Mini Reviews

Writing full reviews is an extremely time-consuming process. This page is devoted to those movies we've seen and want to comment on, but haven't yet had time to do full reviews. If you have any suggestions for movies you feel should be on this list, please let us know.

Movie Title	Movie	Actress Name	Age	Actress	Screen Time
Addams Family Values	3.4 / 5	Christina Ricci	13	4.1 / 5	medium
Two years newer than The Addams Family, this movie is a worthy sequel, full of the same goodness as its predecessor. Christina as Wednesday – now an early teenager – is still most phenomenal, and the chaos she predictably causes at the summer camp where she's sent is most entertaining.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Alice in den Städten	2.7 / 5	Yella Rottländer	11	3.2 / 5	large
The name of this movie, Alice in the Cities in English, pretty much sums it up. Alice's mother meets a man, an aspiring writer, in New York, and ends up sending ten-year-old Alice to Amsterdam with him. Much of the movie consists of their stay in Amsterdam; in hotels, cafes, trains stations, on the road. Deep parallels to Alice in Wonderland aren't apparent. The cities aren't much of wonderlands to Alice, whose attitude is mostly unimpressed throughout. The plot is almost nonexistent, and prior to appearance of Yella there's nothing much worth seeing. The picture is black and white, and very soft, looking as if made in the 50's rather than 70's. Yella is expressive, beautiful, and a fine actress, so well fills the void left by the lacking plot.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Alice in Wonderland (1999)	2.5 / 5	Tina Majorino	13	3.0 / 5	very large
This 1999 take of the famous story is fair family entertainment but has little new to offer in its treatment of the subject. The style is very mainstream. Computer effects – almost a necessity for this story – are mediocre. There is an overall feel of a slightly low budget movie. Alice is played by Tina, who is now in her early teens, and sweet as ever. This however isn't her best role, and the whole movie is best enjoyed if you first make yourself a fan of Tina's by watching her in her better movies.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Andre	1.9 / 5	Tina Majorino	9	3.0 / 5	medium
An family movie with a seal named Andre in the main role. Very much a kids' movie, with little to offer for older viewers. Tina stands out as the one with skill and charm.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Angela	3.0 / 5	Charlotte Eve Blythe	8	3.8 / 5	very large
		Miranda Stuart Rhyne	11	3.8 / 5	very large
A highly precocious ten-year-old girl named Angela (Miranda) leads her six-year-old sister, Ellie (Charlotte), through various regimens of 'purification' in an attempt to rid themselves of their evil. I found this movie a bit disturbing, and carelessly made, but to its merit, not ordinary.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Charlotte, Miranda)
Because of Winn-Dixie	3.0 / 5	AnnaSophia Robb	12	3.4 / 5	very large
		Elle Fanning	7	3.4 / 5	small
A dog-themed kids' movie. Opal (AnnaSophia) is the daughter of a traveling preacher, and has few or no friends, until she meets Winn-Dixie, a friendly mutt who changes her life for the better. Opal is a very central character, and AnnaSophia plays the role fine. Elle has only a few small scenes. While her acting isn't comparable to Dakota's, Elle is immensely lovely, a good actress choice for a character named Sweetie Pie.  (IMDb: movie | actress: AnnaSophia, Elle)
Bee Season	2.5 / 5	Flora Cross	12	2.5 / 5	very large
Languidly progressing but intelligent movie about spelling and spirituality. It's a strange combination but works surprisingly well thanks to writing that doesn't belittle the audience. Flora's performance as the master speller has similar quiet charm as Theo in Emile.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Beethoven's 4th	1.5 / 5	Kaleigh Krish	11	2.0 / 5	small
		Michaela Gallo	10	2.0 / 5	small
The fourth in a steadily worsening sequence of kids' movies, this one is strictly for fans of the series, and supposedly of big slobbery dogs. The two young actresses in the movie do a fine job within the severe limits of their predictable roles as the little girls fond of their dogs. The plot involves a look-alike of Beethoven in a rich house, and the two getting swapped.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Kaleigh, Michaela)
Big Momma's House 2	2.2 / 5	Chloe Moretz	9	3.1 / 5	small
This movie has it all: gratuitous violence, perfect women, cute kids, all mixed up into one disgusting dish. An FBI agent works undercover as the nanny Big Momma in this obnoxious sequel. Chloe is the adorable daughter, but gets only shallow lines and too little screen time. Recommended for fans of Chloe only.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Bob the Butler	2.0 / 5	Genevieve Buechner	13	2.7 / 5	large
