OPINION:
With dozens of streaming services and thousands of movie choices, it’s increasingly difficult to know what to let your kids watch or what they should skip.
In partnership with Plugged In, a Focus on the Family publication dedicated to providing entertainment reviews for families, here’s a list of some of the newest kids movies available to stream at home.
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Netflix
The Monkey King
“The Monkey King” is a loose retelling of the first seven chapters of the ancient 100-chapter Chinese epic Journey to the West. In it, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) wakes up from a magical rock and wages chaotic war on pretty much everything in existence before getting humbled by Buddha. The story has been told and retold throughout the years. That includes the main character Goku from the Dragon Ball series, who is based on the Monkey King.
Even though this movie is lighthearted and intended for children, it packs a wallop of spiritual content. The entire plot revolves around the Monkey King becoming so powerful that not even the gods can stop him. It takes Buddha, whom we’re told watches over the entire universe, coming down to humble the powerful primate.
Before that moment, Monkey King tells Lin exactly how he approaches life: “Don’t let anyone—god, demon, old monkeys—challenge you or stand in your way!”
The story’s heavy Eastern spiritualism, paired with the hero’s narcissism, will likely prove to be massive roadblocks for many audiences. That said, some families may also see this famous Chinese story as an opportunity to strengthen their discernment muscles together by comparing this movie’s spiritual worldview with an orthodox Christian perspective.
Read more of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie
Most of the time when we review a superhero movie, our Positive Elements section will have a note about the nobility of fighting against evil, especially for the sake of others. And while “Miraculous”’ rebooted origin story of its television counterpart is no different in that respect, it’s also got a lot more positive content than most films in this genre to unpack here.
There are many morals in this story set in Paris: You don’t need special powers to be a hero; life and family are intrinsically valuable; and, of course, there’s the belief that love ultimately conquers death. With regard to the latter, this film isn’t afraid to explore how we deal with the loss of a loved one.
Sure, the superhero movie is no new thing. Sure, the story might be a bit predictable and cheesy. But these days, I enjoy movies that you can just turn on and enjoy without having to worry about subversive underlying messages. “Miraculous” is one of them.
Yes, there are some issues for parents to consider: We hear about a parent who’s died.And the plot is based around magical gems with genie-like creatures inside that are the basis for each superhero’s powers, which is somewhat reminiscent of Eastern spirituality. Additionally, there are some moments of peril.
One more thing, just to be clear: This is only a review of the Netflix movie; you can check out our own Paul Asay’s review of the TV show here.
But if a family can guard their hearts and navigate these concerns, they’ll be in for a story that conveys more positive messages than most superhero movies do these days.
Read the rest of the review here.
Nimona
I’ve always been a fan of the 1999 animated movie “The Iron Giant.” It tells the story of a robot that crashes to Earth and is befriended by a young boy. The robot is equipped with lots of dangerous weapons and is seen as a threat to humanity, but the boy teaches the robot that it doesn’t have to be a monster if it doesn’t want to be; it gets to choose.
In some ways, “Nimona” parallels a lot of that story, as both Nimona and Ballister are labeled monsters by a society that refuses to see them as anything but—even when they do their best to show that they’re good.
But it also deviates in many ways: for instance, while the Iron Giant doesn’t actually want to hurt anyone, Nimona often gets joy in thinking about tormenting others—so while Nimona might not be a monster due to her shapeshifting, her psychopathic tendencies merit some sort of diagnosis.
But “Nimona” ultimately takes “The Iron Giant’s” story of choosing whether to be good or evil (regardless of what people think you are), and it turns it into a political statement. “Nimona” is about people in power oppressing those who identify as gender fluid—”those in power” are part of a church-like monarchy who call such “shapeshifters” monsters. The irony of “Nimona” releasing at the end of Pride Month—when the powers in our own society celebrate such identities—isn’t lost on us.
But even if we sidestep the film’s socio-political allegory, “Nimona” has some other concerns that parents will want to consider. Some of the violence in it can get a bit dicey, as someone is stabbed through the abdomen, Ballister loses an arm mostly offscreen and later has to pull an arrow from Nimona’s leg. We also see someone trying to attempt suicide. As well as these issues, we’ll see a couple same-sex interactions between a couple main characters and a few sexual jokes.
Read the rest of the review here.
Disney+
The Slumber Party
In terms of plot, “The Slumber Party” is meant to be the tween girl version of The Hangover. In terms of content—at least relative to the R-rated film that perhaps inspired it—this story’s pretty tame. But there are still some things parents might want to be aware of, especially as it pertains to really unsafe behaviors.
Message-wise, the film focuses on the importance of trying new things instead of hating or fearing something without even giving it a shot. There’s also a strong emphasis on friendship and helping your friends during transitional periods of life.
