Kids' movies are to family movies what macaroons are to macarons. They share characteristics, but they are not the same.
Macaroons have a shredded coconut base, while macarons are meringue-based. Similarly named, both deliver an explosion of flavor, but other than that, they have little in common, just like kids' movies versus family films.
Movies for kids are just that, films with the agenda to entertain young imaginations, with little regard to anyone old enough to get a driver鈥檚 licence. Family movies have a broader appeal, aiming to entertain all members of the clan.
They are same鈥� but different.
With that in mind, here鈥檚 a list to help make movie night enjoyable for all members of the family, no matter what age.
1. In 鈥淜ung Fu Panda,鈥� Jack Black voices Po, an overweight, kung fu-crazy panda who dreams of becoming a master warrior.
In his rich fantasy life, his enemies would go blind from his 鈥渟heer awesomeness.鈥� In reality, he is the son of a noodle maker with no moves, no skill.
When he is accidentally crowned Dragon Warrior, a once-in-a-thousand-years honour, he must look inside himself to conjure the skills to live up to the title and beat the evil Tai Lung (Ian McShane), bringing peace to his valley.
State-of-the-art computer animation brings the fun characters to life, but the gorgeous hand-drawn animation in the fantasy sequences is uncommonly sumptuous for a story like this and gives the movie real character. Imagine if Akira Kurosawa had directed a kid鈥檚 movie and you鈥檒l get the idea.
鈥淜ung Fun Panda鈥� is packed with wit and action and is a rare animated feature that will appeal to all members of the family.
2. The big-screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak鈥檚 classic book 鈥淲here the Wild Things Are鈥� isn鈥檛 a movie for kids as much as it is a movie about being a kid.
The hero is Max, a lonely nine-year-old who goes to an imaginary island populated by seven make-believe giants who crown him king of the Wild Things.
Not much happens, but there are some very arresting images 鈥� Max and monster Carol rolling down a sand dune, a 鈥渨ild rumpus鈥� and a dirt fight.
But it鈥檚 not about the action, it鈥檚 about primal feelings, things that either arenot usually touched on or are glossed over in most kids' films: sorrow, loneliness and the difficulty of growing up.
It鈥檚 a magical movie with a dark, melancholy tone that isn鈥檛 typical of children鈥檚 entertainment, but since this isn鈥檛 really a kids' film, that shouldn鈥檛 matter.
3. With a near-perfect 99 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 鈥淓.T. The Extra-Terrestrial鈥� is a movie that blends exciting science fiction with touching family drama.
The story of a gentle alien, stranded on earth and cared for in secret by a 10-year-old boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas), his brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore), has some scary moments, but its compassionate heart recommends it for the whole family.
On the surface, 鈥淓.T.鈥� is a movie about an obviously rubber alien puppet, but as soon as he and his glowing finger interact with the children, all artificiality fades away. Somehow, he blossoms into a fairy-tale character, one that brings with him great, family-friendly messages of friendship, loyalty, courage and selflessness.
But it鈥檚 not the movie鈥檚 many morals that earn it a recommend, it鈥檚 the film鈥檚 ability to warm the heart with humour and real emotion.
4. All the highlights from the book 鈥淎re You There God? It鈥檚 Me, Margaret,鈥� including the famous 鈥淲e must, we must, we must increase our bust鈥� mantra and her famous prayers, are present in this movie version.
Director Kelly Fremon Craig, who also wrote the screenplay, maintains the lack of pretence and sense of authenticity that set author Judy Blume鈥檚 book apart from the pack in this gentle realization of Margaret鈥檚 story.
The film perfectly captures Margaret鈥檚 tentative steps into adolescence and the life-changing power that comes along with each of her discoveries. It鈥檚 a trip into self-acceptance at a very complicated time in her life, as she grapples with relationships鈥攚ith her anti-religion parents, her new friends and Moose, the cute boy from down the street鈥攁nd situations she struggles to understand. Like the book, which runs an economical 149 pages, the movie is a small story that tackles big issues.
5. Ranked 39th on a list of the 100 greatest family films of all time by Channel 4, 鈥淏ugsy Malone鈥� is probably the strangest movie on this list.
Set in Prohibition-Era New York, it鈥檚 a musical about a war between gangsters and Bugsy Malone, a good guy who falls for a speakeasy singer who's entangled with the crime boss.
What makes it strange, and a family film, is that it features child actors playing all the adult roles. Stars Jodie Foster and Scott Baio hand in charming performances, but it is the movie鈥檚 flourishes, like machine guns that fire cream pies, and its boisterous and good-natured vibe that make it fun for the whole family.