Although Tom Green makes a funny-looking butler Bob, nothing in his central role in this comedy made me more than smirk weakly. Genevieve, who looks well below her age, is a wonderfully evil tween. If you're going to watch this because of Genevieve (which is a worthy idea), check out her better, earlier movie Saint Monica first.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Carolina	2.5 / 5	Mika Boorem	14	3.0 / 5	small
Carolina (Julia Stiles) is a nice daughter of a warm but eccentric family. Carolina finds a perfect suitor, but meeting her family proves to be a problem. And then there is her good, old male friend... Julia Stiles does a good performance, and while Mika's role is not large, it's worth checking out if you like her.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Charlotte's Web	2.7 / 5	Dakota Fanning	12	3.0 / 5	medium
Based on the classic book, Charlotte's Web is a pretty and sentimental tale about animals of a barn and their friendship. Among the animals are a spider named Charlotte, and a piglet named Wilbur, who is a pet of Dakota's character Fern. The story is sweet, the visuals attractive, and acting of both human actors and the CGI animals is solid. I suspect Templeton the Rat was the biggest deviation in style from the book, him being a bit too excessive for such a peaceful story. In its category of family movies with speaking animals this movie does well. However that's not our cup of tea, so without Dakota's smaller-than-you'd-hope role as the likeable Fern we'd rank this movie below the average.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Cheaper by the Dozen	2.4 / 5	Alyson Stoner	10	2.5 / 5	small
		Liliana Mumy	9	2.5 / 5	very small
		Morgan York	10	2.5 / 5	very small
Neither all the fine child actresses nor the other rather big-name actors of this family comedy are quite enough to save it from mediocrity, at least unless the slapstick comedy by Steve Martin (playing the father) happens to be your particular cup of tea. The difficulty of taking good screenshots of this movie is a symptom of one of its bigger problems: with 12 kids and the parents, there is no time to develop the characters enough even to warrant closeups. Regardless, Alyson, Liliana, and Morgan make Cheaper by the Dozen a worthwhile experience.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Alyson, Liliana, Morgan)
Chestnut: Hero of Central Park	1.8 / 5	Abigail Breslin	8	2.4 / 5	large
		Makenzie Vega	10	2.4 / 5	large
A children's movie full of absurdly unrealistic details. The plot revolves around two adopted children trying to keep a dog they found without their parents noticing. Abigail is charmingly cute, even more so than usually, and Makenzie isn't bad either. Both girls have a lot of screen time. All the frames without the girls could be cut off, though, without losing anything of value.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Abigail, Makenzie)
Click	2.7 / 5	Tatum McCann	6	3.0 / 5	small
Michael (Adam Sandler) is a successful architect, who has trouble finding enough time for his wife and two small children. He happens to come into possession of a magical remote controller that allows him to skip the boring parts of his life, but the device comes with a cost. It's as silly as it sounds, and the plot is full of holes. While little Tatum, who plays one of the children, isn't on the screen enough, every moment of her presence is intensely cute, and makes the movie worth the while.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Contact	3.3 / 5	Jena Malone	12	3.5 / 5	small
A fair scifi movie about first Contact. Jodie Foster plays the main character, a young headstrong scientist Ellie Arroway. Jena has a 10 minute role as a eleven-year-old Ellie, already excited of her future profession in form of amateur radio. Jena is good as always within the limits of her role.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Dark Water	2.0 / 5	Ariel Gade	8	3.1 / 5	medium
A technically fluent but dull horror movie, with a scary run-down building and a haunting little girl. Ariel, despite her mediocre acting, is highly, highly adorable.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Dolores Claiborne	3.0 / 5	Ellen Muth	11	2.0 / 5	small
Now grown up Selena's (Jennifer Jason Leigh) mother seems to have killed again. Selena goes meet her, and the family's difficult past unwinds. A good crime story, recommended if you like Jennifer. 11-year-old Selena is played by Ellen Muth, who has recently starred in the excellent TV series Dead Like Me.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Don't Say a Word	3.5 / 5	Skye McCole Bartusiak	8	3.5 / 5	small
Skye plays a young girl who is kidnapped and used as leverage to force her father to comply with the kidnapper's peculiar requests. Skye is more of a peripheral character, but she's very sweet and likeable, and is admirably fearless in the face of her kidnappers.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial	3.5 / 5	Drew Barrymore	8	3.0 / 5	medium
A good, classic family movie which those who saw it as a child won't forget. E.T. is a sympathetic alien that is stranded on the Earth, and a group of children help him return. Drew's first big role.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Elina – Som om jag inte fanns	3.1 / 5	Natalie Minnevik	10	3.3 / 5	very large
