We kicked off our Summer Disney movie series with the 2019 live action version of Aladdin, next up is Toy Story 4.

When I first heard about a Toy Story 4 I rolled my eyes. Really? Another one? Toy Story 3 ended so well, and I didn’t see the point in another. The trailer threw me off. A spork toy? What? I did not anticipate the movie being very good. But I tried to go into it with an open mind. We’ve screened it twice now and plan to see it again this opening weekend. If that’s not indication enough of how good it is, let me go ahead and give you a spoiler-free review.

My Toy Story 4 Review

My kids and I had re-watched the first three movies recently in preparation for this movie. It’s not necessary but a refresher of the first one is helpful to understand some of the conversation points. There were huge strides in technological advancements between the first three movies and then again with this movie we see even more detail and sharpness with this fourth installment. I was doubtful going in, but came out having gone through a roller coaster of emotions with a wide variety of sounds coming out of my mouth: Laughter, gasps and sobs. I don’t know why I ever doubted Pixar.

Toy Story 3 was a good chapter ending for Any and Woody’s story. This is taking us along Woody’s journey after Andy. Something that really struck me during this movie though was Woody’s growth. As if we grew up together through the years. There were some hilarious parts of the movie where I felt empathetic to Woody’s struggles and they took me back to those days as a new parent.

My husband hasn’t seen it yet but I know he will be there not only for the story but the comedic relief. As with all Pixar movies, there’s plenty of subtle (and clean) adult humor. Key and Peele as Duck and Bunny, Keanu and Reeves as Duke Caboom were hilarious additions I didn’t know I needed.

Via Walt Disney Studios

Bo Peep came back with a vengeance and really kicks butt in a way that makes sense. I was sad that the Jesse and Buzz romance took a total back seat in this movie, but both characters still had some great parts.

Does it Beat the Others?

After seeing Toy Story 4 the first time I felt it was my new favorite Toy Story movie. But after watching it a couple of times and going back and watching the first one I think the two are closer than I thought. Visually this one takes the cake. But the first one won my hear when I was 9-years-old and it’s not letting go. But nothing beats sitting in a theater with my kids that are about the same age I was when the first movie came out–And hearing their laughter and clapping throughout the movie.

This is a film your entire family will love. Go into it with an open mind, and maybe bring a pair of tissues.

Oh, and make sure you stay for some during and after-the-credits scenes. There’s even one at the very very end.

Is Toy Story 4 Scary?

If you’ve seen any of the trailers you’ve probably noticed the creepy The ventriloquist dolls. They are a bit startling and had my kids not been next to me I would have thought some of those scenes were scary for them. But neither of them were frightened. When I asked if they were scared they insisted they weren’t. Maybe it’s because part of my childhood consisted of my watching scary movies about a terrifying murderous toy with my dad. But my kids apparently don’t have fears connected to dolls.

via Walt Disney Studios

My son did scream out loud, laugh and cheer through the movie. But he never yelled “I’m scared.” It’s rated G, and is no where near as startling as scenes in Zootopia. If you watch the trailers you see a good portion of the creepy dummy scenes so maybe take a peek and decide if it might be too much for your kiddos. Theaters are big and louder that something you’d watch at home so those scenes could be a little intense for little ones. I say trust your inner voice (*wink*), my kids say go for it! But more on their reviews below.

Toy Story 4 Kids Review

My kids loved the movie so much, the first words out of my son’s mouth as we walked out was “I want to make a Forky.” This coming from a not very crafty kid. As soon as we got home they made their own Forkys with things around the house (we didn’t have any sporks so they used plastic forks).

When we watched Aladdin, though they both enjoyed the movie very much, I didn’t get much audible reaction out of them. I can tell a movie is REALLY good when I can hear a physical reaction from their seats.  Aladdin didn’t hold my son’s attention the entire movie (though he says it did, there were moments he was squirming in his seat or asking if it was almost over). He was glued to the screen this entire movie (I think a big part of this is because he’s already so familiar with the characters). If your kids are fans of Woody and the gang, they will love this too!

