The list is made up of 15 kid-friendly movies that the whole family can look forward to.
1. Coraline (February 6) – An adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s children’s book, Coraline tells us the story of a young girl who discovers a secret door in their family’s new home, and stumbles upon a strange world, which is a perfect but dark version of her own life. Its creepy-looking characters has the same style of “Nightmare Before Christmas”, which makes sense because both were directed by Henry Selick. Having read the book, the plot and the characters might be frightening for younger children. But it will be a good watch if they have a very active imagination. Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher are just some of Coraline’s voice talents.
2. Pink Panther 2 (February 6) – Inspector Jacques Clouseasu is back. This time, he teams up with international detectives to stop a globe-trotting thief from stealing more historical artifacts. The original cast is back (Steve Martin, Jean Reno, and Emily Mortimer), with the addition of Andy Garcia and Bollywood’s Aishwarya Rai. Like the first film, we can expect a lot of crazy scenarios and some goofy dialogue which works perfectly with Steve Martin.
3. Race to Witch Mountain (March 13) – Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) continues his foray into kiddie films with this adventure movie with sci-fi elements. A re-imaging of 1975’s Escape to Witch Mountain, it is about a UFO expert and a cabbie whose aim is to protect two siblings with paranormal powers from an evil organization. The cast also includes Carla Gugino and AnnaSophia Robb. It looks like a fun entertaining ride for the whole family.
4. Monsters vs Aliens (March 27) – A Dreamworks animation film with an exciting plot: A young girl turns into a giant monster thanks to a meteorite, then she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets the other monsters. Turns out they are all part of a big plan to fight the aliens and save the world. Voice talents for this movie include names such as Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Kiefer Sutherland. Don’t let your kids miss this, which can easily be one of the year’s best.
5. Dragonball Evolution (April 8) – Based on the popular Japanese anime, the film tells us the story of warrior Son Goku and his quest of collecting the seven Dragon Balls, which will give the wielder great power, before the evil Lord Piccolo does. Starring Justin Chatwin, Emmy Rossum and Yun-Fat Chow, this movie will pique the interest of fans of the series and the interest of moviegoers. It is definitely for the older kids, as it involves some violence and a somewhat complicated plot.
6. Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (May 22) – Director Shawn Levy and actors Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Robin Williams return for the sequel of the 2006 hit. In this one, audience will be treated to another exciting plot as Larry infiltrates the Smithsonian Institute to rescue Jedediah and Octavius, who were mistakenly shipped to the said museum. Added to the cast are Amy Adams and Jonah Hill, who contribute their own brand of humor. I can only hope this sequel lives up to the success of the original,
7. Up (May 29) – A Pixar animated film that is a must-see for the whole family. It is about an old man who tied thousands of balloons to his home to fulfill his dream of seeing the wilds of South America. After lifting off, he discovered an 8-year-old wilderness explorer came along for the journey. It may not be as appealing to kids as a robot or talking animals but the strength of Up will come from its unique storyline and good morals. Pixar movies are also known to have heart, which makes them more special compared to run-of-the-mill animated films.
8. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 26) – The Transformers sequel is a movie event you want to be a part of. Director Michael Bay, Shia LeBeouf, Megan Fox and most of the cast are back to entertain us yet again with this summer blockbuster. In the sequel, Sam Witwicky got into more trouble as he learns about the truth of the ancient origins of the Transformers, which led to the Decepticons returning to earth to take him prisoner. Will it make more money than its 2007 predecessor? We’ll just have to wait and see.
9. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (July 1) – The lovable herd are back for the third time. There are tons of kids and non-kids excited to see the latest adventure of Sid, Manny, and of course, Scrat and his beloved acorn. In this movie, they have to deal with – yes you guessed it – dinosaurs. It started when Sid steals some dinosaur eggs, and you can predict what follows next. This is a treat for the children who grew up watching Ice Age and had grown to love their quirks and antics.
10. Toy Story 3D (October 2) – The 1995 hit is set for a re-release, this time in 3D format. It will certainly make fans anticipate Toy Story 3 more than they did before, which is scheduled for next year. Re-live your favorite Toy Story moments and catch this one in the theaters. I can’t believe it’s been fourteen years since Toy Story first hit the big screen. A new generation of children will now get their chance to enjoy this animated classic.
11. Astro Boy (October 23) – Based on Osamu Tezuka’s popular Japanese series, Astro Boy is a young powerful robot created by a brilliant scientist with his lost son’s image in mind. Astro Boy went on to live a very difficult life of rejection from his father and endure battles with unlikely villains. This film will be a delight to the fans of the series and will probably create more followers in the process.
12. A Christmas Carol (November 6) – Visionary director Robert Zemeckis brings us an animated re-telling of the Charles Dickens’ classic novel. Jim Carrey will play the roles of Scrooge, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-To-Come in this updated version. I just wish that it was live action instead of motion capture. That would have been an interesting movie. But A Christmas Carol is such a magnificent tale to tell that the manner of presentation will be irrelevant next to the story itself.
13. Fantastic Mr. Fox (November 6) – This is Wes Anderson’s first animated film, which is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book. It is a story about a clever fox who steals produce from three farmers to support his family. These angry farmers teamed up to catch the fox, who constantly outsmarts them and gets away every time. Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, and Bill Murray are just some of the voice talents in the film. This looks like a movie that will fascinate kids and adults alike.
14. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel (December 25) – First off, the pun “squeakuel” is cute and cheesy at the same time. The first movie is rated favorably by kids in the audience. So it is only natural that a sequel is in the works. All of the main cast are back as well. In the “squeakuel”, Alvin, Theodore, and Simon go to school and felt out of place because of all the human kids. This is going to be another must-see movie for the little kids who adore these entertaining creatures.
15. The Princess and the Frog (December 25) – This hand-drawn Disney animated film will be the first to feature a black princess. It is also a big deal because it is the return of duo Ron Clements and John Musker as directors. They brought us Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, two very successful animated films. Surely, everyone must be familiar with the fairy tale The Frog Princess, of which this movie is based on. In this version set in New Orleans, a waitress named Tiana encounters a talking frog, who is actually Prince Naveen under a curse. Together, they will overcome many obstacles as they aim to turn the frog into a man again. This will undoubtedly be considered a Disney cherished classic that everyone will keep coming back to.
It looks like it’s going to be a fun-filled year for families who’s into films. That’s a lot of F’s right there. I can’t wait till my toddler is old enough to appreciate movies so I can enjoy these with him.
