We are a family that loves movies and TV shows. Each week I’ll share what we watched and what we thought about them. I hope it will give you good insight and even some ideas if you’re stuck finding something new.
****These are the Christmas movies and shows we watched this year****
1.All the Die-Hard Movies. Ok, ok. I know that whether or not these are considered Christmas movies is a subject of debate. But hear me out. The first two take place on Christmas Eve, there are Christmas decorations AND Santa is talked about. Even though the 3rd one takes place in summer, there are mentions of Christmas throughout. Either way—they are fun to watch. We let the boys watch them for the first time and they enjoyed them all. The violence is about the same as the Mission Impossible movies, the foul language is about the same as most PG-13 movies (However, in the 3rd one, the F-bombs skyrocket, but that’s because of Samuel L. Jackson. So….), and there’s brief nudity in the first one—it’s one or two scenes that show a topless woman in a poster. We just skipped past those parts.
2.Klaus. This is an all-time favorite of ours that is now our must see on Christmas Eve. It only airs on Netflix and is a sweet, animated movie that envisions the beginnings of Santa. It’s set on a remote arctic island where a post master’s son is sent to prove himself. There is a major feud going on between two families and in his search to find someone willing to send letters, he encounters an intimidating widowed woodsman who also makes toys. They team up and their toy delivery brings about peace on the island. It’s absolutely a wonderful movie and story. It’s rated PG. There are some creepy looking characters that might seem scary to littles (you can read the parent guide here).
3.The Man Who Invented Christmas. This was a new to us one that Super Rockstar and I enjoyed. It’s about how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carole and how the famous characters came to life. It is wonderful and we loved it. It’s rated PG (you can read the parent guide here).
4.National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This is one we watch every single year–I think we have it memorized. It’s iconic and a must watch, but definitely not one for littles. It’s rated PG-13 (you can read the parent guide here).
5.Spirited. This is a new one that came out last year and will now forever be on our annual watch list. If you haven’t seen it, you must check it out. It’s a musical adaptation with a Christmas Carol theme—starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. It is absolutely one of the best movies with a great story, awesome songs and the dance choreography is fantastic. We all love it. It’s rated PG-13 (you can read the parent guide here).
6.Prep and Landing. This is a longtime favorite of our boys. It’s a short, animated show about the elves responsible for prepping each home before Santa arrives. It’s really good, rated G and appropriate for all ages.
I would love to hear your opinions and any suggestions you may have of what to watch.