The Top 10 Family Films of 2019 – A Round Up
As a family of 3, we spend pretty much every Saturday evening watching family films. Movie night is one of our favourite nights of the week. A time when we all snuggle up on the couch with our ‘movie night snacks’ watching our latest choice of film. It then seemed only fitting that I start a yearly run through of our top 10 family films of 2019.
These are in no particular order (mainly because I just couldn’t choose) and I’ve popped a link through to each film on IMDb so you can see a little more about them and read a few other people’s reviews too.
The Lion King
I don’t think I can express my love for this film enough, though I may be a little biased as the original cartoon was my favourite childhood film. Either way, it had to be included in the top 10 family films of 2019. This real life remake pretty much follows the original (almost word for word) apart from Timon and Pumbaa, who get a little more airtime and updated jokes. Seth Rogan was an amazing choice for the voice of Pumbaa and absolutely does this character justice. As for the rest of the film, it’s beautiful, funny and heart wrenching, all at the same time. A must watch for any family. If you’re anything like me though, get those tissues ready!
Secret Life of Pets 2
Now this may be a controversial opinion but I think the 2nd film is better than the first. My husband agrees with this, though my son stands firmly by the first! I found the story more engaging and the jokes generally more comical. It’s a super easy animated film to watch that focuses on the lives of the dogs and cats that live within an apartment block in America. Every pet owner will likely be able to associate their pet with one of the characters and even if you don’t own a pet, it’s still a worthwhile watch.
Frozen 2
Frozen 2 has everything a Disney film should have: a hero, some mystery, a love story, a quirky side kick and lots of singing. Granted, the songs aren’t quite up to the brilliant standard of the first but overall, it’s a great film. Beautiful animation, good story and lots of giggles along the way.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
The 2019 Pikachu film was a total unexpected hit in our house. I was expecting to be bored and that certainly wasn’t the case. This film is just so funny, for children and adults alike. The Pikachu character is brilliantly voiced by Ryan Reynolds, who adds a modern twist to this 90s cartoon classic. Whether you’re a Pokémon fan or not, this film is a definite family movie must watch.
Aladdin
The story of Aladdin is well known and based around the discovery of a magic lamp that contains a genie. This ‘real ‘life’ version of the Disney classic stays true to the story but also adds in some extra elements and surprises along the way. Will Smith is absolutely the star of the show as Genie of the Magic Lamp but the surrounding cast are all great and over all the film is a great fun watch.
Dumbo
Tissues at the ready! Dumbo is the story of a baby elephant made to perform in a circus. The original Disney cartoon was heart wrenching and the ‘real life’ remake does just the same. It’s a lovely story about people and animals coming together after discovering the ‘not so nice’ side of the circus they perform in. This may not be the best film for very young children as it is a little dark and upsetting, but for those a little older, it is a wonderful family story that’s told very well.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold
This is a film that was at the bottom of my ‘to watch’ list for a good while and it totally surprised me by being a great film. It definitely has an Indiana Jones type feel but targeted much more for a younger audience. Even so, I loved it. It’s based on the character ‘Dora the Explorer’ who sets off on her own adventure with a few other teenagers from her new school. It’s very easy to watch and one that my 7 year old son (who has never watched Dora before) really enjoyed.
Spiderman: Far From Home
I am definitely a fan of this young teenage Spiderman. He adds great comedy value to what can sometimes be missing from some Marvel films. If you are a Marvel fan, I highly recommend you make sure that you watch Avengers: End Game before watching this as it leads directly on from the end of that movie. Here we see Peter Parker reluctantly join Nick Fury to fight some new bad guys.
Fighting with My Family
Knowing that this film is based on a true story makes it even more enjoyable to watch. It follows the life of a wrestling family whose son and daughter aim to join the WWE. Although the film lists Dwayne Johnson as a star of the movie, I would say it’s more for a cameo role that he plays. However Vince Vaughn and Florence Pugh (who plays the daughter) make the film a great watch and a really interesting movie night addition.
The Angry Birds Movie 2
To end the top 10 family films of 2019, is The Angry Birds Movie 2. In all honesty, I could probably watch this movie in silence and still chuckle. I think the character expressions are just brilliant. Angry Birds is based on a game developed in 2009 that was downloaded from the App store. Since then the first and second movie have added lots more layers to the story of the little bird and pig characters, living on opposite islands. I felt the second movie was just was good as the first and kept my 7 year old boy entertained throughout.
Why not bake some sweet treats for movie night? You can try out some simple to follow recipes here.
