As a parent raising kids in an ever-changing world, I’m aware of just how much out there is too old for my kids. Be it language, adult themes, or the like, movies originally geared towards kids (more and more) are taking a trend toward appealing to adults. It’s difficult to find something out there that is truly G-rated anymore. Did you even realize that the last G-rated movie in theaters was Disney’s Chimpanzee (a non-cartoon true life story) this past Spring? This means that heavy hitters like Madagascar 3 and Ice Age were rated PG which means that parental guidance is suggested…in an animated movie….for KIDS!
When I had the opportunity to preview The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure {Rated GGG} with the creator a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance because I wasn’t convinced that anything could really be THAT family-friendly in this day and age. I headed out to the special screening with Charlie & Sarah. If you’ve seen this poster (as have I), I will readily admit that the movies (and previews) were….interesting. I wasn’t originally sold on it and actually thought it fell into the annoying category of kid television (think Barney).
The moms were encouraged to chat with Kenn Viselman (one of the minds behind Teletubbies). As he talked about the desire to create truly family friendly cinema as well as an interactive experience, he said things that truly resonated with me. The idea that children were not made to sit still at such a young age and watch a movie quietly for two hours. The thought that there is nothing truly “family-friendly” anymore on the big screen. As a parent, I know these things to be true. He sought to create something that the entire family could enjoy AND that mom and dad could feel good about taking the kids to see.
With a star-studded cast – Christopher Lloyd, Jaime Pressley, Cloris Leachman, Toni Braxton, Cary Elwes, Chazz Palminteri – Viselman lined up characters that would capture the attention of kids, but that adults could relate to (without the adult themes or language). With a talking vacuum, a chatty window, and the Oogieloves (Goobie, Zoozie, and Toofie), children are engaged from the start. In a film the encourages dancing, talking, laughing, yelling, and singing, it didn’t take long for Charlie to get up on his feet and answer questions and dance along to the beat. I truly felt like he was having an amazing experience and enjoying the special privilege of seeing things in the theater. The movie debuts today, Oogust 29th, and I encourage you to definitely give it a chance. Your kids won’t be disappointed and as parents, you can rest easy knowing that this film is truly rated GGG.
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Have you ever struggled with finding family-friendly programming to give your kids the true theater experience?
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