Here at the Tots100, we are big film fans. There’s nothing we like more than settling down with the family in front of a great movie, whether it’s an action-packed adventure or an animated classic.
This year, 20 of our bloggers and their families will be teaming up with Warner Bros to bring you the latest news and greatest reviews of the finest family films, through the Tots100 Film Club.
Each month, our Tots100 Film Club bloggers will be invited to review a selection of family movies, including old classics and brand new releases. Their reviews will provide you with up-to-date information on great films for your whole family, from tots to teens. At the end of the month, we’ll be adding all the reviews to our Film Club pages, which will build up into a library of reviews of brilliant films for all the family.
We will also be running monthly competitions and giveaways on the Tots100 Film Club site, so you’ll have a chance to win the films our reviewers recommend, and enjoy them with your own family.
Fancy yourself as a film reviewer?
We’re looking for two more families to join the Tots100 Film Club, so if you think you’d be up for the challenge of reviewing family-friendly films each month, this is your chance.
We are looking for bloggers who aren’t afraid to tell us what they think, and who inspire us with their words. So we’re challenging you to write a review of your favourite family film in the comments below – but you MUST do so in 100 words or less. It’s time to get your creative juices going, and inspire us in just a few short sentences.
Your review must include the full title of the film you’re reviewing, and tell us exactly why you think it’s a great film for Tots100 bloggers and their families. Be sure to post your review in the comments to this post before 5pm on March 7th, 2012.
The winning entries, as judged by the Tots100, will be invited to join the Tots100 Film Club in 2012, and receive films to review with their families throughout the year. So – if you ever fancied being a film reviewer, here’s your chance!
Good luck.
About Sally
Sally Whittle is founder of the Tots100, Foodies100, BlogSummit and the MAD Blog Awards. When she's not working, she can be found blogging at Who's the Mummy, or having fun with her 7 year old daughter, Flea.
Nanny McPhee and The Big Bang
This is a film that has become a firm favourite in our house, indulging our love of a good story. Having watched the first Nanny McPhee film many times my children were all delighted to watch the Big Bang. From start to finish they were captivated by the antics of the children, often giggling or calling out instructions to help. As a parent I loved the idea of a Nanny like Emma Thomsons ugly creation coming to assist when I am struggling to be heard above the bickering! Yet the message of children uniting to do the right thing and save the day is perfect. Nanny McPhee and The Big Bang really is the perfect family movie.
Our favourite family film is Toy Story 3. It is classic Disney with a bit of nostalgia for mum and dad, who loved the first two and fun and adventure for the little ones. Funny and exciting in parts and moving in others, it takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and if you are watching in 3D it literally adds a new dimension to your viewing. Great story, well-loved characters such as Buzz and Woody with some great new characters such as Ken and Barbie, make this film a real family treat.
Jonnny English Reborn
What child doesn’t enjoy seeing an adult doing funny things and hurting themselves .. with no real danger within the realm of fantasy!
Johnny English goes up against international assassins hunting down the Chinese premier.Johnny is a bumbling character who always ends up saving the day — by accident. There’s loads of rough slapstick, as well as weapons, martial arts fighting, explosions, and gun violence, Yes there are the obvious cheap laughs and whilst the film doesn’t have the punch and panache of the original it
It will appeal to boys or girls with a certain sense off free spirit! A good enough way to spend a rainy day !
Toy story was a favourite of mine when it was first released and now toy story 3 is a film that we often share as a family. I love that after all these years, it can still grip me..(I’m 28) and my 3 year old daughter. We cry together at the sadness of the thought of losing what you care about the most, and talk about why friends are so important…She asks why the toys hold hands as they are about to go into the flames and we explain how they love eachother and want to all be together. This film is heart wrenching and brings joy to all ages in our household.
The Wizard of Oz
Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road…..
I have been a devotee for near on 40 years and my love for the 1939 film continues as my children are now utterly captivated by the magic that is The Wizard of Oz. This absolute classic continues to enthral and inspire as we are taken on a technicolour rollercoaster as Dorothy fights for the right to return to Kansas. The plot has lots of twists and turns and the dramatic tension every time the Wicked Witch appears is always felt. Great songs, great characters. A real winner!
Spongebob’s “Atlantis Squarepantis” is my film recommendation for Tots 100 bloggers and their families.
The cute yellow sponge with the annoying, yet strangely infectious laugh, entertains on a level to suit the youngest audience. However, clever scripting, parody and pastiche create a complex, highly watchable package that does not patronise adult viewers.
Squidward Tentacles is an understated character of pure comic genius creating a perfect contrast to the exciteable Spongebob.
Seventies legend, David Bowie, voices Lord Royal Highness of Atlantis lending an undeniable credibility.
And Spongebob lives in a pineapple under the sea. What more do you need to know?
Our recommendation is Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Filled with action, adventure and a little bit of danger, Indie takes archaeology to a new level inspiring young want-to-be explorers. Rated PG, the film contains some mildly-scary scenes, but overall it’s a family-friendly watch and any danger fits the context of the film well.
Always ready for a new quest, Indiana Jones provides the action needed to keep the little ones entertained for a couple of hours! So get your whip at the ready, dig out that explorer hat and get set for an all-action family adventure…
Our family favorite right now is Golden Globe Winner, Up. There is something very “up”lifting about following your dreams at any age. My kids absolutely love the dog, Dug, and the fact that he can talk is an added bonus for them. Carl is my favorite character, his plan to avoid the rest home by flying away with balloons attached to the house is every child’s dream. Since it is a Disney Pixar film you can rest assured that it is both family friendly and entertaining. Voiced by Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer among others makes this a new classic.
I’d love to do this because we live to watch movies in my family. It’s our main source of entertainment. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life! It kept everyone happy and in their seats with it’s mysterious key searching frantically all over in the scenic tour of NYC. It had appeal for tweens,teens and adults so adventure for everyone to enjoy. I see a future classic on the horizon for this newly released, well cast movie.
We just went to see Journey2: Mysterious Island. Young adventurer Sean receives a coded message from his grandfather and sets out with his step father to find him on the Mysterious Island. Once they have crashed there it is a race against time to find him and escape the sinking island. There is something for everyone, adventure, peril, young love and the interaction between the characters will keep you smiling. We all enjoyed it. Based on the Jules Verne Novel this is a great family film.
I love animated films especially Disney and I am now lucky my daughter is at an age where she enjoys them too – great excuse! My mindee’s love it when the get ‘treated’ to a film afternoon and a firm favourite with all of them at the moment is Tangled. I’ve lost count of the amount of times we’ve seen it!
The animation itself is amazing and I love how a classic story has been taken and adapted to modern life without spoiling it in anyway. It’s one like Shrek where it is as enjoyable for children as it is adults and it is packed to the brim with good humour and some fun songs.
I’m a sucker for happy endings and a good lesson in values and morals to underpin the whole film.
Pokemon 3:The Movie
It’s all about a lonely little girl who’s already lost her mother (for reasons we are unaware of) and then gets told the news that her beloved father has now become lost.
Through her grief she is helped by the strange Unknown Pokemon her father was studying. They help her realise her only wish – To have a mother. Only problem is the mother they choose is Ash’s.
It’s such a heartfelt tale of the power of loneliness, and the true meaning of family and how important it is to all of us.
My husband and I are both huge film fans, having studied it at university, and now our daughter Holly is becoming more and more fascinated by the music and images coming from the screen! Her favourite film at the moment is The Sound Of Music, and it has always been cherished by myself since I was very young. The story of Maria slowly realising her love for the Captain and him in turn having his heart opened up once more to love and his children is a touching one and of course the music is timeless and never fails to lift your spirits!
Nativity!
Down trodden Mr Maddens is reluctantly persuaded by his headmistress to put on a school nativity. Every year he dreads the festive season so can think of nothing worse than being in charge of the school christmas play.
