By Michael Foust
Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist
Netflix customers groaned in 2017 when Disney announced it eventually would sever its agreement with the streaming service.
But lost in the details was some good news for Netflix movie buffs: The separation wouldn’t take place for at least a couple of years, which meant Netflix subscribers could still enjoy blockbusters from the comfort of their couch.
This month on Netflix, two Disney property films — Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” (June 5) and Lucasfilm’s “The Last Jedi” (June 26) — begin streaming. Both are rated PG-13 and received high marks from critics, although they also have content that might trouble some parents.
Light-hearted
In “Ragnarok,” Thor is battling his long-lost sister, Hela, the goddess of death. The light-hearted movie doesn’t take itself too seriously — which is a good thing — although it has tons of violence and disturbing content, a moderate amount of language (I counted 17 coarse words) and a couple of sexually suggestive jokes.
“The Last Jedi” is the 2017 film that divided fans of the Star Wars franchise. It picks up where “The Force Awakens” left off and follows Rey as she tries to persuade an aging and reclusive Luke Skywalker to aid the good guys. It has the same amount of violence and disturbing content as its predecessor and about six coarse words. It contains no sexuality.
Don’t wait forever to watch them though, as they could disappear from Netflix as early as 2020, according to entertainment website Polygon.com. The Disney-Netflix deal allows Disney films that were released in 2016, 2017 and 2018 to stream on the platform.
Disney is expected to launch its own streaming service in the future, perhaps as soon as late 2019.
Also streaming this month:
Netflix
- “National Treasure” (June 1, PG) — For lovers of history (like me), this fictional heist movie about the Declaration of Independence was a mixed bag. But I enjoyed it. Rated PG for action, violence and some scary images. Also contains some language.
- Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” (June 1) — The Netflix press release didn’t specify if this was the 1996 or 1961 version, but both are mostly kid-friendly. The 1996 live-action film was rated G, while the 1961 animated film was unrated.
- Disney’s “Tarzan” (June 23, G) — This 1999 animated movie follows the story of Tarzan from the time he was raised as an infant by gorillas to his meeting of Jane as an adult.
Amazon Prime
- “I Am David” (June 1, PG) — A boy escapes a Communist labor camp in 1950s Europe and embarks on a mission. Rated PG for thematic elements and violent content.
- “Nacho Libre”(June 1, PG) — The same writers behind “Napoleon Dynamite” wrote this quirky comedy, which tells the story of a monastery chef who becomes a wrestler. Rated PG for some rough action and crude humor, including dialogue.
- “The Ant Bully” (June 1, PG) — A real-life bully gets shrunk to the size of an ant. Animated. Rated PG for some mild rude humor and action.
- “The Waltons,” seasons 1–9 (June 1) — An Appalachian family struggles to survive during the Great Depression in this 1970s TV series. Some of the shows had adult themes but most were family-friendly.
Hulu
- “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy (June 1, PG-13) — The fantasy series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels makes an appearance on Hulu. Warning: Many of the scenes are too intense for small children. Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and scary images.
- “I Am David” (June 1, PG) — See above.
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Meet the reviewer
Michael Foust covers the intersection of faith and entertainment as a writer and podcast host for Heirloom Audio. He also is the husband of an amazing wife and the father of four small children.
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