Q-Tips Reviews

Matilda, an extraordinary girl armed with a sharp mind and a vivid imagination, dares to take a stand against her oppressive parents and head teacher to change her story with miraculous results.

What Parents need to know before letting their kids watch this. – It includes a lot of cartoonish violence, nearly all of it perpetrated by a bullying school principal. Children who displease the evil principal are put in “the chokey,” a dark closet lined with nails and broken glass. The critics/ viewing audience gave it high marks but we must remember they are adults viewing the movie not little children.

Q tips say: Was ok. Following the success of the fabulous stage version of Matilda, I am sure many families are eagerly reading the book, which is to be expected but it may be worth remembering that when Matilda came out in 1988 it was the “must read” for children in years five and six, so nine or ten rather than five.

Mrs. Q says: While there is much in Matilda that a five-year-old might enjoy – primarily Matilda herself and, of course, her lovely relationship with the wonderful Miss Honey – there is also a lot in the book that is Dahl at his most brutal and his most snobbish. The way in which Miss Trunchbull is portrayed could just be plain scary for a five-year-old and might raise anxieties about school which would be entirely misplaced. She is one of the great caricatures of children’s literature but readers need to be old enough to recognize that she bears little resemblance to anybody “real”; a child needs a certain amount of sophistication to be able to make the distinction. Plus we must mention how her parents treat her-not in a good way.

Netflix – After five happy months dating Tom, Lisa’s horrified to learn he’s obsessed with her least favorite holiday. Is it time to give Christmas another chance?

Q-tips say: Yes, see it. Festive holiday romance has mild language, drinking. Probably for children older than 10.

Parents need to know that I Believe in Santa questions why kids are expected to lose their faith in Santa when they grow up. One character compares believing in Santa to religious faith, which he notes many people carry from childhood into adulthood. A grown man admits he still believes in Santa, and his passion for Christmas nearly ruins his relationship with the woman of his dreams. They date, flirt, and kiss. Adults drink wine seemingly every night. Kissing and flirtation, some jokes about mistletoe.

12/22 – Amazon prime – Hoping to spur her longtime beau to action, a small-town veterinarian wishes upon a snow globe that this will be her most romantic Christmas ever.

Q-tips say: Yes, see it. Another feel good movie about Christmas. When a storm shuts down the airport, a veterinarian crosses paths with a doctor and his daughter. What transpires will give them all a Christmas more magical than they could’ve imagined.

12/22 – HBO – The series (13 videos) is a sharp social satire following the exploits of various guests and employees of the fictional White Lotus resort chain, whose stay becomes affected by their various dysfunctions. A week in the life of vacationers is unraveled as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise. With each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself.

Q-tips say: Was ok – funny at times but you don’t have to watch it all at one time. A series at a time or more if time permits.

The first season is set in Hawaii and the second season is set in Sicily.

Nothing seems to go right for young Kate, a frustrated Londoner who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. But things soon take a turn for the better when she meets Tom — a handsome charmer who seems too good to be true. As the city transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, Tom and Kate’s growing attraction turns into the best gift of all — a Yuletide romance.

Q-tips say: Yes, see it! You might be surprised about the ending but perhaps you thought that that might happen.

A likable cute movie and you might be let down by the ending. Clarke and Fielding are a great pair and the acting is strong enough. 

Last Christmas gives you its heart, and you probably won’t want to give it away the next day.

12/11/22 – Nothing compares to the magic and excitement of the holidays in New York City, except holidays in Chicago, where the streets blaze with lights, windows dazzle and a special box from Tiffany could change the course of a person’s life. Or several lives are happy enough but not quite ready for that big commitment. The perfect picture, are just about to make it official. When a simple mix-up of gifts causes all of their paths to cross, it sets off a series of twists and unexpected discoveries that lead them where they’re truly meant to be. Because love — like life — is full of surprises, in the holiday romance Something from Tiffany’s.

Q-tips say: Yes, see it. Something From Tiffany’s certainly has enough elements to set it apart from other titles that don’t even try to do their own thing.

Mrs. Q says: “Something From Tiffany’s” purrs along, getting the characters to where we knew they were going even if they didn’t. 

“Something From Tiffany’s” is exactly what we need and want this time of year…a little bit of a mess resulting in something beautifully magical.

Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the woodcarver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his real son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience.”

A puppet is brought to life by a fairy, who assigns him to lead a virtuous life in order to become a real boy.

Q-tips say: Ok- See it!

Mrs. Q says: NOT FOR CHILDREN – The first part of the film has an overall lighthearted feel, but as you move through the story, you see how terrifying & sad parts of it can be, especially with Pleasure Island & Monstro the Whale.

12/9/22 FREE on: Peacock –

Academy Award winners George Clooney and Julia Roberts reunite on the big screen as exes who find themselves on a shared mission to stop their lovestruck daughter from making the same mistake they once made. Ticket to Paradise is a romantic comedy about the sweet surprise of second chances.

Q-tips say: Sure, see it! Sure, you might guess exactly what’s going to happen from the moment you sit down, but it doesn’t matter!

It’s witty and laugh-out-loud funny. It was a pleasure to sit through and an enjoyable change of pace. Enjoy, the scenery & and gorgeous island setting.

12/8/22 – Karen is an entitled middle-aged woman whose demanding nature has alienated her neighbors and family. After a series of incidents displaying her privilege and prejudice, Karen receives an ‘intervention’ by some unconventional spirits.

Q-tips say: Yes, See it! It has everything you’d expect: a terrible haircut, a scene where the main character demands to speak to a manager, and acts of passive-aggressive racism. Although the film is slightly better than you might expect.

Michele Simms plays Karen, a bitter, wine-guzzling woman who makes unreasonable demands at restaurants and antagonizes the very nice African-American family living next door. She receives the standard visits from three ghosts. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Rolin Alexis) is a gay Black man – Karen’s worst nightmare – who takes her back to a formative childhood trauma while simultaneously allowing the movie to engage in a lot of lame double entendres. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Leyla Lawrence) reveals that the neighbor girl she’s been mean to is battling leukemia. The Ghost of Christmas Future (Lee Karlinski) is a “dude” who shows her how no one misses her when she’s dead because of how poorly she treated people during life.