NANNY McPHEE RETURNS

2010, Universal Pictures

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 109 mins.

THE STORY:

The formidable Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) is back to help another harried parent tame her unruly brood. This time, Isabel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is struggling to raise her 3 kids and save the family farm while her husband (Ewan MacGregor) is off fighting in WW1. Her troubles multiply when her spoiled nephew and niece arrive to stay from London, and the kids simply cannot get along.

Along comes Nanny McPhee to teach the children 5 crucial lessons. They learn to co-operate, to share and all of the other things that allow for peaceful existence, all while trying to save the farm from their debt-ridden uncle (Rhys Ifans) who is bent on tricking Isabel into selling.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• poo

VIOLENCE:

• in one scene the kids attack each other then themselves-- hitting, punching, falling-- but nothing significant

TEACHING POINTS:

• co-operating is essential to achieve a common goal
• look for the good in others

THE UPSHOT:

The 5 year-old in the room watched with a smile on her face for a good part of the movie, which made the grown ups in the room smile for a good part of the movie. Overall, it is not as good as the original, but some scenes-- the synchronized swimming pigs are a standout-- are absolutely precious. It is sweet and innocent and completely charming.  

4/5

TOOTH FAIRY

2010, Twentieth Century Fox

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 100 mins.

THE STORY:

Derek Thompson (Dwayne Johnson) is a hockey player on a minor team who is less known these days for his hockey prowess than for his bruiser penchant for knocking out opponent's teeth. Disappointed with where life has taken him, he has given up on dreams. He makes the mistake of sharing this disillusionment with his girlfriend's (Ashley Judd) young daughter by telling her the Tooth Fairy is fiction.

Later that night, he finds himself transported to Fairy Land where the head fairy (Julie Andrews) sentences him to 2 weeks of Tooth Fairy duty. This means that he is constantly on call and that when the call does come he finds himself with wings and a leotard. Although it takes Derek a while to come around, he eventually finds himself inspired to be a better version of himself and inspiring others to achieve their goals as well. He suffers some setbacks along his journey to being able to ask "what if," but ends up fully committing to his life and the people in it. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• hell
• stupid

VIOLENCE:

• some hockey roughing-- teeth get knocked out-- but not gory or explicit

TEACHING POINTS:

• Dreams might not come true, but if you don't have them they definitely won't

THE UPSHOT:

I had been avoiding this one despite several requests. I'm not a huge fan of "The Rock", it sounded hokey and hackneyed... I just didn't want to see it. So imagine my surprise when I found myself laughing... frequently.

What makes this worth watching is the supporting cast, especially Stephen Merchant and Julie Andrews. Yes, the story is predictable and Johnson is no Olivier, but the lines and performances delivered by Merchant and Andrews are pure elevation.

It's light, fun and has a good message for viewers of all ages. The 5 year-old in the room gave it 2 thumbs up and the grown ups did the same.     

4/5

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA

2008, DreamWorks Animation

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 90 mins.

THE STORY:

Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer) and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) board a penguin-pilotted plane in hopes of returning to their New York zoo home. Things go awry almost immediately, however, when the plane crashes somewhere on an African plain. By coincidence, the watering hole they discover is frequented by a tribe of animals headed by alpha lion, Zuba (Bernie Mac), who happens to be the father from whom Alex was snatched as a cub.

The happy homecoming is complicated when Alex fails to pass a rite of passage and has to be banished from the tribe. Zuba can't bear to renounce his son and relinquishes his role. Alex soon gets a chance to prove himself, however, when he sets off to discover why the watering hole has dried up. With the help of his entourage, he fixes the blockage and is able to return to the community with his father as joint leaders. 
  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• fatso
• stupid

VIOLENCE:

• a fair bit of fighting, punching, kicking, hitting, etc. with no serious consequences
• a penguin and a woman appear to be run over, but both are unscathed

TEACHING POINTS:

• friends listen to friends and empathize
• parents (and others) should accept their children's differences-- what makes them unique makes them themselves

THE UPSHOT:

Yes, there is quite a lot of fighting and combat, but this movie is hilarious. The 5 year-old in the room and the grown-ups in the room were all in stitches at the jokes, the slapstick, the references and at King Julian (Sacha Baron Cohen) in general. The penguins are also complete scene-stealers.

This installment is by far my favourite of the series. I still enjoy it after at least 20 forced viewings. The characters, the story, the animation, the music, the script: it all just works.  

4.5/5

ISLAND of LEMURS: MADAGASCAR

2014, Warner Brothers

Live action

Rating: G

Approx. 40 mins.

