Movie Reviews

*Most Recent Update 9/3/18*

It can be difficult to enter into important conversations with your kids. Sometimes, it's not easy to figure out how to bring up sensitive topics. Movies can serve as an easily-accessible bridge into hard-to-access territory. Here are some guides to help you use movies to start talking.

Feel free to browse, or go ahead and hit "Control+F" to search for a specific movie.

Movies A - Z

42
50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus
112 Weddings
Admission
Adventures in Babysitting
Aging Out
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Almost Christmas
Almost Home
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
Angels in the Outfield
The Angry Birds Movie
Anne with an E: First Episode
Annie
Ant-Man
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Antwone Fisher
Approved for Adoption
As You Are
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Infinity War
Batman Begins
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Belle
The BFG
Big Daddy
Big Hero 6
The Big Wedding
Black Panther
Black or White (Lori Holden review)
Blended
The Blind Side
The Book of Life
Born in China
The Boss Baby
The Boxtrolls
Bridge of Spies
Bridget Jones's Baby
Camp
Captain America: Civil War
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
Cars 3
The Case Against 8
A Change of Heart
Children of the State
Chimpanzee
Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman
A Christmas Prince
Christopher Robin
Cinderella (1950)
Cinderella (2015)
CLOSURE
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
Coco
Coraline
Creed
The Croods
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Curly Top
Daddy's Home
Daddy's Home 2
The Dark Crystal
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Dayveon
December Boys
Delivery Man
Despicable Me
Despicable Me 2
Despicable Me 3
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
Disney Descendants
Divergent
Divergent 2: Insurgent
Divergent 3: Allegiant
Doctor Strange
Doctor Who: Power of the Daleks
A Dog's Purpose
The Dropbox
Dumb and Dumber To
E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial
Early Man
Earth to Echo
Elf
The Emoji Movie
Ender's Game
Ernest and Celestine
Epic
Escape from Planet Earth
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Family Rewritten
Fantastic 4
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Father Unknown
Feeling Wanted
Ferdinand
Finding Dory
Finding Vivian Maier
The Finest Hours
First Comes Love
First Person Plural
The Flintstones
Follow That Bird
For a Better Life
Foster Parents Speak
Free Birds
Frozen
Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos
Ghostbusters (2016)
The Gift
Gifted
Gimme Shelter
A Girl Like Her
The Giver
The Glass Castle
The Good Dinosaur
Goosebumps
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
Hamlet
The Hanji Box
The Hobbit 1: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit 3: The Battle of the Five Armies
Home
Hotel Transylvania 2
Hotel Transylvania 3
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Hundred-Foot Journey
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
I Am Sam
I Can Only Imagine
I Feel Pretty
I Lived on Parker Avenue
Ice Age: Collision Course
Ida
The Identical
Identity Thief
The Imitation Game
In the Heart of the Sea
In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee
The Incredibles 2
Inside Out
Interstellar
Into the Woods
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Inner Workings
Instructions Not Included
The Invisible Red Thread
Iron Man 3
Jack the Giant Slayer
Jem and the Holograms
Johnny
Journey to Jamaa
Joy
The Jungle Book (1967)
The Jungle Book (2016)
Juno
Jupiter Ascending
Jurassic World
Justice League
K9 World Cup
Kids' Rights
Kiki's Delivery Service
Kubo and the Two Strings
Kung Fu Panda 1 and Kung Fu Panda 2
Kung Fu Panda 3
Labor Day
Lambert the Sheepish Lion
Leap!
The Legend of Hercules
The Legend of Tarzan
The Lego Movie
The Lego Batman Movie
The Lego Ninjago Movie
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
The Light Between Oceans
Lilo and Stitch
Lion
The Little Prince
Loggerheads
Losing Isaiah
Love Child
Love, Marilyn
Love the Coopers
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Man of Steel
The Martian
Martian Child
Max
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
McFarland USA
Meet The Robinsons
Men, Women and Children
Mickey's Big Celebration
Minions
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Moana
Monkey Kingdom
Monster Trucks
Monsters, Inc.
Monsters University
Moonrise Kingdom
Mothers' Day
The Mountain Between Us
Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Mully
Muppets Most Wanted
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
My Identity
My Life as a Zucchini
My Little Pony: The Movie
The NeverEnding Story
Newsies (Musical)
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Noah
Norm of the North
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Olaf's Frozen Adventure
Oz the Great and Powerful
Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim Uprising
Paddington
Paddington 2
Pan
Parental Guidance
Parker's Anchor
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Paycheck to Paycheck
The Peanuts Movie
Penguins of Madagascar
Peter Rabbit
Pete's Dragon (2016)
Philomena
Phoenix Wilder
Piper
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Pixels
Planes
Planes: Fire and Rescue
Ponyo
Power Rangers
Queen of Katwe
Ratchet and Clank
Ready Player One
Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. 
ReMoved
ReMoved Part 2: Remember My Story
Rio 2
Rise of the Guardians
Rock Dog
Rocks in My Pockets
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
St. Vincent
San Andreas
The Santa Clause
Santa Clause 2
Secondhand Lions
The Secret Life of Pets
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Secrets and Lies
Shaun the Sheep
Sherlock Gnomes
Short Term 12
Show Dogs
Silences
A Simple Piece of Paper
Sing
The Smurfs 2
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Snatched
Snoopy, Come Home!
Snowtime!
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Somewhere Between
Space Jam
Spectre
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
The Star
Star Trek Beyond
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Storks
The Storyteller
Strange Magic
Stuart Little
Superman: The Movie
Superman 2
Superman 2: The Donner Cut
Tales from the Organ Trade
Tallulah
Tangled
Tarzan
Tarzan II
Teen Titans Go to the Movies
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Thor the Dark World
Thor: Ragnarok
The Tigger Movie
Tomb Raider
Tomorrowland
Tough Love
Trolls
Turbo
Twilight
Twinsters
Two Secrets
Up
Vacation
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Victor Frankenstein
Visitors
War for the Planet of the Apes
We're the Millers
What to Expect When You're Expecting
When Marnie Was There
White Oleander
Wizard Mode
The Wolverine
Wonder
Wonder Woman
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
A Wrinkle in Time
X-Men
X-Men: Apocalypse
X-Men: Days of Future Past
X-Men: First Class
X2: X-Men United
X3: The Last Stand
The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
You Have His Eyes
Zootopia


