For most people, summer is the time of year that they want to get out of the house. The weather is inviting, there are activities going on all around, and being indoors seems like a waste of an opportunity.
There are times in summer, however, where a visit to a local movie theater seems appropriate. It’s a chance to get out of the house but also out of the heat.
At the same time, there are evening hours to fill, and sometimes the family wants to sit down and watch a movie together at home to complete a busy day of summer fun.
Let’s consider some of the movie viewing that is coming up at the end of summer 2022 and see what might interest you.
To Begin....
There is definitely some difficulty involved in picking a movie everyone in the family will enjoy. If there are small ones to consider, animated films or family comedies fit best. Pre-teens want a combination of amusement and excitement. Teenagers are impossible. (Kidding….)
Today’s filmmakers make a notable effort to add elements to a family film that will amuse or involve adults. Whether it’s some sort of inside joke that only grownups will get, or a reference to complications parents have when dealing with children, most family movies today attempt to appeal to a wide audience.
Both movies and TV shows have rating systems that allow parents to have an idea what will be best for the children in the family.
The movie rating system has been unchanged for decades, although the types of material that is graded PG vs. PG-13 has certainly changed. But G is still G, for all audiences. PG is Parental Guidance, PG-13 is Parents strongly cautioned with material possibly inappropriate for children under 13. R is restricted for under 17 year-olds unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
The Federal TV rating guidelines are fairly simple, and have been updated to include details on the kinds of movies and shows that are offered in the 21st century.
They are TV-Y – programs aimed at a very young audience, including children ages 2-6.
TV-V7 is programming appropriate for ages 7 and up.
TV-Y7-FV is programming with fantasy violence that may be more intense or combative than other programming in the TV-Y7 category.
TV-G is for general audiences, with the caution that they may contain minor scenes of violence or adult dialogue or situations. These shows generally are not recommended for anyone under the age of 7.
TV-14 is not suitable for children under the age of 14, and TV-MA is’nt suitable for children under 17.
With all of that in mind, let’s see what the last days of summer offers in terms of movies that will appear in theaters or streaming on your in-home devices:
Superheroes
Sorry, superhero movies are unavoidable these days. The Marvel and DC films are definitely too violent for all family members to watch (and often require viewing of a dozen previous movies to understand them). But there are some new types of superhero movies out this summer which your whole family could enjoy.
The DC League of Super Pets – The grandparents will know this and some parents might as well. Superman had a pet dog named Krypto, who had superpowers just like Superman. Along the way, DC Comics decided to find other pets with superpowers, and this is their story. The pets have to save the human members of the Justice League, and did so in theaters July 29.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – It might not be difficult to get the parents to view a new TMNT film. The animation style is different from the previous iteration of the heroes, but the characters are still the same – Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. This film debuted on Netflix August 5.
Secret Headquarters – A film that will appeal to the preteens and younger teenagers, Secret Headquarters tells the story of a boy who discovers a structure under his home that appears to be the former headquarters of a superhero. He and his friends try to determine who it belongs to, and eventually, all clues lead back to the boy’s father. This began being shown on Paramount+ August 5.
Other Choices
There are films that do not include superheroes, although almost all family films require some suspension of disbelief.
Luck – This is the animated story of a girl who believes herself to be the unluckiest person on the planet Earth. Then she winds up in a magical land where luck is everywhere. She must figure out the role she plays in a land so different from the world she came from. This began streaming on Apple+ August 5.
Hocus Pocus 2 – It’s been almost 30 years since we last saw the Sanderson sisters, but they are back in a new film on Disney+ to be released August 30. Some parents may know that this film was created out of a relatively active fan base requesting a new story about the popular witches.
Pinocchio – The classic Disney animated film gets its live action update with Tom Hanks playing Gepetto. Does anybody remember just how scary the original story was? This story is one that everyone should know, and the family will enjoy this Disney+ release September 8.
Another Possibility
There is one genre of filmmaking that usually appeals to audiences of all ages. Nature and animal documentaries are very plentiful and popular on both Netflix and Disney+. They certainly appeal to all ages, and the ones involving animals will spark the minds of even the youngest audience members.
They will also likely prompt a request to visit the local zoo or wildlife park the next day.
