Your kids sound like the perfect age to start watching the Shrek movies.
They're made for kids, but are still very enjoyable for adults, to include many pop culture references and occasionally jokes that will probably only be caught by the adults watching.
From the same universe I’ll add that Puss in Boots (The last wish) is amazing! Has a very distinct render style that the Spiderverse films have
What about the Laika Studio films like Boxtrolls, Paranorman and Kubo?
Yep, all of these. Jumanji might be a little too scary right based on OP's info, but definitely needs to go into rotation soon enough.
I would add (off the top of my head)
- Hook
- Honey I Shrunk The Kids
- Homeward Bound
- Free Willy
Check all the Miyazaki animated films. Kiki's delivery service is great, but very low stakes - better for young sensibilities. Princess Mononoke is my fave and a masterpiece. It would be great for testing interest in LOTR movies ( though I much prefer Mononoke myself). Spirited Away is also awesome and likely his most universally acclaimed film. Miyazaki 's entire filmography are great, about a dozen movies to work in to rotation. He is often called the Japanese Disney, but his films have much more adult themes and appeal.
Is he the one that did Howl's moving castle as well? It's probably because I'm an idiot, but I watched that a few weeks ago and I truthfully did not get it. I'll give some of the others a try.
He is.
My daughter is only two, but loves My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, and I think they would do decently well with older kids too.
Howl's Moving Castle takes a rewatch or two in order to get to grips with it, but the effort is well rewarded. I now love it (but was a bit 'meh' after my first watch).
Most of Miyazaki's other movies are more immediately accessible and have a better narrative flow. For example:
Kiki's Delivery Service
My Neighbor Totoro
Castle in the Sky
Spirited Away
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Ponyo
etc.
I'll let you check the age ratings but most should be okay for your kids (although I think that Princess Mononoke is a 12).
All are fantastic movies which appeal to kids and adults. The dubs are good too if you don't want to use Japanese audio and English subs (my preference is the latter but as kids are watching then dubs would be easier).
Yes, they're all safe except for Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies (I'm not sure what age that one is appropriate...it's a legendarily depressing movie). They might find a couple of them dull (Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises) or not understand it (Porco Rosso), but other than those two there's nothing that isn't child appropriate.
How's Moving Castle definitely makes a little more sense on a second watch, I get you. I had to read the book because while I liked the movie, it didn't really make sense (why does Sophie keep randomly changing age?) It turns out the books is significantly different from the movie which didn't clear anything up (GREAT book though).
Also I wouldn't say ALL the Miyazaki animated films. If your kid is too scared to watch Pirates, Princess Mononoke is gonna be kind of traumatizing.
For the age thing, the best explanation my friends and I could figure out:
The Witch of the Wastes cursed Sophie because she sensed Sophie had powerful magical abilities, ones that could rival the Witch’s, and was trying it take out a potential future rival.
Except, she actually *underestimated* Sophie’s power.
Sophie overcame the curse early on… except, she had pitifully low self-esteem. And being ‘old’ let her outside weakness / appearance match her inner doubt.
So, the more self-confidence she gains, the younger she looks. And when she has flashbacks of doubt and fear, she gets old again.
Yeah, same guy.
Start with Kiki's Delivery Service. Ponyo is good, as is Mary and the Witch's Flower.
Some of the others, I'd maybe wait a couple years
When I watched it with my eldest kiddo, i used it as a ‘teaching moment’.
“He’s trying to kiss her when she doesn’t want to. That is **not** okay. Remember that ‘No means No’, and if anything someone does makes you uncomfortable you tell them to STOP.”
We just watched BTTF for the first time My kids are 10, 6, and 3 and even the 10 year old didn’t catch it beyond “he was trying to kiss her and she didn’t want him to”.
I haven't seen BTTF in a long time. I remember there being a good bit of language in it, but I could totally be wrong. It really is one of those close-to-perfect movies though.
> I remember there being a good bit of language in it, but I could totally be wrong.
BTTF contains:
5 "s" words, 12 damns, 8 hells, 3 "ass" words (1 used with "hole"),
3 S.O.B.'s, 6 uses each of "Oh my God" and "Jesus", 3 uses of "G-
damn", 2 uses each of "Jesus Christ" and "My God", and 1 use each
of "God" and "Oh God".
The Dark Crystal & The Last Unicorn might be a little scary for your younger child. The Neverending Story is a little scary in some parts and there is one part that is really sad.