		Tind Soneby	8	3.3 / 5	medium
Elina (Natalie) and her little sister Irma (Tind) live in the rural northern Sweden of 1950's, of which the film offers a beautiful, melancholy view. Being a stubborn girl with a strong sense of right, Elina's compassion goes out for her class mate, a boy who only knowns Finnish, while their stern, cold teacher only allows speaking Swedish. The teacher won't tolerate an argument, and the situation escalates until the justice prevails. Children will like the simple story, while adults can enjoy the beautiful cinematography. Natalie has expressive face that makes you feel for her, but her acting quite mediocre.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Natalie, Tind)
Ellen Foster	3.2 / 5	Jena Malone	12	4.0 / 5	very large
This movie a lot in common with Jena's perhaps best one (Bastard out of Carolina). In both movies, Jena plays the daughter of a family with a violent father, and performs well. However while above the ordinary, Ellen Foster falls short of the excellence of the other movie. There are no major flaws, but I, at least, had the "I've seen all this before" sense throughout the movie.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Emile	3.3 / 5	Theo Crane	11	3.5 / 5	medium
A slow but warm and enjoyable drama that keeps your attention surprisingly well. Main role by Ian McKellen, who does good job as usual. The young talent Theo doesn't say or do much, but we both found ourselves liking her increasingly.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Entre la tarde y la noche	2.9 / 5	Martha Lorena Osuna	10	3.9 / 5	large
To be honest, I don't know what happens in this movie, which is also known as The Magic Hour. It's a drama about relationships in a family, in particular between Martha's character and what I expect to be her uncle or such. Typically for Spanish movies, it's gloomy and tragic. Martha, playing the main role, makes up for all that though. To me she's one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Everwood	2.0 / 5	Vivien Cardone	10	3.0 / 5	medium
A family drama centered around a family in which Vivien plays the young daughter, Delia, who is nine years old during the first season. The show is rather unremarkable, as is Delia's character and Vivien's acting. In particular, it wouldn't hurt to see Delia smiling once in a while. However she has a reasonable amount of screen time, and Alex and I find her very beautiful, so the show may be worth following just because of Vivien.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Fairytale: A True Story	3.4 / 5	Elizabeth Earl	9	4.2 / 5	large
Beautiful, glowing cinematography galores in this historical fairytale of two girls who find little fairies in their garden. The cheerful beauty of Elizabeth, who plays one of the girls, would alone make this a worth paying for, but the rest of the cast is strong too.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Five Children and It	2.2 / 5	Jessica Claridge	10	2.0 / 5	large
		Poppy Rogers	12	2.0 / 5	large
A mediocre kids' movie about five children living in their strict uncle's mansion, and trying to get their father back from the war by means of wishes granted by the little Yar-Yar-Binks-like sand fairy. The girls do decent acting, but Freddie Highmore steals the show just as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Jessica, Poppy)
Ghostship	3.0 / 5	Emily Browning	13	3.8 / 5	medium
By far the largest merit of this horror piece is thirteen-year-old Emily's smallish role as a ghost who warns our heroes of the gruesome dangers awaiting them. Emily has been consistently good also in her later roles, of which the best known is her lead role in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Hansel & Gretel	2.0 / 5	Dakota Fanning	8	3.0 / 5	very small
Dakota's poorest role. The director probably had no idea what he wanted Dakota to do. The rest of this fairytale gives the same disfavorable impression. The highlight is Dakota's weirdest expression ever (see the screenshot).  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Harriet the Spy	3.3 / 5	Michelle Trachtenberg	10	4.0 / 5	very large
Michelle, better known from her role as Dawn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has oodles of personality in this children's movie based on Louise Fitzhugh's book. Michelle's character Harriet M. Welsch is an eleven-year-old girl who likes to play a spy, and jots down with uncensored honesty into her notebook all that she sees. Such honesty is not appreciated by her friends when the evil girl of the class steals the notebook, but in the end Harriet prevails. The movie is fairly faithful to the book, although simpler and lacking many of Harriet's deliciously insightful observations.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	3.2 / 5	Bonnie Wright	10	3.6 / 5	very small
		Emma Watson	12	3.6 / 5	large
