For those of us who will be staying in Beijing for the National Holidays, let’s resist the urge to avoid the incoming/ tourist crowd by staying indoors the whole week.  Now this isn’t scientific, but I’m going to hypothesize that the movie theater will be less busy during the holidays, making it the optimal time for taking the kids!

So what’s playing?

Storks (逗鸟外传：萌宝满天飞)

PG. In the setting of Storks, storks have been delivering packages rather than babies for some time now. However, when a baby appears for delivery, a stork’s gotta do what a stork’s gotta do: deliver the baby.

Chibi Maruko-chan: The Boy from Italy (樱桃小丸子 来自意大利的少年)

Chibi Maruko-chan (ying tao xiao wan zi), a popular Japanese animation series set in suburban Japan in 1974, has been immensely popular in Asia since its release 25 years ago. Chibi Maruko-chan: The Boy from Italy is the third Chibi Maruko film, and its release date corresponds with its 25 year anniversary celebration.

Nine Lives (九条命)

In the only non-animated fiction movie in this list, Kevin Spacey plays a workaholic rich man who is disconnected from his family.  For his daughter’s birthday, which he had forgotten, he scrambles to buy a gift last minute and ends up at a mystical pet shop. He and Mr. Fuzzypants (the cat pictured) end up changing places, allowing him to learn about his family by posing as the new family pet.

Mcdull: The Rise of the Rice Cooker (麦兜·饭宝奇兵)

Mcdull (mak dau) is a Hongkonese animation series featuring Mcdull the pig, who, as the name suggests, isn’t very bright.  Yet, as an ordinary character, Mcdull has managed to be featured in seven films already. The latest, Mcdull: The Rise of the Rice Cooker, is about an alien invasion.

Ice Age: Collision Course (冰川时代5：星际碰撞)

PG. The fifth movie in the series, this time their ice age is threatened by cosmic disaster, once again set off by Scrat’s obsession for acorns.  The crew: Manny, Sid, Diego, and company, set off on another exciting trip to save the planet!

The Secret Life of Pets (爱宠大机密)

PG. A story not only about talking animals and the secret lives they lead, but also about change, class differences, and tolerance.  Max, a house dog in NYC feels threatened by the larger stray dog Duke, which his owner brings home one day.  As he dislikes him, they instantly get in trouble, and find themselves amongst other strays who plot revenge against humans. Will they be able to work together to stop the others?

New Happy Dad and Son 2: The Instant Genius (新大头儿子和小头爸爸2一 成才)

A sequel to New Happy Dad and Son movie, based on the popular Chinese animation series, this time Small-Head-Dad and Apron-Mom resort to relying on a stranger for help when Big-Head-Son doesn’t learn in class.  This series was originally released in 1995, but CCTV redesigned and reproduced it in 2013.

Godbeast Megazord: Return of Green Dragon (神兽金刚之青龙再现)

A sequel to the King Kong animation series, the gundams (robots) protect the earth from the Night Emperor’s curse. This time, the earth’s water resources are in danger. Will they be able to protect the earth from awakened behemoths?

Born in China (我们诞生在中国)

An educational nature film by Disney Nature, Born in China has viewers following the families of three endangered animal species: the Giant Panda (which is no longer endangered), the Snow Leopard, and the Golden Monkey.

New releases

I Am NeZha (我是哪吒) – Oct 1

Nezha is a protection deity in ancient Chinese folk religion, called the Third Lotus Prince, and this film is loosely based on the story, Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi).

铠甲勇士捕王 – Oct 2

A futuristic, action-packed movie set in the year 2072. Army Commander Xu Zhan takes his troops back in time to the Qing and Qin Dynasties to fight the Yan God and rewrite human history!

The Ugly Duckling (疯狂丑小鸭) – Oct 3

In a world where the bird kingdom exists besides the human realm, the Ugly Duckling and his comrades travel to find the missing glazed bird and overthrow the Rosa Court to prevent war with the humans.

新东方神娃 – Oct 4

A story about good versus evil, follow along as the Millennium Goddess’ children, Dragon and Phoenix, journey to save both their mother and the planet earth.  As the lamp of light is drained by the demons, the Millennium Goddess retreats and separates from her children. The two must prove their love for their mother, eradicate the demons, and rekindle the lamp’s light in order to retrieve their mother and maintain peace on earth.

The Wild Life (Robinson Crusoe, 鲁滨逊漂流记) – Oct 4

Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe told from the perspective of the island’s inhabitants: the animals. A story about cooperation, team effort, and overcoming differences, The Wild Life is more about the animals of the deserted island wanting adventure than Robinson Crusoe’s plight. Watch as the animals overcome their animal-human language barrier and use Crusoe as a ticket off the island, and Crusoe rely on the animals for help to return home.

Note: Click on the link (Chinese name) for a list of theaters and their play times. Some older movies will be limited to fewer locations.

English (original) versions of movies are normally played later at night, so please note the language before buying tickets. Chinese movies will only be in Mandarin.

The Doraemon franchise has recently released the film, Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016, which is based on the popular animation and manga (comicbook) series that many are familiar with today. Those who had grown up with the anime series tend to be interested whenever a new Doraemon film comes out as it recalls childhood memories of watching the series.

Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016 features the same group of characters as the original anime series and has been available in Beijing with a Chinese dubbed version. The film retains the characteristic personality traits of each of these characters: the orderly and kind-hearted girl, the clumsy but well-meaning main character, his more reckless and aggressive friend…and of course Doraemon himself, the friend doubling as advisor who constantly produces new futuristic gadgets and inventions from the kangaroo-esque pouch under his bell collar.

The film uses the vibrant colors and clearly delineated imagery that is consistent with the anime series, and the characters show emotion in an upfront and relatively unrestricted manner that can arguably be an augmentation of feasible reality, and yet is designed to, rather successfully, emphasize the genuine nature of their feelings as is compatible with the uncalculating nature of youth. As the plot unfolds, visual style complements film content for the vibrancy of the animation’s visual elements contributes to the intensity and purity of the characters’ emotional expressions.

Overall, the storyline follows a relatively archetypal trajectory with a peaceful exposition, ascending action that builds up to a conflict-driven and visually action-packed climax, which then glides down to the usual, mostly happy–albeit slightly bittersweet–resolution.

While it is a children’s film with a straightforward plot that arguably lacks subtlety or significance beyond the common themes of good versus evil and the importance of courage and morality, there was a surprisingly dark moment in the film when a character, in what may be considered a near-death experience, deeply explored psychological questions on self-value and the connection between self-perceived potential and negative external reinforcements from society.

While not deviating much from standard expectations of its genre, this Doraemon film could be a good choice for spending more time together with your child over the weekend. If nothing else, for someone familiar with the anime, the colorful imageries of the characters exploring vast landscapes provide entertainment, awakening memories spanning the last several decades.

Featured Image Source: Deviant Art