Review By JESSICA ALMY

When a mama mouse living in a field must save her family from the plow, including her son who is stricken with pneumonia, she discovers a secret world of super-intelligent rats who have suffered at the hands of vivisectors (at the National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH) and are seeking to create a community of their own.

Decades before Hollywood gave the world “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” Don Bluth’s animated movie provoked thought about medical research on animals.

Replete with dark imagery, the story has many scary scenes, as well as depictions of animal cruelty. Families concerned with animal rights may appreciate that the film shines a light on the “secret” of NIMH: the barbaric treatment of animals in laboratories. Be prepared, however, for your kiddos to ask lots of questions. In addition to the animal laboratory scenes, which show animals living in barren cages and researchers administering injections, one scene depicts an owl killing a spider in a tree cavity filled with bones. Predation can be a difficult issue for vegetarian and vegan kids — particularly in movies where the animals have human-like traits.

Rated G, this movie is geared to kids ages 6 to 10, although Common Sense Media recommends it for ages 8 and up.

Review By JENNIFER GANNETT

“Born to Be Wild” is an IMAX film focusing on the conservation efforts of two women working a world away from each other in different conditions but with aligned goals. Both have set up systems of caring for and ultimately releasing orphaned wild animals back into the wild. Daphne Sheldrick, who founded the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, maintains facilities in Kenya where young elephants who have lost their mothers to poachers are taken in, cared for and, years later, reintroduced to their native habitat. Birute Galdikas founded Orangutan Foundation International, which advocates and cares for orphaned orangutans in Indonesia as well as works to preserve their rapidly declining habitat.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, “Born to Be Wild” contains amazing footage of the lush Borneo rainforests and the dry Kenyan terrain. While the narrative explains the conditions, history and current work of each organization, the generous shots of the young elephants and orangutans (and their caregivers) are heartwrenchingly adorable — so much so that it is almost possible to forget the two distinct yet equally disturbing reasons that create the need. At the same time, it is the lack of emphasis on the deforestation in Borneo and poaching in Kenya that makes this movie not just appropriate but enjoyable for younger kids. Instead, while the issues are mentioned, the film specifically focuses on the work of these two women and those in their employ, as well as the stated goal of returning the orphaned babies back to the wild.

There are a couple of points in the movie which may be uncomfortable — namely, the reenactment of the arrival of one of the orangutans at OFI’s Camp Leakey and the footage of a capture of a baby elephant who had been spotted with a group of bulls, a scenario in which the young elephant would have starved to death. Both seemed contrived to add an unnecessary sense of drama to the film, though I later learned that yes, the elephant rescue just happened to occur while the film crew was on location. These are small blips in this compelling movie. I recommend this film for kids 5 and up (though as with all IMAX features, the noise levels and large images can be overwhelming for sensitive folk of any age). The experience of watching this, especially for children who are being raised with a heightened awareness of human interaction with animals, may be a very profound one.

Some webisodes have been created around the film. Check them out to get a flavor for the movie. You can enjoy some of the information and adorability from the comfort of your own computer.

Review By JENNIFER KALI

Dora’s cousin Diego is also an adventurer, but Diego is a boy with a mission. At the beginning of each episode, Diego announces, “Hi!  I am Diego and I am an animal rescuer!” Then he goes on to exclaim, “I love animals!” With his team, made up of his sister Alicia and Click the camera, each episode revolves around Diego rescuing a wild animal in need. The animals are in somewhat dangerous situations (such as stuck in a tree in a flood), but the show is fun and not too scary. Since each show is about a different animal, each show focuses on learning traits specific to each animal, and at the end of the episode, Alicia reviews the traits we learned and records them in her animal science journal.

My daughter, age 2.5, loves this show. She received a three-episode DVD for Christmas from Grandma and she begs to watch it every day. I think I know those three episodes by heart now. All seasons of the show are available on Netflix instant viewing, so thankfully, we don’t have to only watch those three episodes.