TV Episodes

Adventure Time: Escape from the Citadel
Anne with an E: The Pilot
Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Big City
Doc McStuffins: Baby McStuffins
Doc McStuffins: The whole adoption storyline
Modern Family: The Future Dunphys
Monk: Mr. Monk and The Kid
Sesame Street: Gina Adopts a Baby
The Fosters: Episode 1
The Fosters: Episodes 2 and 3

Reviews by date posted (Click movie titles to go to the review)


                     8/13/18 - Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again













   8/7/18 - Christopher Robin




    7/24/18 - Hotel Transylvania 3













    7/22/18 - Ant-Man and the Wasp












   7/17/18 - For a Better Life

   7/3/18 - Tomb Raider












   6/12/18 - I Can Only Imagine



   6/5/18 - I Feel Pretty













   5/25/18 - Show Dogs












   5/22/18 - Pacific Rim Uprising












   5/15/18 - Foster Parents Speak















   5/8/18 - Phoenix Wilder












      5/4/18 - Avengers: Infinity War












  4/24/18 - The Dark Crystal

  4/17/18 - Ponyo













   4/10/18 - Sherlock Gnomes











  4/3/18 - Ready Player One












   3/31/18 - I Lived on Parker Avenue












   3/13/18 - A Wrinkle in Time

  3/6/18 - Early Man












   2/25/18 - Peter Rabbit
















   2/24/18 - Black Panther

   2/6/18 - Parker's Anchor












   1/30/18 - The Storyteller












  1/28/18 - Paddington 2












   1/2/18 - Justice League












  12/23/17 - Ferdinand












   12/19/17 - The Star

   12/17/17 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi












   12/12/17 - Wonder












  12/5/17 - A Christmas Prince












      11/27/17 - Coco






   11/27/17 - Olaf's Frozen Adventure











    11/14/17 - Daddy's Home 2












   11/10/17 - Thor: Ragnarok












     10/24/17 - The Mountain Between Us












   10/17/17 - Dayveon






















   10/4/17 - Mully













   9/28/17 - The Lego Ninjago Movie








   9/19/17 - Secrets and Lies























   9/8/17 - The Glass Castle












  9/2/17 - Leap!
    

