ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Domee Shi
Available to watch: In theaters now ahead of The Incredibles 2​
Review: Forewarning: you will cry during this short. At the very least, you'll come away from it wanting to go find your mother, apologize for daring to grow up and be your own person (or at the very least, for your snotty adolescent years), and then give her a giant hug. I'll be honest, a good 50%  of the reason why I chose to go see the Incredibles 2 was to see this short beforehand. Ok fine, 75%. I love that Domee Shi is the first woman to head up a Pixar short. I love that it's based on her Chinese Canadian childhood. I love that the husband was sitting at the dinner table, watching a Chinese show on in the background, like it was no big deal. I love that I totally did not expect where the story went - don't look at spoilers before you go, trust me. I love the authenticity of it all.  And I love the Bao!

Pro tip; keep an eye out for a subtle reference to how Asian cultures like folks to take their shoes off in the house. C'mon people, your shoes are disgusting. Yes, I work in a hospital so I may be extra biased but the world is pretty gross. Take off your shoes.

*Christina's note: Everyone be nice to Grace, our friend and special guest writer!*

ALNM Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson
Rating: PG 
Available to watch: In theaters now
Review: ​The first Incredibles movie is one of my favorite Pixar movies. It's so unique and came before the huge rise of the Marvel and DC superhero craze you see today. There's something so magical about a story that's, at its core, pretty unrealistic (I mean, hello, super powers) but still draws you in and holds your attention. This second movie literally picks up right after the first movie, storyline-wise, and goes on from there. There's subtle references to the recent rise of female authority (hello, women's marches and "Me Too/Time's up"), while still pulling in jokes from the well worn joke that the dad has no idea how to manage a household on his own. Yes, I still laughed - although I'd like to think men have evolved somewhat. But then again, the Incredibles is supposedly set back in a different time period so, I'll roll with it. Plus, baby Jack-Jack's powers were a fun addition to this second movie. As a new parent, I totally sympathize with Mr. Incredible's inability to figure out how to manage his kid. Although to be fair, my kid doesn't burst into flames, but she can shoot out poop with the ferocity of laser beams. 

All in all, it was an action-packed movie with a good story, with plenty of laughs for both children and adults. Plus, no matter how many times I hear it, I find it hilarious when Frozone's wife is heard in the background asking him where he thinks he's going ASAP. Just like I still find it hilarious in the first movie when she's yelling at him from across their house, asking him why he needs to find his super suit. What can I say, I'm easy to please.

Hard to capture the nostalgia and uniqueness from the first movie, but as always, Pixar did a great job.