10 streaming movies that will keep your kids entertained during the August doldrums
So your kids have gone to see "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem." Now what?
Many young film fans are still a couple of weeks out from going back to school, but once you get past "Turtles," the choices at the local movie theater – especially for those who aren't yet ready for living dolls with existential crises or the history of the atomic bomb – are pretty slim in the doldrums of August. Fortunately, streaming services have you covered with fun cartoons, coming-of-age stories and other movies that will keep everyone entertained in between last-minute summer reading lists and back-to-school shopping.
Here are 10 recent at-home options (of the PG- and G-rated variety) streaming now or coming soon for kids to watch:
'The Super Mario Bros. Movie'
The animated blockbuster made so much money ($1.4 billion worldwide!) that you may have already seen it. If you haven't, get in your go-kart and enjoy an action-packed outing with Mario (Chris Pratt), his bro Luigi (Charlie Day), new pal Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), bad guy Bowser (Jack Black) and more. Or watch it again and check out all the nifty Nintendo video game references sprinkled throughout the fantasy comedy you missed the first time.
Where to watch: Peacock
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'Nimona'
When knight Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed) is framed for the murder of his queen, he befriends the rebellious shapeshifting teen Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), they go on a wild mission to clear his name and Ballister discovers his new sidekick has quite the backstory. Gloriously subversive and featuring great queer characters, it's an inclusive alternative to the usual dull fantasy adventure.
Where to watch: Netflix
'The Slumber Party'
Your kids might not be old enough to watch "The Hangover" yet but they'll get the gist of it from this coming-of-age comedy. Three teens wake up from a birthday slumber party with their friend missing, so they head off on a chaotic mission to find her that involves an onion-eating contest, a gaggle of baby ducks, ticked-off marching band kids and a runaway hedgehog float.
Where to watch: Disney+
'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse'
Little cinephiles-in-training will appreciate this beautiful Oscar-winning animated short film about a boy (voiced by Jude Coward Nicoll) lost in the snow-covered wilderness. He first bonds with a cake-obsessed mole (Tom Hollander), who saves a hungry fox (Idris Elba) from a snare trap, and the unlikely trio meets an outcast white horse (Gabriel Byrne) in a thoughtful narrative about kindness, friendship and empathy.
Where to watch:Apple TV+
'The Amazing Maurice'
Go have some lasagna, Garfield, because Hugh Laurie's title feline is the new coolest cat in this animated comedy based on a Terry Pratchett children's novel. Maurice, his piper friend Keith (Himesh Patel) and a crew of rats take their cash-grabbing rodent infestation schemes on the road, and while stopped at a poverty-stricken town, they help the mayor's quirky daughter (Emilia Clarke) tackle rampant food thievery and a seriously creepy villain.
Where to watch:Hulu
'World’s Best'
Assigned to craft an equation that defines him, 12-year-old math genius Prem (Manny Magnus) decides to seek out more about the late father (Utkarsh Ambudkar) he never really knew. Discovering his dad was a talented rapper sparks Prem's imagination, with father and son performing together in hip-hop fantasies, but the kid ultimately has to find his own identity in the heartwarming musical comedy.
Where to watch: Disney+
'Mummies'
Here's something your adventurous kiddos might dig: In this flick, an ancient world of living mummies exists underneath our own! When a royal wedding ring is stolen from the kingdom by an ambitious archaeologist, a chariot racer (voiced by Joe Thomas), his princess fiancée (Eleanor Tomlinson), his younger brother (Santiago Winder) and their crocodile buddy venture into 21st-century London to retrieve the jewelry and get into all sorts of fish-out-of-water high jinks.
Where to watch: Hulu
'Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, the Movie'
If the superhero lovers in your household need something other than DC or Marvel, push play on this French action-adventure origin story. Given superpowers by magical baubles, Ladybug (voiced by Anouck Hautbois) and Cat Noir (Benjamin Bollen) are rival teen do-gooders in Paris who have to team up to defeat a mysterious supervillain and his creatures made of hate and evil. (And if the kids dig this, then check out five seasons of the "Ladybug & Cat Noir" cartoon streaming on Disney+.)
Where to watch: Netflix
'Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie'
While adults back in the day had to wait months to watch Charlie Brown specials on network TV – and we loved them! – youngsters can stream them to their hearts' content, including a new one spotlighting bespectacled introvert Marcie. Peppermint Patty's best friend and No. 1 caddie helpfully solves her peers' problems with school hallway traffic and pizza shortages, but Marcie gets thrown for a loop when she's unexpectedly elected class president.
Where to watch:Apple TV+ (premieres Aug. 18)
'The Monkey King'
In the animated action comedy inspired by an ancient Chinese tale, the extremely confident Monkey King (voiced by Jimmy O. Yang) has big dreams of glory but to accomplish that, he needs to defeat 100 demons. With his magical fighting stick and a young village girl sidekick, Monkey King goes on a quest of self-discovery that includes taking on the eccentric Dragon King (Bowen Yang).
Where to watch: Netflix (premieres Aug. 18)
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