THE CROODS

2013, DreamWorks Animation

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 90 mins.

THE STORY:

The Croods are a family of cave people who have managed to survive by spending much of their lives hidden away in a cave living according to the credos of their patriarch, Grug (Nicholas Cage): “Anything new is bad,” and “Always be afraid.”

This is a particularly hard pill for his young adult daughter, Eep (Emma Stone), to swallow. One night, her curiosity about the world beyond their cave leads her to Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a more advanced homo sapiens. Guy warns the Croods of an impending environmental cataclysm, and ends up leading them toward higher ground where they have a chance of surviving. Along the way, he introduces them to innovations such as fire, shoes and pets. Guy’s deftness—and his requited fondness for Eep—threatens Grug, but in the end he learns to let go of fear and to evolve.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Fat
• Sucky

VIOLENCE:

• Punching, hitting, falling

TEACHING POINTS:

• Living scared is not living
• Love can be shown through words or through actions

THE UPSHOT:

Technically, this film is stellar. This is the highest quality animation I have seen in a long time. Stunning in the degree to which it looks like live action at times. The voices are perfectly cast and executed—when was the last time you heard the word ‘perfect’ applied to Nick Cage?

The story is well paced, the dialogue is snappy and there is humour enough for everyone. I laughed at the running mother-in-law joke, while my 4 year-old laughed at everything else. The messages about family bonds and about not fearing the unknown are positive and well delivered.      

Another thing I really appreciated about this film was the fact that the lead female character had an incredibly strong, healthy body instead of the unrealistic classic Disney silhouette. She endears herself to Guy not by being a beautiful damsel in distress, but by displaying how brave and capable she is, and by proving that she can take care of herself.

Fun for all.

5/5

DONKEY X/ DONKEY XOTE

2007, Phase 4 Films

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 90 mins.

THE STORY:

This Spanish film is a retelling of Don Quixote delivered by the donkey Rucio, who disputes Cervantes’ account and wants to set the record straight. In Rucio’s version, Don Quixote is not haplessly delusional, but an eternal optimist who sees the truth that others aren’t yet able to.

The story begins with Sancho Panza and Don Quixote setting off for Barcelona to find treasure and Quixote’s dream girl, Dulcinea. That he has never met her and that she may well not exist don’t slow him down at all. Along their journey, they run into bad characters who attempt to deceive and deflect him. In the end, Don Quixote finds what he is looking for if not how he expects to.   

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Cut the crap
• Stupid
• Shut up
• You are, like, so pathetic
• Damn

VIOLENCE:

• Jousting
• Human on human and animal on animal fighting

TEACHING POINTS:

• Believing in yourself and what you want can get you what you want

THE UPSHOT:

I wish I could blame my dislike of this film on the bad dubbing (particularly that of the main characters); but, alas, there is plenty more to disappoint. First and foremost, the story line was very hard for my 4 year-old—and sometimes me, I admit—to follow. Things move fast and not always in the way that seems logical to a young mind.  Visually and gesturally, Rucio seems to mimic the donkey character from Shrek, but he shares none of the latter’s personality or humour.

While there are some slightly crude pee and gas references, they are subtle enough both not to be funny and to pass without much notice. What is concerning to me is the depiction of women and of breasts in particular. The female characters have very—very—generous necklines, and attention is drawn through subtle and very—very—overt gestures to their embellishments.  

The one positive I can find to say about Donkey X is that the quality of the animation is good. It looks good, if nothing else.

1/5

GNOMEO AND JULIET

2011, Touchstone Pictures

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 84 mins.

THE STORY:

As the title cleverly makes apparent, this is an animated retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The twist here is that the star-crossed lovers belong to feuding families of garden gnomes divided by the colour of their hats. Gnomeo (James MacAvoy) is a Blue who falls in love at first sight with Juliet (Emily Blunt), a Red.

The lovers hide their relationship from their vitriolic families and watch helplessly as the Reds and Blues try to destroy each other. Ultimately, the love the two share is enough to bring about a truce without a tragic, corpse-riddled ending.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• idiot 
• shut up

VIOLENCE:

• Lots of inter-gnome brawling
• 1 gnome gets smashed to smithereens, but comes back in the credits

TEACHING POINTS:

• Love conquers all
• Fighting solves nothing

THE UPSHOT:

Given that it's a classic, the plot is predictable (for adults, at least). But the film still manages to sustain interest with the depth of the character development. Gnomeo is macho tough guy, who starts the film obsessed with mower racing and revenge. Juliet is a feisty woman out to climb off her pedestal and prove she is anything but "delicate."

There are a plethora of famous voices for adults to try and identify (Dolly Parton, Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osborne, etc.), and an Elton John cameo gnome.

