Christmastime traditionally means watching TV with the kids. CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES suggests some fodder the whole family can enjoy

The holidays are almost here and for people who have children that means only one (OK one of many) thing: family TV time! With so many cartoons to navigate, most of them wildly inappropriate for kids (still fun though) and some of them hyper violent, as a Christmas gift to you here’s some movies you can watch with your little ones and not want to shoot yourself. So, no Minions.

Back in the Outback

Just dropped on Netflix last week, this movie is fun for the family but can also be seen time and time again. A group of animals in an animal sanctuary decide to make a break for it to go back to the wild, as they did in Madagascar. Minus the cute but insane penguins, Back in the Outback also copies another element from the wildly successful Madagascar: the animals have personalities that are in direct contradiction with their perceived appearance.

This time, the sanctuary is an animal park in Sydney and the animals are only found in the Australian outback. Tired of how the world sees them they decide to escape but soon find themselves saddled with a problem: the park’s star animal, a koala named Pretty Boy, unwillingly joins their ranks and is immediately mean and hostile.

Other than the-by-numbers plot and the repetitive jokes, Back in the Outback has a great message for kids (don’t judge someone by how they look), it’s colourful and the animation is great. I could think of a lot worse things to watch while hanging out with your kids. Like Minions, for example.

Klaus

Winner of numerous awards, including a Bafta for Best Animated Film, this 2019 Netflix production tells an alternative origin story for Santa Klaus, as narrated by our hero, a mailman named Jasper. A heart-warming story about perseverance, altruism and coping with feelings of loss and death, this animated film also stands out because of its animation style: director Sergio Pablos opted for a traditional, hand-drawn 2D style, with a mix of modern animation. The style gave the film even more of a retro feeling that blended flawlessly with the story.

Jasper, our hero, is the spoiled son of the Post Master General, who after failing postman academy is sent by his father to a distant community with the task of delivering 6,000 letters. If Jasper fails, he will be disinherited. There, our hero faces the hostile townspeople and in particular a man who lives alone in the forest. A man with a big belly, a great white beard and a hobby of making toys…

Exactly the level of nuance you will not find in a Minions movie.

Vivo

What is a children’s movie without some music and who better to do it than musical superstar Lin Manuel Miranda? The Hamilton star in this film voices Vivo, an instrument-playing monkey accompanying old man Andres. The pair live their days happily in Havana, Cuba until Andres receives a letter from long lost love Marta asking him if they would like to reconnect. Andres, who never told her how he felt about her, put his feelings down in a song but died the very day he received the letter. Determined to carry out his master’s last wish, Vivo embarks on an adventure that will take him to Florida and to Marta, now an international superstar, to hand her the song written by Andres.

A classic fish-out-of-water story, made infinitely better through the musical genius of Miranda, Vivo will take you on a magical journey through the sounds of Latin America and its culture, a movie full of heart, rhythm, vivid colours and great music!

Exactly the movie elements Minions lacks.