The Boy and the Heron (3.5*)
Nimona (3.5*)
Elemental (3*)
The Family Films usually map very closely to the Animated Film genre, which probably isn’t too surprising. This year, though, two of the films in the latter group weren’t considered in the “Family” genre and I’m not quite sure why. The Spider-Man film might not work with families with small kids, but older kids would get a kick out of it and adults will enjoy many of the cross-universe references. Robot Dreams probably isn’t considered “Family” because there is absolutely no dialogue and I guess I can understand how that would be trying for young children. Nonetheless, the story line, about relationships and the difficulties in making them work will provide ample talking points between parents and older kids.
So it is a little strange that we aren’t talking about those two movies here. And, on the other hand, there are two movies in this year’s Family genre grouping that I’m not sure should be. The Boy and the Heron, from Japan’s Ghibli Studios, won the Oscar this year. While the hand-drawn animation is rich in details, the story is, at best, difficult to understand as it loosely stitches together dream-like worlds all involving a huge collection of birds. Considered Miyazaki’s swan song, it seems he is exploring what might be in store for him after death. While themes involving death and what happens after that might intrigue a much older person, I’m not sure why children would be especially interested in this movie.
And Nimona is going to be controversial. Done originally as a graphic novel, the title character, is pretty clearly non-binary. Nimona’s animation seems a little primitive compared to the other films, but does a very good job in talking about gender identity. Some families will be just fine with that, others maybe not so much. And, once again, younger children may not get these points at all.
So about the only one that I agree with including in this genre, is not one I recommend. I had high hopes for Disney/Pixar’s Elemental, as I really enjoyed Inside Out and Coco. The animation is stunning as it paints four different worlds where the characters are literally made out of the basic elements, Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. As an example of the rich world-making, the fire people cart their babies around in portable grills, not baby-carriages. Details like that are so much fun. Unfortunately, the story-line is just plain old vanilla. Nonetheless, the film will definitely work well for a family viewing – kids will enjoy the story and everyone will love the animated world-building.
I recommended three of the films in this genre from last year’s Oscar race. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (4*) is a delightful tale about relationships told intriguingly by layering animation on top of a live action movie. In Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (4*), Puss is faced with some critical mortality issues as he is on his ninth life. It also brings a fresh perspective on several old nursery tales. And, almost as good, is The Sea Beast (3.5*), with a large cast of characters, thick plot lines, and great computer-animation water scenes. All three of these work well with both kids and adults.
As we enter the holiday season, I hope these ideas help you find appropriate family entertainment on-screen.