The adults in the room loved the film, but the 4 year-old was a little underwhelmed. A lot of the humour was too adult-oriented and the story was a little inaccessible. She couldn't understand why the gnomes were fighting in the first place. The final verdict was, "I liked the part when they fell in love." 

3/5

JOCK THE HERO DOG

2011, Alliance Films

Animated

Rating: PG

Approx. 89 mins.

THE STORY:

Based on the 1907 classic Jock of the Bushveldt, the film tells the ostensibly true story of the valiant canine companion to a gold prospector in 1880s South Africa. Jock and his owner navigate the unfamiliar, unfriendly animal and human cultures, suffering cruelty from both camps. Ultimately, both emerge successful and are rewarded with female partners.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Stupid 
• shut up 
• fatty 
• butt 
• almost every utterance is mean/ unpleasant

VIOLENCE: 

• Yes! Human on human, animal on animal, you name it.

TEACHING POINTS:

• None whatsoever  

THE UPSHOT:

In a word: horrible.

As the narrator, Donald Sutherland sounds semi-comatose. Ted Danson and Mandy Patinkin have never sounded so annoying. Bryan Adams should stick to music and photography. The fact that this is one of the very few gigs Michael Richards (Seinfeld’s Kramer, post-highly-publicised racist rant) has had should give you an indication of how desperately terrible the voice work in this film is.

The animation is as awkward and disorienting as a '90s video game. The story and characters lack any kind of depth. Although the story is set in Africa, almost every character is white. Even the animals are audibly Caucasian.

When I first saw the PG rating “for some menace and peril” I rolled my eyes at the Victorian prudishness. About 10 minutes in I wished they had been less euphemistic, and actually used a more meaningful word like ‘violence’ or ‘cruelty.’ The ultimate message seems to be that almost all people and animals are evil at heart, and the world is an evil, evil place.

1/5

A TURTLE"S TALE: SAMMY'S ADVENTURES

2010, Studio Canal

Animated

Rating: PG

Approx. 88 mins.

THE STORY:

From the day Sammy the sea turtle (Yuri Lowenthal/ Stacy Keach) is born he begins a struggle to survive and to find his perfect mate. Not only does he have to undergo natural predation from birds, sharks and fish; but he has to navigate such unnatural dangers as commercial fishing nets, an oil spill and whale hunters.

Despite the many threats he faces, Sammy is aided on his life journey by Ray (Anthony Anderson), an easy going sea turtle, and some nature-loving humans (Melanie Griffith, etc.). Also, he meets Shelly (Gemma Arterton), his dream turtle who, luckily, requites his affection. The two have a strained courtship due to environmental factors beyond their control, but end up living happily ever after.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• none

VIOLENCE:

• perceived danger (shark attack, injury from ship) but no actual violence

TEACHING POINTS:

• Need to protect waters/ environment from over-fishing, pollution, illegal hunting
• Love conquers all
• What is meant to be will be (but you have to strive to make it be)

THE UPSHOT:

In its favour, the movie spans the 50-year life cycle of a sea turtle, but fortunately ends before following that span through to its in inevitable end. It is rated PG for “mild peril,” but could easily be G-rated.  I like the educational potential in the strong environmental messaging, but it is a bit blatant and preachy, especially if that’s not your cup of tea—Greenpeace figure prominently as saviours of the sea, for example.  

Unfortunately, I even hesitate to recommend the film as a teaching resource, since there isn’t enough detail or accurate information about the life cycle of the sea turtle to make it truly instructive. Ultimately, I would have to say this is B-movie children’s animation. It’s OK, but just OK.

3/5

MARS NEEDS MOMS

2011, Walt Disney Pictures

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 88 mins.

THE STORY:

Milo (Seth Green) argues with his mom (Joan Cusack) then discovers that she has been abducted by Martians in need of effective maternal figures to raise their new crop of pods. Milo attaches himself to the spaceship and ends up on Mars only to discover that the locals plan to extract his mother’s parenting knowledge then exterminate her. He embarks on a mission to rescue her and get them both safely back to Earth.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• ?

VIOLENCE:

• ?

TEACHING POINTS:

• ?

THE UPSHOT:

Terrifying. My 4 year-old wanted to give up after 20 minutes. And I was glad. 

I have left the above sections blank since I didn't see enough to fairly judge.

1/5  

LION KING 1 ½

2004, Walt Disney Pictures

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 77 mins

THE STORY:

A prequel and parallel-quel (?) to Lion King, the story is told through the eyes of Timon (Nathan Lane), an exuberant meerkat, and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), his sensitive warthog side kick. 