This second part of the Harry Potter movie series is much the same as the first one, a fine though not outstanding action adventure. Emma was perhaps just a little bit better in the first movie. Bonnie has subtle, strange charm as Ginny Weasley.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Bonnie, Emma)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	3.3 / 5	Emma Watson	10	4.0 / 5	medium
Harry Potters are great books. We've read them all. We love brilliant Hermione, and we really love how Emma plays her in the movies. And what's not to like. Not only is Emma beautiful, but she also handles perfectly her bossy, brilliant character. In the first movie of the series Emma is 10 years old, and, obviously, increasingly older in later ones, but let it be said we both like her in all of them.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Heinähattu ja Vilttitossu	1.8 / 5	Katriina Tavi	10	2.9 / 5	large
		Tilda Kiianlehto	7	2.9 / 5	large
A silly Finnish children's movie of a family whose well meaning, nice mother is just not fit for the job of mother. Acting of especially the children is poor, but they have a number of cute and beautiful moments.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Katriina, Tilda)
Hide & Seek	3.2 / 5	Dakota Fanning	10	3.8 / 5	large
A suspense/thriller with a few merits, but not considerably better than mediocre, which is unfortunate given such an excellent cast. Dakota delivers a solid performance nevertheless, and presents a unique look for her role as Emily Callaway.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Hideous Kinky	3.0 / 5	Bella Riza	9	3.5 / 5	large
		Carrie Mullan	7	3.5 / 5	large
A hippie mother Julia lives in Marocco with her two childen, ages 6 and 8, seeking englightenment but meeting only disappointments and poverty. The intense visuals of Morocco, and the strong acting by the children are the highlights of this road movie of sorts.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Bella, Carrie)
Interview with the Vampire	3.5 / 5	Kirsten Dunst	11	4.0 / 5	small
A worthy, fairly unique vampire story, based on Anne Rice's book series. Kirsten plays a child vampire, and is fantastic in that role, her ferocity quite unparalled by any other child character that comes to mind. This movie is easily Kirsten's best one, and so it's most regrettable her role isn't larger.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Jumanji	2.0 / 5	Kirsten Dunst	12	2.5 / 5	medium
A rather tiring family adventure. Twelve-year-old Kirsten Dunst is among the main characters, but even she can only do so much with such poor writing.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Keane	2.9 / 5	Abigail Breslin	8	3.3 / 5	medium
William Keane has lost his daughter, and the pain of that loss is all there is room for in his life. Or is it all just his imagination? That is the main theme: what in William's mind is real, what is fantasy, and what are his intentions toward the daughter of the woman he meets during the movie. It's a dark world in William's head, and though sometimes things move slowly, you are kept on your toes throughout the movie. Abigail's performance as the daughter makes it clear she's an actress with much more to show off than a pretty face.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Kill Bill: Vol. 2	3.7 / 5	Perla Haney-Jardine	6	4.0 / 5	medium
This is a movie by Quentin Tarantino, the legend, best known from Pulp Fiction. Whether you like the genre of action movies – and I don't, which is reflected in the score – you must admit this movie is masterfully done. The big surprise in the end is Perla's sweet, touching character, so very humane in end of such a violent, detached movie.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Klatretøsen	2.0 / 5	Julie Zangenberg	14	3.1 / 5	large
A children's movie where early teenagers plan and execute a ridiculously unrealistic robbery. If you can ignore the silliness, the Danish origin of the film is refreshing. Julie has the main role, and is both immediately likable and attractive, as well as a fair actress. There is also an English remake of this film starring the lovely Kristen Stewart called Catch That Kid.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Little Manhattan	3.0 / 5	Charlie Ray	12	3.5 / 5	large
Love is joy, and love is pain, even when you're eleven years old. Little Manhattan tells this old story in a sweet and charming way, although some moments are too predictable, making it clear the target audience is not only grown ups. Personally, the karate scenes made me cringe with their usual lack of realism; that and the other flaws, though, are all fairly minor. Still images do no justice to Charlie, whose acting is first class. I found myself thinking of this film with warmth many days afterwards.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Little Miss Sunshine	3.0 / 5	Abigail Breslin	9	3.5 / 5	large
