The Wiz (1978)
[5] Based on the hit Broadway musical, The Wiz puts an urban spin on The Wizard of Oz with an all-black cast and a post-apocalyptic New York City backdrop. Music sensation Diana Ross stars as Dorothy, a Harlem school teacher…
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
[6] Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita reprise their roles in the sequel to The Karate Kid. This time, Mr. Miyagi (Morita) takes Daniel (Macchio) with him on a visit to Okinawa to bid farewell to Miyaki's dying father. Once…
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985)
[6] A paleontologist (Sean Young) and her husband (William Katt) discover a family of three brontosauruses living in the rain forests of the African Ivory Coast. At first they are thrilled to report their find, but when rival scientists kill…
Anastasia (1997)
[7] There’s a lot to like about the first animated feature produced by 20th Century Fox, even if the sum of the parts is a bit uneven. Anastasia draws upon Russian history and legend, centering around the youngest daughter or…
I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
[5] In this middling family-friendly holiday flick from Disney, young Jonathan Taylor Thomas (TV's Home Improvement, The Lion King) plays a swindling college student who gets stranded in the California desert glued into a Santa Claus outfit without money or…
The Neverending Story (1984)
[8] Fresh off the World War II submarine thriller Das Boot, German director Wolfgang Petersen turns his attention to a family-oriented fantasy film based on Michael Ende's book The Neverending Story. While this adaptation loosely covers only the first half…
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
[3] Since it's one of the most financially successful films of modern times, I decided to satisfy my morbid curiosity about A Minecraft Movie -- a movie I would otherwise never have seen, since it clearly wasn't made for me.…
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
[5] With this film, Walt Disney gave the world its first feature-length animated motion picture. So that counts for something, right? The story's title heroine begins the film a humble scullery maid, content to scrub cobblestone walkways while singing to…
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
[8] A trouble-making alien crash-lands on a Hawaiian island where he's adopted by Lilo, an ostracized little girl whose parents are recently deceased. Lilo names the alien 'Stitch' and begins to tame his wild ways while offering him a place…
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
[8] In an alternate reality where dinosaurs didn't go extinct, a young Apatosaurus named Arlo is separated from his family and must find his way home with the hope of a feral human child he dubs "Spot". Along their journey…