Things get worse for him as he is joined by new teaching assistant Mr Poppy who is overly enthusiastic. Chaos follows Mr maddens as he fibs to a rival school teacher by telling him that Hollywood are coming to watch his nativity.
Delightfully corny, full of catchy toe tapping tunes and hilarious, big belly laughs. A must see film for the whole family.
Real Steel is the current family favourite. It’s set in the near future when human boxing has been banned, so clever humans have invented Robots to box instead.
The story focuses on the relationship between a boy reunited with his father he has never seen after his mother dies and although difficult at first they bond over training an old robot to fight (and dance).
The CGI effects are amazing, there is enough of a story to keep adults entertained and all my children adore the fight and dancing scenes and can be heard cheering the robots on!
It is a real feel good movie, with a fantastic David vs Goliath story, great actors (Hugh Jackman to keep mum entertained) and an ending that proves you don’t actually have to come first to be the ultimate winner!
I would love to be a movie reviewer – we love our films and have a good mix of ages in our house, from tots to teens!
Our review is a little different; it is written by my 6 year old daughter Rachel who blogs at http://majorloveoffilm.blogspot.com. We spent a year blogging reviews of films and family fun together but now she has banned me from writing on it – she insists that it’s all her own work. I am enterring Rachel’s review of The Muppets (2011) which I hope you enjoy.
I saw the muppets with mummy. There was Kermit, miss piggy, fuzzy bear and all the muppets mummy remembered and a new muppet called Walter. Walter and Kermit find the muppets and put on a show. The show was the best bit. Mum said it was just like on TV. My favourite was Walter, Mum says she still likes fuzzy bear best, I like him too. There were lots of songs, I liked them because they were silly. I give it 10/10 and it’s really good for mums and dads – they were all laughing in the cinema.
Dumbo is the first film that I remember watching over and over as a child, and I’m pleased to see that my son is following in my footsteps. Repeated viewing gives you plenty of opportunity to form an opinion, and luckily Dumbo is one that we love sitting down and watching together.
Adults need to be extremely hard of heart not to have a tear in their eye as Dumbo is separated from his mother, and for the little ones there are talking animals, catchy songs and a circus train. What’s not to like!
Sorry, please see correct link above
Chicken Run
A family film must work on several different levels in order to cater for its mixed-aged audience. And with this in mind, Chicken Run rules the roost!
A simple but powerful plot engages viewers young and old, particular as the characters and humour work on all levels. The Great Escape parody is genius, and the more ‘serious’ themes and messages are skillfully handled.
In short, Chicken Run has a compelling Good Vs Evil plot; a fantastic script; delightful animation; and a chicken-shed loads of humour, puns and wit.
Chicken Run; a different breed of chick-flick!
Ooops, ‘particular’ should have read ‘particularly’
)
I first watched Toy Story long before I’d thought of having children and was keen to watch the second instalment again pre-kids. Toy Story is exciting, touching, sad, happy: a true whirlwind of emotion.
The production quality is high giving the film a timeless quality. It’s difficult to believe, it was first released over 15 years ago. I introduced the film to my son a few years ago and it has become a firm favourite. He has watched lots of movies, but he always able to remember the names of the characters and the intricacies of the Toy Story plot.
Our favourite film is The Road To El Dorado [2000] it never fails to get radiant smiles from my two boys and the odd outburst of song. It is such a feel good film, with two likeable rascals as the main characters, Miguel and Tuilo. Not unlike my two boys, probably why they enjoy it so much. Upon having the opportunity to live like gods and enjoy untold riches, they eventually do the decent thing and help protect the fabled city of gold. It is a surprisingly entertaining tale, with colourful images and an opportunity to enjoy a family singsong
With a stellar voice-over cast featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest names, Kung Fu Panda is a firm family favourite in our household. The graphics and animation work with the movie and script, cuddly one minute and scratchy the next. Engaging its audience, the humour will have both children and adults laughing and I defy anyone not to find Jack Black’s voice amusing. Everyone loves an underdog and “Po” is that from the outset, the heart warming story revolves around a huge, Kung Fu loving, cuddly Panda being chosen as a Dragon Warrier in order to protect The Valley Of Peace using Kung Fu Kung Fu alongside his idols. Morals are loosely apparent within the story and it’s a film that leaves you wanting more.
