Level: primary schools

Published: June 15, 2023

The AristoCats

“The Aristocats” is a Disney animated film from 1970 that tells the story of Duchess, a domestic cat who is abandoned against her will, and her three kittens. Madame Adelaide, an elegant old lady living in Paris, plans to leave her fortune to her cats. However, a jealous butler named Edgar decides to get rid of the cats and claim the inheritance for himself. Edgar kidnaps the cats and leaves them in the countryside, but along the way, they meet a charming alley cat named Thomas O’Malley, who helps them find their way back home. Together, they devise a rescue plan and go through an adventure that teaches them the importance of friendship and family.

The movie is colorful and entertaining, combining humor, adventure, and heartwarming moments. The story depicts class differences and a sense of community within the world of cats, emphasizing love, friendship, and bravery. The film’s music, such as the iconic “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat,” adds to its charm and catchiness. “The Aristocats” is a classic that appeals to audiences of all ages and offers an unforgettable movie experience.

The enchanting story features adorable and unique cat characters. Duchess and her kittens Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse find themselves in unexpected adventures on their journey back home. Their humorous mishaps and lessons learned along the way capture the atmosphere and allure of the film. “The Aristocats” is a timeless tale of family and adventure that makes the audience laugh, suspenseful, and joyful about the power of animal friendship.

Published: June 5, 2023

The Croods: A New Age

The Croods, the world’s first family, have survived numerous dangers and disasters throughout their history, such as prehistoric beasts. However, now they encounter something that will change their lives – another family.

The Croods need a new home, so the family sets out to find a safe place to live. After finding a sheltered paradise full of natural resources, they think their problems are solved. However, there is one but – another family already lives in the place, called Bettermans.

The Bettermans are slightly ahead of the Croods in evolution. They have a spectacular tree house, wonderful inventions, and abundant farms full of food. The families quickly become strained when they take the Croods to live with them.

When everything seems to be going wrong, a new threat throws both families out of their new homes and into an adventure. They have to accept each other’s differences, support each other and build a common future. (Source: Finnkino)

Published: May 16, 2023

Karaokeparatiisi

Karaokeparatiisi, awarded as the best documentary film of the year, is about Finnish karaoke culture. The film interviews five different people and describes how they live with karaoke.

Published: May 11, 2023

Le Havre

A small African boy ends up in the French port city of Le Havre in a shipping container full of other refugees. The boy manages to escape and while hiding from the authorities, he meets a shoe polisher who wants to help the boy get to his destination: London to his mother. At the same time, the shoe polisher’s wife is diagnosed with a serious illness.

The film won a remarkable six Jussi awards: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Published: May 11, 2023

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Puss in Boots returns when he realizes that he has already used up eight of the cats’ nine lives.

However, getting his lives back is unsafe because Puss in Boots has only one life left. He decides to ask his former opponent, Kitty Softpaw, for help. A Spanish dog, Perro, also joins him on his journey. To regain Puss in Boots’ lives, the trio must head towards the Black Forest and the Wishing Star.

The journey is challenged by Puss in Boots being chased by the bounty hunter Big Bad Wolf and the Three Bears Mafia, who are after the same Wishing Star.

Published: March 29, 2023

Super Furball

A young girl named Emilia gets superpowers from being bitten by her pet guinea pig, which come in handy when the herrings of the Baltic Sea rise up in rebellion to save the sea from pollution. The film is based on the book series “Emilia’s diaries” and more specifically on the book “Supermarsu saves the herrings”, written by Paula Noronen. The book in question was nominated for the Finlandia junior prize in 2009.

The educational material of the school cinema deals with superheroes, writing a diary, bullying at school, social relations in the class, the Baltic Sea and its species, and conservation. The learning material is aimed at primary schools and primary education.

Published: March 22, 2023

Heinähattu, Vilttitossu ja Rubensin veljekset

Hanna has planned a week’s vacation for her family in Kattilankoski, where they will spend time in a holiday cabin. The family gets lost in the wrong cabin, which is a holiday cabin served by the police officers. Two constables come to the cottage at the same time as the family, which causes misunderstandings. This creates the ingredients for a hilarious adventure comedy!

Themes of the educational material for school cinema: text skills, vocabulary, basic film concepts, main characters, plot, milieu, genre, humor, farce, and comedy.

Published: March 14, 2023

Ron’s Gone Wrong

20thCentury Studios and Locksmith Animation’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong” tells the story of Barney, a socially awkward schoolboy, and Ron, his walking, talking robot who should be “Your best friend right out of the box.”

Ron’s hilarious journey in the middle of the age of social media takes the duo on a step-by-step journey where the boy and the robot understand the meaning of true friendship in all its chaos and messiness. (Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Finland)

Published: February 21, 2023

Monsters, Inc.

Monsters live in their own town, where they generate electricity for the town by scaring children. Monsters get to the children by going through dimension gates. The most famous monsters in scaring children are two monsters called Mike and Sullivan. One day they meet an extraordinary child who has accidentally got lost in monster town and find out that there is a much more effective way of generating electricity than scaring: making children laugh. The film’s topic of generating electricity is indeed very topical. A fun touch in the movie is that monster think children are toxic and dangerous, so that even touching them could be fatal.

The film has won an Oscar in 2002 for the best score for the song “If I Didn’t Have You”.

Published: February 21, 2023

The Boss Baby 2: Perhebisnes

Tim and Pikku-Pomo, or his little brother Ted, have grown up and drifted apart. Tim is married and has become a stay-at-home dad. Ted, on the other hand, works as a manager in the financial industry. Soon they are brought together by a new boss with a completely new vision and a dashing attitude… and ideas for a whole new family business.

Tim and his wife, Carol, who brings bread to the family table, live in the suburbs with their talented 7-year-old daughter, Tabita, and their adorable new baby, Tina. Tabitha, who is at the top of her class, admires her Uncle Ted and wants to grow up like him. Tim, who still has the same vivid imagination as when he was a child, is worried about Tabitha. He is afraid that the girl focuses too much on school and doesn’t remember to enjoy her childhood.

One day, baby Tina reveals herself to be an undercover agent for BabyCorp (surprise!), tasked with uncovering the dark secret of Tabitha’s school founder, the mysterious Dr. Erwin Armstrong. A new adventure begins, which makes the brothers Tim and Ted find each other again and gives them a reason to think about what is important in life. (Source: Finnkino Oy)