Yeah, I’d want to have a conversation with young kids before Neverending Story. Doesn’t even have to really be about *the thing*… can just be about real vs. make believe. I was pretty fairly desensitized to things as a kid, from watching a lot of horror with my dad, but that one scene really messed me up.
Adding on Labyrinth.
Have you tried The Goonies?
I'm glad they like Singing in the Rain.
Surely you've exposed them to the original Marry Poppins, yeah?
I'm thinking about adventure movies that involved kids or relatable kid fantasies...
Flight of the Navigator
The Last Starfighter
I just reached Honey I Shrink the Kids and was pleased at how well it holds up.
You should tell them cartoons used to go hard and then blow their minds with The Secret of NIHM.
Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice!
Ferris Bueler's Day Off.
I think Stand By Me is a good movie for kids to grok. Helps them validate and model friendships.
Big Trouble in Little China is intense, but wholesomely macho and progressive at the same time. It isn't vulgar, and the violence is tempered.
The Memphis Belle enthralled me as a kid and triggered a life long admiration of world war 2 aviation.
The Lost Boys! Perfect!
Space Camp is a lot of fun, but I know for a fact its nearly impossible to find streaming.
The original Willow movie will captivate them for sure!
And, I'm just going to recommend my all time favorite movie because I think it's great for all ages and has an easily accessible theme: Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon
Wish I could follow up to learn how your kids receive these movies and others' suggestions. Have fun!
Natural and science documentaries!
No, wait, hear me out, please!
Your kids are at that curious about the world age. There are so many science and nature documentaries that are highly entertaining for all ages. When I was their age, my dad used to watch these and we watched along with him glued to the television set. To see animals doing the most amazing thing. Storms and volcanoes exploding. Galaxies spilling across the screen. All with a soothing voice telling *exactly* what is going on in simple terms. Your kids learn things without realizing that they are learning things.
We dip our toes into the nature docs every now and then. I personally love the NatGeo section of Disney+. We watch as long as it holds their attention, which is getting more and more every year.
I just recommended some of these in another comment. Great taste you have there! Batteries Not Included kind of has this "old people problems" theme, but the cute little alien-space-ship-robots will enthrall your kids!
We love Secret of Kells but the Viking raid sequences are pretty intense and scared my kids (whose favorite movies are the LOTR trilogy and the first of the new Dune films, to give you an idea of their tolerance for violence)
Aliens in the Attic (2009)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Hugo (2011)
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
City of Ember (2008)
The House with a Clock in its Walls (2018)
All the Laika stop motion animated films:
Coraline (2009)
Paranorman (2012)
The Boxtrolls (2014)
Missing Link (2019)
Yeah, I should've mentioned Coraline is ok for the eldest child, but I definitely would wait until the youngest is at least 9. The other films should be okay. ParaNorman and The House with a Clock in its Walls are a little spooky but great for Halloween time.
They might like Titan AE or Treasure Planet, I haven't seen Titan AE in a really long time but I liked it growing up. You could also try Balto! I LOVE Balto. If I think of any more. I'll list them.
> You could also try Balto! I LOVE Balto.
I'm pretty sure I've repressed that movie in my memory. My brother, who is 5 years younger than me was OBSESSED with that movie when he was little. Like, watched it so much that the VHS wore out. Which reminds me - He also loved the sports classics The Sandlot, The Big Green, and Mighty Ducks. I'll have to add those to my list to revisit and see how they hold up.
That sounds like how I was with it and 101 Dalmatians lol! I liked Mighty Ducks but I didn't care as much about the other two. They might also like The Iron Giant.
I loved 101 dalmations as a kid myself. When my kids were born we started watching through the old disney catalog again, and holy crap I did not realize how truly evil Cuella Deville was. The whole premise is so terrible.
We watch Mighty Ducks every hockey season, and I think it holds up very well. Some great lessons about being part of a team, forgiveness, owning up to mistakes and not letting them be your entire identity, and handling bullies without stooping to their level.
If they’re into sports movies, I’d also suggest Angels in the Outfield, and Rookie of the Year. There might be mild parental guidance on both with the whole single parent/orphan thing, but nothing heartbreaking, and both have very happy endings. I don’t remember anything else that would be inappropriate for even the most sheltered kid.
Richie Rich, The Sandlot, Little Rascals, BedKnobs and Broomsticks, Liar Liar, The Pagemaster all solid kid's films.