Tangled
Tangled is the latest addition to Disney’s Princess catagorey and is definatly a film for the whole family.
Based on the story of Rapunzel it follows her through her journey into adulthood and to see the lights she has watched for all her life from her window, but not seen in person.
She meets the one and only Flyn Rider and convinces him to take her to see the lights, with a lot of mishaps along the way.
Definatly one for the whole funny with the adult humor that Disney are great at & our favourite the horse Maximus!
Hello, I blog over at Writings, Ramblings and Reviews and here is why review:
A film for families, well only one springs to mind instantly, ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’
We all have dreams, for Charlie it was to visit the chocolate factory; a stroke of luck and a bit of film magic meant he got his wish, with the added chance to win a prize!
So why’s it perfect for your family? Well for many reasons, its a classic, it’s funny and it has songs! It’s so magical that it suits kids big and small, Parents love it as a memory from childhood and even grandparents will enjoy (well they’re children at heart)!
Hakuna Matata what a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata ain’t no passing craze….
and obviously Lion King isnt either. Having been released by Disney recently The Lion King has worked its way into my daughters hearts and it is great seeing them enjoy the film I loved as a child.
With stunning colours and amazing sounds Disney have done us proud on another great digitalization of a classic.
…It means no worries for the rest of your days
its our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata!
TANGLED
The 50th animated film from Disney tells Rapunzel’s story and what happens when she finally leaves her tower with the loveable rogue, Flynn Ryder, to see the floating lanterns she’s only watched from afar.
Incorporating the tales of some of the unusual characters they meet along the way, Tangled gives us romance, laughter, magic, excitement, and a great soundtrack guaranteed to get you singing along!
This was the first film my daughter saw at the cinema and is still a firm favourite in my household, even my boys love it!
A must for all the family.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty is a clapped out ex-racing car which lands in the hands of a would-be inventor named Caractacus Potts, his two children and their eccentric granddad. This car is like no other and kick starts (no pun intended!) a host of fantasy adventures for the family. The baddies are really bad and the goodies are as sweet as sugar. So, combined with lots of dancing, even more singing and a very quirky storyline as a child of the 70’s reared on musicals there simply isn’t anything better! Move over Cars this can’t be replaced..
Matilda.
Despite living with a family who don’t appreciate her, Matilda discovers an inner strength and powers beyond her imagination, but can she find her happy ending?
Matilda is a great film for children and adults of all ages. With outrageous characters and a story line that only Roald Dahl could create, there is something in this film for everyone. Our family loves the upbeat soundtrack and hilarious goings on; but behind the smiles, this film has a serious message and creates opportunities to talk to children about families, respect and love.
Despicable Me.
The cinemas have been flooded with CGI animated movies ever since the groundbreaking Toy Story, unfortunately quantity doesn’t equal quantity.
Despicable Me however is one of the good ones.
The film follows the antics of super villian Gru whose career has always been on the brink of the big time, but never quite getting there. However Gru has a plan that will finally put him on the front pages, and impress his mother who has always been disappointed in him. He’s going to steal the moon unfortunately, new kid on the block Vector is out to steal his glory. Along the way Gru finds himself in the charge of three orphaned little girls who slowly begin to melt his cold super villain heart.
The films humour works on all levels providing plenty of jokes for both the young and the old (including a very funny quick dig at the banking crisis), while and the animation and characterisation are both excellent.
Looking forward to the sequel that is due next year.
Ok just realised I got carried away a bit so below is the abridged version.
Despicable Me.
The film follows the antics of super villian Gru who has developed a plan that will finally put him on the front page, and impress his mother who has always been disappointed in him. He’s going to steal the moon unfortunately, new kid on the block Vector is out to steal his glory. Along the way Gru finds himself in the charge of three orphaned little girls who slowly begin to melt his cold super villain heart.
