Universal and Disney are going head-to-head with new family movies this weekend. With a week’s head start and lackluster pre-sales on Disney’s latest live-action remake, Universal may prove to be this summer’s kid (and parent) favorite.

MINIONS & MONSTERS

Minions & Monsters is the latest in the Minions franchise, further building out the backstory of the little yellow mischief-makers before they found their permanent home with Gru in the Despicable Me films. This story tells us how the Minions have bounced from bad guy to bad guy through time until the outcasts of the group, James & Henry, find their true love: movies. The Minions become stars of Hollywood in the 1920’s – truly on top of the world… until “talkies” arrive. Suddenly, “Minionese” isn’t welcome and the group is left searching for a new home. That is, until James & Henry launch their most ambitious project yet – a Hollywood “monster movie” unlike any seen before. Using a mystical book of spells, they conjure up some of the biggest and most grotesque monsters imaginable and film their masterpiece… one that wins them back the favor of Hollywood’s elite filmmakers.

From start to finish, the film is fun and lighthearted – but it’s also a deeply meta homage to the movie industry and all the trials and tribulations that come with. Alison Janney is a standout as the film’s narrator playing a Hollywood museum tour guide to a bright-eyed group of students on a field trip. At times, the film even feels like it could be somewhat autobiographical of the Illumination team as they too worked hard to bring their various visions to life in Hollywood before eventually finding their yellow gold with the Minions and Despicable Me. If I had one complaint, for a film titled “Minions & Monsters,” it was a bit light on the monsters.

Hollywood loves stories about Hollywood, so I’d assume this will get some Oscar noms for Best Animated Film – but in this case, it’s deserved. The story felt far more complete than prior Minions installments. The plot was tight, the action was fast, and the script was snarky and smart. There are countless sight gags throughout and tributes to monumental moments in movie history. There are easter eggs throughout that adults will love while their kids are chuckling at the slapstick antics of the Minions. Minions & Monsters is a well-rounded film for all ages and I can’t wait to see it again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

MOANA

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I’m not sure why this live-action version of the 2016 animated hit “Moana” exists in this universe. Disney has been on a mission to remake many of its classic animated tales with live actors and CGI effects, however most of those have been of true classics, films that are decades old. It’s unusual to me that we would get a live-action remake of “Moana” so soon, merely 10 years after the original’s release. Even more striking is the fact that many of the original voice actors have returned in their roles – including Dwayne Johnson as a human version of his character Maui, Alan Tudyk as Heihei, and Jemaine Clement with his scene-stealing song “Shiny” as Tamatoa.

Even though I still struggle to understand why this film exists, I’m glad it does. The cast is great with returning favorites and a stand-out performance by Catherina Laga’aia as the titular Moana. The visuals are mostly stunning (with a few notable exceptions that looked very much filmed against LED-walls). The songs are present and in some cases refreshed with a new sound that just proves once again how timeless the Lin-Manuel Miranda soundtrack is.

This remake, which is nearly shot-for-shot just also further proves how perfect the first film was. So yes, that brings about again the question of why. I don’t know if we’ll ever get a satisfactory answer… but I think I will find myself rewatching this when it eventually lands on Disney+. I love animated features, but there’s emotion in the faces of the live-action cast that’s impossible to replicate in animation.

Overall, even though it’s a recent retread of a Disney juggernaut, Moana serves to reintroduce the story to a group of viewers who may have avoided the animated version simply because they don’t like animated films. That said, there’s still some 2D and 3D animation present in this remake (and I deeply appreciate they left Maui’s tattoo designs alone), but it serves to help tell a story that resonates so well with fans of the original. Even still, I’d wait for the streaming release to see it again. ⭐️⭐️