By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
What parents need to know about 'Bumblebee'
637382_bumble1.jpeg
Hailee Steinfeld in “Bumblebee.” - photo by Paramount Pictures

THE GARAGE — Of all the “Transformers” spinoff movies that could have been made, “Bumblebee” is a no-brainer.

Other than Optimus Prime, probably no other Transformer is more beloved than Bumblebee.

I was skeptical about the idea of a new “Transformers” movie — the franchise has rolled downhill over the years with little variety between the films after the first.

This is why it made sense to do a stand-alone film with a strong secondary character. Along with having a great storyline, lovable characters and enough action to stay interesting, "Bumblebee" is also relatable for kids.

Many times, movies will lose the interest of the audience with inappropriate content or tone-deaf humor. “Bumblebee” manages to keep its audience in mind while it delivers all the things we want to see.

Here are the elements to look out for as you consider if this film is right for you and your family.

Violence

There is a lot of action-movie-style violence in this film, including explosions, robot-on-robot fight scenes and some man-to-man fighting as well.

None of the violence in this film crosses the line into inappropriate or offensive. There are a couple of scenes, however, where we see a robot fire a futuristic weapon at humans causing them to explode into a large splash of clear liquid. It is not graphic or gross, but it is a little surprising.

There is a very small amount of blood shown in this film, mostly in the form of scrapes and light cuts. The bulk of the violence takes place between robots who fight in human-style, hand-to-hand combat. Mechanical components are ripped from robots, as well as limbs and heads.

It’s not a large stretch to imagine humans fighting each other in this manner, which could have been more disturbing, but it manages to be fun watching machines tear each other apart.

Language

The language is relatively minor in the film. There are the customary middle-tier swears throughout but nothing I haven't heard during family game night.

There is some language used by a few secondary characters to bully another character. It isn't offensive, but it is meant to be hurtful. The bullying incident is resolved satisfactorily a few scenes later.

Sexuality

The sexuality component is dealt with in what I think is a unique way throughout this film. I think the writer Christina Hodson deserves credit here.

There is definitely a sexual undertone present in this film, but it is limited to flirting and attempted handholding.

What I found interesting is that when it came time to make a relationship official by holding hands, the female lead said she wasn’t ready for it and the boy who was trying to hold her hand was OK with it. It was nice to see something other than what you would normally expect at that point of the movie.

Intensity

There are few intense scenes, not only with violence but also with emotional intensity, which is exceptional since the most emotional scenes are between a robot and human.

The anthropomorphism of the computer-generated robot was phenomenal in this movie, and it managed to hit all of the emotional soft spots for the audience. There were some scenes that were fast-paced and hectic, which may give some kids some anxiety but nothing too serious.

Conclusion

“Bumblebee” was surprisingly good with a solid message and a strong female lead. If you are looking for action you could do worse than “Bumblebee." As far as appropriateness, this film is rated PG-13 but could easily be appropriate for slightly younger kids as well.

"Bumblebee" is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence.

Sign up for our E-Newsletters
Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
638421_Screenshot_1.png
Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
Latest Obituaries