Staying Fit
Left to right: Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in "Barbie"; Miles Morales as Spider-Man (voiced by Shameik Moore) in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."
Warner Bros. Pictures; Sony Pictures Animation
School’s out for summer — which means plenty of time to hang out with the grandkids. If the air-conditioned pull of the cinema is calling you or you want to invite them over for a new movie that’s streaming, this season’s schedule of new releases is filled with films that have cross-generational appeal. You won’t have to grit your teeth through childish storylines, and they won’t be bored by a plot that’s too convoluted or grown-up. Here, the ultimate summer movie list to keep your whole family satisfied.
If the grandkids are in grade school …
Elemental (PG, June 16)
The premise: Pixar has become synonymous with multigenerational delights, and that streak is sure to continue with this high-concept animated comedy set in Element City, which is populated by fire, water, land and air residents. Korean American director Peter Sohn (who helmed Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur) was inspired by the multicultural New York City of his youth, and the story follows the budding — if a bit unconventional — relationship between the fiery Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis) and the watery Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie).
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Why they’ll love it: Expect plenty of kid-friendly puns and physical comedy, such as when a water resident gets sucked up into a sponge or a baby fire resident is pushed around in a BBQ-shaped stroller and fed with lighter fluid.
Why you’ll love it: Sohn has credited romances like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Moonstruck as inspirations.
Watch it: Elemental, June 16 in theaters
World’s Best (PG, June 23)
The premise: You might know actor Utkarsh Ambudkar from his role on the CBS sitcom Ghosts, and he takes on a spirited role of his own in this hip-hop musical comedy, which he cowrote, coproduced and costars in. As 12-year-old math whiz Prem Patel (Manny Magnus) deals with the stresses of adolescence, he discovers that his late father, Suresh (Ambudkar), was an up-and-coming rapper. With the help of his dad’s ghostly presence, Prem decides to follow in his footsteps to see if rap is really in his DNA. World’s Best represents the first time a South Asian family has been the centerpiece of a Disney movie.
Why they’ll love it: The school-set musical numbers are heaps of fun, and Prem’s classmates are scene-stealing stars.
Why you’ll love it: Ambudkar used to perform with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s improv hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme (and even played Aaron Burr in developmental readings of Hamilton!), and he cowrote the catchy tunes in the film.
Watch it: World’s Best, June 23 on Disney+
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (PG, June 30)
The premise: In this DreamWorks Animation coming-of-age comedy, 16-year-old Ruby Gillman (voiced by Lana Condor) breaks her mom’s one rule: Never get in the water at the beach. When she does, she quickly finds out that she’s actually part of a long line of krakens, and she’s destined to inherit the throne from her grandmother, the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas. Making matters even more complicated is a new popular girl at school named Chelsea (Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner Annie Murphy) who happens to be a mermaid — the sworn enemies of the krakens.
Why they’ll love it: Condor is a favorite from Netflix’s To All the Boys young-adult rom-com trilogy.
Why you’ll love it: Ruby’s regal grandma is voiced by none other than Hollywood royalty Jane Fonda, 85.
Watch it: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, June 30 in theaters
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