Summer is here, and while the days are long and dreamy the nights are all about the family getting together to enjoy a film or two. If you’re looking to avoid the paralysis of choice and intermittent internet with the streaming services, you can do no better than look to the ready supply of family friendly films on 4K and Blu-ray™ out to own this summer.
After all, physical media has stood firm against the onslaught of the streaming services. More than that – it’s making a comeback in the public’s affections. Most of us at HeyUGuys have been building our own personal libraries since the days of VHS, and the shifting sands of the streamers makes it ever more difficult to rely on such a service to have the films you want, when you want them. Plus – you never actually own these films, which can be frustrating to put in mildly.
Not only this, but the wealth of special features and extras that often accompany the films when they arrive on 4K or Blu-ray™ can be a treasure trove for the film curious. The DVD years were the golden age of special features, and there was a genuine feeling that you were buying more than simply the film, you were invited behind the scenes of the movies you loved.
It is in this spirit that we take a look at the current Summer’s Brightest Stars campaign, which combines the best films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios, and we choose our picks of the best family films to own this summer.
Disney’s Moana 2
Last year’s dive back into the watery world of Moana was a critical and commercial success for Disney. Building on the visual splendour of Oceania, the sequel looks better than ever and new characters and islands capture and continue the spirit of the original.
If you’re looking for a film to show off your new 4K set up Moana 2 will take names and drop jaws. The Polynesian sunsets bloom with colour, and the character designs of the newcomers keeps the distinct visual flair that Moana fans fell in love with.
Disney in particular have become very good at crafting sequels that are worthwhile follow ups to films that excited and inspired first time round. This is a great example of the continuation of a story into deeper waters. Find out more here.
The film can be picked up with the original Disney’s Moana as part of the campaign’s 4K UHD 2 for £30 offer. Find out more here.
Disney & Pixar’s Soul
Back in the dark old days of the global pandemic, Pixar cast down a ray of light with the release of Disney & Pixar’s Soul. Directed by Pete Docter, the film was a tearjerking tale of existential questions and the perfect fragility of life and the worlds we share.
Due to its initial streaming release, the film took its time to find a proper home in the hearts of filmlovers, but thanks to the subsequent 4K Blu-ray™ release the world is waking up to this heartfelt search for happiness. With Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey making for a classic odd couple, this dive into the infinite underworld is a visual delight, with a deep emotional undertow that Pixar always aim for.
It is a film rich in character, powerful in its emotional weight – our reviewer called it ‘A Matter of Life and Death for children’ and there is no greater compliment. Give yourself the gift of this film, and it will linger long in your mind and your heart.
Find out more from the filmmakers on the beauty of Disney & Pixar’s Soul right here.
Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King
In its decision to revisit some of their animated classic in live-action, Disney opened the door to new adventures set in beloved and familiar worlds. Following the 2019 remake of Disney’s The Lion King, Moonlight filmmaker Barry Jenkins was tasked with this handsome looking prequel. His success in rekindling the themes of loyalty and family was to infuse elements of nostalgia into the idea of destiny, which is the series’ lifeblood.
What makes the film work wonders is the fearless way Jenkins ties the darker emotional ties into the film’s threads. Love and its darker demonstration of resentment are powerfully explored, while the onscreen majesty captures the eye it is the well realised emotional journey that gives the film its power.
As with Disney’s Moana and its sequel, both 2019’s Disney’s The Lion King and Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King are part of the Summer’s Brightest Stars offerings. They make a fine double-bill.
Avatar
James Cameron’s undeniable hold on the imagination of movie fans has spanned five decades at this point, and with many more Avatar sequels planned he shows no sign of relenting.
Way back in 2009, when we reviewed Avatar, much was made of the use of 3D to bring the world of Pandora to life. Though the 3D trend fizzled out, the visual dexterity has only been honed in the years between the first film and its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.
Cameron’s storytelling is given firm guardrails with the overall story of invasion and destiny that runs through the films so far. But man – the experience is given such life and excitement in the worlds he creates. I’ve written before about Avatar being my first Blu-ray, and the astonishment at which I beheld the film on the small screen. Now in 4K it looks even better.
Diving into Avatar and its 2022 sequel in 4K is the perfect way to ready yourselves for the warm tides of the saga’s newest chapter – Avatar: Fire and Ash, due in cinemas at the end of this year.
You can revisit Pandora in crystal clear waters along with the seminal first film in the Avatar series with the campaign’s 4K UHD 2 for £30 offer. Have a closer look here.
Touchstone Pictures’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit
We absolutely love this film. Robert Zemeckis’s collision of cartoon and live action was a genuine moment of excitement for film fans back in the ’80s. When HeyUGuys started up all those years ago, one of our writers looked back with love on the 1988 film as part of our Did you Ever See…? series.
The years have been kind to the artistry and the anarchy within. The much missed Bob Hoskins perfectly tuned into the sort of downbeat gumshoe in pure Pulp of which Mickey Spillane would have been proud. The Toon cast were also perfectly realised, with a respect rather than a reverence that was perfect for a film as zippy and zany as they come.
It holds up today, looks better than ever – and in the midst of the CG cartoon boom, it may provide a welcome respite from the perfectly rendered fare that surrounds it. It’s a classic for a reason, and if you’ve never had the pleasure – now is the perfect time.
The Summer’s Brightest Stars promotion is available now at Amazon and HMV.
© 2025 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS. © 2025 DISNEY. © 2025 DISNEY/PIXAR.
© 2025 20th Century Studios / © & TM MARVEL 2025. © 2025 & TM LUCASFILM LTD.
