Vegbooks reviews of movies, music, television, and board games.
As children of the 80’s, my wife and I are very familiar with Fievel and his family. We can belt out Somewhere Out There with the best of them. When I saw An American Tail on a list of recommended movies about…
Tags: An American Tailimmigrant experienceJennifer Kalivegetarians in films
One weekend, my family enjoyed a movie marathon of “Dr. Dolittle” and “Dr. Dolittle 2.” The first movie tells the story of a doctor (Eddie Murphy) who suddenly realizes he can talk to animals. He spends most of the…
Tags: 1990s MoviesEddie MurphyFamily MoviesJennifer KaliOlder Elementary
My family has mad love for all things Star Wars and the latest movie is no exception. We saw “The Last Jedi” as a family and my 8-year-old daughter said, “That was just amazing! It’s the best movie I’ve ever seen!”…
Tags: Depictions of Meat in FilmDiversityFamily FilmsFamily MoviesFantasyFemale ProtagonistGenderJennifer KaliOlder ElementaryStar Wars
Jane Goodall made her name 50 years ago through painstakingly observing chimpanzees in Gombe, and has recently been traveling all over the world promoting responsible stewardship of the earth and all of its…
Tags: Brett MorgenChimpanzeesDocumentariesHugo van LawickJane GoodallKristin WaldNational GeographicOlder ElementaryWild AnimalsWildlife
“Bee Movie” was a big hit for family movie night. Written by Jerry Seinfeld, who also voices the lead bee, this movie is funny and entertaining for the entire family. It was enjoyed by the kids (ages 3 and 8) and the…
Tags: Animated MoviesBeesEarly ElementaryFamily MoviesHumorJennifer KaliJerry Seinfeld
My kids, ages 3 and 8, are obsessed with “Dolphin Tale.” I reviewed the junior novel based on the screenplay recently, and the plot is exactly the same. But the movie, with real people (Ashley Judd, Harry Connick…
Tags: Animal RescueAshley JuddDolphinsEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFamily MoviesHarry Connick JrJennifer KaliMarine AnimalsMarine MammalsMorgan FreemanOlder Elementary
With the gorgeous posters, dramatic previews, and all-around hype surrounding the blockbuster “Wonder Woman,” it is tempting to throw caution to the wind and bring children to see this woman-directed, woman-centered…
Tags: Family FilmsFamily MovieFamily MoviesFemale ProtagonistKristin WaldOlder ElementarySuperheroes
I was so happy to hear that the American Film Institute movie theatre near my home was running a Muppet retrospective. The Muppets were a huge part of my childhood, but haven’t been much a part of my kids’ lives. But…
Tags: Depictions of Meat in FilmEarly ElementaryFamily MoviesFrogsJennifer KaliMuppetsOlder ElementaryPreschoolers
When my older daughter was three, we tried watching “Finding Nemo,” a movie beloved by many but way too scary for my daughter. My youngest is now three, and a parent of a friend of his suggested we watch “Finding…
Tags: Animated MoviesEarly ElementaryEllen DeGeneresFishJennifer KaliMarine Animals
I took my kids (ages 3 and 7) to see the movie “Trolls.” I had heard that it was about happiness but didn’t know much beyond that, so I was pleasantly surprised at the animal friendly message. In the middle of it, my…
Tags: Animated MoviesEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFamily MoviesHappinessJennifer KaliMeat-eatingMusic
We were excited to see this movie as a family. We’re dog people and happen to have a pug a lot like the character Mel (voiced by Bobby Moynihan) in the movie. We saw it on vacation at an awesome drive-in theater in…
Tags: Animated MoviesBobby MoynihanCatsDogsEllie KemperEric StonestreetFamily MoviesHomeless AnimalsJennifer KaliLouis C.K.Michael BeattieNew York City
We took our seven-year-old to watch this delightful movie about a big friendly vegetarian giant and the entire family enjoyed it. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the live action and CGI cast bring this lovely story to…