8-Year-Old Review of Toy Story 4

Q: Did you like the movie?
A: Yes

Q: How did you like Toy Story 4 compared to the other Toy Story movies?
A: It was better because they improved on their computer skills. And the story was good.

Q: What was your favorite part?
A: [The beginning part with Forky] – (Edited to remove spoilers)

Q: Did the movie make you laugh?
A: A little

Q: Did you think it was scary?
A: No.

Q: Do you think that little kids will be scared?
A: There’s one part where there’s a doll called Vincent and he’s kinda creepy. Some kids might be like me and not be scared. But if your kids are maybe 3 or 4 and pretty brave and stuff I think this will be a good movie for them.

Q: Did you learn any lessons in this movie?
A: I learned a lesson about bullies. But that’s all I’m going to say so I don’t spoil it.

Q: What did you think of Bo Peep?
A: In one and two she was with them and three she’s gone and in four she comes back strong. She reminds me of Merida.

Q: Do you think girls will look up to her?
A: Yes, because she’s a good example that you can be strong.

Q: Do you want to see it again even though you’ve already seen it twice?
A: Yes!

Q: Who was your favorite character?
A:Surprisingly Bo.

6-Year-Old Review of Toy Story 4

Q: Did you like the movie?
A: Yes

Q: Why did you like the movie? Because there was Forky in it.
A: Did you think the movie was a little bit scary? It was not scary at all.

Q: Do you think little kids would be scared?
A: No.

Q: Was the movie funny?
A: YES! At Aladdin I didn’t laugh at all. Maybe just a tiny bit. But I liked this WAY WAY WAY more.

Q:Do you want to see Toy Story 4 again?
A: Yes yes yes YES!

Q: What’s your favorite movie ever?
A: Toy Story 4. I like it far away from everything else.

Q: Do you like it more than Toy Story 1?
A: Yes, way more.

Q: Who was your favorite character?
A: Rex! Second was Forky

Q: Do you think your friends will like it?
A: Yea.

Q: Anything else you want to say about the movie?
A: Mom, who do you think I like more? You or Toy Story 4?
Q: Which one?
A: BOTH!

Toy Story 4 opens everywhere June 21st. Go see it then come back and let us know what you think!

Next up in our Summer Disney Movie series:

• Dumbo! A review of the 2019 live action movie as it hits digital and DVD.
• The Lion King: The 2019 version roars into theaters on Lee Lee’s birthday. The original is my all-time favorite movie so I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.
• Countdown to Disney+: Stay tuned for more!

Wondering if we have similar taste in movies? Here are some of our other Disney movie reviews:

• Beauty and the Beast live action movie review
• Incredibles 2 movie review
• Wreck it Ralph 2 movie review
• Wrinkle in Time movie review
• Coco movie review
• Zootopia movie review
• Cinderella movie review

 

If you’re a child of the 90s you get it. You’re one part thrilled and one part terrified of how Disney did with another live adaptation edition of our childhood favorites.

They’re serving them up like hot cakes and I can’t eat them all fast enough. Actually we nearly missed Dumbo but we saw that last weekend (super late review of that coming soon cause I know you still haven’t seen that one yet). Anyway, back to Aladdin.

Our family re-watched the animated version for movie night last week and I brought my two oldest kids to screen the new one with me. We hadn’t watched a full trailer and went in with no expectations (I’ve learned my lesson). We came out with… Well, here’s our spoiler-free review including their kids movie review.

Aladdin movie review

At the very beginning I was holding my breath and cringing through some of the opening. I literally had the thought “why did Disney go low budget on this?!” But the story brought me in and by the time we were meeting the Genie my mind had been changed completely.

Will Smith can’t replace Robin Williams but he didn’t try to. He added his own swagger to the Genie and in my opinion, he killed it.

Director Guy Ritchie, took a story we know and love (I mean raise your hands if you know all of the lines to the animated version) and flipped it around, changed it up and added so many new things while keeping the same spirit we fell in love with. I honestly think they did this better than many of the other live adaptations we’ve seen, including Beauty and the Beast.