As Olive (Abigail) gets into the Little Miss Sunshine competition at the last moment, her considerably eccentric family is suddenly faced with a road trip to get Olive to California. Highly praised for its originality, the movie does have an indie feel in the positive sense. In our opinion, though, the movie only merits an "above average" rating. Similarly, while Abigail's acting is good, it's hard to see why it's considered worthy of an Oscar nomination. The best offering of Little Miss Sunshine is perhaps its take on the silly and controversial phenomena of child pageants, without being too heavy handed about the points it makes.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Little Women	3.6 / 5	Kirsten Dunst	11	3.0 / 5	small
Based on the classic girls' book, this is a beautiful, touching and even sugary movie about the March family, its four girls, and their arriving to adulthood. All actors do a lovely job. This movie made me an instant fan of Winona Ryder (playing Jo) for her beauty and charm, and Claire Danes (playing Beth) for her unparalleled gentle sweetness. Eleven-year-old Kirsten's performance as young Amy is fair, but not comparable to that in Interview with the Vampire. A special mention goes to the beautiful soundtrack. If, unlike us, you're not a sap, this might not be your movie.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Lotta på Bråkmakargatan	3.2 / 5	Grete Havnesköld	6	3.5 / 5	large
		Linn Gloppestad	10	3.5 / 5	medium
A sweet children's movie, consisting of shorter mini plots. Lotta is a charmingly uppity five-year-old, played to perfection by cute Grete. Nice and wholesome entertainment for all children and, as far as I'm concerned, anyone else too. There exists also a sequel of sorts, Lotta 2 - Lotta flyttar hemifrån, which is more of the same, although Grete looks a year older in some parts.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Grete, Linn)
Matilda	3.4 / 5	Mara Wilson	9	3.5 / 5	large
A tale of a little genius girl, and her triumph over her crappy parents and the most horrible teachers ever. Mara's good acting makes Matilda very likable, and Danny DeVito does good job as her sleazy loser father. Unlike you'd expect from a children's movie with such a plot, the story has merit and its execution shows rare charm. I was however bothered by occasional out-of-place and overt violence.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Mockingbird Don't Sing	3.0 / 5	Tarra Steele	11	3.5 / 5	large
Based on a true story of Katie, a girl who was kept locked in a closet by her family for the 14 first years of her life, resulting in a deeply dysfunctional person who never learnt to speak. This is a very tough film to watch, as the makers have been honest to the real, cruel events. Tarra, almost a first time actor, plays the challenging role of Katie very well.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
My Girl	3.7 / 5	Anna Chlumsky	10	4.2 / 5	large
In my mind, My Girl and Harriet the Spy share a lot of similarity. The "oodles of personality" statement about Michelle in Harriet the Spy applies equally to Anna in My Girl. This is a lovely family movie about a 11-year-old girl who lives in a funeral parlor run by her gentle but inattentive father.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
My Girl 2	2.4 / 5	Anna Chlumsky	13	3.0 / 5	very large
Three years has passed since the events of My Girl. Vada (Anna) is now thirteen, in that coming-of age. Wanting to find out more about her mother, whom she never knew, Anna travels to Los Angeles, where the good-natured, family-movie kind of drama of the film takes place. The strength of this sequel is Anna, who is still much the same girl she used to be. Time has passed however, Anna is now largely a teenager, and the movie fails to capture the same magic as the first one. Watch this if you loved Anna in the first movie, and don't mind seeing more of her even when she's older.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Nirgendwo in Afrika	3.4 / 5	Lea Kurka	9	3.5 / 5	large
An upper class jewish family escapes from the German nazis into Africa just prior to World War II. Adopting to the new life in Kenya is a challenge to all involved, but as the time to return comes, the choice is no longer so obvious. Lea is very likable and charming in her subtle portrayal of a child making Africa her new home. Unfortunately, at about middle of the movie Lea is replaced by an older actress who, while also doing a fine role, is no match for Lea. Regardless of any child actress in it, this is a good drama well worth its IMDB score of 7.9.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Paranoid	2.0 / 5	Mischa Barton	13	2.0 / 5	small
Directed by John Duigan (Lawn Dogs), actors including Mischa and Jessica Alba – yet this movie is a failure. A beautiful model (Alba) discovers she's been drugged and raped, and is not allowed to leave the house. An underachivement in every way, except Mischa's role as a mute, mildly retarded girl is worth checking out for her fans.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Ponette	3.0 / 5	Victoire Thivisol	5	4.0 / 5	very large
