What to watch with kids, what to skip

posted 08:41 AM 11/06
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Trying to provide reasonable entertainment for your children can be tough at times, especially if you don't want to subject yourself to the 32nd viewing of some TV show with an annoyingly catchy theme song.

As a parent who has scoured the shelves of my local video store in hopes of finding the right movie (good entertainment value, minor product tie-ins), I’ve discovered that most kids films fall across three levels, demonstrated in these recent releases.

ENJOYABLE FOR ALL AGES

Level 1 is top-notch, transcendent entertainment, and few films reach this level. It seems that Pixar has a monopoly on these movies, and their winning streak continues with UP (PG, ****, due Tuesday), a wonderful film that everyone will enjoy.

Most adults go out of their way to avoid seeing kid’s movies, but the Pixar films are so good that unattached adults flock to them. That’s not happening with any old cartoon flick.

Due to its excellence, there’s a growing speculation that “Up” will be nominated for Best Picture, an extremely rare feat for this genre.

The critical, commercial and artistic success of this movie is made all the more surprising when you consider it doesn’t follow the traditional path for a kid’s film, yet still manages to connect with all ages.

The story revolves around retired balloon salesman Carl (voiced by Ed Asner), whom we first meet during a poignant montage documenting the life he had with his wife. After her death, Carl decides to go on the adventure that they both wanted to do: attempting to visit a legendary (perhaps mystical) place in Venezuela called Paradise Falls.

One day, after shutting himself off from the world, Carl decides to tie thousands of balloons to his house and float away to Paradise Falls. To his surprise, however, he has a stowaway on his front porch – a jittery 8-year-old scout named Russell.

The unlikely pair join forces and do make it to Paradise Falls. There, Carl meets the adventurer that first captured his attention as a boy, and his array of strange creatures, including a talking dog, a giant bird and other oddities.

Without spoiling many of the joys of the film, let me say that this works as an adventure and a comedy, but perhaps its strongest trait is its ability to connect emotionally. The beginning and the end are so moving that you might find yourself reaching for the tissue box.

If only Pixar could work their magic on films for adults .

STILL A LITTLE FROZEN

On Kids Film Level 2, you find movies that are more than passable diversions, but not anything you’ll be sticking around to watch more than once.

ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (PG, ** ½) is the third film in the “Ice Age” series, and I will give its makers credit for not being satisfied with rehashing the same old material over and over. The filmmakers seem intent on creating new ideas and expanding the world referenced in the previous movies.

My main complaint is that the cast of characters seems to be growing unwieldy. In addition to the three friends that have been together since the first movie – Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary), Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano) and Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) – there’s a veritable zoo of other creatures that fill the screen.

And so, we have a breakneck story that has something to do with Manny becoming a father, and Sid wanting too to become a dad, so he steals some dinosaur eggs from an alternate universe and … oh, never mind.

Plot has never been the strong suit of these movies. What has worked, however, is the energy that the big-name stars bring to their roles. Normally, I think of Alist actors doing animation in their pajamas while counting their money, but the cast seems more invested here. Leguizamo, as usual, gives another manic performance as Sid, but that fits the character.

Visually, the film feels lush and colorful; this was released to theaters in 3-D, and you can tell that some of the exaggerated antics were done for benefit of that audience. If you have a Blu-ray player, you will be blown away by the detail in some scenes.

It’s a solid effort, and one that younger kids will enjoy, but it doesn’t all come together to provide a truly satisfying experience.

CASHING IN ON KIDS

After Level 1 and Level 2 movies, you start to get into the dregs of family entertainment – hastily created films put together to take advantage of desperate parents searching for anything fresh. This is Level 3.

The perfect example is ALIENS IN THE ATTIC (PG, * ), an utterly boring, thematically bereft film that tries to take advantage of stunt casting and poor special effects to get by.

Said aliens have decided to invade Earth, and somehow find their way into the attic of a vacation home held by several families. These aliens, which look a bit like steroidal Gremlins, have a mindcontrol device that only works on adults, leaving the kids to fend off the attack by themselves.

Ashley Tisdale from “High School Musical” shows up, seemingly only to have her appear in the commercials and have young girls want to see Ms. Tisdale in her next movie. She does nothing of note here, playing second fiddle to a cadre of generic young actors whom I’m sure your tween will recognize from their favorite Nickelodeon or Disney shows.

Let me take a break here to wonder why Doris Roberts would sign on to be the grandma who finds herself in some martial-arts showdown with the aliens. Did she not make enough money off “Everybody Loves Raymond”? Surely she could have spent the weeks she used making this movie doing something more productive.

There isn’t much to recommend about this one, unless you are an Andy Richter completist or your kids are really into aliens.

Your kids might want to rent this one. Use your mind-control powers as a parent and compel them to skip it – for your sanity as well as theirs.

The Video Guy is Elliott Smith, a former Olympian reporter who lives in Seattle. He can be reached at ejsteeler@hotmail.com.

Comments

Dim the lights for fright, fun on film

posted 06:39 AM 10/29

In the words of the immortal Geto Boys, "This year Halloween fell on a weekend," which means it's the perfect opportunity to grab that spare bag of candy and watch a bunch of scary movies.

No room for error for comedians

posted 09:15 AM 10/15

Comic actors have the toughest jobs, simply because they are expected to be funny every single time out, no questions asked.

Classic films for kids radiate

posted 09:00 AM 10/08

While it seems as if every week there is a new kids film being introduced, it's important to remember that children's entertainment has long played a role in the movie industry, dating back to the cartoons they used to show before the main feature.

Romantic flicks that defy formula

posted 10:47 AM 10/01

There's a complex alchemy that makes up all intimate relationships, but to boil it down to basics, love, sex and marriage are the most crucial elements.

Sometimes, over the top goes too far

posted 10:49 AM 09/17

I think we all expect and appreciate a little excess when it comes to action films. After all, if movies are a heightened state of reality, then a little panache fits the territory.

All in the family at the cinema

posted 09:22 AM 09/10

They say you should never mix business with pleasure, but maybe it should be you should never mix business with family. But that mix of blood and business leads to some inherent drama, which is why filmmakers have mined this fertile territory for years, including these recent releases.

Grown-ups deserve better movies

posted 07:48 AM 09/03

It seems funny when you think about it, but there’s been much hand-wringing in Hollywood about the death of the adult-oriented movie. Sure, there are films that earn Oscar nominations and critical accolades, but many of those fail to connect with the general public.

Films take swing at fights, fighters

posted 08:27 AM 08/30

The impulse to fight is such a basic human element, it’s no surprise that the concept of ordinary (and sometimes extraordinary) people fighting for their lives has been portrayed on the silver screen since the beginning of the medium.

Ah, to be young (and rich and famous)

posted 07:37 AM 08/20

It’s hard to imagine a job in Hollywood with more pressure than teen star. One day, they are teen titans, starring in TV shows or movies or nabbing coveted record deals. Hordes of their peers follow them around and scream at their every move.