In anticipation of International Family Day this weekend, we're bringing you our picks for the best family movies decade by decade.
At times like these, family movies provide great comfort, as well as entertainment. And there were some brilliant offerings for the whole clann during the 2000s.
We've picked a selection of live-action as well as animated movies for you to enjoy from home.
We're even sussed out exactly where you can find them on demand.
Lilo & Stitch
A disgraced alien scientist creates a vicious blue creature that seems to be driven by destructive tendencies. The critter, Experiment 626, is banished, but before the sentence can be carried out, he escapes and somehow lands in Hawaii. There he encounters Lilo, a quick tempered young girl who is being raised by her older sister, Nani.
The Incredibles
'The Incredibles' is probably Pixar's finest moment of the 2000s. After years of serving his city and saving its citizens, Mr Incredible aka Bob Parr is forced to hang up his superhero suit. His two kids aren't exactly fitting in either, the resentment they feel festering within the home, run by matriarch Helen. But when Bob gets an opportunity to become Mr Incredible again, he seizes it with both hands, not imagining the consequences of his actions.
Walle
Aside from that opening montage in Pixar ally 'Up' where a married couple grow old together (mentioned below), 'Walle' is probably the most romantic animated movie in recent years. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it follows a small waste-collecting robot named 'Walle', whose love for the sleek modern robot Eve takes him on a journey across space and inspires Earth's last humans to take better care of the planet - and one another. Pretty deep stuff for a cartoon!
Up
Most people will remember Disney Pixar's 'Up' for that touching opening montages. And there was another great, unforgettable character in the film which came in the movie's latter half. Dug, who could communicate through his collar as it vocalised his thoughts, was loyal, loving, and the funniest dog ever. There's also the burgeoning friendship between Carl and Russell, which will break you all over again.
Spirited Away
The top layer of 'Spirited Away' is pretty straightforward; a young girl's parents are magically turned into pigs and she has to navigate the spirit world in which they're kept. The anime doesn't offer easy answers, but it's made with such delicateness and affection, you really get a sense that there's a real sense of art and soulfulness behind each and every frame.
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Mad inventor Wallace and his constantly suffering dog Gromit have faced their fair share of troubles of the years, but none quite so problematic as the Were-Rabbit. In the lead up to the Golden Vegetable Competition, the beast unleashed on the local town is one of such enormous size that it is capable of consuming vegetables of every town - a nightmare for the little town!
Madagascar
Marty the Zebra lives in New York's Central Park zoo. But he pines for the wilds of his ancestral home - Africa. Inspired by a platoon of tunnelling penguins, Marty breaks out of the zoo and heads forupstate New York. A hop, skip and logic-defying jump later, and Marty and his friends Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo wash up on the shores of Madagascar. It's a paradise for Marty, but Alex - the pampered star attraction at the zoo - hates life in the wild.
Shrek
Myers voices a self-loathing ogre called Shrek who inadvertently saves a donkey (Eddie Murphy) from a beating. Later, with the donkey still in tow, Shrek finds his home overrun by fairytale characters who have been evicted by Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Shrek goes to Farquaad and is offered a deal. If he rescues a fair princess, then Shrek's home will be his again. Only problem is, a nasty dragon guards the princess. One of those rare movies that even the most cynical won't be able to resist.
Chicken Run
This 2000 film from Aardman - their first feature after the 'Wallace & Gromit' shorts (which you can find on Netflix) - follows a group of chickens trying to escape a farm and retire to green pastures. Their hopes are ignited when a flying cock lands in their coop. Its voice cast boasts the likes of Mel Gibson, Timothy Spall and Imelda Staunton. A sequel is apparently also in the works.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
An orphaned boy enduring a miserable childhood discovers he has magical powers. He then enrolls at a special school for young wizards. However, his suspicions are aroused by a sinister teacher who seems to be up to no good. The fantasy adventure, adapted from the first of JK Rowling's books, stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman and Richard Harris. You can check out all the Harry Potter movies on Now TV or Sky Cinema also.