The film provides plenty of jokes for both the young and the old while and the animation and characterisation are both excellent.
Recommended
Kung Fu Panda (1)
This is easily my children’s favourite film. Today. You know what they’re like – they change with the wind – but often, this is the direction it blows in. It’s funny. With voices from Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie, you know you’re in for a treat.
Many of the subtleties can be lost on the youngsters, but it means they’re not wasted on us grown ups. There is calamity, hilarity and frivolity, yet a serious message is conveyed – that you don’t need a special ingredient to believe you’re special. My six year old gets it. A special film indeed!
Ice Age totally captured our family. Manny a grumpy woolly Mammoth who is annoyed by the silly Sid, as the story progresses we find that he has lost all his family due to man hunting him. Manny learns to trust friends and still fight against animals being destroyed for greed.
This film is filled with love and tears then
Scrat and his beloved acorn has us howling with laughter as he keeps losing it.
Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs.
So funny, one of my children actually fell off the sofa laughing! The film centres on the mammoths who are about to become parents for the first time, and Sid the Sloth who` acquires’ three eggs, which turn out to be T-Rex eggs! Hilarious from the beginning, enjoyed by the entire family aged 3 to 40. The scene when they attempt to make a playground for the little ones, is something my children continued to talk about for weeks.This is definitely one to watch as a family, and look out for Rudy the Dinosaur! Thumbs up from The Morrisons.
‘Shrek’ is one of the best animated films I have ever seen. It’s certainly one of the best of the new breed of something-for-everyone animation, like ‘Toy Story’ & ‘A Bug’s Life’, which cleverly appeal as much to adults as they do to their traditional children’s market.
The characters are smiley & cute, & there is the obligatory sneering villain to appeal to younger children; there are gross-outs & fart jokes for older ones, & plenty of subtle jokes & references for adults.
It’s very funny, in slightly bad taste – but with a big heart. Much like Shrek himself!
‘The Wrong Trousers’
(or ‘The Robot Trousers’ according to my 3 year old son Aled)
This is the best of the Wallace and Gromit adventures, involving an action-packed plot and a fantastic chase sequence with a model train set. Gromit is amazingly expressive for a silent plasticine dog. And the penguin is a very convincing baddie.
We watch this film over and over again, and there is always something new to spot. It is a beautifully crafted from beginning to end, with little nods to ‘proper’ films to appeal to grown-ups.
I love being able to share films from my childhood with my children. Most recently we watched Mary Poppins.
Mary Poppins is the olden day Supernanny who can fly, glide down banisters and jumps into magical paintings on the ground. She also has a Mother’s dream bag that can carry just about anything.
The combination of real life and animation make this film a bit different and is appealing to both children and adults. There are lots of catchy songs to sing along too and that little bit of magic that truly makes a Disney Classic.
Comment received from Michelle (http://www.shelllouise.co.uk – My Blog – Shell Louise)
A timeless classic, Mary Poppins is a firm favourite with most of our family; I say most because for some strange reason Daddy just doesn’t get that it’s totally fun to sing along at the top of your voice with the songs!
He does like family movie time though so he puts up with our (noise) lovely singing!
Mary Poppins is a Nanny who has a touch of magic about her. Together with the lovable Bert, they take Jane and Michael Banks on wonderful adventures. You’ll soon be singing along to supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and a spoonful of sugar (unless you’re Daddy!).
An American Tale
A classic film that keeps children entertained and brings a tear to every parent’s eye. Feivel and his family find themselve separated after a treacherous journey, but they never give up hope that they’ll find each other again. Through perils unexpected (there ARE cats in America!) and unbearable loneliness, Feivel knows that “Somewhere Out There” his family awaits… and he’ll stop at nothing to find them again.
As an expatriate family, this movie seems even more pertinent than when I was young. It warms my heart to show my son that though his extended family is an ocean away, “it helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky.”
Adventurous, at times quite scary, and most of all fun, this movie will have you singing, dancing and remembering what it is to be a family.