  8/29/17 - Coraline 

   8/15/17 - Twinsters

























   7/29/17 - The Emoji Movie

  7/18/17 - K9 World Cup











  7/11/17 - Follow That Bird










   7/2/17 - Despicable Me 3


   6/20/17 - Silences

  6/13/17 - Cars 3


  6/10/17 - Wonder Woman

  6/6/17 - Snatched













   5/16/17 - As You Are 

 5/9/17 - The Hanji Box












   5/2/17 - Born in China

 4/25/17 - Gifted























  4/11/17 - Power Rangers
























   3/30/17 - The Boss Baby












   3/21/17 - My Life as a Zucchini
























   3/7/17 - Rock Dog 

 3/2/17 - Family Rewritten












  2/28/17 - Newsies musical

  2/14/17 - Monster Trucks

   2/9/17 - The LEGO Batman Movie

   1/31/17 - A Dog's Purpose








  1/10/17 - Stuart Little

   12/27/16 - Sing













   12/15/16 - Lion











  12/6/16 - Almost Christmas












  11/23/16 - Inner Workings

  11/22/16 - Moana


 11/22/16 - Doctor Strange



  11/15/16 - Space Jam










   11/14/16 - Trolls

















    11/1/16 - Wizard Mode
   10/25/16 - Tallulah

  10/18/16 - The Light Between Oceans

  10/11/16 - Bridget Jones's Baby

   10/4/16 - Queen of Katwe


   9/21/16 - Storks

   9/13/16 - The Little Prince

   9/5/15 - The NeverEnding Story


  8/16/16 - Star Trek Beyond

   8/10/16 - Pete's Dragon (2016)

  8/2/16 - Ghostbusters (2016)


   7/19/16 - The Legend of Tarzan

   7/11/16 - The Secret Life of Pets












   7/11/16 - The BFG


   6/21/16 - Finding Dory

  6/21/16 - Piper

   6/14/16 - TMNT: Out of the Shadows


   5/31/16 - X-Men: Apocalypse

  5/24/16 - The Angry Birds Movie


   









5/10/16 - Mothers' Day

   5/3/16 - Ratchet and Clank




   4/13/16 - The Jungle Book (2016)


4/5/16 - Losing Isaiah

  3/29/16 - Cinderella (1950)

   3/22/16 - Father Unknown

   3/15/16 - Eddie the Eagle

   3/8/16 - Zootopia


  3/1/16 - Disney Descendants

  2/16/16 - Snowtime!

   2/9/16 - The Finest Hours

  2/2/16 - My Identity

  1/26/16 - Kung Fu Panda 3

  1/19/16 - Norm of the North

  1/12/16 - Daddy's Home


   12/29/15 - Joy



  12/17/15 - Love the Coopers

  12/15/15 - Children of the State

   12/8/15 - The Gift

   12/8/15 - Spectre

   12/1/15 - Victor Frankenstein

  11/25/15 - The Good Dinosaur

   11/24/15 - Creed



  11/10/15 - You Have His Eyes

  11/3/15 - The Peanuts Movie

   10/27/15 - Jem and the Holograms 

 10/20/15 - Bridge of Spies 

  10/16/15 - Two Secrets

   10/13/15 - Pan

  10/6/15 - Goosebumps

   10/2/15 - The Martian

   9/29/15 - Hotel Transylvania 2





  8/25/15 - Fantastic 4

    8/18/2015 - Shaun the Sheep Movie












    8/7/2015 - Pixels

   8/4/2015 - Vacation

   7/28/2015 - Ant-Man    

  7/21/2015 - Minions

   7/6/15 - Tough Love

 