THE STORY:

This documentary introduces the lemur, a close relative of the human species who now lives only on the island of Madagascar. Following along with Professor Patricia Wright, one of the world's foremost lemur experts, we get a long glimpse of how their communities are organized and how they are struggling to adapt to their changing environment. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• none

VIOLENCE:

• none

TEACHING POINTS:

• tonnes about the origins, lifestyles and communities of lemurs
• non-cloying presentation of the dangers of habitat destruction/ deforestation 

THE UPSHOT:

What's not to like? I learned more about the world in this 40 minutes than I did all week. And I enjoyed the experience. The wilds of Madagascar are captured in glorious cinematography which is in turn shown off to advantage through the wonders of IMAX. The content is informative rather than pedantic, and well-presented through animation, documentary footage and narrative. 

One of the things I liked most about this film was the way it presented the issue of lemur habitat loss with subtlety rather than simply as evil humans vs. defenseless animals. It is suggested that the island's human and animal residents share the same conflicting needs, and that both are legitimate. A great catalyst for discussion and thought.   

5/5

SHREK

2001, DreamWorks Animation

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 90 mins.

THE STORY:

Shrek (Mike Myers) is an ogre with attitude. The villagers are terrified of him and the privacy that ensures suits him perfectly. When the ruler of Duloc, Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow), banishes all fairy tale characters in an effort to make his kingdom perfect, they take refuge in Shrek's swamp. To restore his solitude, Shrek sets off to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a dragon-guarded tower to serve her up as a bride for Farquaad. 

Along their journey back to Duloc, Shrek and Fiona develop feelings for each other. Little does Shrek know that Fiona is afflicted by a curse which transforms her into an ogre from sunset to sunrise, and that is why she plans to marry-- and receive what she hopes will be a curse-ending kiss from-- Farquaad. Shrek's feelings are hurt when he overhears Fiona and thinks she is disparaging him. He delivers her to Farquaad, and returns to his swamp miserable. 

When he discovers his misunderstanding, he sets off to stop the wedding. Once in the church, Fiona's nocturnal secret is revealed to him. While Farquaad is disgusted, Shrek is even more infatuated. He gives her the kiss that ends her curse, though not in the way she had expected.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• damn
• hell
• ass
• idiot
• stupid
• shut up
• Oh my God

VIOLENCE:

• a bird actually explodes
• a character is eaten by a dragon, but not in a gory way 

TEACHING POINTS:

• be who you are and find others who will accept you
• no man is an island
• friends forgive each other

THE UPSHOT:

Despite the animation and fairy tale themes, this is not purely a kids' movie. The abundant humour is (luckily in many instances) lost on pre-adults and the references are predominantly to things those of Mike Myers' generation can remember. Nonetheless, the 5 year-old in the room enjoyed the fairy tales aspects, the animation, and the slapstick and slightly rude (at times) humour. 

When I first saw this movie over 10 years ago, I was thrilled by the novelty of a fairy tale movie that didn't simply replay the tired, unrealistic old tropes of beautiful (thin, caucasian) princess rescued by (pretty much non-verbal) handsome prince who then instantly fall in love-- she presumably out of a sense of debt, he presumably due to admiration of her beauty. Looking back now, I see Shrek as a precedent-setter that enabled stories such as Ella Enchanted and Enchanted among several others. 

And for that I will always be deeply grateful.

4.5/5

ARTHUR and the INVISIBLES

2006, EuropaCorp

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 93 mins.

THE STORY:

Pre-pubescent Arthur (Freddy Highmore) lives on a dilapidated farm with his grandmother (Mia Farrow) somewhere in the American mid-west. His parents are in the city trying to scrounge some money, and his grandfather has disappeared on one of his exploratory quests. 

While Arthur is obsessed with his grandfather's tales of faraway magical lands and hidden treasure, his grandmother is preoccupied with trying to prevent repossession of their home. Their interests collide when Arthur heads off in search of gems his grandfather claimed to have found and hidden somewhere on the property. 

His journey takes him into a fantastical world inhabited by tiny Minimoys, a race of human-ish creatures. Arthur befriends the prince (Jimmy Fallon) and falls for his sister, Princess Selenia (Madonna), and his affection for the Minimoys leads him to help them defeat the evil Maltazard (David Bowie) who threatens their existence.

Arthur emerges from his adventure with some new friends, a fistful of rubies, a grandfather, and the power to save the family homestead. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Oh my God.

VIOLENCE:

• intense battle scene, and some of the bad guys appear to be killed

TEACHING POINTS:

• nothing significant

THE UPSHOT:

Luc Besson. David Bowie. David Suchet. Jimmy Fallon. Robert De Niro. Harvey Keitel. Jason Bateman. Some impressive names associated with this one; and yet.... 

