If there’s a white whale of filmmaking, it’s probably the elusive family adventure movie: something tame enough for parents to feel comfortable showing their kids, but exciting enough to keep the adults from dismissing it as a “kids movie.” Over decades of experimenting, this kind of story usually takes the form of a high-stakes adventure involving some nondescript bad guy going after a protagonist who happens to be a kid. From Jumanji to Ms. Marvel, this formula has proven to work.
