4/5 N I C E.....L I T T L E....M O V I E !!!!! : )
  by Patricia (Queens, New York, USA)
LITTLE MANHATTAN is a story of an 11-year old boy and a 12-year-old girl who meet in a karate class on the upper west side of Manhattan, and find themselves to be very attracted to one another.
The upper west side of Manhattan, actually, is mostly populated by
middle-upper and middle-middle income people. And this film shows people who are just that: not wealthy enough to ignore life's problems, and not so poor they are over-whelmed by them.

The girl, Rosemary, (played by CHARLIE RAY), has parents slightly better off than the boy's, Gabe's, (JOSH HUTCHERSON's) -- her parents are the producers of a daytime soap opera, modeled after a real-life soap opera of the '80s, "Santa Barbara"). The two have several "dates", of sorts, (the type 11 and 12 year olds usually have...including one which is a dinner-date with her parents). They meet a neighbourhood bully, and have "angst". All through this movie, is a quirky, "The Wonder Years"-style narration by Gabe,
If you liked "The Wonder Years", you will definitely like -- or maybe even love -- this movie.

To me, the highlight of this DVD is towards the beginning of "Chapter 8". As Gabe and Rosemary traverse a bicycle lane near a New York highway, one can just catch a fleeting glimpse of what looks to be the old Elmhurst Gas Tanks. The Elmhurst Gas Tanks were HUGE, cylindrical structures, by which many people, (including myself), used to gauge our distances, going to and from Manhattan to the other boroughs. Sadly, the Elmhurst Gas Tanks were torn down several years back -- and the glimpse of them in this film is fleeting, (VERY fleeting), at best....but I found myself repeating this sequence, over and over, just to get that glimpse!

The Rosemary-Gabe story is sweet, cute, sometimes surprising, sometimes agonizing -- and always, always very real. It is a satisfying movie, with NO four-letter-words, and NO dysfunctional families, (excepting the fact that Gabe's parents are going through a rather amicable divorce.) It is credibly, (and often, winningly), acted, by all concerned. You want all the best for all the characters here -- especially Gabe. If you like "nice" movies, that are involving, sweet, and touching, (as well as at times being
exciting -- like that fight with the bully), and warm, (as when Gabe's father finds out where Gabe has been the day Gabe didn't tell his dad where he was going), you'll truly enjoy this movie. It brings back much of the certainty, the uncertainty, and the sweetness of childhood. I'm glad a sequel was made of this movie.
I definitely want to see it, as well!

5/5 "to live, to love to be young"
  by da need (sacramento,ca)
I ran across this film today and it caught my attention with the New York scenery and the Wonder Years type approach. To my surprise I was captivated by the two youngs subjects of this film and found myself like some of the other reviewers, laughing out loud, a little misty-eyed and remembering my young years growing up in NY. These 2 main characters in my opinion were very good actors and really captured the feelings they were trying to get across on screen. (I wonder if they were also from NY). I would recommend this film to any family that likes the nostalgic type films that take you back to the times of your own life. Very enjoyable film...

5/5 Family Fun
  by R. Crane (Washington, DC United States)
"Little Manhattan" is charming family entertainment. It is the story of "first love" between two eleven year olds who were together in Kindergarten and become re-united as unlikely karate sparring partners. Until that time, Gabe is convinced that all girls carry "cooties" (though he does not know what they are). The more he is around Rosemary the more enchanted he becomes and he admires her superior karate skills. The story takes place against the backdrop of Manhattan and the two explore parts of the city together.

The story is told from Gabe's perspective and encompasses all the agonies of youth trying to decipher deep meanings from every gesture and word. He is on a perpetual see-saw of emotion. She is a mature young girl, likes him and is honest about her feelings.

It is light, realistic and very well done. It will probably remind you of some of your own memorable childhood experiences.



5/5 The cutest movie you'll ever watch!
  by V. Le
I was recommended this movie by a friend, who raved non-stop about it. Now I find myself doing just the same to others! It is about a young boy who is discovering the wonderful (and tormentuous) feeling of love as he falls for *gasp* a girl! Having to slowly adjust to the idea that all girls don't have cooties, we get to enjoy watching him stumble over his words, analyze her every action and trying to guess what it means, practice what he's going to say to her in front of the mirror... You will find yourself smiling from ear-to-ear throughout the entire duration of the movie. If you long to go back to the innocent days of puppy love, this is the movie for you!

4/5 My wife and daughters loved this film
  by Coach (Raleigh, NC)
I bought this as a surprise gift for my wife after she remarked about seeing a portion of it on cable. She and my 2 daughters loved the film. The story has that "Wonder Years" charm. The locations will bring bacj memories to any visitor to Manhattan. I enjoyed the movie, too.