She’s also a big Dora fan. I enjoy Dora for her because she is a great female role model. She goes on outdoor adventures and there is nothing she can’t do. But I also really like Diego because it’s all about helping animals. Diego seems to be aimed at a slightly older demographic than Dora and teaches different skills. While both shows focus on problem solving and Spanish language skills, Dora seems more focused on lists and ordering while Diego is more focused on learning about animals. My favorite thing about both shows is that the main characters are non-white. Like my daughter, the characters have brown skin and big brown eyes, such a rarity in children’s TV and books. 

Overall I think this is a great show, especially for families with concerns about animal welfare.

Ages 2-7.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

Anyone who believes the old adage that publishers and producers can make works featuring male protagonists because they will appeal to both boys and girls (in contrast to female protagonists, which allegedly are of little interest to boys) has not watched a movie with my daughter. When we saw “The Muppets” in the theater, she zoned out for the first twenty minutes, repeatedly asking when Miss Piggy would make her appearance. The new character of the movie, Walter, held absolutely no appeal to her.

On the other hand, I adored this flick, which delivers a heavy dose of nostalgia for those of us who grew up in the ’80s. I loved the Muppet Show as a child — in part because my whole family would make popcorn and gather to watch it each week — and so I instantly connected with Kermit and the gang, and cheered for songs like “The Rainbow Connection” and “Manamana.” I also appreciated this film’s cultural references, from the ’80s robot serving cans of Tab to the nods to contemporary pop culture via appearances by stars of the tv shows “Parks and Recreation,” “Modern Family,” and “The Office.”

I didn’t notice any aspects of the movie that would be inappropriate for vegetarian or vegan families. While many of the animals are anthropomorphized, I personally appreciate the hens in the film, who sing a song like chickens might.

Rated PG. Ages 6 and up. For more intel on the movie (including when to take a potty break), check out Geek Dad.

Review By JENNIFER KALI

A holiday television classic. Peppermint Patty invites herself and a few friends to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving. Old Chuck is in a pickle because all he knows how to cook is toast and cold cereal. He employs Snoopy and Woodstock to set a Thanksgiving table in the back yard, and the three get to work in the kitchen buttering toast and popping popcorn. Dinner is served, but all Peppermint Patty can do is complain: “Where’s the turkey, Chuck? Where are the mashed potatoes? Don’t you know what a Thanksgiving feast is?” Charlie Brown sulks away embarrassed. Marcie points out to Peppermint Patty that she invited herself to Charlie Brown’s house and she should be thankful that there is any food at all. Peppermint Patty apologizes to Chuck and he invites everyone to a real Thanksgiving feast at his Grandmother’s house. The Peanuts gang all sing, “Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go.” The only problem? Grandma lives in a condo in the city.

This television classic is paired with a show called “The Mayflower Voyage” which is a serious historical account of the pilgrims’ journey and the first Thanksgiving that stars the Peanuts gang. 

I’m a sucker for classic holiday programs. Even before my daughter was born, I owned the Peanuts Holiday Collection and made it a tradition with my wife to watch each special as each holiday rolled around. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” certainly hold a special place in my heart, but I don’t remember watching “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” as a kid, so it’s easier for me to be a critic. 

Watching this with my two year old, and not quite remembering what happened, I had high hopes as the vegetarian meal unfolded. Charlie Brown serves his friends toast with butter, popcorn, and some candy. Assuming the butter is vegan like it is in my home, this looks like a great vegan Thanksgiving feast. So many Thanksgiving books and movies are so focused on eating turkey so I thought this would be a great alternative. However, it takes a nasty turn when it is declared that this feast is not a real Thanksgiving feast because it is missing the turkey and I don’t feel that it properly recovers from that. I think I would like this more if the conclusion had been that Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving regardless of what you eat, because that’s a nice message for vegetarian children who may feel different because they don’t eat turkey. 