Aladdin had me laughing, cheering and crying tears of joy. And the one thing I went into this movie hoping and wishing for: Jasmine getting her own song. I got! And it wound up being my kids’ favorite part of the movie. Yes, soundtrack, we will own you.

A common theme I’m noticing in all of these Disney refreshes is the desire to frame our beloved princesses in a better light. Giving them more of a voice and personality. The same is true in this movie. Jasmine embodies more of the “girl power” we want our girls to look up to, without taking over the movie.

I could dive in more, but I won’t because I want you to enjoy it as much as I did, and be surprised.

Oh and I lied, aside from Jasmine getting a song the other thing I really wanted was some Bollywood-style dancing and did they deliver? YES. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Is Aladdin scary for young kids?

Funny enough, my only gripe throughout the movie was feeling as though Jafar wasn’t really scary. But I think it makes this more realistic-looking version more appealing for families with young kids. As the movie began my 6-year-old son asked me “is this going to be really scary?”. But throughout the movie he never got frightened.

If you’ve seen the original you probably remember the giant cobra at the end. My son was really looking forward to that part, but I think he was also a little worried for it. That wound up being another part of the story that got switched up a bit but my son enjoyed the slightly less frightening alternative.

Further down below in Big T’s review you’ll get to see what he found scary but not surprising. Thankfully there are no foul words

Some parts were a little slow for him. And this version may have been a little more difficult for him to follow. There were a few times before Aladdin met the Genie that he asked me if the movie was almost over. And I was like no baby, we’re just getting started. But by the time Will Smith was singing, the rest kept his attention.

LIVE ADAPTATION VS ANIMATED VERSION

I think they did a great job keeping the main points across without feeling the need to rework the movie line by line. I was pleasantly surprised with how it came together. Some of our favorites lines were still there. The infamous “do you trust me” and we got several new gems.

I love how Aladdin and Jasmine got to know each other in the live adaptation better. And how we got some answers to their backstories. Overall there was just so much more meat to it.

It was as though I knew what to expect but still didn’t know what was going to happen and was so pleasantly surprised throughout the film.

I am a little embarrassed to say this but this is the first time I’m grappling with which version of the movie I liked more. Usually I leave feeling the animated movies are still far superior but Aladdin 2019 wiggled it way into my heart.

a note about COSTUMES

I need to take a moment to just give a shout out to the costume department. If they don’t win all the awards I will be so surprised. Jasmine’s wardrobe was absolutely breathtaking. I love that the signature blue made an appearance, but wasn’t all she wore. Each and every one of her dresses blew me away.

Alright so here’s what the kids thought.

ALADDIN KIDS movie REVIEW

Big T’s 6-year-old Aladdin review

Q: What did you think of the movie?

A: Good. Because the movie was good

Q: What was your favorite part?

A: When bad guys were chasing Aladdin.

Q: Do you think your friends would like the movie?

A: I don’t know

Q: Who was your favorite character?

A: The girl because her singing was more gooder.

Q: Better?

A: Yea, better.

Q: Were any parts too scary for kids?

A: Not too scary. But it was scary when he pushed him in the water. But that’s what he did in the other one.

Q: Which movie did you like more?

A: Both. But the other one has a giant snake. I want to watch the other one again because there’s a giant snake.

Q: Do you want to go see this one again?

A: Yes. Thursday. Not this Thursday but next Thursday.

Q: If you had three wishes what would you wish for?

A: I would wish that I could be a train conductor. I would wish that I could have a T-Rex.

Q: So it could eat you?

A: A nice T-Rex. And that I could have a nice snake.

Lil’ J’s 8-year-old review

Q: What did you think of the movie?

A: Speechless

(There’s a pun here you’ll understand after you’ve seen the movie)

Q: What was your favorite part?

A: When Jasmine was singing.

Q: Did you think it was funny?

A: Yes. It was funny when Aladdin was dancing.

Q: Which version of Aladdin did you like more?

A: This one infinity times more because it has more parts in it and more songs and it’s a new version of Aladdin. It is funny. At the beginning the movie wasn’t that good and at the end it blew me away.

Q: Would you recommend to friends?

A: Yes because I love it, I want to see it again, every day. Best movie ever!

