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Johannesburg - Now that the kids are off school and you’re finally on leave, it’s time to kick back, relax, and settle in for some quality time in front of the TV - or laptop, smartphone or tablet … but how do you choose something that everyone will enjoy?
Internet TV service ShowMax has a great movie catalogue: From animations and action to drama, cartoons and fantasy, there’s something for all tastes. To save time and help you decide, we’ve put together a quick-pick guide of some of the best holiday viewing available on ShowMax.
Christmas: In this adorable CGI animated film, a young boy arrives in Heaven before his time. There, he goes to Angel Academy, where he’s supposed to learn to fly - but he’s no good at it. After one of his crash-landings, he meets the cheerful puppy Halo, who helps him find his way back down to Earth. They go on a quest to find the boy’s treasure box, which holds the perfect present for Baby Jesus.
2. Stick Man (2015)
Christmas: From the author who brought us The Gruffalo comes a charming story about a piece of wood that gets split up from his family tree. He goes on a grand adventure through a winter wonderland to find his family in time for Christmas. Did you know that it was animated by the homegrown South African animation company Triggerfish?
3. Inkheart (2008)
Fantasy: How cool would it be if your artistic author dad could bring stories to life? That’s what happens to Meggie when her father opens a medieval storybook and unleashes an evil villain named Dustfinger on the world. Magic, imagination and the world of knights, wizards and dragons come together in this breath-taking adventure.
4. The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Fantasy: Twin brothers and their sister move into a spooky old mansion with their mom. It turns out the house is hiding a fantastical secret in that dark and scary garden… Fairies, goblins, pixies and other magical marvels pop up in the most creative and imaginative ways possible, and the kids have to find ingenious ways of defending themselves, and the friendly creatures, from the dark force lurking just outside.
5. A Turtle’s Tale (2010)
Animation: Sammy the sea turtle looks on as humans destroy his underwater home. Is there anything that he and his ocean friends can do to stop them? Not only is the animation top notch, this movie comes with a serious message for tomorrow’s generation – we need to save the Earth because it’s the only home we’ve got. Kids will love seeing Sammy swimming through a shipwreck from his point of view – it’s like going on a scuba dive in your lounge!
6. The King And I (1999)
Animation: In this classic story, a young British teacher takes her fun and relaxed lifestyle to the land of Siam in the Far East, where she helps the strict King to chill out and have a bit of a laugh with his kids. The elephants, dancing, singing and the exotic, far-off world conjured up in this movie will have the little ones spellbound!
7. The Flintstones (1994) and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
Comedy: Fred Flintstone and his prehistoric pals bring all the laughs in these two fun comedies. Scared of dinosaurs with sharp claws and giant teeth? How about getting a face full of slobbery kisses from prehistoric “puppy” Dino instead? You’ll be singing the theme song for the rest of the week. Yaba-daba-do!
8. Ella Enchanted (2004)
Adventure: Living in a world of castles, tiaras and unicorns isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for Ella, who’s taken for a ride by bad guys who want to rule her magical kingdom. With fairy godmothers, knights in shining armour, ogres, trolls and wicked stepsisters, it’s all you could ask for from a fairytale, with a light-hearted sense of humour to boot.
9. The Wild Planet Collection (2000-2015)
Nature: Sir David Attenborough leads the way in this BBC and BBC Earth compilation, investigating everything from the oceans and its animals to birds, beaches and Earth’s natural wonders. Even if you’re staycationing this year, you’ll get to see Mother Nature’s beauty, cruelty and quirkiness from the comfort of your couch. You’ll all learn something new about creatures great and small - from camels to chameleons.
Did you know? You can download up to 25 movies with the ShowMax Android or iOS app for tablets and smartphones and watch offline. Perfect for long road trips and holidays in the bush!
Sign up for a 14-day trial and start watching these and more today at showmax.com.
(Photos: ShowMax)
*Channel24 is part of Media24, a subsidiary of Naspers.
