Family Movie Guide for Parents | July School Holidays 2022
The new must-see movies line up for the July school holidays – here’s how they rate, including a kid’s age guide and a parent star rating – because we mums & dads want to be entertained too!
A trip to the cinema is a fun and traditional Aussie school holidays activity. It’s the perfect solution for rainy days, or when the kids are bored at home.
But watching kids movies at the cinema can be a bit of a drag for parents sometimes. There’s nothing worse than having to sit through a boring children’s movie that only appeals to the little ones. Yawn!
With even kid’s movies now stretching well over an hour and a half, movie makers are beginning to realise that they need to entertain the parents as well as the kids, or loose their audience.
Here is my line up of school holiday movies to show you which ones are the best for both the kids AND you. And the ones you may like to avoid…
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION
Jurassic World Dominion
We all really enjoyed JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION. This is a world-class, highly entertaining movie that lives up to the hype – and then some!
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION is the conclusion of the Jurassic ‘World’ trilogy. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are all back in their iconic Jurassic Park roles, and what a wow moment it is when they are all in the same room with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard!
Definitely put this one at the top of your school holiday movie list (providing your kids are okay with scary themes!).
Best kid ages for this movie: Suitable for high school age-up/teenagers
Teenager movie rating: 
Parent movie rating:
Australian Film Classification: 
Movie company: Universal Pictures Australia
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION is now showing in cinemas from June 9th, 2022
Disclaimer: We were invited to the Sydney Premiere of JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION
Watch the Jurassic World: Dominion official trailer
Extras:
Watch our JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION blind reaction YouTube video
Want to see more? Watch our video of our pre-movie trailer release blind reaction on our Let’s Go Mum YouTube shorts here.
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See our JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION Instagram post here
LIGHTYEAR
Disney Pixar’s Lightyear
To infinity and beyond! 🚀 We just loved watching Disney & Pixar’s LIGHTYEAR – it was out of this world!
The fact that we all really loved this movie came as a bit of a surprise, as it’s no easy feat to live up to the beloved Toy Story movie franchise.
A prequel of sorts, LIGHTYEAR is presented as the movie from the original Toy Story movie, for which the toy Buzz Lightyear was produced as merchandise.
As far-fetched as it sounds, this movie works beautifully. LIGHTYEAR will grab you and not let go right until the very end. And don’t get me started about one of the most entertaining side-kicks ever to emerge from Disney – Sox the robot cat!
LIGHTYEAR has raised some controversy internationally, with bans in several Middle East and Asian countries (due to an LGBTQ inclusion – a same-sex kiss scene).
One things for sure – Disney Pixar movies are always a treat, and I think LIGHTYEAR is destined to be one of the greats. This is another school holidays movie winner!
Best kid ages for this movie: suitable for all ages.
Kid movie rating:
Parent movie rating:
Australian Film Classification: 
Movie company: Disney Australia & NZ Official Site
LIGHTYEAR is now showing in cinemas from June 16th, 2022
Disclaimer: We were invited to a Special Preview screening of Lightyear.
See our LIGHTYEAR Instagram post here
Watch the official Lightyear trailer
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU
Minions The Rise Of Gru
This is the movie to choose if you want to have a good laugh with your kids.
We emerged from MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU still chuckling, all of us agreeing that it was SO much fun to watch. And really, who can resist laughing at the comical Minions?
One of the funniest movies we’ve seen in a long time, the Minions antics never disappoint in this childhood story of Gru’s rise to evil mastermind fame.
MINIONS: THE RISE IF GRU is a fantastic July school holidays movie choice for the whole family – go have a laugh with the kids!
Best kid ages for this movie: suitable for all ages.
Kid movie rating:
Parent movie rating:
Australian Film Classification:
Movie company: Universal Pictures Australia
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU is now showing in cinemas from June 23rd, 2022
Disclaimer: We were invited to the Sydney Premiere screening of MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU
See our MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU Instagram post here
Watch the official Minions: The Rise of Gru trailer
HAUTE COUTURE
Haute Couture
This French (English subtitled) film is perfect for fashion-minded teens and their mums, or mums (and dads of course!) looking for an indulgent afternoon or morning at the cinema after the kids go back to school.
A beautiful story, Haute Couture dives into the decadent dress making world of the fabulous Dior haute couture studio. The film’s story examines the complicated relationship between the health-failing Dior Head Seamstress Esther and her new apprentice – a young street-thief named Jade.