Q: What age do you think this movie good for?

A: 3 to anything. Not too boring for a 3 year old. I think a 1-2 year old wouldn’t understand it but I think a 3 year old may have some questions would be able to figure it out.

(Note from mom… You know your kids best. I’d put this more in the 5 and up range).

Final thoughts from Lil’ J

“I liked Jasmine because she’s sweet with a pinch of spice. She’s no longer going to be silent and she was being a good role model. She’s my new favorite Disney Princess.”

My Final Thoughts

And there you have it friends. An Aladdin kids movie review.

To my fellow 90s children, I say set everything you’re expecting aside and go in with an open mind. Take your kids and have fun. Then come back and let us know what you thought!

Not convinced check out the trailer and see what you think. And if you want some coloring and activity pages to get hyped for the film you can download some free Aladdin activity pages here.

Wondering if we have similar taste in movies? Here are some of our other Disney movie reviews:

Beauty and the Beast live action movie review

Incredibles 2 movie review

Wreck it Ralph 2 movie review

Wrinkle in Time movie review

Coco movie review

Zootopia movie review

Cinderella movie review

Are you going to see it this weekend?

Incredibles 2 is the most highly anticipated film of 2018.–At least for my family. And last week my son and I finally got a chance to see it. We had to hold our Incredibles 2 review until today to let you know our thoughts. But don’t worry, these will be spoiler-free. We want you to be as surprised as we were.

Normally for Disney movie screenings I bring my daughter. Or if okayed, I bring both of my kids. For Incredibles 2 I had a limit of one guest, so I had the impossible task to choose just one of my kiddos. Since my daughter has come with me to most of these things we thought it would be fair to bring my son for this one.

New Pixar Short Bao Review

Before jumping into the movie, we got a warmup with the new Pixar short, Bao. It’s an adorable short film about a mother who’s apparently struggling with her little dumpling er… Son growing up. Several parts that had me laughing out loud then feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I think the message went over my 5-year-old’s head, but he was able to giggle at some parts and follow the humor that’s present for parents and kids alike. Watching the movie as a recovering helicopter parent with my little mamas boy, especially hit home for me. I loved it, but let me know what you think of it!

Incredibles 2 Review: My Thoughts Overall

So while I’ve been waiting 14  years for this sequel, my kids just recently fell in love with the original. If you’ve seen the first Incredibles 50 times in the last month like we have, then this movie will feel like an extension of that. It picks up exactly where the first one left off, replaying a part of the scene in the parking lot after Dash’s track meet when the Underminder comes out of the ground and them relocating to a new home since a jet crash landed on their last one.

There’s a lobby to bring supers back and they want The Incredibles and Frozone to help. The movie is jam packed with lots of action and humor to keep even some of the wiggliest 5-year-old movie-lovers entertained. My son was grinning ear to ear while we watched our favorite super family navigating their new adventures. He seemed to follow along with the storyline and was really rooting for the good guys in the end.

We get a closer look at the entire Incredibles family including Jack Jack who has powers he hasn’t even begun to tame. (Those moments happen to be some of our favorite parts).

If you haven’t seen the first movie (though really–Why not?) you won’t be totally lost. It’s expected you’ll know who the main Characters are–Mr. Incredible, his family, Frozone and Edna (the Super Hero wardrobe designer). Other than that there are several new characters and a couple of old ones you’ll get to know and love.

To say I loved it would be an understatement. Jack Jack steals the show and the family dynamic makes this movie one of my favorite Pixar films to date. It was everything I’d hoped it would be and then some. 

My only gripe about the movie was that I felt I saw the ending a mile away. The storyline seemed a little predictable. Or maybe I’m just constantly guessing those types of things. Or maybe that’s the point and I shouldn’t even brag about it. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment. In fact, I felt a little vindicated watching it play out. My 5-year-old, who hasn’t watched as many action/spy movies as I had was in his own little blissful world just loving all the action.

