NORTH

Elijah Wood stars as North, an 11-year-old boy who, feeling unappreciated by his father and mother, finds a lawyer, declares himself a “free agent” and searches the world for the “perfect” parents. With encouragement from a devilish friend and a power-hungry attorney, North severs his family ties, embarks on his international quest and seizes the attention of the world. Bruce Willis appears in various guises as the voice of reason who guides North throughout his search. With Jon Lovitz as the evil yet buffoonish attorney, North’s scheming friend Winchell masterminds a plan to rule the world, holding parents worldwide at emotional gun point. Once again, a child is portrayed as smarter than adults and able to manipulate and control them.

NORTH is filled with “inside jokes” satirizing scenes from movies and television shows that children will not understand or appreciate. In the end, the movie presents a wholesome message and serves as a reminder to parents about the importance of active involvement in their children’s lives. It is also a lesson to children that the grass often looks greener on the other side. The movie is relatively clean, except for a few obscenities, a jarring crude remark and a few profanities spoken by North.