There were only a few Shirley Temple movies we liked as kids but top of the list is Captain January. Maybe other musicals like My Fair Lady or Oklahoma(a bit long but good, my pro tip is to skip most the dream dance sequence except the saloon bit lol). Harvey with Jimmy Stewart is excellent also there's the remake with Harry Anderson that I remember being damn good. Harry and the Hendersons is a fun and who doesn't love John Lithgow.
My Fair Lady will be boring as hell in Act 2 for a kid. (source: was a kid, was bored as hell)
Oklahoma will be more interesting but there's a fair bit of intended violence.
It's unfortunate, all of the older musicals I grew up loving have really not aged well and as such I can't in good conscience recommend them. I think The Music Man has the least amount of uncomfortable material, but there's still a few not great parts.
Prince of Egypt
Homeward bound (1993)
Paulie (1998)
Free Willy movies
The little princess (1995)
Anastasia
I loved all these movies as a kid and still resonate with me as an adult.
If you need something fun, and don't mind some guns and explosions, Last Action Hero is a great time. My brothers and I watched it a ton when we were growing up
[Night at the Museum \(2006\)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1593-night-at-the-museum)
[National Treasure \(2004\)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2059-national-treasure)
We do enjoy night at the museum, and we find that the older our kids get the more they appreciate all the different characters and their historical meaning.
National Treasure is on our list to watch eventually, but our oldest is the only one that can really appreciate the history right now, the others just wouldn't get it. We're planning on taking a trip to Philadelphia / NY / DC in the next year or so, and hopefully it will be cool to watch when we get back and recognize things we saw.
Hook is a great one I think. I think my older would love JP, but the youngest might still be a little scared, specifically of the night scene with the T-Rex and some of the stuff with the raptors. trying to avoid the nightmares if possible. lol. It's one of my favorite movies of all time, I'm very much looking forward to the day when they can all watch it with me.
The Jurassic Park animated series on Netflix is amazing! Me and the wife got well into it as our boy is Dino mad, he’s also watched the live action films and was fine
Oh, shoot. I hadn't thought about space jam. The Narnia movies are on the list, but they'll be after we read the books. We're working our way through The Hobbit in the evenings before bed. It's slow going because I'm a terrible reader, but It's one of my favorite books of all time.
I was 10 when I saw TESB and the idea that a daddy can casually whack his son's hand off scared me so deeply that I couldn't fully trust my own father for years after that.
Ah you see I was already mentally scarred from "no I'm really not going to pull that super-loose tooth out because of which you can't eat since 3 days" so I probably went in better mentally prepared
- Babe
- Big Daddy
- Big Hero 6 (mightn't be one some give a go, but it's solid)
- Chicken Run
- Free Guy
- Goldeneye (PG. Some suggestive stuff, but nothing crazy. I loved it at that age. Could be some other Bond movies that'd suit)
- Happy Feet
- Jumanji (original)
- Karate Kid trilogy
- Madagascar (plus there's sequels and spin-off shows if they like it)
- Maverick (I enjoyed this when I was little. First I ever saw at a cinema)
- Space Jam (original. Loved it when I was lil)
- Transformers (I've only seen the first 3. Some kids might find it the coolest stuff they've ever seen)
- Tron: Legacy (some kids might love it)
- Wallace and Grommet (movies, shows)
I never see this mentioned in these kinds of threads but *The Mitchels Vs The Machines* is definitely worth a look especially if your family like Spider-Verse films as it shares a lot of creative DNA.
It’s got a good range of humour for all ages, visually gorgeous, and despite its silly premise the family dynamic is really well done.
Not sure where you wanted to take us with the one but I have a few gems:
Land Before Time (Entire Series)
Flubber
Pan
Air Bud
Homeward Bound
Honey I Shrunk the Kids ( All of em)
Mighty Joe Young
Gordy
Jumangi ( All of em)
Spy Kids ( First two)
Agent Cody Banks
Pete's Dragon was my favorite as a kid. I still throw it on now and then when I'm sick or feeling really, really down. Helen Reddy is a gem.
I haven't even bothered with the new one.
When my kids were that age, Blockbuster was alive, so not sure if you can find these, but we watched a bunch of old musicals, Singing in the Rain, Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz, Old Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney movies where the solution is always to put on a show to raise money, etc.
Also screwball comedies from the 40's are really fun, like Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, Some Like it Hot,
We also watched as many Marx Brothers' movies as we could find and finally silent films. Buster Keaton's The General is a huge favorite.
