Best kids DVD movies 2009

1. Bolt

its hard to fault Pixar – I don’t think they are the masters of Computer Generated Animation and i don’t think they have made a duff movie yet. This is a winning combination of a cute canine hero, a plot involving getting lost (see finding nemo), some lovable character (Rhino the pet hamster in his hamster ball) and some great high speed set pieces. The colours are great so kids of all ages will love watching this . The film is a cross between the best of the Incredibles and Finding Nemo – you’re bound to love it.

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2. Monster vs Aliens

This is a fun animated adventure film with a great heart – it works as a kids move that adults will enjoy it too.

When an Alien mothership turns up and aims to destroy the planet – the government calls on its secret stash of Monsters. The idea that the monsters would be kept imprisoned until they are needed is a bit negative and a tad on the utilitarian side, but I don’t think most people notice it. There’s fun galore with BOB the blob gets all the best lines, there might be slightly too many characters, but the central messages of the film are good ones – “don’t judge by external appearances” and  “people either love you for who you are or they don’t love you at all.” Enjoy…

3. Bed time stories

Adam Sandler plays a lovable Uncle who helps his sister out by looking after his nephew and neice while trying to hold down his job as a repairman in a hotel. Some great jokes, a feel good factor at the end and a lovable rodent with cute eyes, a pretty funny bee stinging tongue gag and the most annoying ringtone ever. It’s all done pretty well – the whole family enjoyed this one. This film is a lot more fun than the other film that came out with a similar idea – INKHEART.

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4. Boy in the Striped pyjammas

This is a powerful live action drama – set in the second world war. It tells the story of the holocaust through the eyes of a little boy whose father just happens to be an SS Officer who is put in charge of a concentration camp. Very young children should not watch this movie, but those of a more mature demeanor should be allowed to watch it with a parent. The ending is very bleak and the emotional impact helps us to make sure this must never happen again.(see my review here).

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5. Iron Man

My kids watched this film when i was away, but they tell me it was excellent and must be in the Top 5. let me know what you think. Robert Downey Junior stars in this all action film. It’d make a great gift for a boy – and is now only £4.98 on amazon.

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6. Game plan

Here’s another one the kids watched without me. I ordered it for them because it has a cute girl as the main lead and also features the Rock so both boys and girls will like this one. An incapable father estranged from his daughter gets a second chance at parenting her when her mother dies and she lands up on his doorstep. Great gift for a young girl (amazon have it for £4.98).

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7. Madagascar 2

It was always going to be hard to live up to the first film, but this film does a decent job. It tells the backstory of how Alex ended up in New York Zoo and what became of the granny that beat him up at the station. The Penguin’s steal the show (again) – the soundtrack is a particular strength too. Enjoy. (In case somehow you missed it – the double box set is available for a good price at the moment.).

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High School Musical 3

I have to admit I really like this trilogy. There are some amazing musical numbers – where the actors have to sing, dance and keep a basketball in the air. Plotwise i think the first film was the best, followed by the third and then the second film. But all of the films have really catchy tunes and great visual presence. If you are looking for a present for a girl in primary school – this is it.