blakewilson

Funny and whimsical, Monsters University is exactly in line with its' predecessor, a feat many sequels ever achieve. The movie is an old-fashioned family treat that only Pixar can put together. Great animation, great comedy and screenplay, and solid messages on friendship and learning from our failures in life make this another perfectly solid Pixar effort. Now, it is surprisingly light on emotional moments, which made movies like Up, WALL-E and Brave a bit better than this. And the films' brief college parties may require the need for discussion. But this is yet another well-crafted animated movie the whole family can see. For a more detailed review, visit ****

Clever, smart, and funny, Escape from Planet Earth is a thrilling animated good time at the movies. Its not a fabulous movie, but it still is a whole lot of fun with some smart humor, exciting moments, and some feel-good lessons on family, heroism and sibling bonding. The animation, while paling in comparison to "Brave" and "How To Train Your Dragon" is still sleek and cartoony. There's also not much to complain about. A few gross-out gags and a couple of other odd moments are as problematic as it gets. Some of the sci-fi explosions and whiz-bang action may be too intense for the youngest viewers. For a more detailed review, visit ****

It may not be very original, but Epic is still one of the best animated movies I have seen in recent memory (and the best effort from Blue Sky to date). A whriling, twisted, exciting, and fun moral tale that is visually epic. Its' solidly voiced, it has its' hilarious moments, and it has some nice messages about family reconciliation and the like. Plus the story is much more well-written and emotionally deeper than any of Blue Sky Studios' other offerings. But Epic's stunning animation is truly worth the price of admission alone. There's also a clever reference or two to Disney movies such as The Lion King and Aladdin. The movie is also a clean adventure you can take your whole family to see. Sensitive kindergarteners and under may be overwhelmed by the battle sequences. For a more detailed review, visit ****

An overall refreshing family comedy, Parental Guidance is a moral-filled and hilarious tale for all ages. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler do a wonderful job as grandparents, and the children have memorable personalities. There's also many laugh-out-loud moments and some nice insight on the importance of intergenerational wisdom and remaining close to your family, no matter what the circumstances. Discerning parents do need to know however that despite being free of any language problems or bartending scenes, Crystal and Midler still provide some mostly mild adult humor. Also, there's also a few toilet humor jokes and a few moments of mischief/obnoxiousness. Still though, its a movie parents with kids ages 7 and up will enjoy. For a more detailed review, visit ****.

One of the cleanest family movies in a long time, "The Croods" is a fun and brilliantly animated adventure that is high on laughs and yet, low on plot. The voice actors do a solid job, and solid messages on family and the importance of parenthood are present. The animation is both amazing and 3D-worthy. The film is near-perfectly clean, with the only possible (slight) objections being some silly slapsticky violence and Eep's outfit maybe qualifying to be too short. However, "The Croods" screenplay is thin in places, it has some tonal inconsistency, and the relatively rough-housing main characters aren't as memorable as the mild-mannered "Flintstones". Its' still something to take the whole family to, but those looking for an original, groundbreaking film may be a bit disappointed here. For a more detailed review, visit ****.

A fabulous fantasy and a blast to watch, Oz the Great and Powerful is visually powerful and a great family movie!!! Great acting (you actually feel sorry for a specific character), fantastic visuals, and a handful of references to Disney fairy tales and the original 1939 classic. Plus, despite being over 2 hours long, this Oz prequel never has a boring moment integrated into it. Sam Raimi has outdone himself!!! Its' also clean for the most part. Though I do have to point out that if your younger ones were frightened by the witches/flying monkeys in the original Oz, stay FAR AWAY from this hot air balloon ride. This rendition of the classic magical land is a considerably darker and scarier place. Unlike the G-rated original that's fine for most 4 and 5 year olds on up, this PG-rated prequel of sorts is more for ages 9 and up. For a more detailed review, visit ****

If you were to combine The Lord of the Rings' story with Robin Hood's personality and The Chronicles of Narnia's fantastical whimsy, you'd get Jack the Giant Slayer. With thrills, spills, and chills, Jack is a good adventure film that successfully modernizes its' fairy tale basis while lovingly nodding towards the classic tale. Great visuals and acting by the cast, with the stand-out being Ewan McGregor, who brings an Errol Flynn-like personality to Elmont. There's a few good messages also on embracing responsibility, bravery, and self-sacrifice. As far as a family movie night is concerned, Jack the Giant Slayer is a very mild PG-13, but I wouldn't recommend it for children under age 10. For while there is no on-screen blood or gore (the head-chomping is off-screen and the effects are seen from a distance), it still could spark a nightmare or two for younger ones. There's also a bit of mild language and giants are seen having gross habits. For a more detailed review, visit ****