Four great movies for kids this Summer

We're one of those movie families. We love going to the movies together, eating popcorn, gripping each other's arms, and snuggling in the dark. This Summer has been particularly good for kids' movies, and I thought I'd share the four movies that we have seen (and loved) over the last month. My girls (age 5 and 7 years) wanted to weigh in with their critiques too!

Paper Planes
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Rating: G
Running Time: 96 min

Yay for Australian movies! I cried both times watching the trailer for Paper Planes - a classic little Aussie battler story starring a heart-breakingly sweet twelve year old boy. But I wish I hadn't seen the trailer, as it's a compilation of all the best lines of the movie. So close your eyes and block your ears if the trailer comes on, then go and see this great film and you'll love it to bits. Paper Planes is true to the Australian comedy drama genre cast with lots of familiar faces and our beautiful countryside as a leading character. The story is beautiful and sad/sweet, with enough kitschy high points to not make it too heavy. All the characters are adorable and there are a few laugh-out-loud moments. We loved it.

Miss 5: I liked Paper Planes. It was a little bit funny. There were a boy and a girl and they were friends. I think my friends would like it.

Miss 7: I really liked Paper Planes because I think it's cool to be able to fly a plane really far. I think it's a very good movie and I would definitely like to see it again. I liked that it has real people, not animated things, and there were lots of nice characters. There were a few funny parts. Everybody should watch it because it is such a good movie.

Big Hero 6
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Rating: PG
Running Time: 108 min

I'm really not a huge fan of animated movies for kids, but there was so much to like about Big Hero 6. The pace was really great and the bay guy becomes relate-able though the course of the movie. It felt modern and had lots of great messages for kids. Even I left feeling uplifted! We can't wait for the sequels.

Miss 5: I liked Big Hero 6; it was nice. It was called Big Hero 6 because there are six of them, and they are heroes. My favourite character was the hugging robot which was called Baymax. I think that my friends would like to watch it. I would definitely like to see it again.

Miss 7: I really like Big Hero 6. My favourite character is the health-caring robot called Baymax. I think the super powers are really good but the baddie is a bit scary. But when you see that he takes the special mask off, you know he's not scary any more. I would like to see it again and I think my friends should see it and anybody else who likes good movies.

Paddington
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Rating: G
Running Time: 95 min

Paddington is super-charming and a great watch for the parents. It's beautifully shot, and I felt enveloped by the scenes. Lots of cute English references too! The casting was spot-on; so many fun-but-flawed characters. I would have loved to to have seen more instances of Paddington accidentally saving the day; those scenes were our favourites by far (rather than the drawn out Taxidermist hunt, which my kids found quite horrifying).

Miss 5: The movie was a little bit funny. Paddington looked cute but the mean lady tried to stuff him. My friends would think it was a little funny. I want to see it again.

Miss 7: I thought the Paddington movie was a bit scary when the lady tried to stuff him. Paddington is cute. I wouldn't watch it again because it was a bit scary and there were a few bits I didn't like. I'd tell my friends to see it, but not people who get scared at movies.

Annie
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Rating: PG
Running Time: 118 min

We were pleasantly surprised by Annie! Our family has watched the original movie 100 times at home, and we tried not to expect the same experience with this movie. Many of the songs were the same/similar, but that's all we had to compare - the new Annie is a new experience and a lot of fun for the parents to watch too. (The Cameron Diaz character was cringe-worthy, but that was easily forgotten). We all loved the spontaneous singing, the casting, and the grittiness of NYC as a backdrop. Go in without expectations and you may just give it a two thumbs up like we did. Lots to love about this movie.

Miss 5: I'm a bit tired of talking about movies.

Miss 7: Annie was a really good movie. There weren't any mean characters so people who are scared in movies would really like it. I like the way that everyone was treated. There were lots of good singers in it. It was even a tiny bit better than the original Annie movie because the kids aren't as poor. I would recommend lots of people see it.

We were gifted tickets to see Annie.

Have you seen any of these movies yet? Which would you recommend?