Tags: Family MovieJennifer KaliMovies for Vegetarian KidsPortrayal of Vegetarians in FilmRoald DahlSteven Spielberg
Our family loves outdoor movie night screenings, and thankfully these are pretty common in our area. This weekend we went to a screening of “Open Season,” which I was excited about because I’ve been wanting to watch…
Tags: Animated MoviesAnti-HuntingAshton KutcherFamily FilmsFamily MoviesHuntingMartin Lawrence
We watched “Free Willy” for our family movie night with our six-year-old daughter. I hadn’t seen this movie since it came out years ago. I was amazed at how strong the anti-captivity message is in this lovely family…
Tags: Amazon PrimeAnimals in CaptivityCaptive WildlifeEarly ElementaryFamily MoviesJennifer KaliOrcasStreaming MoviesWhalesWild Animals in Captivity
“Zootopia” loosely means “animal place” and in Disney’s new movie it refers to a sprawling metropolis with multiple climates/areas where mammals (both predators and prey) co-exist. Judy, as a young bunny in a farm…
Tags: DisneyEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumInterspecies FriendshipOlder ElementaryPredatorsShakiraWild Animals
My six-year-old daughter, a lover of horses, asked anybody and everybody for “only horse things” as Christmas gifts this year. She got shirts, books, earrings, temporary tattoos, and this really interesting board…
How is it we’ve posted 750 reviews on Vegbooks, and yet we haven’t reviewed Nick Park’s 2000 animated film “Chicken Run” yet? PETA includes it in an article on 10 movies that will make you go meatless and the…
Tags: Animals as FoodAnimated MoviesChickensEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFamily MoviesFemale ProtagonistHumorOlder Elementary
I was home sick with two kids (ages 2 and 6) by myself and took care of them the only way I could manage – an all day movie marathon. I was interested in showing them the super cute animated “101 Dalmatians” that I…
Tags: DogsFamily MoviesFurFur TradeGlenn CloseHugh LaurieJeff DanielsJennifer Kali
I saw “Cinderella” with my 4-1/2 and 6-1/2-year-old yesterday and it was a non-musical slightly modern twist on the Disney cartoon of yore. I wanted to write about the movie for Vegbooks because it had some animal…
Tags: AnimalsCate BlanchettDerek JacobiFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumHuntingKenneth BranaghPrincess
After watching “The Goonies” recently, my 9-year-old daughter has developed a taste for movies from my childhood. (Side note: did you know the actors who played Mikey and Mouth in “The Goonies” are now vegetarians?)…
Tags: 1980s Childrens MoviesDepictions of AnimalsDepictions of Meat in FilmFamily MoviesLive Action MoviesOlder ElementaryVegetarian
The movie “Book of Life” lived up to my expectations and then some. I absolutely loved the clever and detailed animation as well as the story within a story (within a story!). All the characters looked like…
Tags: animal rightsAnimated MoviesDay of the DeadFamily FilmsFamily MoviesHuyen MacMichaelLatino CultureMexicoOlder Elementary
My family has started to really look forward to the block of Saturday morning programming on ABC called “Litton’s Weekend Adventure.” This group of six shows, which starts at 8am in my neighborhood, can be enjoyed by…
Tags: Captive WildlifeConservationFamily ProgrammingJeff CorwinJennifer KaliMarine AnimalsOceansWildlife
If you are looking for new options for your little ones, I highly recommend “Peep and the Big Wide World,” available on PBS, Netflix, and Hulu Plus. Each episode includes a mix of animation and real life stories all…
For a recent family movie night, I settled down with my kiddo and husband (and a big bowl of popcorn) to watch the 2012 Tim Burton flick “Frankenweenie.” Spoofing on Frankenstein, the plot revolves around a boy’s…
Tags: Companion AnimalsDeathDeath of a PetDogsFamily FilmsFamily MoviesLossOlder ElementaryTim Burton