This week, Netflix delivers an animated feature sure to delight kids and families. "Over the Moon" is a good old-fashioned animated adventure musical, premiering on the streaming service Friday. The film is co-directed and designed by Glen Keane, the artist behind such Disney favorites as "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Beauty and the Beast," and an Oscar-winner for the short film "Dear Basketball," on which he collaborated with the late Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He directs with fellow veteran animator and Oscar-winner John Kahrs. "Over the Moon," written by Audrey Wells with additional screenplay material by Jennifer Yee McDevitt, features the voices of Ken Jeong, Sandra Oh, "Hamilton" star Phillipa Soo, John Cho, Margaret Cho and more, in this story of a young girl who "builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures."
"Over the Moon" is rated PG for some thematic elements and mild action.
And a few more new kid-friendly selections on HBO Max:
"Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate": This "virtual playdate" with the "Sesame Street" crew and guests like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anne Hathaway and Tracee Ellis Ross is intended to help kids feel connected during this time. It's a cozy half-hour video call as the gang finds new ways to learn and play together.
"The Fungies!": This 2020 animated series takes place in a town of "colorful mushroom folk" _ how fun(gi)! Brothers Seth and Pascal want to learn all about how their world works, and their specific biology. There are 40 roughly 12-minute episodes, and it should be a fun and educational change of pace for little ones.
"Smurfs": For something a little retro, three seasons of the animated series from the early 1980s are available to stream. Un-smurfing-believable! An easy place to start for introducing kids to the ubiquitous little blue folk.