A unique study about childhood. Ponette, played absolutely impeccably by Victoire, has lost her mother, and her father doesn't have a gift of providing great comfort. More so than any other movie I've seen, Ponette lets you truly feel as if you were a child again, showing the world through the child's eyes with admirable grace.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Pups	2.8 / 5	Mischa Barton	12	3.2 / 5	large
Two early teens, one of them played by Mischa, decide impulsively to rob a bank. Things don't go exactly as planned, and the kids get stuck within the bank holding hostages. The movie appears determined to make a statement, though I'm not sure what the message is. In practice you see a lot of yelling and minor chaos. Mischa looks somewhat confused about what to do; I suspect the director shared the same feeling when making the movie.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Pursued	1.0 / 5	Conchita Campbell	9	3.0 / 5	small
An awful thriller lacking in all aspects except production values. Conchita's role is small but the few moments she has are adorable.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Raising Helen	2.7 / 5	Abigail Breslin	8	2.4 / 5	medium
A pleasant comedy where Helen Harris (Kate Hudson, Almost Famous), a young career woman, suddenly finds herself in the job of being a mother for her deceased sister's three children. Abigail, in the age of eight, is the cute youngest children. Fourteen years old Hayden Panettiere, who was a highlight of some of the latter Ally McBeal episodes, is the oldest of the children.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Ronja Rövardotter	2.7 / 5	Hanna Zetterberg	11	3.1 / 5	very large
Not quite living up to the very high standards set by Astrid Lindgren's lovely children's book it's based on, this movie is nonetheless a fair adventure for children, or anyone charmed by the book. The beautiful portrayal of the Swedish nature, and the display of Ronja's love for it are the strong points of the movie. It's also always great to see older movies like this one that aren't so hysterical about tastefully showing a bit of naked skin. Disappointing is excessive silliness of some events, so as to make the movie more suitable for children, and only mediocre success at creating a credible impression of another world and time. Hanna is likable and well suited for the all-important role of Ronja.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
School of Rock	3.0 / 5	Miranda Cosgrove	10	2.5 / 5	medium
Lying about his identity, a rocker Dewey Finn (Jack Black) gets a job of teaching in a prep school. Less than interested in conventional education, he starts turning his class into a rock band. Given the silly concept I expected a rather stupid movie, but was treated with a perfectly entertaining one, mainly thanks to Jack Black, a natural comedian, Miranda is the only professional actress among the pupils, but some of the others are worth your attention too.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Secret of the Andes	3.0 / 5	Camilla Belle	10	3.8 / 5	very small
A family adventure with much Inca romanticism. Suitable for younger audiences, but hopelessly cheesy for grown ups. Camilla's beauty takes your breath away, and her acting is decent, but the role doesn't allow for anything amazing.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Silent Hill	3.1 / 5	Jodelle Ferland	11	3.0 / 5	medium
A classic horror story with strong splatter elements, complete with zombies, the devil, and a crazy-brave main character. Immensely unsuitable for children, and for many adults as well for that matter. The film looks and sounds good, but lacks that something that would make it raise above the ordinary. The same could be said of Jodelle in her dual-role as a child-in-distress, and as something more sinister.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Skipped Parts	3.5 / 5	Mischa Barton	13	4.0 / 5	medium
An entertaining, slightly dark comedy. Sam Callahan, an early teenaged boy, moves into a new town with his care-free mother and ends up in a confusing relationship with Maurey Pierce, played enjoyably by Mischa. Any Mischa fan should check this out.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Speak	2.7 / 5	Kristen Stewart	13	2.7 / 5	very large
A well-made teen drama about the common subject of rape. There are no big surprises or deep messages, but the story is told with good taste and style, and is as devoid of clichés as possible. Kirsten, in her mid teens, is likable and interesting despite her quite consistently sullen and silent character. For the Kirsten-uninitiated, however, her earlier movie Panic Room should come first in the watching queue.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Sweet Home Alabama	2.5 / 5	Dakota Fanning	8	4.0 / 5	very small
Dakota has only half a minute of screen time when she appears at the beginning of the film. She kisses a boy – her first kiss, reportedly – and is lovely as she always is. The rest of the movie is a fairly ordinary romantic comedy/drama with a good performance from Reese Witherspoon.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Taken	3.0 / 5	Dakota Fanning	9	4.3 / 5	medium