Classic Incredibles Humor Still Very Present

There’s nothing better than the sound of my kids laughing hysterically during a Disney movie. A close second perhaps are the jokes and humor that obviously go over their head but are for my benefit. This flick has plenty of both. The physical humor is what had my son laughing–Particularly a scene between Jack Jack and a Raccoon. I enjoyed the throwbacks to the original as well as the eerily familiar martial banter.

Is Incredibles 2 Scary for Little Kids?

There weren’t any scenes that had my son covering his eyes or crawling in my lap. That said, this is a kid who wants to go see Jurassic World 2 next week. Still, I don’t think Incredibles 2 is scary for young children. Nor difficult to follow along. There isn’t anything startling like in Zootopia, and the violence was pretty comparable to the first Incredibles. The storyline was a little darker, but there was a lot of upbeat humor and physical comedy to keep things light.

Side note worth mentioning: My son was calling the bad guys “zombies” not because they were, but because some of their motions were robotic or hypnotic. If that sort of thing freaks your kids out then I guess there’s that to be aware of. As always, remember big screens, loud speakers and dark rooms can make movies we know and love feel much more intense.

Incredibles 1 vs 2: Pixar Gets Their Sequels Right

I go into movie screenings with a piece of paper to write down my thoughts, little things I notice about my kids’ reactions and critical points of the film. This was the first time I came out a screening with a near blank sheet of paper. Shortly after it started I was completely engrossed in the movie and enjoying it for what it was. It didn’t feel like a weird spin off of the original, it stayed very true to it’s roots. So much so that it really felt like an extension of the first.

My 5-year-old’s Incredibles 2 Review

Did you like Incredibles 2?: Yea! I want you to put it on the TV. Can we watch it on the TV?

No, not yet. Why did you like it?: Because it was pew in baby Jack Jack eyes. [Laser eyes]

What was your favorite part?: The part when the baby was fighting the… The Squirrel? No, it wasn’t a squirrel. What was the baby fighting mom? A raccoon? Yea! And the part when Dash was running fast. Does he run faster than my dad?

Do you want to see it again? Why? Yea! Because! Because I really liked it.

Should Daddy and [big sister] go see it? Why? You and me, and Dad and [Lil’ J] we’ll all go see it. And when the baby sister comes out. I think [Lil’ J] will like it. She will like when they pew the eyes.

Was the movie scary?: No. When the guy came and turned the movie on it was loud and it scared me.

Which movie did you like more Incredibles Number 1 or 2?: Number 2. Why? Because I hadn’t seen the pewing part.

Cars 3 or Incredibles 2?: BOTH!

So there you have it! Straight from his little mouth. This movie had all of his favorite things: Trains, helicopters, motorcycles, animal battles, jets, boats, laser eyes.

Hopefully you enjoyed our Incredibles 2 review. We may update this post with my 7-year-old daughter’s take after we see it again this weekend.

Yes, see it again! It’s a great way to kick off the summer with a movie the whole family will love. So go see it then come back and let us know what you think!

 

Free Incredibles 2 Coloring Pages

Click here or on the image for free downloadable Incredibles 2 coloring sheets.

Read our other recent kids Disney movie reviews:

Wrinkle in Time kids review

Coco kids review

Cars 3 kids review

Beauty and the Beast live action kids review

Zootopia kids review

Moana kids review

Finding Dory kids review

Pete’s Dragon kids review

Ok I’ve been slacking on my movie review game. We got busy with Thanksgiving and then we all got really sick so I didn’t get around to posting this. But Coco was a fantastic movie and definitely deserves it’s own review.

We went as a whole family to see it and though I’d only really watched one trailer I did get to screen the first 30 minutes of the film a couple months ago and that got me really excited for the movie. I thought my kids would enjoy it, but I wasn’t sure how much. My son is an avid Cars 3 watcher, my daughter is only watching the crappy Percy Jackson movies over and over right now. So who knows.

We didn’t get to screen the Olaf short, so I can’t say how that was, we’ll have to update this when we go see Coco again. But so far I haven’t heard the greatest things about it so maybe we didn’t miss much.

Ok so let’s dive into our Coco movie review.

