating Leadership, Co-creating Our Future. This interview Delivering for the End to End Customer as a Strategic Leader aired on 6/4/2019

 

The impending 4th Industrial Revolution promises to bring radical technological transformations to enable faster, more flexible, and more efficient business processes.

Technology is already part and parcel of many industries, but Industry 4.0 takes the meaning of digital transformation to a whole new level by completely changing how suppliers, producers, and customers interact with each other.

What are its impacts on industries and how do leaders play a role in enabling its success?

What Is the 4th Industrial Revolution?

The 4th Industrial Revolution (also known as Industry 4.0) boosts business performance by linking the best of physical and digital worlds.

This is achieved through a mix of innovative technologies such as AI, robotics, cloud computing, blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Industry 4.0 is sometimes deemed as the age of the smart factory, where digital systems monitor and make automated decisions for businesses with the help of the technologies mentioned earlier.

Industry 4.0 is paving the way for transformative changes at breakneck speed in every industry, from changing the face of manufacturing to revamping construction works, to enabling fintech services in needy areas all over the world.

How Will the 4th Industrial Revolution Affect Industries?

The question is, what are the industries most impacted by the 4th Industrial Revolution—and what can business leaders do to ease this change?

Manufacturing

Many manufacturing companies are behind the tech curve as their operations remain the same as how they were 30, 40 years ago.

Machine operators come into work, attend routine daily meetings with their superiors, then proceed to operate machines manually for the rest of the workday. This is nowhere near efficient for enterprises that want to embrace digital transformation.

With Industry 4.0, many of the repetitive, inefficient processes in manufacturing are automated by smart machines.

This allows employees to focus more on higher-level work which gives organizations leeway in pursuing valuable organizational, operational and digital transformation efforts.

For example, instead of relying on daily meetings to distribute tasks, manufacturers can utilize smart whiteboards to automatically display work metrics in real-time and assign tasks.

Questions like “what are the important tasks to complete today?” and “who should work on them?” are managed automatically without the need for human interference.

Smart monitoring is another avenue manufacturing companies are pursuing to improve work efficiency. In smart monitoring, digital tools assess the conditions of machines in real-time which allows factories to predict potential machine failures with the data at hand.

With this technology, factory owners can identify machine errors before they happen, increasing the long-term quality of their inventory while improving output immensely.

Some smart machines even have the ability to automatically fix itself and optimize processes, further reducing the burden of human workers.

All these advancements will see a shift in the manufacturing field from favoring labor-heavy companies to those who can adapt to Industry 4.0 the fastest—a shift that is already taking effect today.

Logistics and Supply Chains

Modern supply chains do benefit from technology by leveraging big data to coordinate processes within the supply chain.

For example, logistics companies use data analytics to help them make informed business decisions like predicting traffic, improving global collaboration, and manage container risks.

Physical platforms (e.g. logistics) also utilize technology in smoothing the flow of physical products, bringing inventory handling performance to an all-time high while keeping costs low.

Despite these improvements, supply chains still lack the capabilities needed to keep up with the unpredictable expectations placed on companies. Simply put, traditional supply chains are too slow for today’s fast-moving markets.

Industry 4.0 aims to put an end to this obstacle by enabling automation with digitized and robotic supply chain processes.

As a result, more and more logistics processes will be handled by AI and robots, leaving behind the time and cost-intensive human labor of old.

Logistics companies that have the resources to implement these technologies in their supply chains will benefit massively, as wide-scale automation saves a lot of time and effort that can be funneled towards more valuable and strategic work.

Construction

Same as the logistics and manufacturing fields, the construction industry is far behind in terms of technology adoption. Many construction companies still use manual labor, outdated machines, and outdated operating and business models.

The 4th Industrial Revolution, however, changes how construction companies are going about in designing, constructing, operating and maintaining assets.

Innovative technologies like 3D printing, robotic machinery, and prefabrication are impacting the construction field positively by reducing excess budgets and inefficient work.

Experts believe that within 10 years, Industry 4.0 could help the industry overcome its growth issues by cutting down on $1.7 trillion of wasted spending, a figure equivalent to 20% in annual cost savings.

The 4th Industrial Revolution will also help companies attract new talent which is vital considering the “boring” nature of the field.

Construction jobs are typically associated with hard work and labor, but that is set to change as future scenarios require a different set of modern skills to navigate.

Finance

Technology is crucial to financial institutions as they catalyze the innovation of solutions that help fuel economic growth, mainly through enabling global financial access in less developed areas.

Technology in finance also promotes the greater knowledge of financial tools to the needy, while also increasing transparency—a much-needed solution considering the discrete nature of financial institutions.

The biggest benefit of the 4th Industrial Revolution to the finance industry is its role in simplifying customer-facing technology (e.g. mobile banking), which promotes user engagements, eventually leading to the growth of financial markets.