6/30/15 - Max












   6/23/15 - Jurassic World












   6/16/15 - Inside Out

   6/9/15 - San Andreas

   6/2/15 - Tomorrowland

   5/26/15 - Loggerheads


   5/12/15 - Feeling Wanted

   5/5/15 - Avengers: Age of Ultron

    4/28/15 - Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2


   4/14/15 - Monkey Kingdom

   4/7/15 - Divergent: Insurgent

   3/31/15 - Home

   3/17/15 - The Dropbox

   3/17/15 - Cinderella

   3/3/15 - McFarland USA


   2/24/15 - Jupiter Ascending


  2/3/15 - Strange Magic 

1/27/15 - Big Daddy

  1/20/15 - Paddington

   1/13/15 - St. Vincent

   1/6/15 - Exodus: Gods and Kings

























 12/21/14 - Into the Woods

12/16/14 - Annie

   12/9/14 - The Imitation Game

   12/3/14 - Penguins of Madagascar

  12/2/14 - Labor Day

   11/25/14 - Kids' Rights

   11/18/14 - Dumb and Dumber To

  11/11/14 - Interstellar

   11/8/14 - Big Hero 6

  10/28/14 - Ida

  10/21/14 - The Book of Life

 10/14/14 - ReMoved


 10/3/14 - The Maze Runner

   9/30/14 - The Boxtrolls


   9/23/14 - A Change of Heart

 9/16/14 - Rocks in My Pockets

  9/9/14 - The Identical












  8/19/14 - The Giver



  8/5/14 - Gimme Shelter


  7/28/14 - Love Child

 7/22/14 - A Girl Like Her













   7/3/14 - Earth to Echo










                     7/1/14 - First Person Plural

   6/27/14 - 112 Weddings

  6/24/14 - Lilo and Stitch

  6/23/14 - The Case Against 8


  6/10/14 - Tangled



  6/3/14 - Antwone Fisher

  5/27/14 - Blended


  5/20/14 - Snoopy, Come Home!

  5/13/14 - I Am Sam

  5/1/14 - Belle

   4/29/14 - Gravity


  4/25/14 - Almost Home

  4/24/14 - Rio 2

  4/22/14 - Finding Vivian Maier

  4/15/14 - Ernest and Celestine

  4/8/14 -   Visitors 


   4/1/14 - Somewhere Between

  3/27/14 - Noah

   3/25/14 - Muppets Most Wanted

   3/20/14 - Divergent

   3/18/14 - Mr. Peabody & Sherman

   3/15/14 - Paycheck to Paycheck

   3/11/14 - Philomena


   2/28/14 - The Lego Movie

   2/18/14 - Johnny

  2/11/14 - Juno

   1/21/14 - The Blind Side



   12/24/13 - Santa Clause 2

   12/17/13 - Chimpanzee



12/9/13 - Delivery Man











12/5/13 - Instructions Not Included


  11/28/13 - Free Birds

  11/26/13 - Thor the Dark World

  11/24/13 - Frozen


   11/21/13 - Short Term 12

      11/19/13 - Approved for Adoption

   11/5/13 - We're the Millers



   11/4/13 - Ender's Game

   10/16/13 - Up












   10/7/13 - The Flintstones


  9/30/13 - Curly Top

   9/9 - Secondhand Lions

   8/29/13 - The Smurfs 2



  8/19/13 - Pacific Rim


  8/12/13 - Planes

   8/7/13 - The Wolverine

   8/5/13 - Turbo


 7/29/13 - First Comes Love

   7/22/13 - Monsters University 


  7/7/13 - Despicable Me 2


   6/26/13 - Man of Steel


   6/7/13 - Love, Marilyn


  6/6/13 - Journey to Jamaa


   6/5/13 - The Great Gatsby


 6/3/13 - Epic the Movie


  5/31/13 - White Oleander


   5/30/13 - Star Trek Into Darkness

  5/23/13 - Aging Out


  5/20/13 - CLOSURE

  5/18/13 - The Jungle Book


   5/15/13 - X3: The Last Stand

   5/9/13 - X2: X-Men United

  5/7/13 - Iron Man 3

  5/6/13 - 42












  5/4/13 - Star Wars: Return of the Jedi


  5/2/13 - The Big Wedding

   5/1/13 - Martian Child




















 4/3/13 - Camp










      3/5/13 X-Men

   3/2/13 - Jack the Giant Slayer


 2/27/13 - Monsters, Inc.


