MAGICAL MOVIES
TOP FAMILY FLICKS TO WATCH
1. THE HARRY POTTER SERIES (2001-2011)
“It’s true then, what they’re saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts!”
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Were a family to be stranded on a desert island and could take only one box-set, this would be the one. Not once did standards slip as the filmmakers worked through the phenomenally popular books of J.K. Rowling. A world of magic casts a complete spell upon viewers.
2. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”
Starring: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Margaret Hamilton. MGM planned its adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved book with military precision, and everything went off without a single hitch. The musical interludes are all killer, no filler. The performances are broad enough to be seen from the moon. Proof that while you cannot improve upon perfection, you can keep revisiting it.
3. TOY STORY TRILOGY (1995 — 2010)
“Mr. Lightyear, now I’m curious ... what does a space ranger actually do?”
Starring: the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, John Ratzenberger All that is great and good about modern animation can be found here at the pinnacle of Pixar Studios’ quest for creative cartooning. The look, feel and storytelling connect with everyone’s inner child. Over the space of the three films, characters such as Woody and Buzz become the best of old friends with the viewer. Which is why that torrid finale in Toy Story 3 will have hearts stopping and skipping forever.
4. STAR WARS EPS IV — VI (1977 — 1983)
“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher The first three Star Wars adventures amount to so much more than just a stellar sequence of motion pictures. At the heart of the phenomenon is an ingenious mythology schemed up by George Lucas that transcends mere science fiction. All great movies pit good against evil in a way to which we all can relate. The original “force” remains undiminished.
5. UP (2009)
“Whether you assist me or not, I am going to Paradise Falls, even if it kills me.” Starring: the voices of Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer. The late-in-life story of a very elderly man who embarks on his dream trip around the world ... by attaching helium balloons to his house. Poignant, uplifting and startlingly original when least expected, this film is jam-packed with the perfection Pixar became famous for. The astonishing emotional power unleashed in the first 10 minutes defines one of the great stand-alone sequences in the history of animation.
6. E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL (1982)
“His being here is a miracle, Elliot ... I’m glad he met you first.” Starring: Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore. A funny little being not from ‘round these parts expresses the desire to make a cross-galaxy phone call. While a jittery US government doesn’t like the sound of that, a child rescues the visitor in the basket of his bike and goes for a pedal across the night sky. Steven Spielberg knew we’d fall in love with E.T. because he embodies what we hope all aliens will be like when they finally visit our planet.
7. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
“You are the 12th in a long line of governesses who have come here to look after my children since their mother died. I trust you will be an improvement on the last one. She stayed only two hours.”
Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker. Hum a few bars of the title song and try not to picture Julie Andrews spinning with joy on top of a hill. In fact, hum a few bars from any song in this delightful biopic of the Von Trapp family singers and the scene will come to mind with crystal clarity. A family picture of the old school that will continue to stand the test of time.
8. BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY (1985 — 1990)
“The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?”
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson An all-American teenager, a mad professor and a DeLorean that can travel through time. These three straightforward
elements were fused together by filmmaker Robert Zemeckis into a rip-roaring race against history and fate.
9. THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Starring: Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin The movie that tore up the textbook on having fun with fairy tales. A cracking storyline rife with heroes, villains and standout supporting characters that all contribute to the adventure at hand, but don’t forget to bring the funny as well.
10. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
“You never really understand a person until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford Can a movie be a role model for how to live an honourable life? Perhaps not. But this perfect adaptation of the beloved book by Harper Lee goes mighty close. A lasting work that opens and changes minds for the better.
11. WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971)
“Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.”
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum, Jack Albertson This semi-psychedelic ’70s’ take on the incomparable novel by Roald Dahl stands as the definitive version. The casting of Gene Wilder in the title role is the key: there is a crazed, yet knowing glint in his eye that suggests the world of corporate confectionery is more sillier and sinister than we will ever know.