Coco is a family film to celebrate families

Pixar movies rarely disappoint and Coco definitely is up there with some of the best. There were plenty of laughs for both kids and adults, and so much beauty and meaning, It also didn’t hurt that the movie totally keeps you on your toes with twists and turns you don’t expect. Add in the fact that the movie has a great moral to follow your passions and celebrate generations of family and love and you’ve got a home run in my book.

I was watching the movie I kept thinking LDS people, or others who are really into family history will especially love this movie. It ties in the importance of the living to remember their ancestors. Coco isn’t the name of the little boy who stars in the film, that’s Miguel. And Coco is his great-grandmother, who lives with them. The movie really made me stop and think how lucky my kids are to know their great-great grandpa, who will be 99 next month!

Rich in culture

I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Dia De Los Muertos going in to see this movie. I knew it meant day of the dead and that it was a day to celebrate ancestors. I knew it was mostly a Mexican celebration, but from my understanding many Latin countries and cultures have their own version and adaptations.

Coco laid out the celebration pretty openly, but not overly obvious. In other words, it didn’t take away from the story telling. A mom explained the ofrendas, and how the marigold petals are meant to help guide the spirits to their altars.  And that Dia De Los Muertos is the one night a year their ancestors can come from the Land of the Dead to visit them.

Beautiful culture was infused with the food, clothing, bright colors and music. Fun fact… All the guitar playing you see in the film is using real guitar chords and fingering.

Another point I’d make about the culture throughout the film… I’d be curious to hear opinions of people who have family from Mexico/ are from Mexico/ know the culture and/or language. Being in Texas we have a large Hispanic population and our audience was hooting and hollering, some at parts where I felt like maybe I missed a joke. Like the grandma who likes to hit people with the shoe, you may have seen clips of that in the previews. It was funny to me, but I’m sure people who are in on that inside joke would probably understand it more. There were also occasional Spanish phrases here and there woven in with English which I thought was pretty cool. With context you can still follow along. I mean, you don’t need years of Spanish lessons to know what cacas means.

Is Coco too scary for kids?

Both of mine say no. But the big colorful part Jaguar part eagle part ram part five other things alebrije might be frightening to some small kids. The skeletons are all friendly but could be startling at first for some little kids in a dark loud theater. We watched it in 3D and I never for a moment worried about my kids being scared. But if yours have seen Zootopia or The Good Dinosaur, or even Moana and were fine, I’d say they’ll do fine for this movie as well.

Kids Review

So you might be wondering if Coco is appropriate for a 4-year-old. My son sat and watched the entire movie without one complaint. The skeletons didn’t scare him. I didn’t notice him laughing much but it sometimes takes him watching a movie a couple times to give me a reaction. My daughter however, was laughing several times throughout, and that always warms my heart.

From 7-year-old Lil’ J: Coco is a good movie for families to see because it’s about family. Miguel goes into the dead world to discover why his family doesn’t like music. They just wanted to make shoes, boring old shoes.

I think my friends would like it because it’s funny. It’s not scary, I think it’s good for kids 4 and up because my brother liked it too.

My favorite part was when Miguel was explaining to his great grandma how he used to run slow and how he learned to use his arms and run faster. It’s really funny.

I would like to see it again! It’s my new favorite Disney movie.

From 4-year-old Big T: 

Q: Did you like the movie Coco?
A: Yea!
Q: Why?
A: Because I liked it!
Q: Is Coco a scary movie?
A: No, it’s not scary.

He’s still a man of few words but I imagine this will be another movie we have on repeat once (if ever) he tires of Cars 3 (because the rest of us already have).

Overall I loved the movie. My husband came with us too and enjoyed it. It’s personally not my favorite Disney Pixar film, I think a couple of the Toy Story movies and Finding Dory are still up there for me. But I’d say this is in my top 10 for sure, and I’m excited to see it again! So if you were on the fence about seeing this one, hop over! You won’t regret it.

Did you see Coco over Thanksgiving weekend? What did you think?

Read our other recent Disney movie reviews:

Cars 3 kids review

Beauty and the Beast live action kids review

Zootopia kids review

Moana kids review

Finding Dory kids review

Pete’s Dragon kids review