   2/20/13 - December Boys


  2/17/13 - Identity Thief





2/13/13 - X-Men: First Class



 2/6/13 - Batman Begins


1/30/13 - Parental Guidance

1/23/13 - Meet The Robinsons



                 1/11/13 Despicable Me











1/8/13  Les Miserables







1/7/13  Superman 2: The Donner Cut


                             









12/25/12 The Santa Clause






12/23/12  Elf





                               





12/20/12 Life of Pi












12/18/12 The Hobbit








12/14/12 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button












12/11/12 Twilight













12/7/12 Superman 2














11/29/12 Superman: The Movie













11/23/12 Rise of the Guardians















11/9/12    Angels in the Outfield















10/29/12  The Tigger Movie

















10/26/12   Tarzan II













10/25/12   Disney's Tarzan



















10/24/12     Kung Fu Panda 1 and Kung Fu Panda 2











9/6/12         The Odd Life of Timothy Green













21 comments:

  1. I just finished watching Philomena and it was very touching. I'm a mother of adoption loss, a first mother, and another movie that recently touched me was called Gimme Shelter. It wasn't about adoption per say, but it portrayed an alternative to adoption in having support for the mother and not just the child she carries. It also shows how she left foster homes to live with an abusive mother before finding the courage to make her own way. Very powerful.. I highly recommend it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ariel! A friend recommended Gimmie Shelter to me only a few days ago. I really appreciate your recommendation and insight. I plan on watching and reviewing it soon. Thanks for commenting, for reading, and for sharing! Addison

      Delete
  2. Memoirs of a Geisha is a great movie depicting the Asian "system" if you will & the life story of the child told her as growing up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi a couple of movies i also like is "the golden compass","dans tes bras", "there was a little boy","high tide" with judy davis and a series "doña barbara"

      Delete
    2. Hi Kon Ka! Thanks for these recommendations :)

      Delete
  3. Life as we Knew It is another phenomenal movie about domestic baby adoption due to death of birth parents. Really makes you want to choose your guardians carefully!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks again! I've never seen that one, but you've interested me in it!

      Delete
  4. Follow That Bird is a Sesame Street movie that is worth vetting. As an avid Sesame/Muppet fan, it's one I'd have reached for to share with my (adopted) sons, ages 4 and 6, without a second thought. I'm glad I gave it a re-watch before sharing, as it tells of a (well-meaning?) bird welfare worker who decides Big Bird will be better off with a bird family, instead of his Sesame Street friends. He subsequently runs away from the adoptive family, and eventually ends up back with his Sesame Street friends. I have yet to show it to my boys.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Martha! Thanks for that suggestion. I remember watching that movie as a child, but I hadn't thought to review here. It definitely sounds relevant. I'll put it on my list to review. Thanks again!

      Delete
  5. Any ideas for movies with bio moms who at first don't want when their child try to reunite or they are a kind of villain but when the child is at risk they show love??? Similar movies to the one i describe is "the golden compass", "october baby", "dans tes bras" etc..please helpp

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kon Ka! This is a good question. I don't know any movies that are a direct correlation to the theme you're asking about, but a couple movies that might be worth checking out are two documentaries, CLOSURE and FIRST PERSON PLURAL. I have reviews of each on this site to help you decide whether they might be helpful. Please reach out if I can help further; my email is AddisonCooperLCSW@gmail.com

      Delete
  6. 'Like Mike' (2002) isn't on the list. It's about an orphan who finds a pair of Michael Jordan's shoes and is suddenly a magically talented basketball player. In the end he gets adopted. It's quite a feel-good movie and probably not realistic, but you might still want to list it.

    Regards, Mirthe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mirthe! Thanks so much for the suggestion. I've meant to review that one, and thanks to your suggestion I'll try to get to it sooner than later :)

      Delete
  7. Wouldn't the Harry Potter series fit this list as well? Also, Babe fits, the story of the pig.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yeah,forgot...there's a few anime films you should look into. The Beast and the Boy is one that deals with adoption in a rather unorthodox manner. Ponyo is one as well and When Marnie was Here. Check into some of those as well, they tell wonderful stories.

      Delete
  8. Hi there! Thanks for the good recommendations. Harry Potter would definitely fit! Babe seems worth reviewing too. Thanks also for the Anime recommendations. I know that Ponyo will be in theaters in March through Fathom events and I'm intending to catch it there. When Marnie Was There is one I've got available on the website :) Thanks again! Addison

    ReplyDelete
  9. Don't forget Matilda! One of my favorites!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That'd be a good one! When I'm back up and running, I'll take a look!

    ReplyDelete

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