Mr. Peabody & Sherman review: timey-wimey doggy-waggy
Wonderfully, sweetly geeky, and full of the sort of goofy yet intriguing adventures that inspire kiddie curiosity in history and art and science.
adventure
Ernest & Celestine review: bear and mouse are friends
Might be the most ridiculously cute movie I’ve ever seen, in a way that transforms adorableness into something honest and wise and deeply satisfying.
The Book Thief review: don’t mention the war…
Thoughtful tweens and teens interested in adventurous stories of kids their own age should love this, but adults may find the light tone off-putting.
The Monuments Men review: saving private collections (and public art)
As jaunty as Jean Dujardin’s beret, but in a sincere, old-fashioned kind of way. It could almost have been rediscovered from the 1940s…
The Lego Movie review: take the brick pill
You’ve seen this all before — it’s Toy Story meets The Matrix — just not done in Legos.
Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts (86th Academy Awards) review
The French “Mr. Hublot” creates an utterly real yet completely fantastical world, a palpable steampunk environment of gorgeous mechanical loveliness.
Maidentrip review: all is found
A remarkable documentary about a remarkable kid, and an incredibly optimistic look one young person making her dreams come true.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty review: Ben Stiller’s excellent adventure
An airy fairy tale, buoyed by an infectious joy, about the very modern, bittersweetly pragmatic ache that comes with maintaining your soul and integrity as the world falls apart around you.
Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie review: where is an extinction-level event when you need one?
Sub-vaudeville 1950s sitcom humor and a horrifically dated message about boys as heroes and girls as the heroes’ property. You know, for kids!
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug review: are we there yet?
Smaug is a magnificent cinematic creation… but there’s no good reason it takes so damn long to get to him.