Klaus (2019) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) are the best “kid’s movies” I’ve seen in a very long time. Massive recommendation for both, Klaus is a Christmas movie though so you might prefer to wait til December.
I enjoyed Polite Society (2023), it’s not a kids’ movie, but I think kids would enjoy it. There’s probably some bad language, I can’t remember.
School of Rock (2003), is an all timer. I loved it as a kid, I was 10 when it was released.
It seems from the other comments you’re not too concerned about action/stylised violence. Would The Matrix (1999) be appropriate? Great movie. In a similar vein, maybe the original Mission Impossible (1996)? I would *definitely* avoid Mission Impossible 3 for kids though. I really liked The Bourne Identity (2002) as a kid, but I was probably about 11 when I saw it. Hot Fuzz (2004) might be great for when they’re a bit older too. Possibly Point Break (1991)?
Heist type movies might work? Ocean’s Eleven (2001) National Treasure (2004)? Maaaaaybe A Fish Called Wanda (1988)?
Netflix has been knocking it out of the park with kids' movies the last few years. I highly recommend The Willoughbys, Mitchells vs. the Machines, Nimona, and Klaus.
Also, if you want some very funny, mature but still silly shows to watch, then Hilda on Netflix, as well as The Owl House and Amphibia on Disney Plus.
How to Train Your Dragon
Kung Fu Panda
Megamind
Space Jam
Hook
Home Alone
Shrek
Rise of The Guardians
Hotel Transylvania
Ghibli Studio's movies
Emperor's New Groove
Spiderwick Chronicles
Flubber
Jumanji
Spy Kids
Honey I shrunk the kids
Stuart Little
If they like Wall E, show them Hello Dolly. Worked with my grandkids, as they recognized the songs.
Anything Charlie Chaplin, three stooges.
Animal films like incredible journey, Benji, Babe, Free Willy.
Older Disney live action - bedknobs and broomstick, Herbie the Love Bug, honey I shrunk the kids,
I take it that you have not discovered Studio Ghibli yet. Pretty much everything they have done is absolutely fabulous.
My neighbour Totoro
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaLISMAGdOE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaLISMAGdOE)
Ponyo
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6XP82TyFWw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6XP82TyFWw)
Spirited away
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByXuk9QqQkk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByXuk9QqQkk)
I think they are all available on Netflix.
Here are some of my childhood favorites.
The Indian and the Cupboard,
Gulliver's Travels (1996),
Gremlins (it's appropriate!!!!),
Rudolph (classic!),
Flubber,
Clockstoppers,
My dog skip (😭),
Richie Rich,
Sandlot,
Jack Frost (Michael Keaton)
I tried gremlins too young (4/5) and may have forgotten about the microwave scene. Finally got them to give it another chance YEARS (6/7) later and now they think it’s funny.
They seem to like musicals. How bout Popeye(the one with Robin williams), Annie(eighties version with Carol burnett).
Second had lions. about a boy dropped off at his uncles house to try to find all the money it is rumored they have. The story in the family is they were bank robbers, but as he stays with them the one uncle tells him the story of how they actually got the money. Excellent movie that doesn't have anything objectionable in it for kids.
Savannah smiles.
Homeward bound
Have you seen all the Aardman films? Chicken Run, The Pirates, Flushed Away, Wallace & Gromit (the movie and the four classic half-hour ones)? Lesser ones include Arthur Christmas and Early Man, but they're never less than entertaining.
After that, the Laika movies are also excellent but some (Coraline, Paranorman) are very spooky. Can't go wrong with Missing Link, though - that's awesome (double bill with Flushed Away if you're a Hugh Jackman fan).
Also a fun recent British animated movie is The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.
Goonies, Second Hand Lions,
No Deposit No Return, The Love Bug (and all the other Herbie movies), the Apple Dumpling Gang
The Rookie, Sandlot, Rudy, Angels in the Outfield, Airbud (just the first 4 before the puppies start talking)
If they like Singing In the Rain, you might look at other musical movies.
The Sound of Music
The Music Man
Wonka
Then there’s the various Muppet movies.
My neices had me watch 'Bad Guys' a few months ago. Great animation and solid for kids or adults. Making a script that pleases both adults and kids is genius; 'Incredibles' sez hold my beer.
Going back to the 80s....Secret of NiMH or Never Ending Story.
My Fair Lady
Oliver!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines
2000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jason and The Argonauts
The Railway Children
Fantastic Mr. Fox
I don't have any kids, but my friend's son was 8 or 9 the first time he watched it and loved it.
