Can Kids be Film Critics ?

Take a look at that face.Looks like your average cute kid bragging about receiving a copy of Pixar’s wonderful UP film for Christmas. He probably was an especially good little boy that year, just look at that carefree, innocent little smile. I mean, aside for the crime of wearing that green turtle neck, he looks like your typical average kid …right?

WRONG…now look at this.



Jackson Murphy, aka Lights, Camera , Jackson calls himself the Kid Critic. He has been reviewing movies for a while now and one of the first questions you must be asking yourself is, WTF? Well, ok, the second question you must be asking is he for real? Yup, Jackson is very real and while it’s been challenged apparently he does write all his own stuff. It looks weird to see a kid that young so fluid and calm in front of the camera even if its super annoying for the rest of us. Jackson has been on numerous television programs and eventually landed a gig with the Early Show on CBS. It’s my belief that this is nothing more than a classic case of nepotism. Someone in his family must be a producer or something and has to keep his trophy wife happy so he agreed to pamper her kid through a career so he can keep playing Golf on the weekends with his Harvard buddies. I'm 95% sure that is the case.

While it is the belief of Fury of the Film Fan Productions that anybody can review movies, I don’t like this kid and I’ll tell you why. It’s not because I don’t believe he can’t review movies, It’s because he’s a parody of a film critic. I’m going to be super careful with what I say next because frankly, I don’t agree with people calling him an annoying little asshole, he’s just a kid and people seem to forget these kids have some pretty volatile emotions. I don’t know if Jackson is being himself, if that whole show is done with a sincere attitude or he’s just acting like what he thinks a critic acts like. I tend to feel the latter is the case. I don’t know…what I do know is what he’s written. His perspective, everything he says about what he feels regarding film, this is what I analyze. While everyone else is paying attention to his delivery I’m listening to his words and I don't like what he has to say.

As in the case with his inception review, found here.



I'm not gonna give this kid Sh** for not liking a movie that mostly everyone loved. He has a right to not like something that's labeled popular and kudos for him sticking to his guns. My problem is Inception is not a hard movie to follow and the fact that this kid could not follow the story well enough to give an objective review for the audience is what makes him a poor film critic. Sure he spits out the proper phrases every accredited film critic uses to sound bona fide but he clearly lacks the perceptive capabilities that allows a person to give an objective view for the audience. "Oh but he's just a kid giving his opinion" you say?, Which leads me to my next complaint.

There is a wave of interest in film criticism today. It used to be film criticism was reserved for journalist trying to get their foot in the door toward "real" journalism or someone pissed off the boss by checking out his daughters ass or something like that. Just run a quick search on You Tube and you’ll find tons of people reviewing movies and a large portion are made by kids.

This is mostly a good thing. Kids being productive is always a good thing and learning to express their opinions in coherent ways is absolutely awesome.I hope my own kid follows this path and reviews stuff. But like everything that attracts youth to a certain group you have your downside to this. I have seen a few kid critics that would favor films like Enter the Void or Citizen Kane over Scott Pilgrim or Empire Strikes Back as their favorite films. It leaves me scratching my head, wondering if these kid critics are really into these deeply profound films as their favorites or are they just assuming that a more obscure film choice preference equals a more respectable film palette for others who are watching. Whatever it is, it just doesn't feel right.

One of the saddest things I see is something that often happens to any film critic. The pretentiousness that is usually attributed with the title. Sticking the nose in the air and looking down at people who don't like the finer films that they do. Older critics can hide this attitude a bit better but it's easy to spot on someone with less experience. Overreactions to films deemed "terrible" leaves them writing something that resembles something more of a rant than a review. Look I don't wanna hear that whole "everyone has an opinion bulls***" If you call yourself a critic then you have a job to do and that job is to review for the people

Again, my criticism is toward those who look to professionally roll as an official critic, most kid critics just want to have fun and they should. It's a great feeling to share an opinion with others about something you sincerely love. With this attitude I don't care if their reviews are emotional rants cuz its kids being kids. I hope that these kids continue to enjoy film and all it entails and not forget to enjoy movies just for it's fun factor as well. I also hope that they don't forget that people will like other things than them. One man's Independence day is another mans Taxi Driver and a critic should always try to review a film for its target audience. A good critic knows how to share his opinion while gauging the film for who it's intended and all the while give everyone a realistic expectation of the movie being reviewed.