Tooth Fairy 2.
“Mummy, does the Tooth Fairy really exist? Tell me honestly?” We’d just been to see “Tooth Fairy 2”. I have to confess that I was slightly dreading it, having sat through a number of yawnworthy kids’ films.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was hilarious. Everyone was in stitches from beginning to end. It’s the story of Larry, a rather overweight fried chicken-eating car mechanic who as well as punching above his weight in the romance department, accidentally tells a little boy that the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. His punishment? To be turned into a Tooth Fairy himself for ten days to encourage kids to believe.
From farting fairy dust to flour filled home-made snowball fights, it was wall to wall laughter. Pink fairy magic with a twist..
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has to be the best family film ever! In it you get sweets that play tunes, white clothed women getting dumped in muddy puddles, a car that can fly and sail…and sing, the evil Childcatcher and the completely dumb Baron and Baroness!
You cannot fail to sing along to all the songs from Truly Scrumptious to Toot Sweets, or laugh at the mad Caratacus Potts and his crazy inventions, and love his beautiful children (even if they are a little wet!)
I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying as always there is a happy ending!
I blog over at The Ana Mum Diary. A family of four, I have two girls aged 2 and 9. We are film addicts, always on the look out for the next great classic movie.
My film would have to The Witches.
Based on a Roald Dahl novel it’s perfect, if a little scary family viewing, Angelica Houston as the coven leader tries to turn every child in England into a mouse…it well written and incredibly exciting, what’s not to love?
OK it’s not your usual children’s film choice, but it has everything. Dark humour and devilsly wicked plotline. The action has you on the edge of your seat, whilst the kids are hiding behind their cushions.
Grab popcorn and chocolate, and enjoy!
The Muppets seem to have set a precedent for family entertainment. By this I mean instead of boring either adults or children, it can appeal to the sense of humour of everyone. With fully grown adults giggling (yes I have seen many a fully grown adult giggle!), while making your 3 year old laugh into their popcorn. It really makes watching the Muppet’s a whole family affair – instead of resenting the ticket price you paid to accompany your child to a more childish production! (I have to admit I felt this way when I sat through the Thomas movie) next time, these can be watched when the DVD comes out! The newest exploit from the Muppet camp did not disappoint. it had the same level of light-hearted humour with a heart-warming but amusing storyline that appeals to all. I would thoroughly recommend every family watch it together.
Our Favourite is The Lion King you can sing along, and is suitable for all ages with the flashes of colour for babies and a story to follow for the older children. Everyone in our home including the adults can watch it over and over it never grows old. Who would not love Pumba & Timon the unlikely due who will have your family rolling with laughter. My Favourite quote is “Timon: No, no, no. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself. It’s “You got to put your past behind you”.
My daughter is girly. She loves fairy tales, Princesses and ‘happy ever after’ so she was very excited when Tangled was released. A re-telling of Rapunzel, we expected the pretty Princess (yay!) and the mean witch (boo!) but what we didn’t dare hope for was a healthy dollop of 21st century reality. A Prince with a penchant for stealing and Joey-esque flirting skills coupled with a Princess who values her mind and self-worth over her looks – Tangled is the perfect film for modern-day Princesses with enough humour and capers to entertain a Prince and his King and Queen too!
Our favourite family film is the Hiyao Miyazaki animation ‘Totoro’. This film encapsulates childhood imagination and innocence so perfectly and along with a cast of truly loveable characters and an award-winning score, this is the perfect film for family members young and old.
We guarantee you’ll fall for the simplicity of Totoro, will be charmed by the Nekko Bus and taken to new realms of wonder by this awesome cartoon and will never think of Japanese animation in the same way again.
If you love a feel-good film, you’ll love Totoro.
Mamma Mia.
For all of us that grew up listening to Abba music this is a great film to watch.
They have integrated Abba songs with a fairly non mushy storyline that appeals to all ages.
I’m sure our household is not the only one that sings along with all the songs, even if Mr Brosnan’s singing isn’t the best that just adds to it’s down to earth approach & reality of the film.
