The Movies4Kids 2014 Movie Preview!
Welcome to the 2014 Movies4Kids Movie Preview! Below are just some of the kids’ movies, blockbusters, family adventures and teen flicks that will be coming to a cinema near you in the next 12 months. And remember, they’ll all be reviewed at movies4kids.co.uk, too!
Mr Peabody And Sherman
February 7
Based on characters that originally featured in the 1960s TV show The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show, this animated comedy has talking dog Mr Peabody and his adopted son Sherman trying to return the world to normal after they mess it up travelling in Peabody’s time machine.
The Lego Movie
February 14
Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Channing Tatum are among the stars lending their voices to this Lego adventure in which an ordinary guy (voiced by Chris Pratt) is recruited to help Batman, Wonder Woman and pals fight evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). If the trailer is anything to go by, it’ll be hysterical.
The Book Thief
February 26
Based on the acclaimed young adult novel of the same name, this is the sentimental but interesting tale of a young girl who is sent to live with grumpy Emily Watson and kindly Geoffrey Rush during World War II, and the dangers they face when they hide a Jewish man in the basement.
Welcome To Yesterday
February 28
A group of teens construct a time machine and get themselves in a heap of trouble in this sci-fi thriller that uses the ‘found footage’ technique of movies like Chronicle. Produced by Michael ‘Transformers’ Bay.
Vampire Academy
February 19
Based on the best-selling young adult series of novels, this follows seventeen year old half human, half vampire Rose, and her time training to be a guardian to her best friend, whom she must protect from nasty undead vampires. Oh, and there’s a hunky love interest, too.
Muppets Most Wanted
March 28
After the success of the rebooted The Muppets, our favourite stuffed pals return, this time with Ricky Gervais and a cast that includes Tina Fey, Ray Liotta, Tom Hiddleston and Salma Hayek. Kermit and the gang are on tour in Europe, but will the Muppets notice when Kermit is replaced by his lookalike, notorious criminal Constantine?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
March 28
Chris Evans returns as the World War II soldier who was deep frozen then defrosted in the present day in this latest Avengers spin-off. Scarlett Johansson (as the Black Widow) and Samuel L Jackson (as Nick Fury) also return to the Marvel universe, while Robert Redford adds some classic Hollywood style to the cast.
Rio 2
April 4
In the first Rio movie we learned that Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway) were the only two blue parrots in the world, but in this animated sequel it turns out we were told wrong and Jewel has an entire family happily living in the Amazon. Oh well, at least they have brought back nefarious cockatoo Nigel (Jermaine Clement) to cause some chaos. Jamie Foxx, Andy Garcia and Bruno Mars provide the voices.
Divergent
April 4
This will no doubt be dubbed this year’s Hunger Games (and it is based on a successful young adult novel). In the future, teens are sorted into different factions depending on their personality (e.g. bravery, honesty, intelligence etc) but Tris (Shailene Woodley) is a divergent, meaning she fits into more than one category but has to hide her true nature.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
April 18
Andrew Garfield returns as Spidey in this adventure that pits him against baddies Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Rhino (Paul Giamatti), while Emma Stone provides the glamour as Peter Parker’s love interest Gwen Stacy.
Tarzan 3D
May 2
Disney already did an animated Tarzan (with music by Phil Collins… shudder) back in 1999, but here we get another cartoon twist on the story of the man who was raised by apes. Here, Kellan Lutz provides the voice of Tarzan, who with love Jane Porter has to face a mercenary army led by the CEO of Greystoke Energies.
Godzilla
May 16
While Roland Emmerich’s 1998 monster movie was silly enough to be enjoyed by kids, we have a feeling this adventure from Monsters director Gareth Edwards may be a bit more scary (hurrah!) and one for teens and grown-ups only. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Cranston star alongside the big mutant lizard.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
May 22
While this sounds confusing on paper, it also sounds potentially brilliant – in the future, mutants are being online uk killed by nasty robots, so Magneto and Professor X (Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart) send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to the past to find his young self and the younger versions of them (Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy) so they can change the past to alter the future. Or something.
Postman Pat
May 23
Awww, every toddler’s favourite postie finally gets his own movie. In this animated adventure, Pat enters a TV talent show (his singing voice provided by Ronan Keating). David Tennant, Rupert Grint and Jim Broadbent are among those added their vocal talents.
Maleficent
May 30
Angelina Jolie looks stunning as the witch best known for cursing Sleeping Beauty into a long nap, and here we get to hear her side of the story in this live action adventure.
The Fault In Our Stars
June 20
Get the tissues ready for this weepie based on the bestselling youth novel of the same name. Shailene Woodley stars as the teen battling cancer who sets out to meet the novelist who wrote the book she and her friend Augustus have become obsessed with.
How To Train Your Dragon 2
July 4
Toothless the dragon and Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) return in this animated movie for more adventures. Featuring the voices of Gerard Butler, Kit Harrington and Cate Blanchett.
Transformers 4: Age Of Extinction
July 10
Shia LaBeouf is out, and Mark Wahlberg is in for this rebooted Transformers movie. With Michael Bay (Armageddon) at the helm once again, it probably won’t be aimed at the little boys who buy the toys, but older kids will enjoy the mega robots, explosions and sheer nonsense of it all.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
August 1
Another Marvel adaptation but possibly the quirkiest one yet as a group of misfits – one of whom is a tree voiced by Vin Diesel, another is a racoon with voice by Bradley Cooper – team up to keep a mystical orb from falling into the wrong hands. This is the movie that Karen Gillan of Doctor Who fame shaved her head for.
Planes 2
August 8
Subtitled Fire & Rescue, this animated sequel to 2013’s Planes will appeal to toddlers who want to see more animated fun with crop-dusting plane Dusty and his pals.
Boxtrolls
September 12
Based on the novel Here Be Monsters!, this stop motion comedy adventure is the story of an orphaned boy named Eggs who was raised by a group of trash-collecting creatures called the Boxtrolls. They’re under threat from an evil exterminator (Ben Kingsley) and only Eggs can save them. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are among the vocal cast.
Dolphin Tale 2
October 17
Remember the true story of Winter the dolphin, who was given an artificial tale after hers was damaged? Well, the real-life adorable dolphin is back in this sequel, along with human costars Harry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman – and there is the new addition of another dolphin, named Hope, who is also playing herself.
Alexander And The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day
October 24
Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner star in this comedy that should appeal to fans of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid. Eleven year old Alexander is having the worst day of his life, beginning when he gets gum stuck in his hair.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
November 21
The final book in the Hunger Games series has been split into two movies, following the blockbuster examples of Harry Potter and Twilight. With the last movie coming in 2015, this one follows Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) as she becomes a reluctant symbol of the Districts’ rebellion.
Paddington
November 28
Nicole Kidman is the baddie in this live action family adventure string everyone’s favourite marmalade-sandwich-loving Peruvian bear. Hugh Bonneville is Paddington’s human friend Mr Brown, Julie Walters is housekeeper Mrs Bird and Colin Firth provides Paddington’s voice.
The Hobbit: There And Back Again
December 19
The final instalment in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy picks up where part 2 left off, with Bilbo and the dwarves deep in the lair of dragon Smaug.
Night At The Museum 3
December 26
Ben Stiller returns to New York’s Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come alive after closing time, in this third instalment of the hit family comedy. Robin Williams returns as Teddy Roosevelt, while new cast members include Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and actress Rebel Wilson in a currently undisclosed role.