Family Picks

This animated comedy follows the Minions as they conquer Hollywood, lose everything, and then band together to clean up the monster mayhem they unleashed. Directed by Pierre Coffin, who also lends his voice alongside Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz and Jeff Bridges, it leans into slapstick adventure and fantasy that younger kids tend to love. Rated PG and sitting at 6.4 on IMDb, it is an easygoing pick for a relaxed family afternoon.

The pups land on a mysterious dinosaur island after a storm and meet Rex, a stranded pup, before Humdinger's reckless mining triggers a volcano and their biggest rescue yet. This animated family adventure from director Cal Brunker is gentle, colorful and easy to follow, which makes it ideal for preschoolers and early primary kids. It carries a PG rating, so parents can settle in without worry.

A returning classic worth a family night out, this live action adventure fantasy follows eleven year old Harry as he discovers he is a wizard and heads to Hogwarts. Directed by Chris Columbus and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, it holds up at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.7 on IMDb. The PG rating fits older children and up, and it plays across several cinemas this week so it is easy to plan around.