Family

Finding You
By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford

Finding You

Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned romance movie?

Ok, lots of people don’t love romance movies, as a genre they are mocked constantly they are not well respected in the movie community. While the Romantic Comedy (Rom-Com) genre has gained some respect with movies like You’ve got mail, Isn’t It Romantic, When Harry Met Sally, etc. the straight romance genre has been regulated to either corny Hallmark movie, uber sexual movies i.e 50 Shades of Grey, or lousy remakes of bad young adult novels. And while Finding You does partially fall into the last category, it is based on a YA novel, there are some redeeming qualities about this movie that make it unique in its genre.

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The Lego Batman Movie
By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford

The Lego Batman Movie

There are very few DC movies you can watch with the whole family. Most of them are too dark and intense for little ones, or they are so child-friendly that they no longer seem like a superhero movie at all. This has been a source of much angst in my house since both my kids under the age of 5 love superheroes but never get to watch any movies. However, after much searching, I have finally found the DC superhero movie that the whole family can watch, Lego Batman.

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Yes Day
By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford

Yes Day

Sometimes it is hard to say yes, most of the time it is way easier to say no. But for Allison (Jenifer Gardner) yes was always easy….Sky diving? Yes! World Travel? Yes! Line dancing? Yes!

After Allison said yes to marriage and kids, her yes became no. Her sense of adventure turned into a desire for safety and her spontaneous spirit was traded for lists and overcomplex calendars. Furthermore, when it came to her kids and their wild schemes, the answer was always no.

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Raya and the Last Dragon
By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford

Raya and the Last Dragon

When Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon was announced, I, like many others, didn’t care, at all. I had never heard anything bad about the movie, on the contrary, all of the early reviews and such were glowing. I still didn’t care. It seemed from all the previews, that it was going to be another generic movie. I was prepped for the southeast Asian version of Moana with dragons. What I saw, however, was a unique story about trust with well-rounded characters and exceptional voice acting. . This movie rises above the generic Disney animation standard, and… it has dragons!

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We Can Be Heroes
By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford By Madeleine Bullen, PG Hannah Alford

We Can Be Heroes

When it was announced last year that there was going to be a sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, I was skeptical. If you have seen Sharkboy and Lavagirl you already know that it is kind of awful. Between the weird story, bad acting and scary graphics (2005 CGI is the stuff of nightmares), it just is not a well done film. However, despite the aforementioned shortcomings, writer and director Robert Rodriguez does one thing really well. He creates worlds that spark kids' imaginations and helps them believe that they can do anything. Thus when We Can Be Heroes was announced, I skeptically wondered if Rodriguez could recapture the world that so many grew up with and if he could recreate it, how would it hold up?

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Flora and Ulysses
By Madeleine Bullen, PG, Disney+ Hannah Alford By Madeleine Bullen, PG, Disney+ Hannah Alford

Flora and Ulysses

Flora (Matilda Lawler) is a ten year old self declared cynic. She only believes in what can be observed and has given up hope and wonder for a realistic view of the world. But that all changes when a neighbor’s runaway robot vacuum sucks up an unsuspecting squirrel. Flora saves the squirrel, takes him home, and much to her shock and delight finds that the vacuum has given Ulysses the squirrel super powers.

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The Aristocats
By Madeleine Bullen, G Hannah Alford By Madeleine Bullen, G Hannah Alford

The Aristocats

There are not a lot of great examples of solid Romantic relationships in kids movies, but thanks to Disney+ and our ability to watch movies from the Disney vault I have found probably my new favorite animated love story, The Aristocats. While there are some issues with the movie, there is also a surprisingly wonderful example of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love:

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Soul
Disney+, PG Hannah Alford Disney+, PG Hannah Alford

Soul

Every person has a spark (or passion). For some it is painting, others running, and still others science but for Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is it Jazz. Joe is a part time middle school band teacher by day but by night he is a struggling jazz musician who is still looking for his big break. When a former student of his offers him a shot to play with Dorthea Williams (Angela Bassett) one of his jazz idols, Joe is over the moon, so much so he doesn’t look where he is going and falls down a manhole and doesn’t survive. Joe’s soul is sent to the entrance to the Great Beyond but Joe still hasn’t gotten to play with Dorthea Williams and be a Jazz musician, his sole passion. And if he died today, he believes his life was meaningless…

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saftey
PG, Family Sports Drama Hannah Alford PG, Family Sports Drama Hannah Alford

saftey

This heartfelt, sports drama is based on the story of Ray McElrathbey, a college freshman accepted to Clemson University under a football scholarship who quickly finds himself torn between the demands of school, college football and his struggling family back home. A serious student and dedicated ball player, Ray discovers his younger brother back at home is living in dangerous circumstances and hides him in his dorm room. A decision that goes against every school policy at Clemson…

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Onward
PG, Animation/Family, Pixar/Disney+ Hannah Alford PG, Animation/Family, Pixar/Disney+ Hannah Alford

Onward

Pixar’s lastest release was, like most things on planet Earth, impacted by COVID-19. Released March 6, 2020, the film’s momentum was completely undermined by the growing threat of a new virus that was forcing people to stay out of movie theaters and bunker down in their homes. As headlines swept the world, movie releases were forgotten and a pandemic cloud settled in over the movie industry that has yet to clear. By April 3, 2020, Disney was forced to announce that “Onward” would be available for purchase or streaming on its new streaming service Disney+. Without the strong word of mouth and a high profile theatrical release, many have missed this delightful adventure from the master storytellers at Pixar…

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The One and Only Ivan
PG, Adventure, Drama, Disney+ Hannah Alford PG, Adventure, Drama, Disney+ Hannah Alford

The One and Only Ivan

At its core, Ivan is a heartfelt children’s tale along the lines of “Charlotte’s Web”. A tale of talking animals that have formed a makeshift family and are trying to find their place in a human dominated world. A place where animals are performers in a downsized circus permanently fixed inside of a dying shopping mall…

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Artemis Fowl
PG, Disney, Adventure, Fantasy Hannah Alford PG, Disney, Adventure, Fantasy Hannah Alford

Artemis Fowl

In 2001 Irish author, Eoin Colfer, published “Artemis Fowl”, the first in his eight part book series by the same name. These books follow the adventures of a young boy from a family of criminal masterminds who used their skills to exploit and sometimes, when it is profitable, save the magical world of fairies. In June 2020 Disney+ released their movie adaptation of this book under the direction of critically acclaimed actor, director and producer Kenneth Branagh. This cast featured award-winning veterans actors such as Josh Gad, Colin

Farrell, and Dame Judi Dench as well as a few young new faces such as Tamara Smart, Lara McDonald and Ferdia Shaw…

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