Gathering the family for a movie night is a treasured tradition, perfect for creating unforgettable memories filled with laughter and joy. Whether you want to unwind after a busy week, bond over shared humor, or enjoy a light-hearted evening together, the right movie can set the perfect tone. In this post, we’ve curated a list of the best family night movies that will have everyone in stitches, from the youngest kids to the grandparents. So grab some popcorn, get comfy, and get ready to discover cinematic gems that will bring endless smiles and giggles to your family night. (And sometimes you get to enjoy things like this General Mills and Fox Movie Download Promotion!)
Minions
Bananas!
If you’re like my family, you fell in love with Despicable Me and its scene-stealing Minions. If you’ve ever wondered how the Minions came to be, the prequel Minions is here to answer that! The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Digital HD come with three all-new mini-movies and even more Minions fun, perfect for the busy holiday travel season!
The Minions’ story begins at the dawn of time as single-celled yellow organisms who evolve to serve the most despicable of masters—from T. rex to Napoleon—until they find themselves without a master. One Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he—alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob—ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren. Their journey leads them to Scarlet Overkill, the world’s first-ever female super-villain. Traveling from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City and ending in ‘mod’ London, they face their biggest challenge yet: saving all of Minionkind from annihilation. This movie is as fun as it sounds!
BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO Blu-ray™ and Digital HD:
THREE ALL NEW ORIGINAL MINI-MOVIES:
• Cro Minion
• Competition
• Binky Nelson Unpacified
DELETED SCENE: ME, MYSELF AND STUART
AROUND THE WORLD INTERACTIVE MAP:
Explore the world of the Minions with this interactive map featuring a collection of games, trivia, featurettes, storyboards, and more, all themed to movie locations.
BEHIND THE GOGGLES – THE ILLUMINATION STORY OF THE MINIONS:
Get a “behind the goggles” look at the history and evolution of everyone’s favorite yellow henchmen.
WRITER:
See how the Minions evolve through different time periods. Writer Brian Lynch discusses creating distinctive personalities for the three main Minions, his VillainCon idea, and the Minion family.
BOSS’ OFFICE:
Illumination Entertainment CEO and founder, and Minions producer Chris Meledandri discusses the origins of Illumination Entertainment and the genesis of both Despicable Me and the Minions.
ART DEPARTMENT:
See how the Minions came to life, from the original concept art of the henchmen to the final creation of the Minions and how they are differentiated through new time periods. Also, see how the idea of Herb and Scarlett Overkill’s characters came to be.
GALLERY – CONCEPT ART (stills)
GALLERY – COLOR SCRIPT (stills)
COMPOSER:
Listen to how composer Heitor Pereira creates the sound of the Minions and what it takes to create big music for small characters.
ACTORS STUDIO:
Listen to the actors’ experiences being part of the Minions movie, their favorite Minions, and why they love them so much.
NOTICE BOARD (stills)
SAFETY VIDEO
ILLUMINATION MACGUFF ANIMATION:
ANIMATION:
Go behind the scenes and hear about the challenges and excitement behind the Minion characters and bringing them to life through animation.
LIGHTING, LAYOUT, AND EFFECTS:
A look at how layout and lighting play a big role in the emotion and motivation in the movie. Also, see how they maintain the 60’s vintage look and the challenges faced with technical shots, where one shot can take weeks.
3D MODELS GALLERY (stills)
DIRECTORS:
Directors Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda discuss the unique challenges of creating distinctive personalities for the Minions.
PRODUCERS:
Producers Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, and Executive Producer Chris Renaud discuss the three main characters—Kevin, Stuart, and Bob—and the goal of creating a special bond between them and the audience.
EDITORIAL:
Editor Claire Dodgson discusses the distinctive editing style of the Despicable Me franchise and the three-year process of making these movies from the original storyboards to cutting scenes with Minion dialogue.
STORYBOARD ARTIST:
Learn how the actions of the script are turned into visual drawings and the work involved from rough sketches to the final cut.
GALLERY – STUART HOT TUB STORYBOARD (stills)
JINGLE BELLS MINION STYLE:
This holiday favorite is brought to life in a merry-Minion way. Sing along to the beloved video that was the most shared piece of content on Facebook in 2014.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS THEATRICAL TRAILER
DVD BONUS FEATURES:
DELETED SCENE: ME, MYSELF AND STUART
JINGLE BELLS MINION STYLE:
Sing along to the beloved holiday favorite brought to life in a Minion way.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS THEATRICAL TRAILER
Pete’s Dragon
“Pete’s Dragon,” a reimagining of Disney’s beloved family film about an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot—who just happens to be a dragon—will be available on Nov. 29 on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD, and On-Demand.
Families will be enchanted by this magical movie and its never-before-seen bonus features, including a revealing look at director David Lowery’s personal diary from the filming of “Pete’s Dragon,” the design process behind the lovable dragon Elliot, deleted scenes, a tour of the film’s breathtaking New Zealand production location, audio commentary by filmmakers and actors, and hilarious bloopers. My kids hadn’t seen the original movie, so this was a fresh experience for them—and they loved it!
