Title: The Willoughbys
MPAA Rating: PG
Directors: Kris Pearn, Cory Evans, Rob Lodermeier
Starring: Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins

What It Is: When Father (Martin Short) and Mother (Jane Krakowski) Willoughby have a child, Tim (Forte) they don’t treat him very nicely. When three more children Jane (Cara) and the twins Phil and Yokel (Brian Drummond) come into the picture they are all but abandoned. Left to fend for themselves. When they fool their parents into taking a trip around the world they’re left in the care of Nanny (Rudolph) who opens their world to things they’ve never like attention and love. This changes their world so that they hope their parents never come back but they have to eventually…right?

What We Think: There’s a central message here that quickly becomes easy to figure out. It’s a positive message delivered wonderfully. This is an animated film that surprised me and will certainly surprise the audiences that venture into this Netflix exclusive. I loved the voice cast on this one and even pop singer Alessia Cara take a turn in the spotlight as a well-performed character. There’s a surprising amount of heart here. This film’s ability to make you feel happy and positive is at a very unique level. There are moments here that simply leave you satisfied.

Our Grade: B-, This is JUST the sort of animated film people need to see. One with a positive influence and great message of family. Disney wouldn’t make a film like this. They’re content with their content and bless them for it. This is an animated film that uses a unique visual style and comes off as sincere and unpandering (something the mouse can’t always say). It doesn’t reinvent the narrative wheel, which is something you COULD go after it for, but nonetheless it’s easy to access (I mean it’s on Netflix) and fun story make this a must-watch for families and a check it out for others.