Watch Best Kids Movies on August 2021 at Netflix

INTERNATIONAL    |   KIDS MOVIES     -  

Finding Dory
Walt Disney/Pixar
Pixar sequels aren't always the best of the bunch. "Monsters University" and "Cars 2" come to mind as movies that we could've done without (even if they're about as good as what you'd expect from another studio). But while 2016's "Finding Dory" didn't quite match the wondrous thrills of 2003's "Finding Nemo," it stands out as one of the better follow-ups in the Pixar canon. The movie follows Marlin and Nemo on a quest to find a missing Dory, who gets lost in an aquarium while searching for her parents. 

As expected, the animation is beautiful, the voice acting is terrific, and the new characters (especially Hank, the grouchy but well-meaning octopus) provide plenty of hilarious fun. But the most memorable part by far is when Dory follows a trail of shells to her parents' home, where she learns they've spent the years since her disappearance laying out similar trails in the hopes that, one day, she'd find them. We're not crying. You're crying.

Incredibles 2
Walt Disney/Pixar
"Incredibles 2" picks up where the gem of an original left off, with the super Parr family defeating the evil Underminer and continuing their campaign to restore the public's trust in superheroes. They get a big opportunity when Helen is approached by DevTech, a group run by a brother and sister duo that aims to stage and publicize superhero missions in the hopes that they can make superheroes, well, superheroes again. 

Problem is, this forces a jealous Bob to stay home and watch the kids — a task he's simultaneously insulted to be stuck with and incapable of doing properly, at least until he learns that being a good dad is just as honorable as being on the front page. The big reveal that one of the DevTech leaders is actually a villain who wants to maintain public distrust of superheroes is a bit underwhelming and nonsensical (why join an effort to restore public trust in supers at all if you already had them where you wanted them before?), but it hardly leaves a dent in this largely excellent, funny, worthy superhero family adventure.

Ratatouille
Walt Disney/Pixar
It seemed impossible for Pixar's winning streak to continue after catching lightning in a bottle so many times in a row. But continue it did with 2007's "Ratatouille," which follows the adventures of Remy, a rat who loves to cook. He dreams of leaving his rodent family and their lives as sewer scavengers to be a chef in Paris. But they don't let just any human run the kitchen, much less a rodent. 

You all know the story. Remy meets Alfredo Linguini, a bumbling busboy at a once grand but now declining five-star restaurant, and uses him to cook by pulling on his hair like a puppet. The restaurant becomes the talk of the town, but Linguini can't hide his secret forever. The story is "Monsters, Inc." levels of weird. If it hadn't been for that Pixar logo, most of us would've either ignored the movie outright or approached it with the same snobby skepticism Anton Ego had when he was served a helping of Remy's titular dish. But we all know what happened next — pure magic.

Cars 3
Disney/Pixar
We'll start by saying we're not sure why there was a "Cars 3," given the fact that the first two movies — while they certainly had their moments — collectively represent a relative low point for Pixar. So if there was any property you'd think the studio would want to cut loose to save their reputation for animated excellence, it'd be this one. Instead, it beats out every other Pixar franchise except "Toy Story" for most sequels, when much better films like "Ratatouille," "Wall-E," and "Up" have none. Maybe Pixar doesn't want to damage the legacy of those gems and was trying to redeem the disappointing "Cars 2" with a better third movie? If so, it was at least mildly successful. "Cars 3" is a good (not great) film that's a notable improvement over its somewhat mediocre predecessor.

As always, the movie follows Lightning McQueen, who's now past his prime as a rising generation of superfast cars threatens his legacy as the world's best racer. It succeeds where "Cars 2" failed, largely because it doesn't waste time with weird spy B-plots and because it remains focused on both its charming lead character and the themes of fame, age, and learning to let go. In the end, although it's largely been forgotten, "Cars 3" is definitely worth your time.