SOUL (2020)

Soul is a Pixar film about a man who dies just when he seems to have caught his big break. He meets 22, a soul who hasn’t been born yet and doesn’t want to be. The concept is really interesting as these characters form an alliance based on their opposite desires. I feel like this is a movie that cannot be viewed just once. It wasn’t one I fell in complete love with right away. I enjoyed it for sure, but the more I contemplate it, the more I believe it’s one that you will catch and understand more things as you rewatch it.

GODMOTHERED (2020)

Godmother is about Eleanor, a young Fairy Godmother in training. All she wants to do is bring some girl, any girl, her happily ever after. This movie wasn’t terrible. It was pretty sweet and there were some decent funny moments. Jillian Bean who played Eleanor was perfect for the role. But I feel like they could’ve had a little more fun with this movie. The flow also felt a little off. It felt kinda choppy. We say give this one a shot, but don’t feel terrible if you pass it up.

FOLKLORE: THE LONG POND STUDIO SESSIONS (2020)

We are Taylor Swift fans so we were very excited for this. It was really interesting to watch Taylor and her co-writers talk about the process and story behind the songs. That being said, while we quite enjoyed this movie, it did get a little long. I think this movie is one that can be watched in pieces or to have on in the background while you are doing other things. Kids may enjoy the music but we think they’ll get bored at the talk in between. If you are a Taylor Swift fan, definitely check this out!! If not, it is OK to pass.

ONE MORE MOUNTAIN (1994)

Oh look, a nice little pioneer story. So this family is going to track across the country to California. That will be a tough journey. Wait. WAIT!! You’re going with the Donners?? Don’t go with the Donner party!!! NO!!! Well, you did it. You went with the Donners. In spite of going with the Donner party, however, this movie was pretty boring and cheesy. They only mention the cannibalism briefly, so I don’t think young kids would be too traumatized, but they will for sure be bored. But props for it getting me to research more about the Reed family to learn about them and what really happened.

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (2020)

Ivan is an ape that performs daily at a little circus show inside a mall. When the show is struggling to stay afloat, its discovered that Ivan can draw. Will his art skills save the show? Or will Ivan even want the show to be saved after making a promise to set a young elephant free? The movie was fine enough. Okay to have seen once but not one that I need to rewatch or to tell others they need to see.

CLOUDS (2020)

A film about a teenage boy with cancer who writes a song with his best friend that goes viral. Based on a true story, the movie is pretty inspiring but overall for us just OK. I feel like the movie would have been really good if it was cut down by 20 or 30 minutes. It got a little long and repetitive at times. So we found ourselves getting a little bored. If it was just trimmed down a bit, it would have been great.

A TALE OF TWO CRITTERS (1977)

A bear cub and a raccoon get separated from their families when they’re trapped on a log floating down the river. They become buddies and we watch as they live out their lives together. This is one of those nature movies where they made a story out of footage filmed in real life nature, but you also have to wonder how much of it was forced so they could film it and how much was actually capturing nature. The movie did feel long. We watched this on Disney+ so check it out if you want, but it isn’t one you need to see.

UPSIDE DOWN MAGIC (2020)

This movie was like Harry Potter meets Divergent for little kids. A girl goes to a school for kids with magic where they are sorted into different houses, fractions, clubs, or whatever you want to call it. She is sorted into UDM (Upside Down Magic) with a small group of kids who’s magic isn’t quite right so they don’t belong to any of the groups. It’s believed that the UDMs are less than and that their magic is broken or unimportant and may turn into something evil if not gotten rid of. But, of course, in the end we find out that UDMs can be just as powerful and helpful as everyone else. This movie wasn’t too bad for a one time viewing and we think young kids will probably enjoy it.

SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND BORN ROYALS (2020)

A Disney+ original, this movie is about a…well…a secret society of second born royals. Second born royals apparently get super powers and must join this society to learn how to use them, protect their kingdoms and ultimately the world. It was cheesy and pretty predictable. The scene where each kid has a turn to use their powers as part of the big plan was a bit of a stretch. I know you have to have each kid have a role but it was so forced. We didn’t hate it, but we didn’t love it.

MULAN (2020)

The latest live action remake of a Disney classic. While this version does not beat out the animated version, we really enjoyed it. The action sequences were amazing and the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous! I know that a lot of people were missing Mushu, and to be honest, so was I. However, Mulan is what this movie is about and she doesn’t disappoint. I definitely think this is one to show the little girls to show that women can do anything they want! It isn’t a perfect movie, but we recommend to check it out.