Dakota appears in the last four of ten ninety minute episodes of this Spielberg miniseries, which not so coincidentally happen to be the best episodes of the series. Dakota's character, Allie Keys, is the kind of role Dakota does best: intelligent, aware, and compassionate, while maintaining a youthful vulnerability. Although Dakota is present only in the last four episodes, she narrates the series throughout. This is requisite viewing for all Dakota fans. Dakota's performance as Allie impressed Spielberg and landed her the role as Rachel in War of the Worlds.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
That Night	2.0 / 5	Eliza Dushku	11	2.0 / 5	large
That Night is not a good movie. The main attraction to me was Eliza, whom I had come to know through Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There is no striking similarity between the younger and older Elizas, which was something of a disappointment to me. In this movie, Eliza plays Alice Bloom, a girl with little in way of friends and lacking love from parents. Alice greatly admires a beautiful older girl Sheryl O'Connor (Juliette Lewis) living across the street, and, cutely for a young girl, becomes something of a stalker. The two befriend, and Eliza starts tagging along with Sheryl and her boyfriend Rick. Sheryl's parents disapprove of Rick, and make an attempt to prevent Sheryl from seeing him anymore, ergo a recipe for the mild climax of the movie. The events as well as the characters failed to spark my interest, and I would have stopped watching altogether had not Eliza, who made her debut in this movie, had a fairly large role.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
The 4400	3.0 / 5	Conchita Campbell	9	4.2 / 5	small
A decent sci-fi thriller television series. 4400 people are abducted over decades, and one day they all return – but not exactly the same they were as they left. Conchita plays one of the abductees, an adorable 9-year-old, whose black eyes, blonde curls and gentle smile will melt heart of anyone.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
The Amityville Horror	2.0 / 5	Chloe Moretz	8	3.0 / 5	small
Father of a happy family starts seeing things and going crazy as they move into a new house with sinister history. Chloe is pretty as the daughter, and especially endearing in the extras of the DVD.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
The Baby-Sitters Club	3.0 / 5	Rachael Leigh Cook	14	3.1 / 5	medium
		Schuyler Fisk	12	3.1 / 5	large
A bunch of pre- and early-teen girls run the Baby-Sitters Club, which is also a closely knit group of friends. The for-too-long absent father of Kristy Thomas (Schuyler) returns home and takes too much of her time, keeping her away from her friends. Schuyler's acting is good and you learn to like her. Rachael Leigh Cook is as gorgeous in this movie as in all her later ones. The movie is based on a girls' book, and that shows.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Rachael, Schuyler)
The Cat in the Hat	3.0 / 5	Dakota Fanning	9	3.5 / 5	very large
Objectively, it's easy to see why many speak very harshly of this movie. But being such fans of Mike Myers and Dakota Fanning, it was difficult for us not to like it. Dakota plays Sally, who is uppity like Ray from Uptown Girls, and so anal retentive that one of the items on her daily to-do list is "Plan tomorrow's to-do list." But it's so over-the-top that it's difficult not to smile at her. And because it's Dakota, you can't not love her.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
The Missing	3.0 / 5	Jenna Boyd	10	3.5 / 5	medium
A decent suspense/thriller in a western setting. Jenna Boyd, at the age of ten, delivers a fine performance as the sympathetic daughter. The often-excellent Evan Rachel Wood, a teenager here, has a rather limited role.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
The Others	3.0 / 5	Alakina Mann	10	3.3 / 5	medium
A rather civilized horror movie of a family living in a large, old house, who appears to be haunted. Alakina Mann does her biggest and probably best role as the strong willed, uppity and charmingly accented daughter.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
The Secret Garden	2.8 / 5	Kate Maberly	10	3.2 / 5	large
Based on the classic girls' book, The Secret Garden stays true to the original story. Mary Lennox (Kate) has grown up in India, and as her parents die, she moves into her relatives' castle in England. Raised selfish and unloved, she befriends other children, and starts to learn how to behave and how to be happy. A fair if unremarkable family movie.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
The Secret of Roan Inish	3.0 / 5	Jeni Courtney	10	3.3 / 5	medium
A charmingly Irish tale about ten-year-old Fiona (Jeni) who moves to live in a small fishing village with her grandparents, and hears legends about selkie, a seal who became a woman, whose blood might run in the veins of Fiona. Jeni's acting is low key but attractive. Recommended if you like peacefully paced movies.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Trapped	2.8 / 5	Dakota Fanning	8	3.5 / 5	small
