Some of Flicks’ absolute favourite family films for the school holidays

Some of the best films ever made can be enjoyed by the whole whānau, whether it’s in the cinema or in the whare. Pixar’s Coco (coming later this month to NEON) was one of 2017’s highlights and I triumphantly called it “a great family film and an even greater film about family” in my review.

With the school holidays in full swing, I combed through NEON (who bring you this lovely piece of content) for the all-ages classics that stole Flicks’ heart.


Up

Rated: PG Some scenes may scare very young children.

★★★★★

“A ready-made classic; an imaginative, invigorating story that will transport you to a time in your childhood, like Carl’s, when dreams were just a handful of crayons away.” -Andrew Hedley, FLICKS

A grumpy old man is not your typical lead for a rollicking animated adventure for kids, but if you pair him up with an enthusiastic boy scout and send them away in a floating house, the result is pure Pixar perfection.

There are heaps of other Pixar flicks worthy of watching on NEON, including Brave and Monsters, Inc.


Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Rated: PG Violence, coarse language, some scenes may disturb young children.

★★★★★

“A hilarious, heartwarming tale that harnesses script, direction and performances and takes plenty of creative risks on its way to delivering movie magic.” -Steve Newall, FLICKS

Another film about a grumpy old man grieving over the death of his beloved wife while out in the wilderness with a portly boy? Yeah, I think it’s fair to say this is Aotearoa’s Up. Though it might not be suitable for toddlers, Taika Waititi’s box office sensation is more than suitable for parents with older kids.

Need more wilderness for wilderkids? NEON’s also got the legendary Bambi and the original Jungle Book.


WALL-E

Rated: G

★★★★★

“This bold prophecy, aided by Thomas Newman’s beautiful score, gives substantial weight to a tremendous film, packed to the brim with detail and invention.” -Andrew Hedley, FLICKS

Nobody can sell the apocalypse with such sweet tenderness as Pixar. Their majestic 2008 sci-fi rom-com put the best of humanity inside a trash-collecting robot. While there are more than enough R-rated films about the good green earth turning into a wasteland, WALL-E is one of the precious few that does the exact opposite.

If your kids dig sci-fi, Lilo and Stitch is a definite watch on NEON.


Toy Story 3

Rated: G

★★★★★

“Clever animation, inventive direction, and canny comic timing means Toy Story 3 is hugely satisfying.” -Andrew Hedley, FLICKS

In the span of 15 years, the Toy Story trilogy grew up with its audience. The kids of 1995 were, essentially, Andy. While this third film acts as an exciting prison-break adventure for new youngsters, its soul-touching tale of growing up and away from childhood hit those former kids much harder.

If you want to turn the clock back further, Toy Story 2 is also on NEON.


Frankenweenie

Rated: PG Scary scenes.

★★★★✰

“A homage to James Whale’s 1931 classic Frankenstein, this is [Burton’s] spryest, most consistently enjoyable—and refreshingly Johnny Depp-less—film in years…” -Aaron Yap, FLICKS

An unfortunate bomb at the box office, Tim Burton’s stop-motion monster flick for kids is one of his best and most underappreciated films. Some children may not take to the ghoulish and ghostly look, but for the tamariki that love Halloween festivities, they’ll eat up this charming tale about a boy who loves his dog to death and beyond.

There’s also Burton’s box office winner Alice in Wonderland, which is available on NEON right next to the animated original.

The Princess and the Frog

Rated: PG Some scenes may scare very young children.

★★★★✰

“A welcome return to form for the Mouse House and will be a holiday treat for children.” -Andrew Hedley, FLICKS

The directors of Moana infused a classic fairytale with the vibrancy of 1920s New Orleans in one of Disney’s last 2D animated blockbusters. The original fairytale seemed too brief for a feature-length story but the filmmakers shook it all out and reassembled it to create something even better.

Another superb Disney animated princess adventure, Mulan, is also on NEON.


Wreck-It Ralph

Rated: PG Low level violence.

★★★★✰

“Not only gives iconic video game characters a proper celluloid celebration, but also creates its own iconic characters relatable to any generation, gamers or otherwise.” -Liam Maguren, FLICKS

This animated ode to arcades has heavy Toy Story vibes, and when it’s done this well, that’s fine by us. What really impresses, though, is the film’s surprising ability to comment about social roles, inequality, and the abuse of privilege. Not that you need to be a professor of philosophy to enjoy it as fun family-friendly entertainment. In fact, its ability to be both smart and simple is a testament to its stellar storytelling.

Wreck-It Ralph stood strong as part of Disney’s new CG animated renaissance, which started with the excellent Tangled – also on NEON.


The LEGO Batman Movie

Rated: PG Violence.

★★★★✰

“This movie is the non-stop chuckle machine Warner Bros. needed,” -Liam Maguren, FLICKS

Serving as a great contrast to the dark and gritty DCEU, this colourful and laugh-heavy family animated feature doubles as a great satire of the superhero genre. Just when we were getting sick of seeing the caped crusader, this LEGO entry proved very welcoming. With that said, when’s LEGO Joker getting his movie?

One of the only animated films to match its jokes-per-minute frequency is hugely funny The Emperor’s New Groove, also on NEON.


Enchanted

Rated: PG

★★★★✰

“Intensely optimistic and joyously happy, the film is a sugary sweet treat for the princess in all of us.” -Andrew Hedley, FLICKS

In Mary Poppins fashion, this fish-out-of-water fairytale crisscrosses 2D animation with live-action, following a typical Disney princess that crashes into the real world. It was a dynamite role for Amy Adams, who charms a spell on her audience, while the less appreciated James Marsden proved a comedic force of nature as the clueless prince charming.

A bunch of classic Disney princess films can also be found on NEON, including Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and 1991’s Beauty and the Beast.


The Boss Baby

Rated: PG Some scenes may scare very young children.

★★★★✰

“Not since the underrated Penguins of Madagascar movie has DreamWorks been so gleefully chaotic with its slapstick humour.” -Liam Maguren, FLICKS

Alec Baldwin voices a suited baby in DreamWorks’ animated comedy about sibling rivalry, partly set within a child’s imagination. The film has a stink rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I may have been kicked out of the Legion of Film Criticism for seeing greatness where others did not, but this is the hill I choose to die on. The Boss Baby is great.

Disney’s animated Robin Hood is another underappreciated family flick that’s close to my heart, and is currently on NEON waiting to be discovered.


This family-friendly piece of content is brought to you by NEON, where a gluttony of flicks can be found for the whole whānau.

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