Netflix and some streaming options for the flu and cold season

We’re part of the Stream Team for Netflix and received goods or compensation for this post. All thoughts are our own. In our house we’ve had three out of four people down, to some degree, with the flu or otherwise germy funk that is usually associated with children. The youngest one had his hand on the tablet and the adults were splitting time between the televisions. Here’s a rundown of some things that you might want to watch if you, or your kids are stuck in bed with the flu or some Petri dish of infection.

Captain Underpants/Boss Baby

These two movies are great for different reasons. When our 6YO had the flu he must have seen Boss Baby at least eight times. Captain Underpants was watched by him and I twice. Personally I prefer Captain Underpants, it’s a better film, with more depth, but kids will certainly enjoy both.

Johnny Test

Johnny Test snuck up on us. The kids saw it at a friend’s house and I thought it was a bit too much for them. After watching several episodes I was wrong and this show is quite funny for ages 6 and up. The younger set might need some corrective reminders about what’s appropriate, but on large this show is great for them. Oh, the friend’s house was actually more about the friend than the programming they were watching.

Pets

Daddy, the name of the movie is The Secret Life of Pets, the 8 YO said as he corrected me. Pets or whatever you wish to call it gets funnier the more you see it. The animation perfectly captures the nuances of each breed of dog, down the mechanics of each species. RIP Ricky.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

This was the first film our 6YO saw during his flu binge marathon. My wife said that he was watching Willy Wonka and I hoped that it wasn’t the freaky, needless update called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It wasn’t and out son had discovered a true classic film that features one of the funniest and classiest stars to perform on the silver screen.

That got us talking about Gene Wilder and the charming, enigmatic performance he delivered in the film. Contrast that to the train wreck that was its money grab of a reboot and you’re in a different league of entertainment. Side note: if said train wreck is what you’re looking for that’s available on Netflix too.

Paddington

This gem of a film wasn’t seen until after the family saw Paddington 2. Paddington is a joy to watch also. Its charm is for any age and the film defines that of being entertainment for adults, but also good for children.

Kubo and the Two Strings

I wish our kids liked this film. Kubo and the Two Strings is one of our favorite films. The score, the stop animation, the story and vocal talent are simply perfect. This one is great for parents or kids…speaking of parents.

For the parents

Ash vs. The Evil Dead

Ash vs. The Evil Dead requires that you like deadpan comedy, black humor and graphic, gory violence. It also helps if you’re a fan of The Evil Dead films from the 80’s. For us this show is as good as it gets. It’s quickly paced, wickedly funny and makes great use of the classic characters created by Sam Raimi.

Travelers

Hat tip to my wife who discovered this show about time traveling agents who’ve come back to current times to save humanity. This is clever, fun stuff that brings action, plot and just a bit of dry comedy to this series that is one of the best on Neflix right now.

Godzilla

The animation in Godzilla is top notch and is some very entertaining anime. This is part 1 of Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, which ironically could use more monsters. However, as with any Godzilla outing, the big guy doesn’t appear too much.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring made its streaming debut on Netflix recently. It’s hard to believe that this film is 17 years old and still holds up as well as it does. The length of The Fellowship of the Ring is impressive too, clocking in at just less than three hours, yet it flies by. This is the perfect film to watch when you’re laying down in bed and physically can’t get up, yet want to be wickedly entertained.