Three Movies I Loved in 2016 (and One I Didn’t)

Since I’ve been to see more movies this winter than I usually do in a year, I thought I’d share some thoughts! Let’s start with the one that (to my surprise) disappointed me:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Maybe I should have known that when Rowling branches out from the original canon, it doesn’t seem to go well (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child *cough cough*). But I really had high hopes for this one. I went into it WANTING to love it.

Daniel and I went on a date night and it while it was aesthetically very impressive, it just didn’t have any heart. The plot was weak and disjointed. All the characters were rather forgettable (save Jacob Kowalski who was super likable and fun). Even Eddie Redmayne, who I love, didn’t really wow me in his role as Newt Scamander. The leading lady was (who was so forgettable that I CANNOT REMEMBER HER NAME) was supposed to be awkwardly endearing but she ended up just being awkwardly off-putting. And although Queenie had some potential, she didn’t get much time on screen.

It was a terribly gloomy film without the delightful whimsy of the Harry Potter films (although some of the visually fantastic scenes with the “fantastic creatures” brought a little more fun). And it had some very dark themes (including child abuse) that would make it unsuitable for young children. My kids aren’t sensitive to suspense and violent imagery (our oldest has seen Lord of the Rings and all the Star Wars movies) but this was scary in a different way and we won’t be taking our kids to see it anytime soon. (Also, the plot makes more sense if you’ve read the 7th book and our kids haven’t gotten there yet).

To sum up: I didn’t hate seeing it (and to be honest I will probably see the next one) but it didn’t meet my expectations. Visual effects: A+. Characters and plot: C-. Not for young kids.

(It’s not at the dollar movie, yet. You can pre-order from Amazon.)

Moana

While I went into the theatre to see Fantastic Beasts assuming I’d love it, I went into Moana not having any idea what to expect. I knew it was Disney. And I knew it was about Polynesia, but that’s it. And I loved it. Everything The Little Mermaid does wrong, Moana does right.

While Ariel leaves her loving family to pursue a dude she doesn’t know by altering her body and taking away her most defining talent, Moana (daughter of her island’s chief) also goes against her father’s wishes and leaves the safety of her home. But it’s not an act of foolishness or selfishness. She goes in order to save her island and her people.

Her father is not an intolerant dummy like King Triton. He desires Moana to stay on the island for her own safety (his best friend was killed during an excursion beyond the reef). There are real dangers out there and he believes their destiny is on their island. In part, he’s right. The song Moana’s mother and father sing to her about her future as chief reminds her, “you can find happiness right where you are.” They’re right. Joy and contentment come from within, not our circumstances.

But Moana’s desire to travel the ocean also stems from a valuable place. Her father has forgotten or intentionally left out the fact that their ancestors were seafarers.–that exploring the ocean is in their blood. Through Moana’s relationship with her grandmother and the discovery of her people’s history, she uncovers some deeper truths about who she is. But no matter how much she wants to set out to sea, she only goes when she realizes that her people will die unless she goes on this journey. I really appreciated that she is a strong, independent character and yet, her parents are presented as loving and wise, not clueless.

Moana is truly a wonderful character and because she’s a young girl, there’s no romantic plot which is a nice change for a Disney “princess” movie. It’s about a determined woman learning about who she was destined to be and becoming the chief her people need. I also appreciated that although she still had the giant eyes and voluminous hair of a Disney princess, her body shape was drawn more like that of a real girl. And Auli’i Cravalho, the actress who did Moana’s vocals, is a pacific islander. Good job there, Disney. The music is also FANTASTIC (thanks, Lin Manuel Miranda of Hamilton) and even though my kids have wanted to listen to it ad nauseum for the past month, I really don’t mind.

To sum up: Loved it. Characters and plot: A. Music: A+. Visual effects: A+. Take the kids. Listen to the music (it’s on Spotify).

(It’s not at the dollar movie, yet. You can pre-order from Amazon.)

Arrival

This one is not a kids movie. Be prepared to cry in the first five minutes and then buckets at the end. I’m not sure what I can say without giving away any spoilers because this film really hinges around the final twist and I do NOT want to ruin that for you. This movie is just amazing. Amy Adams is splendid. It’s so smart and beautiful and not what I expected going into an “alien” movie. It’s so much more than I expected.

And for those of you who’ve seen it, I’ll try to be vague so I don’t ruin it for those who haven’t, but at the end I just was amazed at how BRAVE she was. How anyone could do what she did. And then it hit me that we’re all in that same situation. That’s the reality we live in. We love. Knowing we’ll be hurt, knowing we can lose what we love, knowing the pain that comes with loving. And yet, we’re brave enough to do it anyway. Because it’s worth it and it’s beautiful and it’s everything.

To sum up: Best movie I saw this year. Don’t take the kids.

(It’s not at the dollar movie, yet. You can pre-order from Amazon.)

Pete’s Dragon

I saw the trailer for this one months ago and I just KNEW I was going to love it. But it exceeded my expectations. I asked for the DVD for Christmas and we watched it for a family movie night last night. Y’all, it’s perfect.

It’s so sweet and beautiful and earnest. It wasn’t your typical blockbuster kids movie that’s written on two levels (one for the grown ups and one for the kids). There’s no sarcasm or snark, it’s just a childish (in the best way) story about family and friendship. Everyone in my family age 3 through age 31 loved it. I can’t remember the last time I saw a children’s movie that was this simple and good.

Bryce Dallas Howard is wonderful, as always, and the little boy who played Pete was so precious! The visual effects with the dragon were great and I just give it a big thumbs up all around. I’m so glad we own it because we’ll be watching it a lot. I’ve really loved most of the Disney live action remakes (especially Cinderella). PLEASE MAKE MORE MOVIES LIKE THIS, WORLD!

(For sensitive kids, there is a scene at the beginning when Pete’s parents die in a car crash. Our kids were fine with it, but it could be upsetting. There’s also some suspense but absolutely ZERO language or objectionable material.)

To sum up: Sweetness: A+. Family Friendly: A+. A few suspenseful scenes.

(Not in theatres anymore, but you can order from Amazon.)

Other kid’s movies we saw in 2016:

Zootopia: B+ (Very fun. Enjoyable to grown-ups, too. And that Shakira song is catchy.)

The Secret Life of Pets: D (Please don’t ever make me watch this again.)

Finding Dory: C+ (Kinda forgettable? Kinda funny? Cute.)

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