How time flies as we are already in November and before you know it, the month of December to make way for 2024. These final two months in 2023 will have plenty of movies to look forward to on the big screen. So, if you happen to be looking for new family-friendly movies to enjoy together in the cinema, check out the following releases below.
1) Trolls Band Together (Nov 2)
The last time a “Troll” movie was released in cinemas was “Trolls World Tour” three years ago. Well, the cute little Trolls are back with Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) who have since become a couple.
The third movie — “Trolls Band Together” — focuses more on Branch, who used to be part of a boy band called BroZone. Then, one day, Branch’s long-lost older brother and former band leader, John Dory (Eric André) shows up and tells Branch that one of their band members, Floyd (Troye Sivan) is kidnapped by a wicked pop duo, Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells). “Trolls Band Together” continues the tradition that defines the franchise’s popularity in the first place: colourful cast, vibrant animation and lots of pop songs.
2) Wish (Nov 23)
The arrival of “Wish” is perfectly timed for the year-end school holiday. The latest Disney animated musical-fantasy features the voice of Ariana DeBose, who previously won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the “West Side Story” remake. She voiced 17-year-old Asha, who lives with her pet goat Valentino (Alan Tudyk) in the Kingdom of Rosas. After the cosmic force of a (literal) Star grants her wish, they soon team up to confront King Magnifico (Chris Pine).
“Wish” combines traditional hand-drawn and modern CGI animation and boasts original songs written by Grammy nominee Julia Michaels. Fans of the “West Side Story” remake get to hear DeBose’s vocal prowess in some of the songs including “This Wish”. And the good news is, co-director Chris Buck of “Frozen” and “Frozen II” fame is in charge of the direction.
3) MagiK (Nov 30)
On the local front, we have “MagiK”, which marks the second directorial feature for Yasu Tanaka in eight years since “Nota”. The movie combines inspirational family drama with fantasy elements, revolving around a 7-year-old deaf girl named Kit (Qisya Hairulzain) who lives in a village in Kuala Selangor. Her father (Beto Kusyairy) makes a living as a boatman ferrying tourists to see the fireflies. Her mother (Nadia Aqilah) is hoping she can learn sign language and attend school but Kit is more comfortable living in her world. Then, one day, Kit came across a firefly which seemed to communicate with her through blinking and flying motions.
4) Wonka (Dec 7)
In a perfect world, we would have enjoyed the double bill of Timothée Chalamet in November and December. The former would be “Dune: Part Two” but unfortunately, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood forced Warner Bros. to postpone the highly-anticipated follow-up to March 2024 instead.
But thankfully, we still have “Wonka” with Chalamet playing the title role. Directed by Paul King from “Paddington” movies, the upcoming musical fantasy traces back to the beginning, featuring an origin story of Willy Wonka before he becomes the famous oddball chocolatier. Roald Dahl’s popular children’s novel has previously inspired two big-screen adaptations including “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” in 1971 and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in 2005. It would be interesting to see whether Timothée Chalamet has the whimsical charm to carry the iconic Willy Wonka previously succeeded by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp.
5) Migration (Dec 28)
The Illumination production company is enjoying a banner year in 2023, thanks to the bigger-than-expected success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”. Their next animated feature “Migration” seems like a hit in the making. The story follows a family of ducks (among them voiced by Kumail Nanjiani and Elizabeth Banks) on an epic titular journey flying from New England to the Bahamas.
If you are familiar with the Illumination animated feature, you can expect crowd-pleasing entertainment that appeals to both old and young audiences. “Migration” also touches on inspiring themes related to courage, determination and perseverance.
