Best Netflix Family Movies for Relieving Holiday Boredom – CNET [CNET]

December 19, 2022 Ty Pendlebury technology

Now that the holidays are here and everyone is together, you may be looking for a way to entertain your friends and family. Netflix has one of the largest collections of original family movies including holiday films, such as the excellent Klaus.

From the sci-fi of The Mitchells vs. the Machines to fantasy to whatever the heck the Pee Wee Herman movie is, these are the best kid-friendly movies on Netflix.

Also, be sure to check our suggestions for kids’ streaming services, great family movies on HBO Max and the best Pixar films.

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Unlike the saccharine fluff of most Christmas movies — especially the ones on Netflix — Klaus is an origin story that’s both thoughtful and entertaining.

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Slumberland, starring Game of Thrones’ Jason Momoa, is an entertaining fantasy in the mold of Labyrinth or The Bridge to Terabithia. There may be other people in it, including a muted Chris O’Dowd (IT Crowd), but this is Momoa’s film — he’s just as charming and zany as you’d hope a dream-world outlaw friend would be.

Netflix

Over the Moon is a fresh take on the familiar “early trauma leads to a series of adventures and eventual self-discovery” trope. Produced by Jackie Chan, this is the story of a young girl, Fei Fei, who builds a rocket so she can visit a goddess who’s been exiled to the moon. It’s simply charming.

Netflix

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Lego Movie, Spider-Man Into the Spider-verse) bring their considerable production talents to this Netflix exclusive. As you’d expect, the animation is top-notch and the story is suitably larger than life. It’s a tale of modern technology gone haywire, and it’s up to the dysfunctional Mitchell family to save the world.

Netflix

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

Apollo 10 1/2 is an amalgam of three of Richard Linklatter’s previous films — Bad News Bears, Boyhood and Through a Scanner Darkly. It offers the rotoscoping animation style of Darkly while delivering a nostalgic reimagining of the 1969 moon landing.

Though Paddington is narrowly edged out by its sequel, the original is still great, with a winning set of performances by the entire cast.

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Though this is officially the third Pee-Wee Herman movie, the kids don’t need to have seen the others to know what’s going on. The plot is everything you’d hope for: “Charming man-child gets into a series of scrapes and meets colorful characters along the way.” It’s fun, and even funny, and not quite the cynical cash grab you might expect after a 28-year gap.

Netflix

Vivo (Lin Manuel Miranda) is a “honey bear” who tries to deliver a love song, written by his Cuban owner, to a famous singer (Gloria Estefan). With music by Miranda and a joyful combination of characters, it’s a sweet story about making up for lost time.

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So much more than “Moana with pirates,” The Sea Beast is an entertaining nautical adventure about how to not judge a book by its cover.

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Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl fans will find much to like about The Willoughbys — it’s a tale of four kids who try to send their uncaring parents away for good.

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The Adam Project is one of the better Ryan Reynolds movies on Netflix. It’s a time-travel story of a man who needs to team up with his younger self to save the world.