Most of today’s banking operations will be automated in Industry 4.0. Thus, financial institutions would shift their business model towards offering business insights and higher-level services (e.g. consulting) with the use of data analytics, bringing an end to basic bank teller services.

New financial service models are also expected to appear for operational, business, and specialized finance, with tasks being done by a combination of humans, robots, and AI.

This forces banks and other financial institutions to rethink their business strategy to pull through the 4th Industrial revolution.

Why These Industries Need Strong Leaders to Navigate Through the 4th Industrial Revolution

The ever-changing environment of the 4th Industrial Revolution creates a level of uncertainty and expectation that requires businesses to be agile and flexible—a task that falls on the shoulders of business leaders.

In a Deloitte study, 86% of business leaders said they were “business-ready” in terms of embracing Industry 4.0 and were doing “all they could” to make the transition as seamless as possible.

The same study was repeated six months later and surprisingly, only 47% said they were prepared for Industry 4.0—less than half the previous figure in just under a year.

While this figure may seem worrying at first sight, it represents a welcome change in the attitude of leaders towards the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Instead, this mindset shift suggests that key executives are now more aware of the effort it takes to overcome Industry 4.0’s biggest challenges.

The Skills Every Top Leader Needs to Embrace Industry 4.0

Leaders play an important role as they’re the ones responsible for easing digital transformation in the workspace.

That role begins by putting people first and empowering them with the tools and skills needed to adapt to change.

Agile and Flexible

The rapid speed of change in the 4th Industrial Revolution means that leaders need to be agile and flexible in embracing change.

More importantly, strong leaders see change as an opening for organizations to innovate, not as a liability.

This skill, along with the flexibility to cater to the changing demands of employees, working environments, and business tools, is crucial as strategies that work today may not work in the future.

Hence, leaders need to be on their toes in keeping up with change and making the best out of it.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Emotional intelligence is an important skill to have in the future as leaders are expected to manage employee sentiment well as well as their own emotions.

As machines and smart systems enter the workforce, leaders will need to be even more empathetic to maintain their team members’ wellbeing.

A good leader in the 4th Industrial Revolution is someone who is willing to have honest, open conversations with their team not only about work but also on personal topics outside of work.

Responsibility

Leaders can only earn the respect of their team if they’re responsible and accountable.

Industry 4.0 preaches a transparent workplace, leaving no room for irresponsible employees including leaders themselves.

It’s crucial for leaders to take responsibility for the outcomes of business decisions while ensuring that team members are protected from criticism should any unwanted events occur.

Tech Literate

Industry 4.0 is driven mainly by advanced technology.

As a result of this change, future leaders must be tech-savvy to understand rapidly changing tech landscapes.

This allows them to identify the right technology for their organization rather than blindly following what’s in trend.

Teamwork and Collaboration

In contrast to today’s offices, future leaders won’t have their own exclusive workspace—they’ll be working with the team instead.

Leaders will still have executive powers but collaboration will be the number one factor that separates strong leaders from mediocre ones.

The importance of collaboration is further amplified by the diversity of future workspaces.

With employees coming from different backgrounds and parts of the world, they need strong leaders to appreciate and leverage the differences of every individual to benefit the team and the organization.

Industry 4.0 Needs Equally Transformative Leaders

As the 4th Industrial Revolution changes how we work in the future, business leaders must prepare their teams by leading by example.

No matter how much AI and smart machines impact the workforce, excellent leadership will—and always will be—the driver of organizational success.

To become a more innovative leader, you can begin by taking our free leadership assessments and then enrolling in our online leadership development program.

Check out the companion interview and past episodes of Innovating Leadership, Co-creating Our Future, via iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRADIO. Stay up-to-date on new shows airing by following the Innovative Leadership Institute LinkedIn.

About the Author

Ashley Wilson is writing about business and tech, and the intersection of the two. Personally, she has been known to reference movies in casual conversation and she enjoys baking homemade treats for her husband and their two felines, Lady and Gaga. If you need a new writer, get in touch with Ashley via Twitter.

Photo from: pixabay.com

What Happened to Civility

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Empowerment
What Happened to Civility

What happened to civility? When did we lose it? Did we ever have it? How can we find it and successfully implement civility for the common good? There is no denying we live in a divided world. Strong opinions, harsh words, misrepresentation of facts and outright lies have become common place. Civil discourse, discussion and debate has been replaced with name calling, hostile rhetoric and at times acts of violence.

The lack of civility is not limited to the political area. We see it every day in business. People are disengaged at work. Per a recent Gallup report, two-thirds of American workers are unhappy with their jobs and 15 percent actually hate their work. If my math is correct, that means 81% of workers do not enjoy their job and are not engaged toward working toward a common ground.

