Leap! inspires viewers and has messages for children about how to succeed to achieve your dream. Yes, you need to work hard, maybe cut a few corners (careful!), know who your friends are, have people rooting for you (but not distracting you), and cash in on a lot of luck. And, by the way, you […]
In this version of the Nut Job stories, the animals have found that the nut store from the first story is abandoned and filled to the brim with nuts and nut products. They are gorging to their hearts’ content, getting lazy and spoiled, according to Andie (Heigl); she realizes that the store has a real
The special effects, humor, and sheer imagination of the Despicable Me series continue to be refreshing and delightful for children. There were many chuckles from children (and adults, by the way) in the screening I attended, as well as sighs during the tender moments. Like its predecessors, 3 is mostly entertaining (as it’s meant to
The setting of this animation of absolutely no value is grade school with a mean principal, Mr. Krupp (Helms) who has it in for two student cartoonists, George (Hart) and Harold (Middleditch), pranksters who constantly thwart Krupp’s efforts. Of course, he is shown as being just as humorless and bad as the two pranksters are
Rock Dog is a Chinese-American 3D computer-animated film, based on a popular Chinese graphic novel, Tibetan Rock Dog by Zheng Jun, a Chinese rock star. The film originated in China and has Chinese backers, but is directed by American Ash Bannon and animated by an American studio, Reel FX. It’s a great movie for children,
The humanization of Batman (Arnett) turns out to be very funny with glitzy animation and some substance to the message. As evidenced by audience reaction at the screening, those familiar with DC comics will get many references that fly past those of us who are uninformed. But even for those unfamiliar with all the Batman
This visually beautiful and engaging animation from the Ghibli Studio combines fantasy with deep human experiences of loss, loneliness, love, and desperation simply through visual animation, music, and a few shouts. It reminded me of last year’s Swiss Army Man, with a man stranded on an isolated island showing the value of fantasy in survival,
This magical, musical animation from Disney incorporates folklore and myth to tell a story about identity with reverence for history and the preservation of the world. It’s a hero’s—actually, a heroine’s—journey where she must go out into the world far beyond her safe island and undergo many trials to save her people and their land.
I think kids will really take to this animation with simple messages that will be meaningful to them, delivered in eye-catching, colorful visual effects. The message is basically pitting “look on the bright side of life” against “look out; they’re out to get you.” And further, that true happiness is inside all of us; it’s
This nWave animated production comes from Belgium, but the language for U.S. release is in English. Directors are Vincent Kesteloot and Ben Stassen. It’s basically an extended cartoon, with endless chases and miraculous last-minute saves. There are some implied messages, but these will likely go over preschool children’s heads, the audience for which I think