Let's face it, your kids are going to want to see basically every film in that blockbuster category, so expect cries of "Please, Mom, please can I see 'Indiana Jones?'" But if you want something a little less violent and more fit for the young ones, there are three films this spring that may fill that order, including—hurray—a new Pixar movie called "Wall-E."
'Wall-E'
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar
Starring: Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Ben Burtt
Director: Andrew Stanton
Story: A determined little robot named Wall-E (short for Waste Allocation Land Life Earth-Lifter) has spent the last 700 years compacting trash and collecting knickknacks when suddenly he's visited by a sleek robot named EVE. Wall-E decides to chase her across the galaxy and into a new world.
One to watch? Definitely. Stanton is the man behind "Finding Nemo" and told Ain't It Cool News that he was inspired by "Star Wars" character R2-D2. "It always felt that was what you got from R2," Stanton told AICN's Quint. "A limited vocabulary and you had to translate, and I just knew from day one that's what I wanted to do with (Wall-E)." Pixar is known for loading up their imaginative, innovative films ("Ratatouille," "The Incredibles") with heart, which will make this perfect for the whole family.
Coming: June 27
Web site:http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e/
'Nim's Island'
Fox Walden
Starring: Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin, Gerard Butler, Alphonso McAuley
Director: Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett
Story: Nim (Breslin) is a little girl who lives on a deserted island with her scientist father (Butler). When he gets lost at sea, Nim sends a letter to her literary hero adventure-writer Alex Rover, who is actually Alexandra (Foster), a woman who is afraid to leave the house. The fictional Rover (also Butler) convinces Alexandra that she must get over her fears and go help Nim.
One to watch? If you're a kid, yes. This film is based on the popular book by Wendy Orr and seems just right for adventurous little girls and their moms. Breslin's role almost seems like the tomboy-esque parts that Foster gravitated to as a kid. Breslin told the Los Angeles Times, "I climb, run, swim, and I did sword fighting. … All the stunt guys called me 'Nimdiana Jones.'" This marks the debut of husband-and-wife team Levin ("Little Manhattan") and Flackett. The two also have a history of writing screenplays together ("Wimbledon," "Madeline").
Coming: April 4
Web site:http://www.nimsisland.com/
'Kung Fu Panda'
Dreamworks Animation
Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, David Cross
Director: John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
Story: Po the panda (Black) is an out-of-shape kung-fu fanatic whose dream comes true when he gets to train with the furious five—Tigress (Jolie), Crane (Cross), Mantis (Rogen), Viper (Liu) and Monkey (Chan)—under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu (Hoffman). His questionable skills are put to the test when the evil snow leopard Tai Lung (McShane) threatens the Valley of Peace.
One to watch? Maybe on cable. Nobody but Pixar seems to get it—it doesn't matter whether or not you use a big star's voice in an animated film. In fact, a familiar voice like Black's or Jolie's may ultimately distract from the story. At least the filmmakers know martial arts. Stevenson told the Associated Press, "Everybody on the crew was a big martial-arts movie fan. That was one of the reasons we didn't want to do a parody, because we actually love those movies. … So we wanted to honor that, not spoof it."
Coming: June 6
Web site:http://www.kungfupanda.com/