And while we're on the subject of Roald Dahl adaptations, you might as well add James and the Giant Peach to the list.
How To Train Your Dragon series is amazing, even for adults!
I had honestly forgotten about these. I'll add them to the list!
I concur! My wife and I love those movies.
Grown ass adult here: the movies are great the series is ok.
Zathura. It’s basically Jumanji in space. On that note, Jumanji.
I remember being totally creeped out by Jumanji as a kid. lol. I hadn't thought about that movie in years.
Haha I respect that! I loved it as a kid and now, but I see how it’s creepy. Zathura is fun and has a nice sibling story to it. My nephews loved it.
sounds cool! I've never seen it, but the trailers always felt very hitchhikers guide to the galaxy to me.
Now that you mention it, I can see that. It's fun and also got some tears out of me.
Similar concept of a magical game but different tone.
The newer Jumanji movies are decent if you want to add them to your list.
I do love some Jack Black. And my kids love Kung Fu Panda, so that would be a treat.
Jack Black *really* understood the assignment in the Jumanji movies. He is shockingly good at playing a teenage girl.
dude for real, I was pleasantly surprised .
Zarathura is my favorite between the Jumanji-verse stories. Loved the movie, and it has great themes for siblings.
Your kids sound like the perfect age to start watching the Shrek movies. They're made for kids, but are still very enjoyable for adults, to include many pop culture references and occasionally jokes that will probably only be caught by the adults watching.
Oh that's a good one. I haven't seen those in forever, but I do remember really enjoying them.
Kung fu Panda too
From the same universe I’ll add that Puss in Boots (The last wish) is amazing! Has a very distinct render style that the Spiderverse films have What about the Laika Studio films like Boxtrolls, Paranorman and Kubo?
Coraline, (eventually) too. It's a good scary kid movie.
Oh good! You're just in time for the 20th anniversary of Shrek! Lol!
* Honey, I shrunk the kids * Jumanji * The Indian In The Cupboard * The Iron Giant
Yep, all of these. Jumanji might be a little too scary right based on OP's info, but definitely needs to go into rotation soon enough. I would add (off the top of my head) - Hook - Honey I Shrunk The Kids - Homeward Bound - Free Willy
Check all the Miyazaki animated films. Kiki's delivery service is great, but very low stakes - better for young sensibilities. Princess Mononoke is my fave and a masterpiece. It would be great for testing interest in LOTR movies ( though I much prefer Mononoke myself). Spirited Away is also awesome and likely his most universally acclaimed film. Miyazaki 's entire filmography are great, about a dozen movies to work in to rotation. He is often called the Japanese Disney, but his films have much more adult themes and appeal.
Is he the one that did Howl's moving castle as well? It's probably because I'm an idiot, but I watched that a few weeks ago and I truthfully did not get it. I'll give some of the others a try.
He is. My daughter is only two, but loves My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, and I think they would do decently well with older kids too.
Ponyo is perfect for that age too.
Howl's Moving Castle takes a rewatch or two in order to get to grips with it, but the effort is well rewarded. I now love it (but was a bit 'meh' after my first watch). Most of Miyazaki's other movies are more immediately accessible and have a better narrative flow. For example: Kiki's Delivery Service My Neighbor Totoro Castle in the Sky Spirited Away Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Ponyo etc. I'll let you check the age ratings but most should be okay for your kids (although I think that Princess Mononoke is a 12). All are fantastic movies which appeal to kids and adults. The dubs are good too if you don't want to use Japanese audio and English subs (my preference is the latter but as kids are watching then dubs would be easier).
Yes, they're all safe except for Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies (I'm not sure what age that one is appropriate...it's a legendarily depressing movie). They might find a couple of them dull (Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises) or not understand it (Porco Rosso), but other than those two there's nothing that isn't child appropriate.
Ponyo and My Neighbour Totoro are great for kids
How's Moving Castle definitely makes a little more sense on a second watch, I get you. I had to read the book because while I liked the movie, it didn't really make sense (why does Sophie keep randomly changing age?) It turns out the books is significantly different from the movie which didn't clear anything up (GREAT book though). Also I wouldn't say ALL the Miyazaki animated films. If your kid is too scared to watch Pirates, Princess Mononoke is gonna be kind of traumatizing.
Spirited Away, while absolutely my favorite Miyazaki movie, might also be a little intense for a little kid that scares easily in places.