Timon is a misfit who wants more out of life than trying to avoid being eaten. He sets off on a quest to find his “place” and runs into Pumbaa. The two become fast friends, and then doting parents to Simba, the stray lion cub. The years pass idyllically until Simba leaves to avenge his father’s death. Feeling betrayed, Timon turns his back on both of his friends and tries to find happiness on his own. He soon realizes this is just not possible and reaches out to friends and family. Ultimately, he discovers that a “place” is nothing without those you love and who love you.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE: 

• fat

VIOLENCE: 

• Not notable

TEACHING POINT:

• No man is an island; we all need to love and be loved

THE UPSHOT:

I much preferred Lion King 1 ½ to the original. It’s funnier, cleverer, lighter and stands alone as a story unto itself. In an interesting twist, the meerkats are animated as a Yiddish-spouting Jewish community complete with a smothering mother (Julie Kavner) and excitable uncle (Jerry Stiller).

Other than a couple of scenes related to Pumbaa’s gastric issues (well couched in enough euphemism to leave most kids oblivious), there is nothing at all contentious in the movie—no violence or really questionable language. It successfully manages to entertain both parents and—more importantly—kids.

4/5

ROBOTS

2005, Twentieth Century Fox

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 91 mins.

THE STORY:

Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor) is a young robot with the will and talent to be an inventor. He leaves his small town and loving family to join the firm of his hero, Bigweld (Mel Brooks), whose doors are always open to ideas. When Rodney arrives, however, Bigweld is nowhere to be found and, under the directorship of the callous Ratchet (Greg Kinnear), Bigweld Industries has become entirely profit-driven. Rodney is befriended by a motley band of robots (Robin Williams, Drew Carey, Amanda Bynes, Jennifer Coolidge) and ends up becoming a much needed robot repair man. Following some entertaining adventures, the group restores order to Bigweld Industries and all robots.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE: 

• fart
• fanny
• idiot
• crap

VIOLENCE:

• some inter-robot fighting, nothing notable

TEACHING POINTS:

• The best gifts you can give are not material
• You don’t have to change/ be new to be better, you just have to be the best you

THE UPSHOT:

Robots pits the idea that “You can shine, no matter what you’re made of” against the suggestion, “Why be you when you can be new?” This is a very relevant theme given current cultural trends. In addition, although the story is unapologetically moralistic, the delivery is not cloying and does not overshadow the entertainment aspect.

Visually, the world these robots inhabit is stunningly imaginative and beautiful. The animation is flawless and the voices are a perfect fit. On top of that, the dialogue is clever and funny, and the parent-friendly cultural references are plentiful. The “Aunt Fanny’s Tour of Booty” mini movie included in the extras was also a hit. Highly recommended.

4/5

THE FOX AND THE CHILD (Le renard et l’enfant)

2007, Bonne Pioche

Live action

Rating: G

Approx. 92 mins.

THE STORY:

A young girl (Bertille Noël-Bruneau) living in rural France discovers a fox near her home one day, and becomes obsessed with befriending the wild animal. She follows and observes the animal over a period of time and the two eventually develop a relationship of mutual acceptance. Ultimately, however, the girl learns that wild animals are meant to be wild, and that the human and animal worlds can only overlap so much.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• N/A

VIOLENCE:

• sudden, graphic seeming-death of fox(see below)

TEACHING POINTS:

• Wild animals are to be respected as wild and not treated as pets
• Nature is a beautiful living thing unto itself
• Love is about acceptance not possession 

THE UPSHOT:

One of the advantages of this film is that it is highly visual and doesn’t rely on the viewer’s ability to read or understand much in the way of dialogue. Originally shot in French, the English version is narrated by Kate Winslet with dubbing of the main character’s very occasional, very brief lines. Some of the narration is a bit complex, but the action is self-explanatory. Fortunately, given the reliance on the visual, the cinematography and effects are great. There are plenty of insights into the lives and inter-relatedness of woodland animals, but the narrative saves it from feeling like an episode of Wild Kingdom.

The only issue I had with this film is the fact that in the last five minutes —SPOILER ALERT—the fox jumps through a 2^nd story window to its apparent death. It reappears, bloodied but alive, several minutes later; but by this point the damage was done. My 4 year-old cried and cried. And cried.

3/5

RIO

2011, Twentieth Century Fox

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 95 min

THE STORY:

Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a domesticated rare Blue Macaw travels from his safe home in Minnesota to Brazil to mate with the only existing female in captivity. Once in Rio, Blu and his reluctant intended, Jewel (Anne Hathaway), get caught up in the illegal exotic bird trade. The two, aided by winged and four-legged friends, encounter a series of adventures as they make their way to eventual freedom.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Stupid 
• idiot 
• hate 
• shut up                                                 

VIOLENCE:

• Fighting 
• implication of bird killed in plane propeller (comes back in credits)

TEACHING POINTS:

• Women can be strong, independent thinkers and leaders
• If you believe, you succeed

THE UPSHOT:

The fact that Eisenberg’s voice is mismatched and grating is compensated for by the perfection of Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) as the evil, bitter cockatiel, Nigel. The plot with its romantic entanglements is a bit Love Boaty, but the visuals and music are redeeming. I like that the female lead is a strong, independent character who actively spurs on rather than passively supports the male lead.