I found the lead child actor irritating, the story maudlin, the characters undeveloped, and the animation not to my taste-- very anime-inspired female aesthetic that disturbs me. I liked exactly 1 thing about this movie: David Bowie, who provides the only good acting. The 5 year-old in the room didn't really engage with the story or characters, and thought it was "Just OK." And that is just OK with me.

2/5

BEE MOVIE

2007, DreamWorks Animation

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 91 mins.

THE STORY:

Barry the bee (Jerry Seinfeld) has just graduated and is primed to enter the workforce, meaning that he has to choose the job he will do until he drops dead. While others, like his best friend Adam (Matthew Broderick), relish the opportunity to play a part in the honey-making business, Barry feels trapped and limited by his options. He longs to be a Pollen Jock and able to fly out of the hive to see the wide world. 

As luck would have it, Barry gets exactly that chance, but manages to break a cardinal bee rule while on the outside that has lasting, far-reaching consequences: he talks to a human. He befriends Vanessa (Renee Zellweger), a florist who educates him humans' appropriation of honey and enslavement of bees for its production. Barry is incensed and launches a law suit for the return of honey to the bees. 

When Barry wins, his well-intentioned act has dire consequences for the bees, humans and natural world: the bees are lost without jobs to perform, humans miss their honey, and all the flowers in the world begin to die without the bees' pollination. With Vanessa's help, Barry sets out to restore things to rights.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Oh my God.

VIOLENCE:

• Barry fights for his life as the anti-hero tries to kill him-- quite comedic and not frightening

TEACHING POINTS:

• lessons about the life cycle of bees and their role in the natural environment
• how to face up to mistakes and take responsibility

THE UPSHOT:

I read some online reviews of Bee Movie which were amazingly critical, mainly due to the facts that a) it is an unoriginal theme, and b) it is completely unbelievable. I can see the argument for both of these points, but am left thinking, So what?

Yes, a hero searching for meaning in life and resisting being boxed into a life-role that seems unsuitable has been done before. But isn't that because the existential quest for meaning is a primal human predicament? 

Yes, it is a completely unrealistic story. It is an animated kids' movie. It is a completely fantastical story that makes no pretensions about being high art or artfully allegorical or the like.

If you liked Seinfeld, there is no reason why you would not like this movie. It is wittily funny, well-paced, attractive to watch, has a unique treatment of a common theme, and is just a fun experience. The 5 year-old and the grown-ups in the room all had a good time, with different aspects appealing to each group.

4.5/5

NANNY McPHEE

2005, Universal Pictures

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 97 mins.

THE STORY:

Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) has a lot on his plate: his wife has died, he has seven unruly children whom no nanny can tame, and he has no way of financially supporting his brood without the beneficence of his snooty, demanding aunt in-law (Angela Lansbury). Just when he has exhausted every possible nanny in the village, Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) appears out of nowhere.

Parsimonious of tongue and startling of appearance, Nanny McPhee and her mysterious walking stick set about fixing the family by teaching the children-- and their father-- some essential lessons. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• "Lord love a duck"... so nothing significant

VIOLENCE:

• a baby comes close to being dropped in a pot of boiling stock, but it's fairly clear all will end well and not very frightening

TEACHING POINTS:

• the lessons we learn best are the ones we teach ourselves

THE UPSHOT:

This is just a very well-made movie in every respect-- the visuals, the script, the themes, the performances. Colin Firth is at his most beleaguered charming self and Emma Thompson, despite her overwhelming physical presence, is amazingly understated. 

Both the 5 year-old and the grown ups in the room enjoyed this one. The former liked the nonsensical, magical aspects, and the fantastical-seeming setting. It's a bit like Mary Poppins meets Alice in Wonderland. The adults liked the humour, the subtle, positive messaging, and the quaintness. There is a bit of 'ribaldry' at times, but the whole thing has an air of innocence.

Definitely worth the time it takes to watch.

5/5

FROZEN

2013, Disney Animation Studios

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 101 mins.

THE STORY:

Sisters Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) are two very happy princesses living an idyllic life in their Nordic castle. Elsa has the mysterious gift of transforming anything she touches into ice, and this is the source of untold fun until Elsa accidentally zaps Anna in the head. She recovers, but loses her memories of Elsa's gift and Elsa's companionship as the latter locks herself away to prevent any future accidents.

