Take Your Kids to Moana, and Make Sure They Know Bad Santa 2 Isn’t For Them

Rating: PG, for peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements.

The latest musical extravaganza from Walt Disney Animation Studios is a great choice for the whole family this holiday weekend with dazzling visuals, great performances, and an entertaining soundtrack of original tunes. Newcomer Auli’I Cravalho lends her voice to the title character, a Polynesian teen who’s next in line to lead her tribe. But she has dreams of leaving the island and traveling the high seas, despite her parents’ wishes for her to stay put. She teams up with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to return a magical stone to its rightful place, but the two encounter a series of obstacles and foes along the way. The vast majority of Moana is upbeat and delightful. Some of the villains are downright adorable, including an armada of pirate coconuts with mean, painted faces. But the ultimate enemy is a giant lava monster that rages and hurls fire balls at anyone who comes near. It’s dark and hulking and may be too scary for the littlest viewers. Moana also must deal with the death of a beloved relative, but it’s handled gracefully. But there’s so much here that’s worthwhile for boys and girls alike. Moana is about a strong, curvy girl who’s assertive and independent but also kind and loyal. She puts herself in danger for the well being of her people and, in the process, finds her voice and the confidence to serve as a leader. It’s a must-see.

Rating: R, for crude sexual content and language throughout, and some graphic nudity.

I know, you’re probably thinking: “Why would I even consider taking my kids to Bad Santa 2? It’s the sequel to Bad Santa. I’m no fool.” No, you’re not. But you may have kids who see ads for this Christmas comedy and are curious about it. You may even have older teens who’ve seen some R-rated movies and think they’re ready for this. Well, here’s what they’re in for: non-stop language, raunchy humor, crass sexual talk, graphic sexual situations, some serious nudity, and drinking and smoking throughout. Plus: It’s just not all that funny. Thirteen years after Bad Santa, Billy Bob Thornton is back as the title character. This time, he gets roped into robbing a Chicago charity by his former elf sidekick (Tony Cox) on Christmas Eve. In the process, he’s forced to reunite with his abusive, neglectful mother (Kathy Bates), who’s also in on the job. It strains desperately to be inappropriate and the jokes just fall flat. Avoid, regardless of your age.

Rating: PG, for thematic elements, scary images, action and peril.

Kids around 7 or 8 and older will be fine watching the latest exquisitely twisted offering from the Laika animation house. But regardless of your age, you’ll be in awe of this jaw-droppingly beautiful hero’s journey. Young Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson) is a boy with the magical ability to bring his vibrant origami creatures to life through music. But he also must face a great deal of darkness, including functioning as the parent to his depressed mother, a witch warrior. With the help of a monkey named Monkey (Charlize Theron) and a beetle named Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), he goes on a quest to find three crucial pieces of armor that belonged to his late father, a valiant samurai. As with Laika’s previous films, including Coraline and The Boxtrolls, Kubo features some inspired and dazzling visuals – it was created through painstaking stop-motion animation — but it also has some ideas and images that are downright unsettling. Kubo is in constant danger from the first moment we see him. When he was a baby, his grandfather plucked out his left eye in a vengeful rage, requiring the boy to wear an eye patch. Among the challenges Kubo must face is a sea full of giant, hypnotic eyeballs. And Kubo’s evil twin aunts (both voiced by Rooney Mara), who’ve come to collect his other eye, might be the most frightening of all. Dressed in black with Japanese Noh masks, they hover above the ground calling his name in eerie tones. (This is the one sight that truly scared my son, who was not quite 7 when I brought him to a screening; it freaked me out, too.) But there’s also a great deal of wonder and magic here. The details and colors are gorgeous, the action scenes are lively and there’s some amusing interplay between Monkey and Beetle. And Kubo’s bravery and resourcefulness should appeal to young viewers.