The movie-making business continues to rack up huge revenues, with the industry generating a record breaking $41.7 billion worldwide in 2018.
Children’s movies are regularly among the highest grossing films as Hollywood churns out family favorites time after time.
Never a year goes by without at least one blockbuster kids’ movie that every youngster wants to see and talk about. Read on as we look at some of the best kids movies made this decade.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Expectations were high for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with the movie the first-ever animated feature film in the franchise.
It didn’t disappoint, grossing over $375 million worldwide and winning Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and Annie Awards.
A stellar cast voiced the movie including Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson and Liev Schreiber, although Nicolas Cage undoubtedly stole the show as Spider-Man Noir.
Cage hasn’t always delivered the goods during his acting career, but his efforts in this one were truly remarkable.
“There are multiple Spider-Men in different dimensions that are kind of colliding together,” Cage told Entertainment Weekly.
“My character’s Spider-Man Noir. He’s really Peter Parker from the ’30s. I tried to channel those noir films with (Humphrey) Bogart, and have those kinds of sounds that he might make with (James) Cagney, or Edward G. Robinson, that kind of way of talking. I tried to give the character that.
“It was a lot of fun. I think it should be quite funny. The movie definitely has a sense of humour, and that’s a good thing because it’s good for the whole family.”
Toy Story 4
Many sequels to successful movies fail to deliver the same level of enjoyment, but it is fair to say that isn’t the case with Toy Story 4.
The original was one of the best kids movies of the 1990s, etching memories Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear into the minds of millions of youngsters.
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returned to reprise their roles of Woody and Buzz, once again delivering heartwarming performances that captivated kids everywhere.
The film had grossed more than $960m by August 2019 and Hanks believes his involvement in the entire franchise will define his career to his own family.
“The thing is about plays, they disappear in the wink of an eye,” Hanks told USA Today. “They’re never seen again. They no longer exist at all except in the collective memory of the people who came and saw it.
“I have great-grandkids that have yet to be invented who will be saying, ‘Hey, that’s my great- grandfather’s voice (in Toy Story).’
“And it will last because they’re still watching ‘Snow White’ and they’re still listening to Jiminy Cricket sing the same songs, and the same will be for me. And that’s a big concept to try to grasp.”
Inside Out
Set in the mind of a young girl named Riley, Inside out is a lovingly-made look into the trials and tribulations of growing up.
Riley’s world is turned on its head when her father starts a new job in San Francisco and she finds it hard to get to grips with the different lifestyle.
Guided by the emotions in her brain – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness – Riley is taken on a journey of adolescent struggle that everyone can relate to.
The movie proved hugely successful, grossing more than $850 million worldwide during 2015 and winning numerous awards. Actress Amy Poehler, who voiced Joy, says the film sends out a powerful message.
“Joy has been in charge for 11 years and is pretty comfortable being in the driving seat and assumes she’s going to be there forever,” she told the BBC. “We find out very quickly that Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust – the other emotions – want a turn at the wheel.”
“I love the message of the film which is basically that no-one can be happy all the time – and that’s OK. In fact, sadness may get you where you need to be.
“It’s a very revolutionary idea, especially for parents who are constantly obsessed with their children’s happiness, and in doing so don’t often allow them to be in the moment and feel their feelings, and it’s a great thing for children to understand, too.”
Frozen
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale ‘The Snow Queen’, Frozen tells the story of a princess who sets of an epic journey to find her estranged sister.
Frozen was a worldwide smash, generating over $1.2 billion as children and adults alike fell in love with the movie.
It took Disney a long time to perfect the script for Frozen, but the finished product is certainly worth the extended wait.
As with many kids’ movies, the soundtrack is a hugely important part of the film and Queen Elsa’s ‘Let it Go’ is unquestionably the song most people remember.
Idina Menzel, who was the voice of Queen Elsa, says the movie and the song have become an important part of her life.
“I was proud to be in it—any time you’re in a Disney movie, you’re stoked,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “And I was really happy I had this cool song. I knew Elsa was going to surprise people.
“But I didn’t know it would resonate so deeply and stir up so many young people to take ownership of the song. It’s a nice marriage of social media with a zeitgeist moment. Every day I receive a video from a friend of their daughter singing “Let It Go” in the backyard.”