F.R.E.D.I.

Not sure what others were looking for, but this is exactly what it appears to be. Teens caught up in intrigue after an evil tech company loses track of one of their gadgets. It's fun and has a little something for everyone.

Our kids enjoyed this movie. Good acting, sweet story.

Mostly, this felt like an 80s family movie to me, which is no bad thing. It has elements of ET, Short Circuit, War Games and Flight Of The Navigator. There's really nothing original in there but it's all good escapist stuff. The basic gist is a kid finds a cute AI robot, the movie is then about him and his friend getting to know it, and then having exciting adventures with it. There are a couple of weak actors, the bad guy doesn't convince and the father is a bit wooden, but pretty much everyone else hits the right note. It all has a good steady pace, and overall I was entertained. I'm pretty sure younger kids will love it.

Normally, family movies of this nature are not my cup of tea, but I thought I would watch this particular one because Kelly Hu was in the cast. As it turned out, while this was some distance from the worst family movies I've seen, the movie does have some problems that hold it back from being a classic. First, the good stuff. The movie's production values look solid for what couldn't have been a low budget, from the cinematography to the special effects. Also, the various characters in the movie (both the kids and the adults) are a lot smarter and realistic than usual, and the performances by the game cast are also pretty good. All the same, there are some significant problems with the package. The main problem is that the movie's basic story has been done so many times before. The premise is old hat, the problems the protagonists have are extremely familiar, and the plot turns are very predictable. Also, the movie moves at a very slow pace, and lacks severe punch when it tries to be exciting or suspenseful. Adults may also be disappointed that Kelly Hu does not get to show off her martial arts skills. Kids will probably like the movie despite these problems, and while their parents may nitpick it more, they will probably admit that they've seen a lot worse.

We hesitated watching this with my 7 and two 9 year olds, but I'm glad we gave it a go. There wasn't a Common Sense Media review with age recommendations, but I'd say it's fine for 7 and up. We are pretty picky about what we let our kids watch and this one past the test. No bad language, mild flirting, good storyline. There are a few abnoxious kids, but nothing a parent can't contradict with a "now that wasn't very nice" comment. Like others have mentioned, it's reminiscent of some 80s flicks, but our kids haven't seen those, so the storyline was new to them. I'd say the acting was fine except for the bad guy-not great. It's not winning any awards, but honestly, I wish studios made more family movies like this. Good, decent, family entertainment. Don't set your expectations too high, just grab the kiddos, pop some corn and enjoy a movie night together.