I was also disappointed in the dated “The Mayflower Voyage” which refers to Native Americans as Indians and shows catching fish (not even to eat, but for planting corn). My two-year-old daughter, who has never witnessed fishing at all, said, “That’s not very nice,” which made me proud but also made me reconsider this show.

Sadly, we will be getting rid “The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” But soon enough we’ll be watching “The Charlie Brown Christmas,” so my disappointment won’t last long.

Not rated.  Ages 3+.

Review By JENNIFER KALI

I watched this movie with my daughter (2 years old) and her friend (3 years old).  We were doing overnight babysitting and thought a movie night would be fun.   I loved the Care Bears as a kid but knew nothing about this movie or the current incarnation of our 80’s cartoon friends.  I took a chance on this movie through instant streaming on Netflix.  Actually, we started watching this after my first choice bombed.  Turns out my daughter is scared of the Peculiar Purple Pie Man from Strawberry Shortcake, so my first 80’s cartoon revival failed.

It’s a stretch to call this a movie. It’s more like three episodes pieced together with the framework of an awards ceremony.  The Care Bears of Care-A-Lot are getting awards for the best rescues and after each award is given, we watch a clip of the rescue.  This type of framework seems to make it easier for younger viewers to follow as they don’t have to keep track of a long storyline.

The movie was cute enough.  The three year old really enjoyed it.  He was laughing at all of the right spots.  It seems my two year old was still a bit young to follow the story, but enjoyed it anyway.  Care Bears in general are a caring bunch and this movie was all about rescuing, so it’s a good theme for children.  The bears were in trouble and needed help but not so much that it scared my easily scare-able two year old.

I really like the theme of the second mini-episode.  One of the bears, Share Bear I believe, encounters a baby bug that seems lonely.  She decides that he needs a home and keeps him as a pet.  She calls him Nibbly because he really likes to eat.  Well, it turns out that Nibbly really, really likes to eat.  Nibbly starts to eat everything in sight.  Care-A-Lot is being turned into his feeding grounds and he is eating buildings, parks, statues, and more.  The other bears are not too pleased and inform Share Bear that she needs to do something.  She talks a lot about pet responsibility and how you can’t just get rid of a pet because you don’t like it, which is a great message.  But then her friends inform her that Nibbly isn’t really made to be a pet.  Nibbly is a wild animal that should live outdoors, which is also a great message.  Nibbly isn’t fit for an urban environment, so the Bears grow a garden on a nearby cloud that is large enough to sustain Nibbly for a long time and they set him free.  Other bugs hear about the garden and fly from far away to live with him and Nibbly is no longer lonely. Share Bear is sad to lose her friend and pet but happy to know that he is in a better place and will be much happier from now on.  Of course Share Bear wins the award.

Rated G.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

Last year’s big screen release, “How to Train Your Dragon” has a powerful message about tolerance and respect for animals. Set in a Viking village, the film opens on a scene of terrible violence in which humans and dragons are waging battle. The lead character Hiccup is eager to win his father’s approval and so sets out to kill a dragon. He’s sure he’s hit his mark, but no one is around to witness his act and the dragon appears to have gotten away. The next day, Hiccup takes to the woods to find his quarry, and there must decide whether to kill the wounded and bound dragon. He spares the dragon, who looks and acts like a combination cat-bat-shark and whom he later names Toothless, and this decision sets the stage for the rest of the film, which deals with his chosen role as a peacemaker in a culture of violence.

Ultimately, dragons and humans come to live together in harmony, but not before banding together to kill a gigantic dragon who rules over all the others (he’s the reason the dragons steal food from the humans).

While vegetarian and vegan families may be uncomfortable with some aspects of this film — humans ride the dragons and Hiccup refers to them as “pets,” and there is a lot of violence — ultimately, the story is about the two species coming to live in peaceful coexistence. No wonder the Humane Society of the United States honored the movie in its annual Genesis Awards.