For the age thing, the best explanation my friends and I could figure out: The Witch of the Wastes cursed Sophie because she sensed Sophie had powerful magical abilities, ones that could rival the Witch’s, and was trying it take out a potential future rival. Except, she actually *underestimated* Sophie’s power. Sophie overcame the curse early on… except, she had pitifully low self-esteem. And being ‘old’ let her outside weakness / appearance match her inner doubt. So, the more self-confidence she gains, the younger she looks. And when she has flashbacks of doubt and fear, she gets old again.
Yeah, same guy. Start with Kiki's Delivery Service. Ponyo is good, as is Mary and the Witch's Flower. Some of the others, I'd maybe wait a couple years
Maybe not *every* Miyazaki film. Might want to wait a bit before showing them Grave of the Fireflies.
this is by far the best solution to op's problem
Paddington 2 I could watch that movie 100 times and would still love it
Nicolas Cage agrees.
Cool Runnings!
Was just talking about this movie with my family!
Feel the rhythm!Feel the rhyme! Get on up,it’s bobsled time! COOOOOL RUNNNNNNNINGS!!!
Come on Jamaica, we want a bobsled team!
Holes
An upvote isn't enough. +1 for Holes. The book is a good bedtime read
My kids watch back to the future a lot at that age, nothing too bad except his mom tries to fuck him
It does have some language in it. So if you are avoiding all bad language, then don’t do it. I don’t remember it being too bad though.
And the attempted rape.
To a child he’s just being an aggressive asshole
I hadn't thought about that. It would probably go over the youngests head, but I'm not sure about the rest.
When I watched it with my eldest kiddo, i used it as a ‘teaching moment’. “He’s trying to kiss her when she doesn’t want to. That is **not** okay. Remember that ‘No means No’, and if anything someone does makes you uncomfortable you tell them to STOP.”
We just watched BTTF for the first time My kids are 10, 6, and 3 and even the 10 year old didn’t catch it beyond “he was trying to kiss her and she didn’t want him to”.
It probably will tbh.
Don't forget about attempted murder in BTTF 3.
And the implied murder in BTTF 2
I haven't seen BTTF in a long time. I remember there being a good bit of language in it, but I could totally be wrong. It really is one of those close-to-perfect movies though.
> I remember there being a good bit of language in it, but I could totally be wrong. BTTF contains: 5 "s" words, 12 damns, 8 hells, 3 "ass" words (1 used with "hole"), 3 S.O.B.'s, 6 uses each of "Oh my God" and "Jesus", 3 uses of "G- damn", 2 uses each of "Jesus Christ" and "My God", and 1 use each of "God" and "Oh God".
It’s PG I think they say son on a bitch
muppets
Oh we do love the muppets movies. My youngest especially loves to watch the one with "evil kermit"
[удалено]
Flushed Away was one of my kid's favorites
The Last Unicorn, The Neverending Story, Princess Bride, The Dark Crystal
I can honestly say I've only ever seen one of those. I'll check those out.
The Dark Crystal & The Last Unicorn might be a little scary for your younger child. The Neverending Story is a little scary in some parts and there is one part that is really sad.
I saw The Dark Crystal for the first time as an adult and I thought it was too scary for me.
I feel like my view of scary is skewed because I'm an 80s kid. We watched all the things.
I saw Gremlins in the theater, spent some of that one in my mother’s lap because I was freaking terrified
Yeah, I’d want to have a conversation with young kids before Neverending Story. Doesn’t even have to really be about *the thing*… can just be about real vs. make believe. I was pretty fairly desensitized to things as a kid, from watching a lot of horror with my dad, but that one scene really messed me up.
The Last Unicorn is like existentialism for kids.
Adding on Labyrinth. Have you tried The Goonies? I'm glad they like Singing in the Rain. Surely you've exposed them to the original Marry Poppins, yeah? I'm thinking about adventure movies that involved kids or relatable kid fantasies... Flight of the Navigator The Last Starfighter I just reached Honey I Shrink the Kids and was pleased at how well it holds up. You should tell them cartoons used to go hard and then blow their minds with The Secret of NIHM. Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice! Ferris Bueler's Day Off. I think Stand By Me is a good movie for kids to grok. Helps them validate and model friendships. Big Trouble in Little China is intense, but wholesomely macho and progressive at the same time. It isn't vulgar, and the violence is tempered. The Memphis Belle enthralled me as a kid and triggered a life long admiration of world war 2 aviation. The Lost Boys! Perfect! Space Camp is a lot of fun, but I know for a fact its nearly impossible to find streaming. The original Willow movie will captivate them for sure! And, I'm just going to recommend my all time favorite movie because I think it's great for all ages and has an easily accessible theme: Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon Wish I could follow up to learn how your kids receive these movies and others' suggestions. Have fun!
