Every Family Movie Night we present our boy with a number of viewing options, ranging from cartoons to live-action Disney fare to average, every day movies. And we show him trailers to help him make a decision. This past weekend he chose 1985's Arnold Schwarzenegger action-classic Commando. Yes... Commando. Now, before you issue my wife and I a Bad Parenting Award, keep in mind video games are far more violent these days. Sure, a lot of people die in Commando. Like A LOT of people! But it's all done in an over-the-top style that, when viewed today, is pretty damn silly. And the language? Well, trust me, kids hear and say worse on the school ground. Commando is simply a lot of macho fun. My boy laughed at all the one liners and had a big, shit-eating grin on his face for most of the running time. He loved the explosions and humour, and marvelled at Schwarzenegger's antics. So did I, and I've only seen Commando like 200 times. My wife had never seen it before, an...

Scooby-Doo is a cartoon franchise that just won't die, and I'm thankful for that. It's a childhood favourite of mine, and never gets old, although I do. The latest reboot comes by way of Warner Bros. and was intended to be in theatres right now. COVID-19 changed all that, so the WB saw fit to release it straight to Digital, continuing a trend I hope all the big studios embrace because my family and I are 100 percent on board with watching new movies at home. But what about the movie, you say? Scoob! is one part origin story, one part reinvention of the Hannah Barbara characters for a new generation of kids. It's beautifully animated, and pays tribute to everything we love about Scooby and the gang, while bringing them into the modern world at the same time. The jokes come fast and furious -- and are mostly kid appropriate -- while the plot moves equally so.  It turns out Scooby-Doo is part of an epic legacy that could unlock a door to the underworld. And the evi...

We're planning to expand our Family Movie Night viewing into different genres in the weeks to come, but we stuck with family friendly fare this week, and decided to revisit 2006's Night at the Museum. Well, my wife and I had seen Night at the Museum before, but our boy hadn't. He loved it! Us grownups? We were amused. Night at the Museum is light on story, but high on spectacle and silly humour. Griffon enjoyed the visual effects and comedy, especially the dinosaur and Easter Island statue. Shawn Levy keeps things moving at a frantic pace, and our boy didn't get bored until right at the end, which is a good sign. Ben Stiller keeps his schtick to a minimum, which my wife -- who isn't the biggest Stiller fan -- appreciated. I find him funny, and thought a heart-to-heart his character has with Attila the Hun was hilarious. I had totally forgotten the scene even existed. The cast is what saves this movie for us adults. Man, do I miss Robin Williams! He was suc...

Our weekly Family Movie Night tradition continues, and this week my boy demanded we watch the big-budget, live-action take on Sega's landmark game, Sonic: The Hedgehog. I was never a fan of the game, and am leery about video-game adaptations at the best of times. And let's face it, this movie wasn't made for middle-aged men and their drinking buddies. It was made for people who grew up on the game, or those in their pre-teens. My boy, who is eight, loved the movie, and he's never played the game. But he thought Sonic was a neat character, enjoyed the light action and visuals, and laughed a lot at Jim Carrey's villainous Dr. Robotnik. Carrey made the movie for me. I enjoyed his 90s schtick back in the day, and he brings it to 2020 in fine form. He hasn't been this funny in a long time, and I enjoyed seeing that energy and goofiness again. I liked the rest of the movie too. This is humorous, light-weight stuff that's that old cliche: fun for the whol...

We've started a new tradition in our house during this COVID-19 crisis, and that's a night where we gather and watch a movie the whole family can enjoy. Hence we call it Family Movie Night. The films aren't limited to cartoons and traditional kid movies. My boy is eight, so he can get into a variety of films. But we started with Disney and Pixar's Onward, as it just hit streaming, and comes from a reliable brand. Hands down, this is one of Pixar's best. It has humour everyone can enjoy, some vibrant animation, and a solid, fun and surprisingly emotional story. All things one expects from Pixar, only more so. The world of Onward is much like our own, only with fantasy beings living in a world with vehicles, houses, phones and computers, because using them proved easier than conjuring their own special kind of magic. However, Elvin teenage brothers Ian and Barley need to seek out some magic in order to spend one more day with their deceased father. It'...