BoyActors - Reviews/Ratings by Cinefan

Welcome to BoyActors. Login.

Reviews by Cinefan

Sort by: Title | Rating

285 reviews/ratings - 15 pages (20 reviews/ratings per page)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)

Absolutely hilarious and a wonderful performance by Zachary Gordon in the lead role as Greg the put upon kid who goes through all the problems of childhood. The dialogue was sharp and witty with Robert Capron and Grayson Russell giving great support. A long time since I've seen a boy movie as funny as this one.

In similar vein was 'How To Eat Fried Worms' BUT unlike that film, The Diary is poor on DVD extras. Only some deleted scenes. NO director's commentary and worse NO interviews with the actors or even a 'making of' feature. For that I have to deduct half a point and also half a point off for casting chubby Capron. All boy actors should be slim good-lookers. So, instead of 8 stars I can only give it 7.

My Movie Rating:

7 / 10

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)

This was a bummer. Slapstick and often cringing jokes randomly stuck together and Zachary Gordon starting to look too old for the part. Irritating older brother too prominent. Lack of support from the essential characters, Rowley (Zoo Wee Mama) and Fregley, which is an absolute necessity that helped make the success of the first film, combine to make this sequel barely worthy of five stars.

My Movie Rating:

5 / 10

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)

Not as good as the first film. The older brother was always an irritating character anyway so why make him the star of this sequel?

My Movie Rating:

6 / 10

Dick Tracy (1990)

This whole film looks and is based upon comic book characters and the over colourisation of the city and costumes adds to this effect. Charlie Korsmo is, of course, excellent as the 'kid' or 'eating machine'. However, Al Pacino's portrayal as Big Boy Caprice was worthy of an Oscar for best supporting actor. A well executed and unusual film.

My Movie Rating:

8 / 10

Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993)

I enjoyed nearly all the episodes of this series with Neil Patrick Harris looking quite attractive and ably supported by Max Cassella who played his best friend Vinny and who was around 20 when Dougie MD was made. Good series and oh so American.

My Movie Rating:

7 / 10

Die Drei ??? - Das Geheimnis der Geisterinsel (2007)

A German/South African production with American boy actors. Obviously no expense was spared in the production costs as there is some fine photography in 'Skeleton Island'. This is matched by some fine acting from the three boys involved and all relatively unknown it seems. I guess this film was made for straight to DVD. I think it was Cameron Monaghan, he of the curly ginger hair and massed freckles, who said the producers had searched for boy actors in Britain and South Africa but couldn't find suitable kids before coming to the good old U S of A ... so now we know. Plenty of action, boyish humour in a rollicking tale of adventure.

My Movie Rating:

7 / 10

Du er ikke alene (1978)

A film dealing with love between boys and, therefore, definitely not from the USA or UK stable! A Danish effort with some great boys in it with delicate and superb acting from Agenso and Bjerg, the two main actors. Filmed in the 70s it offers a good insight into the gear worn by and the hairstyles and flared trousers displayed by boys at that time. The ending is beautiful and something that cries out to be brought more to the fore of public discussion especially in view of the present witch hunt.

My Movie Rating:

8 / 10

Eerie, Indiana (1991-1992)

This show started off quite well with some interesting, comical plotlines but lost steam in the later episodes. In fact, it only ran for 19 of them! Great performances from Omri Katz and Justin Shenkarow of course.

My Movie Rating:

6 / 10

Empire of the Sun (1987)

A boy movie on a truly epic scale with Christian Bale acting his heart out in so many different and demanding situations on an actor. A grand adventure but, I agree, possibly a trifle too long.

My Movie Rating:

6 / 10

Ender's Game (2013)

Having read two of the Enders books this was a pale imitation. Definitely not one of Asa Butterfield's better films. The story was told in a way that anyone not having read the books would be hard put to make head or tail of it. The battle games were not given sufficient explanation as to the rules of play. Most of the actors supposedly playing children were too old for their parts.

To cap it all the DVD, while having two commentaries, had no interview with Asa. Boo.

My Movie Rating:

5 / 10

Enemy at the Gates (2001)

A very realistic war movie depicting the carnage at Stalingrad. Despite the unnecessary drag on the plot by Jude Law's romancing, the battle scenes and sniping suspense is kept to a high standard. Gabriel Marshall-Thomson's character of Sacha, the boy runaround/boot polisher, who serves both the Russians and the Germans was playing a dangerous game and I'm not surprised he came to a sticky end. (How could Ed Harris have done such a thing?)I had never seen this boy actor before. I'm sure Krushchev was not quite the villain shown nor did the Russian army shoot it's own retreating soldiers.

My Movie Rating:

7 / 10

Les enfants de l'Histoire (2016)

Two great looking boys playing their parts but, as I don't know any French, had no idea what they were talking about. So I give it five for the two boys.