This unhappiness has a price. Gallup and the Eastern Kentucky University report state that”

  • $550 billion annually is lost in productivity loss due to employee burnout
  • $330 billion annually is lost due to workplace stress

Far too many organizations have an unproductive TOXIC culture.

This is a staggering number and brings with it serious problems such as: declining productivity, revenue and profit margins suffer, employee turnover increases, corporate sabotage rises, legal actions by customers and employees. Negative undergrounds and worse yet battle grounds develop and gain traction.

Companies that suffer from departmental rivalries, (lack of civility or common ground) are 5.82 times more likely to have systemic problems with honesty, according to a 15-year study conducted by consultant Ron Carucci. And widespread issues with honesty can pave the way to the kind of scandals that rocked Wells Fargo and Volkswagen in recent years.

While things will never be perfect, an improvement in civility can give companies a competitive edge. How do we get back to civility? While fear is the enemy of civility, education is the key to overcoming fear. The more we know about people, cultures, background, religions, races, etc., the better the chances for civil discourse.

Let’s break this down to the most basic component. Civility requires people to find a common ground to discuss, review and make decisions that affect the overall good of an organization.

As Mark Balzer writes in his book The People Principles, All companies are trying to improve their employee engagement and for good reason; look at any engagement study and the positive impact engagement has on organizational results. Most companies and leaders are failing in this effort because they simply do not understand how to get their employees engaged in the business. Throwing a pizza party is an event and won’t get people engaged. The most important step is to define the purpose of the organization, the purpose the team, and the purpose of the employee’s role on the team.

Nicole Bendaly writes in her book, Winner Instinct, Negative conflict rarely occurs from issues, it results from negative emotions triggered by an action or words. Negative emotions generate fear in the workplace. People are afraid to be authentic. They are afraid to voice opinions or ideas. Fear is where collaboration goes to die.

  1. Fear destroys team culture, eating away at it faster than anything else.
  2. There’s nothing more damaging to morale than when a team feels like their contributions don’t matter.

How do we find our way back to civility? The first step is to listen to understand, not just listening to respond. Once we start actually listening, understanding and respecting our differences we can bring civility.

 

Charlie’s Angels * Loving Remake With Some Neat Callbacks

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Kids
Charlie’s Angels * Loving Remake With Some Neat Callbacks

Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska are working for the mysterious Charles Townsend, whose security and investigative agency has expanded internationally. With the world’s smartest, bravest, and most highly trained women all over the globe, there are now teams of Angels guided by multiple Bosleys taking on the toughest jobs everywhere. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Calista B. comments, “This film is a reboot of a very well-known franchise. Charlie’s Angels was originally a TV show in the 70s. While I knew very little about the franchise, my mom is a huge fan. From what I’ve gathered, this movie is a pretty loving remake, with some neat callbacks. This is definitely a film that can be enjoyed by people who aren’t fans. It is the perfect film for those who want a fun female-empowerment movie.” See her full review below.

charlies-angels-DF-11120_r.jpg

Charlie’s Angels
By Calista Bess, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 16

https://youtu.be/poYTPAswBAY

 

 

This film was immensely entertaining and a joy to watch. While I’m unable to judge this film as a reboot, I can judge this as a girl power film.The story follows a trio of women known as Charlie’s Angels as they attempt to track down a dangerous piece of technology that can kill people with electric pulses.This film is a reboot of a very well-known franchise. Charlie’s Angels was originally a TV show in the 70s. While I knew very little about the franchise, my mom is a huge fan. From what I’ve gathered, this movie is a pretty loving remake, with some neat callbacks. This is definitely a film that can be enjoyed by people who aren’t fans. It is the perfect film for those who want a fun female-empowerment movie.

 

Speaking of which, this film is very much about the friendship between the three Angels – Jane, Sabina and Elena. Jane is played by Ella Balinska. Sabina is played by Kristen Stewart and Elena is played by Naomi Scott. The three have amazing chemistry, each with their own unique personality and characteristics. I love all three of them a lot. You really do buy that these women have become good friends and they work well together. Of course, the Angels aren’t the only amazing characters in this cast. Elizabeth Banks, who also wrote and directed this film, plays Bosley and she’s a really fun character. Elizabeth Banks plays a perfect mentor. There’s also Jonny Smith, who seems to be a throwaway character at first, but he is weirdly endearing. The actor, Chris Pang, is strangely charismatic and he ended up being one of my favorite characters in the film.

charlies-angels-DF-28238_r.jpg

The film consists of a lot of awesome action and espionage scenes. There’s some really impressive and honestly quite tense action segments and the espionage is really fun and clever. The gadgets they use are designed really well, in that they are both creative and stylish. Honestly this whole film has a really nice aesthetic, especially the house where the final fight takes place. There are all these bright colorful lights and glass walls with images projected onto them that look amazing.

 

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18. It releases on November 15, 2019. Look for it.

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