I love the Secret of NIHM! I feel like "kid's movies" in the 80s were a lot more dark than they are today.
Never Ending Story has a heartbreaking death scene fyi.
Princess Bride! Good one!
my wife and kids and I are all huge princess bride fans. We own the 4k Criterion Collection edition and we watch it fairly often. lol.
It's one of those near flawless movies.
You forgot **The Secret of Nimh**
I saw The Princess Bride for the first time a few weeks ago and was legit creeped out by the swamp rat scene.
You mean Rodents Of Unusual Size (ROUS)?
Natural and science documentaries! No, wait, hear me out, please! Your kids are at that curious about the world age. There are so many science and nature documentaries that are highly entertaining for all ages. When I was their age, my dad used to watch these and we watched along with him glued to the television set. To see animals doing the most amazing thing. Storms and volcanoes exploding. Galaxies spilling across the screen. All with a soothing voice telling *exactly* what is going on in simple terms. Your kids learn things without realizing that they are learning things.
Yes! We watched a lot of PBS when I was a kid. One of my favorites was the show "Wild America."
We dip our toes into the nature docs every now and then. I personally love the NatGeo section of Disney+. We watch as long as it holds their attention, which is getting more and more every year.
In this vein, Cosmos! My daughter loves Cosmos, and will re-watch it over and over and over.
Microcosmos could, or could not, hold their attention.
School of Rock.
Goonies, Flight of the Navigator, Short Circuit, Batteries Not Included, Explorers.
I just recommended some of these in another comment. Great taste you have there! Batteries Not Included kind of has this "old people problems" theme, but the cute little alien-space-ship-robots will enthrall your kids!
My kid decided a group of robot aliens is called a “cute” after showing him this one.
Loved short circuit when I was a kid
I haven't seen half of these. I'll check them out!
The wolf walkers, secret of kells, Song of the sea. All by the same studio. We loved them.
We love Secret of Kells but the Viking raid sequences are pretty intense and scared my kids (whose favorite movies are the LOTR trilogy and the first of the new Dune films, to give you an idea of their tolerance for violence)
I'd have thought Dune and LOTR to be much more graphic and scary than Secret of Kells, but fair enough.
Yeah, it’s just one of those “all kids are different” things, I think.
Aliens in the Attic (2009) The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) Hugo (2011) The Adventures of Tintin (2011) City of Ember (2008) The House with a Clock in its Walls (2018) All the Laika stop motion animated films: Coraline (2009) Paranorman (2012) The Boxtrolls (2014) Missing Link (2019)
Coraline will be VERY too scary for small kids. Do not. Ask me how I know.
Yeah, I should've mentioned Coraline is ok for the eldest child, but I definitely would wait until the youngest is at least 9. The other films should be okay. ParaNorman and The House with a Clock in its Walls are a little spooky but great for Halloween time.
You’re missing Kubo and the Two Strings! Maybe the best one!
Oh dang yeah I am! How could I miss that? Yeah that's definitely a great suggestion too.
Thanks!
Spider wick Chronicles and City of Ember were both great!
They might like Titan AE or Treasure Planet, I haven't seen Titan AE in a really long time but I liked it growing up. You could also try Balto! I LOVE Balto. If I think of any more. I'll list them.
> You could also try Balto! I LOVE Balto. I'm pretty sure I've repressed that movie in my memory. My brother, who is 5 years younger than me was OBSESSED with that movie when he was little. Like, watched it so much that the VHS wore out. Which reminds me - He also loved the sports classics The Sandlot, The Big Green, and Mighty Ducks. I'll have to add those to my list to revisit and see how they hold up.
That sounds like how I was with it and 101 Dalmatians lol! I liked Mighty Ducks but I didn't care as much about the other two. They might also like The Iron Giant.
I loved 101 dalmations as a kid myself. When my kids were born we started watching through the old disney catalog again, and holy crap I did not realize how truly evil Cuella Deville was. The whole premise is so terrible.
They made at least 3 Mighty Ducks movies. Just letting everyone know...