The two become even more estranged when their parents are killed in a shipwreck. The sisters barely see each other until the day arrives for Elsa's coronation. She emerges to the public, but her special talent rears its ugly head. To escape the dire consequences of being branded a sorceress and of having plunged her village into an eternal winter, she flees to the mountains where she builds herself an ice castle and 'comes out' as an ice queen. She tries to live alone, but is followed first by Anna, then by others who seek to rescue Anna or destroy Elsa.

Along her journey, Anna meets three individuals-- Prince Hans, Kristoff the ice farmer, and Olof the snowman-- who each teach her about herself and who she wants to be. She is able to rescue her sister, and in turn is rescued by her sister, who discovers the secret to controlling her gift. Elsa learns that accepting and directing rather than trying to suppress her true nature is the route to happiness.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• die/ dead

VIOLENCE:

• some chase and fight scenes with animals and a giant snow monster
• Anna is struck twice by her sister's magic ice shocks and almost dies
• Anna is frozen into an ice statue for a few moments until rescued
• Elsa and Anna are both left to die by Hans, but escape

TEACHING POINTS:

• 'true love' has many meanings
• don't jump to conclusions about people; take the time to get to know them
• people sometimes have reasons we can't understand for the things they do; don't assume
• accept who you are and realize that your 'curses' can be 'gifts' 

THE UPSHOT:

To be honest, I neither expected nor wanted to like this. It's Disney... it's the definition of commercialism... it's cloying and ubiquitous. But I liked it. I liked the fact that a Disney movie makes a point of enunciating how ridiculous it is for someone to fall in love and get engaged minutes after meeting without a single meaningful conversation-- hello... Cinderella? Snow White? Ariel? Pocahontis... is anyone listening? I liked the fact that the act of true love is not bestowed by a prince who wasn't even in the picture 5 minutes ago, but by a family member who has dedicated most of her life to acting out of love.

Somewhat reassuringly, however, there were things that bothered me. The very Aryan, very classically beautiful characters are a bit disappointing. But most disturbing to me was the 'Let it Go' scene, where Elsa transforms herself from the good girl trying to be what others expect her to be into a strong, proud-- if isolated-- woman. Not only can a lot be read into the words of the song, but her physical change is distinctly sexualized. I like the theory, but the execution is a bit hard to swallow for me.

4/5

HOW to TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

2014, Twentieth Century Fox

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 102 mins.

THE STORY:

5 years on from the end of the first movie, Berk is a completely different place. Dragons and humans co-exist in a pacific pet-master relationship dynamic. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless remain inseparable, especially when the two of them slip off alone to experiment with flying techniques and equipment. 

On one of their forays beyond the island, they discover a mysterious ice enclave inhabited by the Dragon Rider, and a band of dragon poachers. They discover that the two are linked by one individual: Drago (Djimon Hounsou), the crazed villain bent on creating a dragon army to become invincible. 

Hiccup is convinced that he can reason with Drago and that everything can be settled with diplomacy. His father, Stoick (Gerard Butler), who has tangled with Drago before, is insistent that Drago is insane beyond reason. When Hiccup heads off alone to confront Drago, Stoick follows. He discovers him in a dragon sanctuary with the enigmatic Dragon Rider, who turns out to be Hiccup's long-lost mother, Valka (Cate Blanchett).

The three, valliantly attempt to defeat Drago, but his power, and that of his alpha dragon, is strong. In a moment of weakness, Toothless is transformed into an aggressive attacker and kills Stoick. Hiccup is devastated and furious, but eventually able to accept that it was not Toothless' fault. Ultimately right turns into might, and the good guys win.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Oh my God.
• stupid

VIOLENCE:

• a dragon is killed, a central character is killed
• lots of fighting/ battle scenes
• lots of ominous, suspenseful scenes

TEACHING POINTS:

• can extrapolate lessons about animal rights and poaching
• individuals have the power to overturn evil when they join together
• good starting point for discussions about totalitarianism/ pro-democracy movements, etc. 

THE UPSHOT:

The animation is absolutely mind-blowing, the script and voice acting are superlative, and the the story is solid. That said, it is a pretty intense experience, particularly compared with the first installment, and might not be for everyone.

It is distinctly more violent and action-oriented than the original. Some scenes are definitely overly intense for younger kids, particularly when the humans are shooting down dragons-- how does a 5 year-old know it's a tranquilizer dart? The bad guy is pretty scary in appearance, voice and action. It was also a surprise to the 5 year-old and the grown-ups in the room when one of the central characters died and was set adrift on boat then set alight. All. On. Screen.

I recommend it highly, but suggest that more sensitive viewers be primed or exposed to it on the small screen where it might be a less overwhelming sensory experience.  

4/5