3/5

THE ARISTOCATS

1970, Walt Disney Productions

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 78 mins

The Story:

Pampered cat Duchess (Eva Gabor) and her 3 kittens are kidnapped from their loving mistress’ home by her devious butler when he discovers that they stand in the way of him inheriting his employer’s fortune. The trio runs in to Tom O’Malley (Phil Harris), a cocky alley cat who helps them make their way back to Paris. Along the way the pet cats are exposed to the adventure and excitement available beyond their mistress’ home. Ultimately order is restored: the butler gets his due, the cats return home and Duchess and Tom develop a lasting fondness for each other.

Language:

• stupid

Violence:

• N/A

Teaching Points:

• Be open to new experiences and people
• Opposites attract?

The Upshot:

My 4 year-old laughed repeatedly at the slapstick hijinks, and identified with the clear good-guy/ bad-guy aspect of the story. Interest was lost, however, in the last third of the movie when the cats visit O’Malley’s friend Scat Cat. Here they take in some jazz with language and visual references far too dated for most kids to understand.

The datedness is definitely the aspect of the film I had trouble with. I have no problem with the relative simplicity of the animation and characterizations. What rankles is the—pretty ubiquitous in Disney, I know—savvy male rescues flirty damsel in distress motif. And I shuddered every time O’Malley called Duchess “baby” or some other diminutive. I know that might sound nit-picky, but he is supposed to have just met her.

My reservations aside, my 4 year-old enjoyed The Aristocats. 

3/5

THE MUPPETS

2011, Walt Disney Pictures

Live action & puppets

Rating: G

Approx. 109 min

THE STORY:

Gary (Jason Segel), his Muppet-obsessed brother Walter—who also happens to look like a Muppet—and Gary’s girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), help Kermit and the gang try to save their old theatre from an Evil Oil Baron (Chris Cooper). They organize a Muppet Show-style telethon to raise the $10 million they need to retain their past and ensure their future.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE: 

• none

VIOLENCE: 

• near electrocution 
• bowling ball thrown at head 
• punch in the face

TEACHING POINTS:

• Trying—especially as a team—and failing is better than never trying
•  Everyone has a talent and a place—the key is to find them or to let them find you

THE UPSHOT:

The plot twists are predictable, the dance numbers are awkward, and the dialogue verges on schlocky, but The Muppets is utterly captivating.  It is endearingly self-conscious and nostalgic.  Kids will love the story and characters, and parents will love everything. The film is a cavalcade of stars, from clever, catchy songs by Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords) to appearances by Dave Grohl, Feist, Zach Galifianakis and Jack Black. It’s also an '80s love-fest with nods to Molly Ringwald, ACDC, Gary Numan and a robot spouting more '80s expressions than you can shake a stick at. Absolutely enjoyable on all levels.

5/5

WALL•E

2008, Pixar

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 98 mins

THE STORY:

In this half-silent sci fi romance, Earth is a post-apocalyptic wasteland inhabited solely by WALL.E, a trash compacting robot who longs for a hand to hold. His loneliness abates when EVE, a robot probe, arrives. The two are just beginning to get to know each other when EVE discovers a plant and disappears back into space with it.   

WALL.E follows EVE to the giant ship where the human race has been living for 700 years. Humans have become completely reliant on technology, completely inactive and completely cut off from each other. 

The plant proves that Earth is able to sustain life, and a battle ensues between the humans, who want to return, and the robots, who don’t. Ultimately, WALL.E and EVE save the plant, re-settle Earth and establish a deep friendship.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE: 

• stupid

VIOLENCE: 

• robot on robot combat, which makes it hard to conceive of as true violence

TEACHING POINTS:

• Respect for Earth as a finite resource
• True friendship is shown through actions rather than words

THE UPSHOT:

I was surprised how invested I became in the relationship between the two central robots. The emotional climax between two animated, automated, practically non-verbal characters, was genuinely touching.

In the same way, the scenarios depicted in the film are extreme, but that doesn’t make them any less plausible. 

As much as I enjoyed WALL.E, the story and themes are far too complex for young kids. Even the very few words WALL-E and EVE utter are highly technical—e.g. “directive”—and hard to distinguish due to their robotic delivery. Definitely better suited to older kids and to adults. 

 4/5