In addition to content concerns, subtle messages about nontraditional families permeate the entire film. Anna Maria voices how upset she is that her father is getting remarried and having another child with his new bride. She just wants a “normal” family with “one mom and one dad and one annoying little sister.” This hurts Veronica, Anna Maria’s soon-to-be stepsister. Megan is also taken aback, since she has two gay dads and has never met her biological mother. And Paige gets upset as well since her own mom has been married “three or four times” and she’s the baby half-sister of her brood. The overarching meaning? Insisting on “traditional” family structure can feel hurtful to others.
Read the rest of the review here.
Paramount+
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The crime-fighting turtles are back. And as far as origin stories for these reptilian adolescent vigilantes go, Mutant Mayhem does fairly well. Prospective viewers won’t need prior knowledge of about these characters, who’ve been around for almost 40 years now. That makes this animated film a newbie-friendly entrance into the lore of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
There are other boons that help the film, too: The Turtles not only act like teens, but they’re also voiced by them as well. And their humorous crime-fighting banter is exactly how we’d imagine a group of somewhat reckless 15-year-old fighters to behave. We also get positive messages about standing up against evil on behalf of others—even when those others might still reject you after the fact. And the fact that it’s rated PG will certainly draw some families.
But that PG rating misleads a bit, too. It belies the film’s surprising quantity of crude language that many parents may not want their kids hearing. Some sexual content is played for jokes, and a couple violent moments can get pretty intense.
Read the rest of the review here.
Digital Release: Rent or Own
Into the Spotlight
Have you ever had someone give you hard-to-hear advice, and it just sounds like they might be speaking from personal experience?
Well, by the end of “Into the Spotlight,” Laura definitely falls into that category.
Fame isn’t what Laura thought it would be. The hours are long. The press is only interested in who she’s dating. And man, what she wouldn’t give for a burger and fries.
But Laura learns from her experience who she really wants to be. As it turns out, she doesn’t care about being a popstar. She just wants to be able to write songs, eat junk food and spend time with her loved ones.
“Into the Spotlight” actually has very few content concerns since most of the heavier stuff is redeemed by the film’s end.
Into the Spotlight is warm, funny and light-hearted. And families shouldn’t have trouble navigating the minor issues noted above.
Read the rest of the review here.
Elemental
Pixar has long been touted as a company that makes children’s films. However, recent years have shown a drift towards more grown-up themes and storylines. “Elemental” flows in that stream.
Ember is a Fire girl who always thought she’d grow up to run her family’s shop in Firetown. But after she meets Wade, she realizes she has other dreams and ambitions.
The couple has more than just familial expectations to overcome. “Elements don’t mix,” they’re told. And as a Water guy, Wade represents everything that Ember’s dad hates about Element City’s prejudice against Fire people.
But through empathy, determination, perseverance and love, the couple finds a way not only to save Ember’s family’s store, but to build a new Element City—one that nurtures healthy elemental relations and fosters a thriving community.
Those are terrific, redemptive messages that potentially give families a lot to discuss.
But as we’ve seen so regularly from Disney and Pixar the last few years, families also have visual and verbal references to same-sex couples to contend with as well. And while there’s no crude language, we do hear a couple of substitutions for harsher profanities and some innuendo as well.
These elements, plus the film’s romcom plot, might make “Elemental” too mature for younger viewers. But the themes we see here are still in line with what Pixar’s been doing for a while now, both in positive ways and in ways that may give some families pause.
Read more of the review here.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
We live in an age when kids’ movie creators tend to pack their films with subtle and not-so-subtle messages about gender, sexuality, racism and identity. Those can often leave parents feeling understandably defensive, and it motivates us at Plugged In to hold up a magnifying glass to see what a kid’s pic is really trying to say.
But sometimes an ocean-protecting Kraken girl is just an ocean-protecting Kraken girl. Sometimes the story is just a broad fantasy about fitting in when you feel like an oddball, finding strength in the things that you’re good at. Sometimes the message is simply that school and life can have as many turbulent undercurrents as the ocean deep. And navigating the churning waters of growing up can be a little smoother with the help of good friends and a loving family.
At least, that’s what most kids will see and hear with “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.”
This movie is indeed about identity, in that Ruby Gillman is trying to find hers—just as every boy and girl does at some point in their lives. Who is she? And where does she belong?
According to Ruby Gillman director Kirk DeMicco (as quoted in Animation World Network), that was in part inspired by the personal story of one of the film’s writers, whose family came from Cuba and was, like Ruby, trying to make its way in an unfamiliar world.
“What we focused on is the difference between ‘fitting in’ and ‘belonging,’” DeMicco said.
Are there other things that someone can point at and scream Ah-ha about? Sure. And we point to those things in our review. But there’s a lot of color, fun, sweet moments and broad fantasy silliness, too. You know, the stuff that kids’ movies are supposed to be filled with.
Read the rest of the review here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Reviews written by: Kennedy Unthank, Emily Tsiao, Bob Hoose.
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