My Movie Rating:

5 / 10

Entrusted (2003)

A long movie of over three hours mysteriously made for Dutch television. Any feature of this length will test the acting abilities of a boy and Thomas Sangster meets the challenge with equable aplomb! The plot is a bit daft with the boy having to memorise Jewish bank account numbers to keep them from the Nazis. However, there is plenty of adventure and action as the boy makes his way to Switzerland to give over his information. Where would we be without good old neutral Switzerland? Perhaps we should take a leaf out of their book and learn how to stay out of wars. I just wonder what made the Dutch choose a British boy actor instead of one of their own?

My Movie Rating:

7 / 10

El Espinazo del Diablo (2001)

One of the few boy films that is genuinely spooky. Sad and true to life as so many foreign films tend to be, 'The Devil's Backbone' brings out great performances from the boy actors involved.

My Movie Rating:

8 / 10

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

I rate this film mainly for Thomas Horn's marvellous acting. The plot verged on the ridiculous and the boy, Oskar, seemed at times the sort of obnoxious brat the old man (good performance from veteran, Max von Sydow) should've shoved off the bridge. Wondering if Oskar possibly suffered from some autistic-type syndrome, I noted he did a lot of screaming, swearing and running about - but what for? He treated the doorman and the old man like - in his words - "shit". The film has had generally poor reviews mainly regarding the plot of a boy followed by his mother knocking on doors all over New York. However, for a newcomer, Thomas Horn has shown great acting ability. He carried the film extremely well and incredibly confidently but was let down by the unbelievable storyline.

My Movie Rating:

6 / 10

Fanny och Alexander (1982)

An excellent film with drama both real and supernatural. Bertil Guve does very well as the character through whose eyes the story is mostly seen. You can believe in this well off family from the early 1900s.

My Movie Rating:

8 / 10

A Father for Charlie (1995)

I think 'High Lonesome' must have been made for TV. The plot is a bit sugary though I think how it portrays the attitude of white people to blacks in 1930s America pretty authentic. Joseph Mazzello is, of course, excellent as the tough kid the black man takes under his wing despite his high pitched voice. The ending is rather contrived I think as I doubt any black man would be allowed to adopt white children at that time. Good movie that brings a tear to the eye.

My Movie Rating:

7 / 10

Fido (2006)

'Fido' has a different take on the old boy and his dog routine. This time it's boy and his zombie! Fido is the zombie played by Billy Connolly in an uncharacteristic part. Timmy, the boy, is played wonderfully well by the unusually named K'Sun Ray whom I thought at first was an Asian boy. Nope, K'Sun is Canadian and another of these obscure boy actors that seem to emanate so often from Canada.

The film is good and the humour rolls along pretty well even if there are some horrific scenes in it. K'Sun Ray is superb at portraying the sad, winsome kid with a neglectful father and an eccentric mother and everything taking place in fifties America. This era is captured perfectly in the attitudes of those days particularly in respect of the zombies regarded as a necessary but inferior species.

I keep wondering if things might have been improved if Billy Connolly had been allowed to speak instead of grunting throughout the film. He does speak but only in the DVD's bloopers when he says the F word on set and in front of K'Sun, too.

A funny film with good period detail and well worth adding to your DVD collection.

My Movie Rating:

6 / 10

First Kid (1996)

Brock Pierce is relatively unknown in boy acting circles but he managed to bring on a fine performance as the privileged but lonely son of the US president. Together with Sinbad playing his bodyguard, the two provide some hilarious moments though one or two cringing ones as well.

My Movie Rating:

6 / 10

Fisherman's Wharf (1939)

A real vintage movie and it shows on the DVD I have! Bobby Breen, while not a particularly good looking boy being upstaged by the better looking Tommy Bupp in that department, sings beautifully however. His rendering of 'Ave Maria' is specially notable. The relationship between him and his spoiled brat of a cousin (Bupp) is well handled by the director. This is pure nostalgia, with hammy Italian acting and poor orphan boy makes good. Can't beat it.

My Movie Rating:

6 / 10

This site is non-commercial and is not an official or representative web presence for any of the actors or movies listed. All images and text are the property of their respective owners. Do not link directly to any of the images on this site - please upload them to your own webspace, on the understanding that yours is also a non-commercial site.

While every effort will be made to ensure that no offensive or illegal material is posted on the forums or linked to from the links database, BoyActors administrators accept no responsibility for any content posted or linked to by its members.

PHORM PROHIBITED

The contents of this site, and communications between this site and its users, are protected by database right, copyright, confidentiality and the right not to be intercepted conferred by section 1(3) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The use of those contents and communications by Internet Service Providers or others to profile or classify users of this site for advertising or other purposes is strictly forbidden.