This time of year is tough for movie-goers whether or not they have families in mind or not, but can be particularly tough for those with kids, where having an outing can cost a fortune.
February is the month when so many movie studios like to dump their garbage. This is also the time, strangely, when studios put out their left-over horror films and lots of love stories. That's because most studios think people want to be scared when they head out into the theaters this time of year or that they are so ensconced in Valentine's Day, that they would rather watch a romance.
Thus, if you have kids and your kids are tired of being cooped up at home watching their copy of Kung Fu Panda 2 for the nine-thousandth time, it can be tough to make plans. Factor in the fact that movies cost a small fortune these days, particularly if the kids insist on seeing the film in 3D, and you really need to plan in advance. With that in mind, here are some family-oriented movies due out in February.
Februrary 3 - Big Miracle - John Krasinski, Drew Barrymore, Kristin Bell. This is a feel-good film based on a real event. Krasinski plays a local Alaskan news reporter with eyes for getting out of the frozen north and to bigger stories in bigger cities. Then three gray whales get trapped in an increasingly-shrinking cove because of the Arctic ice. Drew Barrymore plays the environmentalist who rallies the towns people to try and dig a path out of the ice and save the magestic animals. The movie is rate PG.
February 10 - Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, Michael Caine, Vanessa Hudgens. This is the sequel to the hugely popular 2008 release Journey to the Center of the Earth. This time, however, a 17-year-old receives a coded distress call from an island where, according to maps, there should not be an island. He sets out, determined, to find who sent it and rescue that person. Johnson plays the step-father who tags along to keep the kids out of trouble. The island is a bizarre location filled with huge animals, dinosaurs and mountains made of gold. It looks to be action-packed with dazzling special effects and plenty of loud, moving things for kids to get excited about. It is also being released in 3D and 2D formats and is rated PG.
February 10 - Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace 3D - Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman. It is debatable whether or not this very talk-heavy entry in the Star Wars cannon can be classified as family fare. This one is a little short on the action and heavy on political maneuvering, which many kinds may find a tad boring. However, there are also plenty of action scenes and dazzling special effects and creatures to keep most kids happy. This is the 3D version that George Lucas has decided to re-release. Rated PG.
February 17 - The Secret World of Arrietty - featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett. This is a movie originally animated and drawn by that legendary Japanese anime house known as Studio Ghibli. This is the same studio that brought Spirited Away and Ponyo the big screen. This is an adaptation of the childhood favorite classic novel The Borrowers. Arrietty is a 14-year-old tiny person who lives beneath the floorboards of a home and sneaks out at night to steal supplies for her people. Then, one day, she befriends a human and her entire existence may be threatened because of it. The English-language version of this is being produced and distributed by Disney.
Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com
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