It includes the amazing scenery of a Greek Island & by the end we all have a warm feeling inside. A must see film.
My kids will definitely fly down to Rio to watch this charming story of the last Brazilian Blue parrot who returns to his native Brazil to help his species survive.
There’s excitement and peril for the kids and romance and comedy for the grown ups as Blue falls in love with the feisty Jewel and must rescue her from parrot smugglers and tries to find his owner, Linda among the revellers of Carnivale.
This is a real family film with a colourful cast of comedy birds and animals, which my kids love. Songs are used sparingly, but to great effect and there’s so much for kids and adults alike to enjoy.
While kids and adults alike will enjoy Pixar’s Ratatoille (2007), foodies will especially enjoy the drool-inducing visual detailing in this movie. A tale of perseverance through adversity and prejudice to achieve your goals, with the help of friendship and teamwork, it is also fun and laughter filled.
I thought Pixar would never surpass my favourite film Monsters, Inc. but they might very well have done with Ratatoille, as it’s a movie I could watch again & again.
Wizard of Oz
Its a sign of an absolute classic that my almost 3 yr old can be as enthralled with a film that is over 70 years old in the same way her mummy was.
From the small nuances, such as the scarecrow trying to point to the right direction, to universal morality tales of good vs evil, the Wizard of oz is a perfect mix of characters, music, storytelling and special effects in a way that can capture everyone’s imagination at any age.
Back to the Future.
With children ranging from 12 years down to 3 days, we’re always looking for films that can capture our older ones while still being suitable for the others. (OK, the 3 day old hasn’t watched any films yet, but you know what I mean.) Back to the Future was perfect for that, with something for the whole family. Dp and I had forgotten how funny it was, the techy gadget aspects drew the 8 year old boy in, and the 12 year old girl was intrigued by the romantic bits. And the time travel had everybody thinking. A winner all round.
My girls and I would recomend Toy Story 3
Its a great Animation film full of energy.
Toys being kind, learning to share
Toys being mean with their evil glare.
My girls enjoyed the colours so vivid and bright
We had to watch it over, twice in one night.
An emotional story filled with heroic fun
The final chapter since Toy Story begun.
Good versus Evil like we see every day
All showed through the clever world of play.
We really enjoyed this film, theres no pretending
We cried, we laughed. We loved the happy ending!
Spooky Buddies
The disney buddy movies are currently a huge hit with all the boys but Spooky Buddies has to be one of their favourite. It can be quite hard to find a film that keeps the attention of all three boys as they are 2.5yrs, 6yrs and 7.5yrs old but this does it everytime. It seems to have the right mix of cuteness (the puppies) adventure,suspense and comedy. Since we bought spooky buddies back in October last year it has proved a constant favourite with the boys and I have to admit even I haven’t tired of it yet. Its perfect for family sofa days and even for keeping the children occupied while I make tea. Lets face it how could anyone resist these loveable mischeivous puppies? The boys are already waiting to see what next movie will bring.
My favourite child hood movie that is in the “family” category has to be:
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Noah is too young to understand the movie at the moment, but it holds so many memories for me and my childhood that I will be showing it to him at the earliest opportunity. The movie is extremely funny, Jim Carrey never fails to make the family laugh. We would all sit around and watch it together, my brother and I repeating every sentence and my mum laughing in the background. Ace wants to save all animals and this film is the adventure he has trying to find the great white bat; lots of giggles, silly faces, funny noises and crazy dance moves included!
I just wrote a review on Ace Ventura When Nature Calls – its disappeared!
Ice Age
Ok this is a toughy for me as I have broad age ranges in the family, (22 years between the youngest and the oldest!) The obvious would be a Disney Classic as they are timeless and appeal to us all however Ice Age gets my vote today. It is full of wonderful animation and has a fantastic selection of diverse characters. It offers adults subtle humour that gets the older members of our family laughing out loud and is easy and fun which keeps my 3 year old entertained! Winner all round…