12. MARY POPPINS (1964)
“Since you hired Mary Poppins, the most extraordinary things seem to have come over the household!”
Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson The silhouette of a woman holding an umbrella descend- ing against the night sky says it all. Magic is going to happen. And not just because this super-nanny dispenses the best brand of childcare ever seen on the big screen. No, everywhere you look, there is colour, movement and life. Then there’s those unerringly catchy songs. A movie sweeter than a spoonful of sugar, with an appeal that won’t dissolve.
13. WALL-E (2008)
“Too much garbage in your face? There’s plenty of space out in space! BNL StarLiners leaving each day! We’ll clean up the mess while you’re away!”
Starring: the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin In the 28th century, our planet has been abandoned. All that remains is one robot. Together with a cockroach and a surprise visitor from parts unknown, this determined little machine finds a way to humanise the world once more.
14. BEAUTY & THE BEAST (1991)
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had ‘feelings’ for this monster.”
Starring: the voices of Robby Benson, Paige O’Hara, Richard White Disney “bet the farm” on an ancient French bedtime tale of the enduring love between the maiden and the mutant. The end result both saved and revitalised the studio’s animation division: a sublime combination of masterful storytelling and magnificent musical interludes, which were overseen by the legendary screen composer Alan Menken.
15. BABE (1995)
“That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.”
Starring: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, the voice of Christine Cavanaugh Orphaned at an early age, a young piglet is left to fend for himself on Farmer Hoggett’s sheep run. With the aid of a smooth-talking con-duck, the perky oinker becomes a champion sheep dog. Under the direction of Australian Chris Noonan, an understated blending of animatronics and real animals brings the secret world of the farmyard to vivid life.
16. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore The most downbeat feel-good film ever sees an American everyman battling two Great Depressions at once. Not only is the economy on the brink of meltdown. So too is George Bailey (Stewart). Until he is paid a visit by his guardian angel. Against all odds, everything works a treat here thanks to the uncharacteristic manic intensity of Stewart’s performance and director Frank Capra’s irresistible manipulation of the audience.
17. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES (1937)
“Magic Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”
Starring: the voices of Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Stuart Buchanan Year one for feature-length animation. Before this, all screen cartooning was five minutes or less, and strictly on the support bill. After this, moving illustrations became a main attraction in cinemas forevermore. This captivating retelling of the famous fairy tale still casts a powerful spell, and not just because of the deceptively simple visuals ... the songs are brilliant too!
18. THE INDIANA JONES SERIES (1981-2008)
“You want to talk to God? Let’s go see him together, I’ve got nothing better to do.”
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Sean Connery OK, it might be a bit of stretch including the last one, but the rest are gilt-edged escapism par excellence. It all started with the rollicking Raiders of the Lost Ark, establishing Ford’s Indy as an all-toohuman action hero with flaws, foibles and fast thinking that runs rings around your typical comic book superhero. Last Crusade in 1989 is worthy of special recommendation in this series because of the earthy presence of Sean Connery.
19. RATATOUILLE (2007)
“Good food is like music you can taste, colour you can smell. There is excellence all around you. You need only to be aware to stop and savour it.”
Starring: the voices of Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano Exhibit A in making the case that Pixar can fashion an animated classic from anything: the sumptuous tale of a gourmet sewer rat violating every last law of food preparation known to man. Nevertheless, the experience is absolutely appetising throughout. Just how a redoubtable rodent named Remy becomes one of the great restaurant chefs of Paris is a miraculous, funny and wildly inventive yarn.
20. FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009)
“I am seven fox years old. My father died at seven and a half. I don’t want to live in a hole anymore, and I’m going to do something about it.”
Starring: the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray A very clever stop-motion animation adaptation of the popular children’s story by the great Roald Dahl. The title character (voiced by Clooney) is a reluctantly retired poultry thief just itching to return to his old ways. Though sharper and nervier than Dahl’s original tale, the old-school look of the film keeps the wilder impulses of director Wes Anderson ( The Royal Tenenbaums) in check.