From Superman to the Smurfs: How to pick the best family-friendly films for the school holidays
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (PG, 125 min)
In cinemas now.
Who: Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost
What: Fantasy action-adventure. On the isle of Berk, the friendship between a resourceful young Viking and a Night Fury dragon points the way to an end to the hostilities between Vikings and dragons.
Well … It is hard to fault this reboot of the franchise on any level (with the possible exception of the two-hour run time). A genuinely family-friendly storyline keeps viewers connected, while the spectacular aerial sequences delivers plenty of excitement.
Which age group?
under 5yo: *
5yo – 8yo: ***1/2
9yo – 12yo: ****
13yo+: ***1/2
LILO & STITCH (PG, 108 min)
In cinemas now.
Who: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Zach Galifianakis
What: Family adventure. All hell breaks loose on a Hawaiian island when a lonely little girl becomes best friends with a chaotic creature from outer space.
Well … Already one of the biggest box-office hits of 2025, this irresistible live-action remake of the classic Disney 'toon is the safest choice for parents with a spread of age groups and tastes to cater for. Stands up well to repeat viewing, too.
Which age group?
under 5yo: ***
5yo – 8yo: ****
9yo – 12yo: ****
13yo+: **1/2
KARATE KID: LEGENDS (PG, 94 min)
In cinemas now.
Who: Ben Wang, Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio
What: Martial-arts action. After kung fu prodigy Li Fong relocates to New York City, he is bullied by a local karate champion before clashing with him in a high-stakes competition.
Well … The Karate Kid franchise never fails to have kids urging on an underdog to triumph against huge odds. The combat scenes are authentic without being too violent, but are best appreciated by late-primary schoolers and above.
Which age group?
under 5yo: *
5yo – 8yo: **
9yo – 12yo: ***
13yo+ : ***1/2
OCEAN with DAVID ATTENBOROUGH (PG, 95 min)
Selected cinemas, and also now streaming on Disney+
Who: David Attenborough
What: Marine documentary. An exploration of our planet's many undersea habitats, and their role in sustaining life in a multitude of forms.
Well … Telling the kids you're taking them to a documentary is right up there with asking them to eat more greens. Nevertheless, this sublime affair is one of the finest nature docos to hit the big screen in years, and will definitely make a huge impression with youngsters curious about the world around them.
Which age group?
under 5yo: *
5yo – 8yo: ***
9yo – 12yo: ***
13yo+: ***1/2
ELIO (PG, 98 min)
In cinemas now.
Who: voices of Zoe Saldana, Yonas Kibreab, Brad Garrett
What: Animated adventure. A teenage space fanatic with an active imagination finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where alien lifeforms hail him as a leader sent from Earth.
Well … This endearing effort from Pixar Animation becomes something special when it leaves Earth behind for a fantasy world in deep space. Characters are lively and well defined, and story is easy to grasp for all ages.
Which age group?
under 5yo: **1/2
5yo – 8yo: ***
9yo – 12yo: ***1/2
13yo+ : ***
JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH (M, 133 min)
In cinemas now.
Who: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey
What: Action adventure. In pursuit of a groundbreaking medical breakthrough, an unorthodox team hits the equator in a bid to extract the DNA of three massive dinosaurs.
Well … Now in its fourth decade, the long-running dinos-dining-on-humans series returns with a stirring instalment. Does get quite graphic when its prehistoric protagonists get munching, so the M-rating is deserved (and should count out younger age groups without question).
Which age group?
under 5yo: *
5yo – 8yo: **
9yo – 12yo: ***
13yo+: ***1/2
SMURFS (G, 92 min)
Opens in cinemas this weekend.
Who: voices of Natasha Lyonne, John Goodman
What: Family animation. When Papa Smurf is taken by evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission to the real world to save him.
Well … Yet to be previewed to media. Factoring in the contents earlier Smurfs movies – all of which did extremely well with early-primary and preschool audiences – it's hard to envisage anything much will have changed.
Which age group?
under 5yo: ***
5yo – 8yo: ***
9yo – 12yo: **
13yo+: **
SUPERMAN (M, 130 min)
Opens in cinemas July 10.
Who: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult
What: Superhero adventure. As the world around him changes, Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent.
Well … Yet to be previewed to media. An M-rating and a rather gloomy trailer suggests this blockbuster return of the most iconic of all superheroes is not for the little ones.
Which age group?
under 5yo: *
5yo – 8yo: *1/2
9yo – 12yo: **1/2
13yo+: ****
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