This film enchants the senses with it’s embellished fabrics, intricate needlework and fine attention to detail – in both dressmaking and otherwise!
Fashion yourself some time to see this elegant intrusion into the Parisian fashion houses secret world of fantastical couture creation.
Teenager movie rating: 
Parent movie rating: 
Australian Film Classification:
Best kid ages for this movie: Teenager to Adult
Movie company: Vendetta Films
HAUTE COUTURE is in cinemas from June 30th, 2022
Disclaimer: I was sent a private advance preview screening of this film
Watch the official Haute Couture trailer
PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
Phantom Of The Open
Coming in at the tail-end of the school holidays, this is a quiet little beauty of a film.
The huge Sydney Film Festival audience we watched it with in the gorgeous Sydney State Theatre were completely engaged in the unfolding of this surprising movie.
The tales that come out of UK are all the more fascinating when they are true, and the story of Maurice Flitcroft in Phantom of the Open is a ripper.
An incurable optimist and crafty trickster, Maurice’s drive (pardon the golf pun) and blatant antics to enter the British Open Golf Championship as a beginner golfer are both incredible and hilarious.
The Phantom Of The Open is a really fun film to watch, and well-worth the movie ticket.
Teenager movie rating:
Parent movie rating:
Australian Film Classification:
Best kid ages for this movie: Teenager to Adult
Movie company: Universal Pictures Australia
The Phantom Of The Open is in cinemas from July 14th, 2022
Disclaimer: We were invited to see a special preview screening of Phantom of the Open
Watch the official Phantom Of The Open trailer
ELVIS
Elvis The Movie
The new movie Elvis chronicles the life of the legendary rock and roll singer Elvis Presley.
Already an Elvis fan, I have to admit that this new Elvis movie didn’t quite hit the mark for me. That said this is still a good movie, albeit overly long at nearly three hours.
Elvis was directed by Australia’s Baz Luhrmann who brought us movies such as Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom and Australia.
His approach with Elvis is as grandiose and splinter-edited as ever. Huge, loud and over the top.
Pair this with the talented young Austin Butler playing a very believable Elvis, and Tom Hanks somehow transforming into Elvis’s greedy manager Colonel Tom Parker, and you have a cinematic spectacle to behold.
I would’ve liked the movie to have a bit more focus on Elvis’s private life and a bit less on the business side of things (and for it to be an hour shorter), but the music is wonderful (even featuring a guest track from Doja Cat) and Elvis will always be a fascinating individual to take a magnifying glass to.
For us this wasn’t our top pick of the holiday movies, but if you’re a fan or music enthusiast, it may well be a new favourite.
Teenager movie rating: 
Parent movie rating:
Australian Film Classification:
Best kid ages for this movie: Teenager to Adult
Movie company: Warner Bros
Elvis is now showing in cinemas from June 24th, 2022
We attended Elvis at our own expense
Watch the official Elvis Trailer
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Top Gun Maverick
When Tom Cruise is in a movie you just know it’s going to be good. Huge budgets, special effects, big co-stars (in this case, Jennifer Garner) – it’s a no brainer, really. Top Gun: Maverick is no exception.
Tom is back as Maverick – still daring and skillful in the air, though perhaps a little rougher around the edges. Just as emotionally conflicted as ever – including in the romance department. Surprise appearances from original movie stars are a highlight, and of course who doesn’t love all the thrills of those super-expensive high-powered jets, and the daring young pilots (including a girl this time) flying them?
The producers of Maverick have cleverly found a way to cater to both the loyal Top Gun fans (many of us who have aged right along with Tom) whilst still hooking in the younger generations who may not have even seen the original.
This movie follows a similar theme and plot to the original, which still proves to be a satisfying storyline – right up to the fighter jet showdown conclusion. It’s here the plot departs into it’s own thrilling climax with a great twist leading to an exciting and surprising conclusion.
Whilst this second instalment, set decades after the first movie, still isn’t as good as the first Top Gun movie, this is still a really entertaining movie and definitely worth seeing. Vintage Cruise still pulls A-class star power!
Teenager movie rating:
Parent movie rating:
Australian Film Classification:
Best kid ages for this movie: Teenager to Adult
Movie company: Paramount Pictures
Top Gun is now showing in cinemas from May 27th, 2022
We attended Top Gun: Maverick at our own expense
Watch the official Top Gun Trailer
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