Two kids films parents won't view as a punishment

Two fanciful films out on DVD will delight children while still entertaining their parents. The first is a 1964 classic starring Cary Grant. The second is a new direct-to-disc offering from Disney.

Father Goose. In the delightful Father Goose, a fairytale for adults, Cary Grant plays an escapist who lives on a boat he bought for $400. Well, he paid $200, but still owes the rest. He plans on starting a charter service around the Pacific islands. Trouble is, it’s 1940, and the Japanese are causing havoc in the South Pacific. He’s forced to become a coast watcher for the British navy, and then he gets saddled with six little girls and their chaperone, played by the lovely Leslie Caron.

Even as an unshaven beachcomber, Cary Grant is a class act. He brings style and wit to a simple comedy. Father Goose won an Academy Award for its screenplay. It’s available on DVD, Blu-ray, and web streaming.

The Pirate Fairy. And, speaking of fairytales, here’s one for a younger crowd. The Pirate Fairy is the latest in Disneytoon Studio’s direct-to-disc Tinker Bell series. It’s one adults can actually enjoy with their little girls, rather than just suffering through.Feeling unappreciated, ambitious dust-keeper fairy Zarina runs away from Pixie Hollow and becomes the captain of a pirate ship bent on revenge against her former fairy friends. In the Tinker Bell series, Disney genius Executive Producer John Lasseter and his entire creative filmmaking crew have woven together a series of enchanting tales of a world in which little girls have a voice. The films are always creative and fun.

Many DVDs geared toward little ones test the endurance of older viewers. So, it’s a pleasure to be able to spotlight a smart, funny, and positive features for kids that their older relatives can enjoy along with them. The color, design, voices, and even the story in The Pirate Fairy represent Disney at its finest. The gentle, sweet-natured film will encourage little ones to use their imagination.

Listen to Phil Boatwright’s DVD review along with clips from the films on The World and Everything in It: