2024 was an incredible year for family films. This is an area of Hollywood that will always be very successful, thanks to the fact that every member of the family can go see them. If a kid wants to see a new flick, there’s at least one more ticket guaranteed for that movie’s box office numbers. However, this has also led to some filmmakers not trying as hard in the past.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for this year’s biggest family hits. Those bringing these movies to life did a very good job at delivering not onlya movie that is palatable for everyone, but contains a message that appeals even to adults. A good family film can make a huge mark at the box office and 2024 sure had some hitters.
15’Despicable Me 4'
Directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage
TheDespicable Mefranchise is one of the most popular kids/family series of recent years. Spawning a spin-off series and four sequels,Despicable Mewas extremely successful. So, whenDespicable Me 4released in 2024, it was certain to be another smash-hit. It’s not easy for a franchise to continue such a great reputation across a whole six feature films (with a seventh on its way in the form ofMinions 3in 2026).
While it didn’t perform as well critically, the actual audiences—the demographic that the movie was meant for, really enjoyed it. While the series definitely didn’t need another film, the fact that they were able to pull off another, constantly evolving these characters, is impressive. It finds itself bringing a lot of laughs through the typical ridiculousness that these movies are known for.
Despicable Me 4
14’Kung Fu Panda 4'
Directed by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine
TheKung Fu Pandafranchise is one of themajor pinnacles of DreamWorksand modern animation as a whole. It’s a fan-favorite for many and the first three films were received very well critically. It’s no secret that compared to the movies prior,Kung Fu Panda 4doesn’t necessarily live up to the franchise’s potential. But when stacked up against the projects released in 2024, it’s pretty good.
Dreamworks always delivers when it comes to animation quality, andKung Fu Panda 4is no exception. It’s always great to see Po (Jack Black) back at work, and the same can be said for the fourth installment of theKung Fu Pandaseries. The action is a ton of fun, and the majority of the humor hits—especially for younger audiences. Vocal performances are all pretty well done, and all of this leads to a generally enjoyable film.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Directed by John Krasinski
If there’s anyone that the general audience loves, it’sRyan Reynolds. He has a charisma that people adore and adds to any project he’s involved in. His most recent kids/family project came in the form ofIF, which performed very well with audiences. The plot follows a young girl, Bea (Cailey Fleming), who discovers that she can see imaginary friends (IFs) and embarks on an adventure to reconnect IFs with their old creators.
The movie is brought to life through thewonderful art design of each IF, making them all feel unique and special in their own ways. It’s really cool to see even different animation styles bringing different IFs to life.The story is heartwarming, cute, and a bunch of fun, making it an entertaining ride for the entire family.
12’Orion and the Dark'
Directed by Sean Charmatz
Netflix has a very hit-or-miss reputation when it comes to producing animated films. Thankfully, for this smaller project,Orion and the Darkwas far betterthan anyone expected it to be. While it didn’t really blow anyone away, it was much more enjoyable than the typical Netflix animated project.
It manages to be very relatable to all audiences with its exploration of themes like fear and the general issues life can bring forth. Additionally,it doesn’t talk down to its viewers, which is a problem that family films commonly have. For some reason, studios think kids are much dumber than they are, and that can lead to dialogue and storytelling that feels very over-explained.
Orion and the Dark
11’The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'
Directed by Dallas Jenkins
Everybody lovesa good family Christmas film, but it’s always been difficult to find a movie on par with the originals, likeRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerandThe Santa Clause, but if a film got close this year, it wasThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Upon its release, it became a must-see smash-hit.
The film finds itself being different from the typical Christmas movie stories,surrounding a group of bad kids who plan to put a huge wrench into the town pageant by completely hijacking it. This added a rough-around-the-edges fun to the film that wouldn’t be found in the average Christmas release.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
10’Transformers One'
Directed by Josh Cooley
After being known for years as a film franchise that typically makes blockbuster young-adult-oriented movies (which aren’t the best, at times), theTransformersfranchise hit the world with a project for families everywhere. Upon its announcement, many were unsure aboutTransformers One, mostly due to the fact that the iconic traditional cast (especially the iconicPeter Cullen) was not going to be coming back for the flick.
But, despite the odds,Transformers Onehit screens to massive success. Bringing the “untold story” of Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron’s (Brian Tyree Henry) origins as friends-turned-enemies to viewers' eyes. Seeing the once-best friends devolve into hatred was not only compelling on the hero’s side of things, but the writers did a great jobcrafting an empathy and understanding for Megatron.
Transformers One
9’Moana 2'
Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller
After the vast accomplishment that was the firstMoana, it was pretty much guaranteed that it would garner a sequel of some sort and that reality came to life on November 27th. Upon release, it gained huge box office numbers, making its way intothe top 20 highest-grossing animated films of all time, currently holding the #16 spot.
While it wasn’t nearly as good as the first entry in the series,Moana 2’s quality is still undeniable. It was clear that the studios were aware of the pressure on their shoulders, because a lot of love and care was put into making the sequel, and it can be seen through the movie’s charm. It was always going to be tough to follow-upMoana, butMoana 2did as good of a job as any.
8’Sonic the Hedgehog 3'
Directed by Jeff Fowler
The final family film of 2024 to absolutely shake the ground beneath the film industry wasSonic the Hedgehog 3, to the point where people are still riding the high. So much so that theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise recently passed the $1 billion mark. The series has always been known for being goofy and fun while still holding a pure and moving heart at the center of each project andSonic the Hedgehog 3is the biggest example of this.
ThethirdSonic the Hedgehogmovie’s heart, driven by the fan favorite Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves), is far more dramatic and darker than the previous two, which honestly made it more compelling. The new hedgehog’s story contrasts perfectly with the typical unserious nature of theSonic the Hedgehogstories and provides a message that connected with everyone.“The light shines, even though the star is gone,” is a quote that shed tears all over the world.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
7’Inside Out 2'
Directed by Kelsey Mann
It’s no secret that audiences are getting pretty sick of Disney and Pixar prioritizing sequels over new franchises, so people were very apprehensive about getting a sequel to the already incredibleInside Out. However, when the second project hit on June 14th, it took the world by storm and exploded both critically and at the box office.
It quickly became the highest-grossing animated film of all time and for very good reason. Introducing new emotions that reflect the young Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) older age, the series seems to be growing with the audience that initially saw the first one in 2015.The struggles she faced as she began to experience Anxiety (Maya Hawke) were instantly relatable to pretty much everyonegoing to check it out in theaters. This allowed it to be captivating and enthralling for the entire planet.
Inside Out 2
Directed by Jon M. Chu
Based on the extremely successful Broadway musical,Wicked, it captured audiences everywhere in a chokehold, and its soundtrack has held them there ever since. With astounding musical and film direction and performances by the likes ofCynthia ErivoandAriana Grandethat are borderline Oscar-worthy, this flick has everyone’s hearts and has everyone returning to rewatch over and over.
Many had no idea that the project had a runtime of almost 3 hours because it flew by so quickly. Plus, being only a part one of the entireWickedstory, it left people wanting more than they ever thought they would. Ending on the iconic musical number, “Defying Gravity”, viewers were left with chills and yearning for the next installment.