Dakota plays Abigail Jennings, an adorable little girl in a well-off family, who suffers from severe asthma. Abby is kidnapped for ransom, but the kidnappers' plan goes awry. Dakota's performance is excellent, and she evokes strong feelings of sympathy, affection, and also helplessness. She also has one of the most convincing on-screen asthma attacks I've seen.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Udensbumba resnajam runcim	2.5 / 5	Undïne Vïksne	10	2.5 / 5	large
		Zane Leimane	4	2.5 / 5	large
This can't really be a review, because the movie is in Estonian without subtitles, and so I didn't understand any lines. It's a family or children's movie, with correspondingly low-budget, mediocre-acting feel to it. Undine and Zane do fine job for this type of movie however, and especially Undïne (the older one, playing Marta) is easily notable enough to deserve a modest recommendation. Zane does great job of being a very cute little thing, especially with her charmingly unusual language. Score 2.5 – the average – for both movie and the actresses, because I didn't understand the dialogue.  (IMDb: movie | actress: Undïne, Zane)
Ulvesommer	3.2 / 5	Julia Pauline Boracco Braathen	12	3.6 / 5	large
Known also as "Wolf Summer," Ulvesommer is one of the better family movies, mainly thanks to Julia whose fresh Norwegian presence delightfully violates the strange but clear "family movies have bad acting" rule. Kim (Julia), an independent girl just entering puberty, befriends a wolf family during her mountain climbing trip. As she finds out some hunters are trying to shoot the wolf, she sets on a mission to take the wolves across border, and a small scale adventure ensues.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Uptown Girls	3.2 / 5	Dakota Fanning	9	3.5 / 5	large
Dakota's character, Ray, is a wonderfully bossy, precocious rich kid. Ray is an amusing diversion from Dakota's previous characters. In fact, Dakota seems so comfortable playing a bossy and stubborn character, one wonders how much of it is acting! (Kidding! Dakota is a sweetheart.) Brittany Murphy, who plays the nanny, is far more immature than her ward, but I also find her adorable.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Vasikantanssi	2.7 / 5	Ida Vakkuri	11	2.6 / 5	very large
A sunny, sweet and delightfully real miniseries of two children, their mother, and the first summer of their life on the countryside. Ida's character Saara, supposedly ten years old, is a delightful girl, responsible, helpful, even a little precocious, but above all a real child of her age. The themes of the episodes cover such things as birth of a calf, visit of the kids' ex-father, and starting of school. Acting is rather theatrical, but Ida in the mainrole together with the wholesome, feel-good mood of the show makes it easy to recommend.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Wanda Nevada	2.5 / 5	Brooke Shields	13	3.1 / 5	large
Brooke strongly connects this movie and Pretty Baby. Both open with a frontal shot of Brooke's face. In this case her character, a 13-year-old orphan named Wanda Nevada, is putting on makeup in front of a mirror, complete with rather grown-up lipstick. Uppity and adventurous, she goes to the off-limits back room where a game of poker is in taking place, hoping to get some attention from one of the players whom she calls her lover. However the love seems short-lived as he bets her against 50 dollars in the game, and loses. The winner, whose intentions for her are obvious from the way he watched Wanda and practically licked his lips while considering the offer, takes her prospecting with her. What follows is an odd mixture of a western, drama, and, in opinion of many, comedy. The comedy part could be unintentional, as this movie is truly poor in all respects. Perhaps it's the exceptional failure at credibility that makes the movie somewhat memorable. Brooke's acting is a little better than in Pretty Baby, she has energy and the looks, and her role as an early teen trying to pass as a much more mature woman has some charm.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Whale Rider	3.0 / 5	Keisha Castle-Hughes	11	3.4 / 5	large
Pai (Keisha) challenges the Maori traditions that forbid a girl becoming a chief. The movie has a beautiful message of the youth showing the Maori people a new way, but there is no preaching or overt feminism. I'm not sure why this movie didn't touch me more than worth of three stars.  (IMDb: movie | actress)
Wrony	3.5 / 5	Karolina Ostrozna	10	4.0 / 5	very large
In a gritty Polish town there is a 9-year-old girl, nicknamed Crow. Her mother is indifferent about her, and always tired. The movie, shot in black and white and available only in VHS, tells about a day in Crow's life, with no happy ending. A sad but beautiful movie. Karolina plays uppity, tough and imaginative Crow well.  (IMDb: movie | actress)