As for me, I was particularly taken by a scene in which the Vikings are eating meat and discussing how a dragon bit off one of the character’s legs and thought it was delicious. It didn’t take much of a leap to reach the conclusion that just because something tastes good, it doesn’t mean that it’s worth causing another creature to suffer.

Rated PG. I’d recommend this movie for kids ages 7 and up.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

The animated movie “Rio” really had me at the first scene, where all the birds of the rainforest ascend into the sky to sing and fly in a huge, showy musical number. Add to the lush animation and the spirited music a storyline that revolves around the evils of the pet trade and wild animals belonging in the wild, and you know I was in movie heaven.

My daughter, who is 5 years old, enjoyed the humor, repeatedly cracking up until tears came down her face, and my husband was pleasantly surprised to discover that the voice of one of the main bad guys, a cockatoo, was none other than Jemaine Clement from “Flight of the Conchords.” Needless to say, we had a great time watching this family flick.

The story follows Blu, a blue macaw, from the time he is a fledgling in the rainforest of Brazil until he becomes a father, saving his species from extinction. Along the way, he serendipitously escapes from a truck hauling him to a pet store, lives in a bookstore in Minnesota, meets and eventually falls in love with the last female of his kind, overcomes his fear of flying, escapes wildlife traffickers, and rescues a bunch of other birds. As you can guess, this story moves fast!

Vegetarian families should know that meat is depicted briefly in one scene, but not in a very appetizing way. Parents should also be prepared to discuss with their kids the message this movie has about pet stores and about keeping wildlife captive — while it may seem obvious to grownups, pet stores saw a surge of clown fish sales after “Finding Nemo,” despite its anti-captivity theme.

Rated G, this movie is appropriate for kids ages 4 and up.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

You gotta love that kids movies sometimes say what adult films never could. Continuing the tradition of “Bambi” and “The Fox and the Hound,” the 2006 release “Open Season“ depicts hunting from the animals’ perspective, and of course, it isn’t pretty.

The main character is a grizzly bear named Boog, who was rehabilitated by a kind-hearted educator named Beth but never released to the wild. He lives in the garage, sleeps on an oversized dog bed, and eats fish snacks, until one day, he gets into some trouble with a friend and Beth realizes that he belongs in the wild. The plot revolves around his attempts to navigate his way home from the wilderness (to Beth’s garage) in one piece during hunting season.

Families who care about animal rights will get a kick out of the fact that the villain in the story — an avid hunter named Shaw — begins imagining that the animals are plotting against the humans in order to upset the “natural order” of humans dominating everyone else. In one particularly funny scene, Shaw imagines that the animals treat us the way we often treat them. Of course, this reality never materializes — but the animals are able to drive the hunters out of the forest.

While there are some sexual references (!) and a lot of potty humor, the real downside to this film from a veg perspective is that there’s a running gag which involves throwing rabbits. (The rabbits appear to be unharmed.) On a positive note, Boog realizes that his true home is in the wild and Beth is able to let him go, as any wildlife rehabilitator should.

Rated PG, this film is appropriate for kids ages 6 and up.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

Don’t let the title put you off too much. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is actually a decent animated flick. While there aren’t strong animal or environmental themes, vegetarians will be interested to know that this movie emphasizes eating in moderation — and that the meatballs in the title don’t actually come from animals.

Based on the book by Judi and Ron Barrett, this movie is one that is likely to appeal to a wide range of ages. We’ve seen it twice now. Kiddo loves the music and the fast pace, and I appreciate its emphasis on science and discovery, as well as the innocent love story between the protagonist, an inventor, and a meteorologist who’s trying to pass as a ditzy weather girl.

There are two animal issues that parents should be aware of. First, the inventor fits his monkey-companion Steve with a thought-translating device, which reveals that he doesn’t think about much more than food. Second, there is a scary scene in which genetically modified headless chicken carcasses come to life and attack people. It ends up being more silly than scary, but still ….

Veggie families might find that this film inspires some interesting conversation. Would you, for example, eat meat from a laboratory? Is genetic modification a good idea?

Ages 5 and up.