The kids are heading back to school, but the weekends are a great time to take in a family movie. Consider seeing ‘Alpha and Omega,’ a cute animated film about an unlikely duo on a road trip, or ‘Legend of the Guardians,’ a beautiful film about the secret life of owls. Here’s the rundown on family movies coming to theaters in September.
‘Alpha and Omega in 3D’ (PG for rude humor and some mild action. In theaters 9/17). Kate and Humphrey (Hayden Panettiere and Justin Long) are two wolves just trying to get home after being shipped halfway across the country by park rangers. Humphrey is the ultimate Omega wolf, full of snappy one-liners and happy to hang with his motley pack of wolves and video-gaming squirrels. On the other hand, Kate is an Alpha, obsessed with duty and discipline and fueled by sleek moves. Humphrey’s motto – make ’em laugh. Kate’s motto – I’m the boss. And they have a thousand miles to go.
Back home, rival wolf packs are on the march, and conflict is brewing. Only Kate and Humphrey can help restore the peace, but first they have to survive each other. A cute family movie with the usual message of the importance of friendship and working together for the greater good.
More after the jump, including trailers…
‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ (Not yet rated; likely PG. In theaters 9/24. 3D/2D and IMAX 3D). Filmmaker Zack Snyder isn’t exactly known for family movies; he helmed the R-rated ‘Watchmen’ and ‘300.’ But he makes his animation debut with this gorgeous adventure based on the books by Kathryn Lasky. The story follows Soren (voiced by Jim Sturgess), a young owl enthralled by his father’s epic stories of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who fought a great battle to save owlkind from the evil Pure Ones.
Soren dreams of joining his heroes one day, but his older brother, Kludd (Ryan Kwanten), scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father’s favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd’s jealousy has terrible consequences, causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it’s up to Soren to defeat the Pure Ones with the help of other brave young owls, soaring across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians of Ga’Hoole. Other voices include Emilie de Ravin, Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill. A truly beautiful film about family and perseverance.
‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’ (Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and thematic elements. In theaters 9/24). This is a must-see for fans of the original 1987 film by Oliver Stone, who directs this one, as well. This time around, Shia LaBeouf stars as Jake Moore, a young trader who’s engaged to Winnie (Carey Mulligan). She’s the estranged daughter of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), who’s emerging from a lengthy prison stint and looking to redefine himself in a new financial era.
The cast also includes Josh Brolin as the head of an investment bank and Susan Sarandon as Jake’s mother. Charlie Sheen makes a cameo as Bud Fox, the central figure in the original film. I can’t think of anyone better to carry on the franchise than LeBeouf, who, by the way, did the same thing for ‘Indiana Jones.’ While not exactly a family movie, teens 14 and older will probably love it.
‘You Again’ (Rated PG for brief mild language and rude behavior. In theaters 9/24). Maybe it’s true that we never really get past high school. As a successful public relations pro, Marni (Kristen Bell) is heading home to attend her older brother’s (Jimmy Wolk) wedding. Much to her chagrin, she discovers that he’s marrying her high school nemesis Joanna (Odette Yustman), who’s conveniently forgotten all the rotten things she did years ago.
But the rivalry doesn’t stop there. When the bride’s jet-setting Aunt Ramona (Sigourney Weaver) shows up, Marni’s mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes face to face with her own high school nemesis. The cast also includes the white-hot Betty White, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Cloris Leachman and Patrick Duffy. This is a really cute movie about being human, fixing past mistakes, and moving on with life.
Images: 20th Century Fox Films; Touchstone Pictures; Warner Bros.; Lionsgate
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