5 movies to watch with your family on Netflix - East Idaho News
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5 movies to watch with your family on Netflix

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THE FAMILY ROOM — There is just something special about hanging out with the family and sitting down and watching a movie. This can be tricky, however, because sometimes we pick a movie that’s a little too grown up for some of the kids and others that induce a coma in many parents.

In an effort to help keep your kids innocent for a little bit longer and keep you coherent as long as possible, here are five films streaming on Netflix that you can watch with your family this weekend.

So before we get into the list, I want to let you know that I have tried to shy away from the really big films that most people know are on Netflix already. That’s not to say that I don’t fully recommend “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “Zootopia,” “The Jungle Book” or “The Princess Bride.” My hope is rather to maybe make you aware of something you didn’t realize was on Netflix or maybe let you know that the film you’ve seen pop up in your feed is actually worth watching.

So, with that setup, let’s get into it:

Bee Movie

The 2007 movie “Bee Movie” with the voice talents of Jerry Seinfeld and Matthew Broderick was a fairly successful film, but it’s kind of been forgotten over the years. The movie is far from perfect and the second half gets a little off track at times, but overall it’s a good time and the parents will have more than a few laughs, thanks to Seinfeld’s wit and the writers’ clever setups.

Kids will get a kick out of seeing inside the hive and watching the story unravel. This is not the best-animated movie of all time by any means, but it’s a family flick that everyone can enjoy.

Goosebumps

When I saw “Goosebumps” in 2015, it was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure what to think of the goofy “horror” film, but I had an absolute blast. Jack Black is fantastic as a neurotic and paranoid version of the Goosebumps author R.L. Stine and the movie itself offers enough fun, scares, and humor to make for a great family movie night.

“Goosebumps” is PG, but know that if you have really little ones, there may be a few moments that are too scary for them. However, to give you an idea of scariness level, my 6-year-old daughter loves it.

Underdogs

This foreign animated film was never actually released in the U.S., which would lead you to believe “Underdogs” is a terrible movie. Truth is, this isn’t an amazing film, but it’s really not too bad and my kids had a blast watching it.

The film follows the adventures of a humble man in a small town who happens to be an incredible foosball player. His actual athletic ability, on the other hand, is less than stellar. An old rival returns to town to avenge his one loss in life and threatens to destroy the little city. Thanks to some magic, the small foosball players come to life in an attempt to help their friend.

That sounds like a lot, but the movie has a lot of heart and has a great message about being a humble winner and a gracious loser. It’s packed with life lessons and some memorable characters and more soccer than you could ask for.

Again, “Underdogs” is far from the best thing on this list, but it is fairly enjoyable and if your kids are like mine, they’re going to be running around the house for hours afterwards playing soccer with any round object they can find.

Paddington

Another family gem hiding out on Netflix is “Paddington.” I didn’t expect much from this 2014 film, considering Oscar winner Colin Firth backed out of the project and I wasn’t necessarily a big Paddington Bear fan before hand, but I was wrong. This movie is funny, adventurous, exciting and packs a great message for everyone.

“Paddington” is one of the better family films made in recent memory and is well worth your time. Suffice it to say, the Clyde family is looking forward to the sequel in 2017.

The Water Horse

The 2007 film “The Water Horse” is a magical tale of a small boy in Scotland who finds the Loch Ness Monster during World War II. The film is an adventure for the entire family that manages to hit on some serious topics while still keeping it light and fun.

“The Water Horse” weaves a touching tale of friendship, honor and family that carries important messages for the entire family and also has enough entertainment and drama to keep everyone from mom and dad all the way down to the youngest engaged and smiling.

“The Water Horse” has become a favorite in our home and is something our kids ask for over and again. And you know what? I usually don’t mind putting it on yet again for them.

Conclusion

There is a lot of stuff to navigate on Netflix streaming, so hopefully this list can help give you an idea of some of the titles worth watching with your family.

John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. John also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome and it just so happens that these are the three things he writes about.

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Thanks to Fat Cats in Rexburg for providing screenings for movie reviews on EastIdahoNews.com.

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