“Pete’s Dragon” stars Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World”) as Grace, a forest ranger in the Pacific Northwest who discovers 10-year-old Pete, played by Oakes Fegley (“This is Where I Leave You”). Oona Laurence (“Southpaw”) is Natalie, the 11-year-old daughter of Jack, a lumber-mill owner played by Wes Bentley (“The Hunger Games”). Karl Urban (“Star Trek”) plays Jack’s bumbling brother Gavin, and Oscar®-winner Robert Redford (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) portrays Mr. Meacham, an old wood carver who entertains local children with tales of a fierce dragon.
Pete’s Dragon was a hit with my whole family (Bill and I enjoyed it just as much as the kids!). If you’re looking to get the best version for Christmas, here are the bonus features available on each format:
BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:
Notes to Self: A Director’s Diary – Director David Lowery narrates the personal diary he kept during the filming of “Pete’s Dragon,” providing an intimate and fascinating look at the movie’s making. (LOVED THIS!)
Making Magic – Discover fun facts about the design process behind the spectacular, lovable dragon. (KIDS LOVED THIS!)
“Disappearing” Moments – The director shares a montage of the film’s “lost” scenes.
Welcome to New Zealand – Experience the wonders of New Zealand and learn why it’s a magical place to visit and make a movie.
Audio Commentary – Gain an insider perspective from director David Lowery, co-writer Toby Halbrooks, and actors Oakes Fegley and Oona Laurence.
Music Videos:
• “Nobody Knows” by The Lumineers
• “Something Wild” by Lindsey Stirling featuring Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
Bloopers
DVD:
Making Magic
Ralph Breaks The Internet
Ralph Breaks The Internet takes Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz out of Litwak’s video arcade and into the vast, uncharted, and thrilling world of the internet—an environment that may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman) must risk everything by venturing into the world wide web searching for a replacement part to save Vanellope’s game, Sugar Rush. Overwhelmed by their new surroundings, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the internet’s citizens—the Netizens—for guidance. Among them is Yesss (voiced by Taraji P. Henson), an enterprising website entrepreneur who serves as the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site “BuzzzTube.”
And here’s the new sneak peek that introduces Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”) as the voice of Shank, the tough and talented driver in an intense online racing game called Slaughter Race, plus new footage of the Disney princesses and more!
The Secret Life Of Pets
This holiday season, discover the answer to the question, “Ever wonder what your pets do when you’re not home?” with The Secret Life of Pets. Available on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, DVD, and Digital HD, this release features nearly an hour of bonus content, including three hilarious mini-movies: the all-new Norman Television and Weenie, plus Mower Minions, which debuted in theaters.
The Secret Life of Pets is a comedy about the lives our pets lead when we leave for work or school. Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) is a loyal terrier living a perfectly happy life until his owner, Katie (Ellie Kemper), brings home Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a big, boisterous mutt from the shelter. When Max and his unruly new “roommate” slip away from their dog-walker, they find themselves lost in the urban jungle of New York City. To stay ahead of animal control and a rebel band of abandoned pets led by an unhinged bunny named Snowball (Kevin Hart), they must put aside their differences to survive the epic journey back home.
This movie is incredibly funny. When we saw the previews, I hoped the movie would be just as good—and it was! Bill and I laughed just as much as the kids. I love when a movie is amazing for all generations watching.
Here’s what each type of DVD has to offer in terms of bonus material:
4K ULTRA HD™
The film is available on 4K Ultra HD™ in a combo pack, which includes 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray™, and Digital HD with UltraViolet. The 4K Ultra HD™ version includes all bonus features found on the Blu-ray™ disc. 4K Ultra HD™ offers the ultimate movie-watching experience, featuring 4K resolution for four times the sharpness of HD, the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR), and immersive audio for a multidimensional sound experience.
BLU-RAY™
Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring six times the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras, and theater-quality surround sound.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™
Allows fans to watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVES (Available on Blu-ray™ editions)
• How to Make an Animated Film: A behind-the-scenes look at the animation process from the various departments at Illumination.
• Anatomy of a Scene: Filmmakers and animators take us through the multi-step process of creating a specific scene in The Secret Life of Pets.
BLU-RAY™ AND DVD BONUS FEATURES
• Mini-Movies: Norman Television, Weenie, Mower Minions.
• All About The Pets: Kevin Hart and Eric Stonestreet, with the help of animal trainer Molly Mignon O’Neill, take you on an educational journey to learn more about household pets.
• Animals Can Talk: Meet The Actors: The comedy superstars who voice the film’s characters discuss their roles and the process of bringing them to life.
• Hairstylist To The Dogs: Inspired by Hairspray Live!, Eric Stonestreet, with the help of professional dog groomer Jess Rona, will show you how to make your pups look awesome.
• The Best Of Snowball: A fun and musical mash-up of all the best Snowball one-liners.
• Hot Dog Sing-Along: Join Max and Duke as they perform for their dinner in the sausage factory.
• Sing Trailer
• “Lovely Day” Lyric Video
• The Humans that Brought You Pets: Producers Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, directors Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney, and writer Brian Lynch discuss what went into creating The Secret Life of Pets.
• GoPro®: The Secret Life of Pets
• The Making of the Mini-Movies: Explore the themes of each mini-movie through the eyes of the artists who made them.
Choosing the right movie can turn an ordinary family night into a memorable experience filled with laughter, excitement, and bonding. Whether you prefer animated classics, heartwarming adventures, or thrilling tales, our list of the best family night movies has something for everyone. So, grab some popcorn, cozy up with your loved ones, and enjoy the magic of a great film together. Happy viewing!
