Family Movies 2002 List

On this Page:
December 25 • November 15 • October 11 • August 7 • March 15 • February 8 • January 25

Released Wednesday, December 25th

93%

4.5 / 5

(91)

The Lion King

A heroic coming-of-age story which follows the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king of the jungle. As a carefree cub, he is both excited and anxious to become king, one day, and spends his days frolicking with his pal, Nala. His father, King Mufasa, the revered ruler of Pride Rock and the lands that surround it, teaches him about the "Circle of Life"--the delicate balance of nature which bonds all animals together; Simba's father cautions him to prepare for the day when he will be called upon to lead. Mufasa's evil brother, Scar, hopes that day will never arrive and schemes to do away with the king and Simba so that he can assume the throne for his own tyrannical purposes. Scar and his hyena henchmen--Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed--lure Simba into the path of a wildebeest stampede in which Mufasa is killed trying to save his son. Scar convinces Simba that he is responsible! for his father's death and urges him to leave the Pride Lands and never return. A frightened and guilt-ridden Simba flees into exile where he is befriended by a wacky but warmhearted warthog named Pumbaa and his free-wheeling meerkat companion, Timon. Under the dubious guidance of this nature's odd couple, Simba adopts their "Hakuna Matata" (no worries) attitude towards life--taking things one day at a time. The cub matures into a young adult and is able to forget his past until a beautiful young lioness--who turns out to be his childhood friend Nala--arrives on the scene. She tells him of the hard times and suffering that have come to the Pride Lands under Scar's reign, and beseeches him to take his place as king. With the help of Rafiki, a wise shaman baboon, Simba realizes that his father's spirit lives on in him and that he must accept the responsibility of his destined role.

James Earl Jones, Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jeremy Irons, Matthew Broderick

93% WILL SEE

4.5 / 5

Coming Soon On Amazon

Released Friday, November 15th

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Poster

93%

4.4 / 5

(139)

Harry Potter and the Chamber...

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) has not had a good summer. Not only has he had to put up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and Uncle Vernon Dursley (Richard Griffiths) and their dread of his magical abilities, but it seems as if Harry's best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) have forgotten him – as they haven't replied to a single one of his letters. Then, suddenly and mysteriously, house-elf Dobby appears in Harry's bedroom and warns of great danger if the aspiring wizard should attempt to return to Hogwarts. Dobby is so keen to prevent the young Gryffindor from returning to the school for witches and wizards, he has blocked all of Ron and Hermione's correspondence from reaching Harry. But despite the elf's mischievous efforts, the ever-determined Harry is rescued from the Dursleys' dreary clutches by Ron and his brothers – with the aid of a flying car! – and welcomed into the warmth of the Weasley household. But when Harry and Ron are suspiciously prevented from entering Platform 9 3/4 and boarding the Hogwarts Express back to school, the boys take emergency action to avoid being late for the new term – only to incur the wrath of Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), who calls for their expulsion. Meanwhile, news of Harry's first year heroism has spread throughout Hogwarts and he finds himself the center of much unwanted attention. His new fans include Ron's little sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright); first year would-be photographer Colin Creevey (Hugh Mitchell); and most irritatingly, the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh). Outshone only by his own vanity, Lockhart craves the attention that Harry shuns and is only too keen to associate himself with Hogwarts' young hero. But not even Lockhart can offer an explanation or solution to the slippery and sinister new terror that is gripping the school. Now all eyes are on Harry, and his so-called friends are beginning to doubt him. Everyone, that is, except Ron and Hermione and fragile young Ginny, who has shifted her focus to her mysterious new diary. But Harry is not about to let his friends down and, with or without the support of Gilderoy Lockhart, he will confront the dark force lurking in his beloved school.

Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jason Isaacs, Shirley Henderson, Miriam Margolyes, Robbie Coltrane, Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths

93% WILL SEE

4.4 / 5

Buy DVD On Amazon

Released Friday, October 11th

71%

3.9 / 5

(15)

Pokemon 4Ever

The action centers on the backstory of the mysterious new Pokemon, the winged green Celebi, who is a strange time-traveler creature that has powers over nature as well as time and space, bringing new adventures to Ash, Pikachu, and their friends.

Veronica Taylor, Kunihiko Yuyama, Michael Haigney, Rachael Lillis, Ikue Ootani, Eric Stuart

71% WILL SEE

3.9 / 5

Buy DVD On Amazon

Released Wednesday, August 7th

Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams Poster

87%

4.1 / 5

(69)

Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lo...

The world is in trouble and top secret agents, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) Cortez are back for another adventure in "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams". Their newest mission takes them to a mysterious island where they meet a wildly inventive genetic scientist (Steve Buscemi) and his imaginative creatures. While fighting the forces of rival SPY kids, Gary (Matt O'Leary) and Gerti (Emily Osment) Giggles, they head right into a trap that will test each and every Cortez spy, from super spies Mom and Dad (Carla Gugino, Antonio Banderas) to their SPY grandparents (Ricardo Montalban, Holland Taylor).

Alexa Vega, Robert Rodriguez, Carla Gugino, Danny Trejo, Daryl Sabara, Steve Buscemi, Bill Paxton, Elizabeth Avellan

87% WILL SEE

4.1 / 5

Buy DVD On Amazon

Released Friday, March 15th

93%

4.4 / 5

(91)

Ice Age

Twenty thousand years ago, the Earth was being overrun by glaciers, and creatures everywhere were fleeing the onslaught of the new Ice Age. In this time of peril, we meet the weirdest herd of any Age: a fast talking but dim sloth named Sid; a moody woolly mammoth named Manny; a devilish saber-toothed tiger named Diego; and an acorn-crazy saber-toothed squirrel known as Scrat. This quartet of misfits unexpectedly, and reluctantly, comes together in a quest to return a human infant to his father. Braving boiling lava pits, treacherous ice caves, freezing temperatures and a secret, evil plot, these "sub-zeros" become the world's first heroes!

Jack Black, Cedric the Entertainer, Alan Tudyk, Diedrich Bader, Carlos Saldanha, Chris Wedge, Ray Romano, Goran Visnjic

93% WILL SEE

4.4 / 5

Buy DVD On Amazon

Released Friday, February 8th

80%

3.6 / 5

(27)

Big Fat Liar

14-year-old Jason Shepherd (Frankie Muniz) has a reputation for stretching the truth. So, when big-time Hollywood producer Marty Wolf (Paul Giamatti) steals his class paper and turns it into a smash hit movie, no one believes Jason's latest tall tale! On a cross-country adventure to set the record straight, Jason and best friend Kaylee (Amanda Bynes) devise a high-tech plan to squeeze the truth out of Wolf through a series of outrageous pranks and crazy stunts.

Sandra Oh, Shawn Levy, Brian Robbins, Frankie Muniz, Donald Faison, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Detmer, Dan Schneider

80% WILL SEE

3.6 / 5

Rent or buy On Amazon

Released Friday, January 25th

88%

4 / 5

(27)

A Walk to Remember

Shane West and Mandy Moore star as two high schoolers -- she a straitlaced preacher's daughter and he an unmotivated delinquent. When events thrust him into her world, he begins an unexpected journey he'll never forget.

Adam Shankman, Shane West, Mandy Moore, Daryl Hannah, Lauren German, Denise Di Novi, Karen Janszen, Clayne Crawford

88% WILL SEE

4 / 5

Rent or buy On Amazon

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