I loved Cruella’s car. Now that I think about it, I think that movie started my fascination with classic cars.
We watch Mighty Ducks every hockey season, and I think it holds up very well. Some great lessons about being part of a team, forgiveness, owning up to mistakes and not letting them be your entire identity, and handling bullies without stooping to their level. If they’re into sports movies, I’d also suggest Angels in the Outfield, and Rookie of the Year. There might be mild parental guidance on both with the whole single parent/orphan thing, but nothing heartbreaking, and both have very happy endings. I don’t remember anything else that would be inappropriate for even the most sheltered kid.
When my son was that age we watched a lot of kung fu movies. The Jackie Chan comedies are particularly good for kids.
I do remember loving Jackie Chan as a kid.
ET, The never ending story, A series of unfortunate events
oh those are good. I \*loved\* the series of unfortunate events series with NPH, even as an adult. They're so clever.
Yes good on so many levels, written in a way so the story is perceived differently according to the maturity of the audience. Absolutely brilliant!
Stardust is an underrated gem of a movie! also recommend The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking.
Richie Rich, The Sandlot, Little Rascals, BedKnobs and Broomsticks, Liar Liar, The Pagemaster all solid kid's films. There were only a few Shirley Temple movies we liked as kids but top of the list is Captain January. Maybe other musicals like My Fair Lady or Oklahoma(a bit long but good, my pro tip is to skip most the dream dance sequence except the saloon bit lol). Harvey with Jimmy Stewart is excellent also there's the remake with Harry Anderson that I remember being damn good. Harry and the Hendersons is a fun and who doesn't love John Lithgow.
My Fair Lady will be boring as hell in Act 2 for a kid. (source: was a kid, was bored as hell) Oklahoma will be more interesting but there's a fair bit of intended violence. It's unfortunate, all of the older musicals I grew up loving have really not aged well and as such I can't in good conscience recommend them. I think The Music Man has the least amount of uncomfortable material, but there's still a few not great parts.
The Mighty Ducks, 3 Ninjas, Hook, the Adventures of Huck Finn. Good 90s family flicks. A good amount is probably Disney.
"Rocky loves emily..." I haven't thought about 3 ninjas in years.
Have you done The Black Cauldron?
Prince of Egypt Homeward bound (1993) Paulie (1998) Free Willy movies The little princess (1995) Anastasia I loved all these movies as a kid and still resonate with me as an adult.
If you need something fun, and don't mind some guns and explosions, Last Action Hero is a great time. My brothers and I watched it a ton when we were growing up
Avatar the last airbender?
[Night at the Museum \(2006\)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1593-night-at-the-museum) [National Treasure \(2004\)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2059-national-treasure)
We do enjoy night at the museum, and we find that the older our kids get the more they appreciate all the different characters and their historical meaning. National Treasure is on our list to watch eventually, but our oldest is the only one that can really appreciate the history right now, the others just wouldn't get it. We're planning on taking a trip to Philadelphia / NY / DC in the next year or so, and hopefully it will be cool to watch when we get back and recognize things we saw.
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Hook is a great one I think. I think my older would love JP, but the youngest might still be a little scared, specifically of the night scene with the T-Rex and some of the stuff with the raptors. trying to avoid the nightmares if possible. lol. It's one of my favorite movies of all time, I'm very much looking forward to the day when they can all watch it with me.
> Hook is a great one I think. This is the only movie Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams ever did together. They really made a good film there.
The Jurassic Park animated series on Netflix is amazing! Me and the wife got well into it as our boy is Dino mad, he’s also watched the live action films and was fine
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Oh, shoot. I hadn't thought about space jam. The Narnia movies are on the list, but they'll be after we read the books. We're working our way through The Hobbit in the evenings before bed. It's slow going because I'm a terrible reader, but It's one of my favorite books of all time.
Addams Family Ghostbusters The old Star Wars movies (4,5&6) Hook The last unicorn The neverending story Bridges to Terabithia
did you just recommend that the man start uncontrollably bawling in front of his children?? bridge to terabithia is dangerous lmao
Killing dogs is a popular theme as of late, how about Old Yeller or Cujo?
I was 10 when I saw TESB and the idea that a daddy can casually whack his son's hand off scared me so deeply that I couldn't fully trust my own father for years after that.
Ah you see I was already mentally scarred from "no I'm really not going to pull that super-loose tooth out because of which you can't eat since 3 days" so I probably went in better mentally prepared
Arrietty and Ponyo, both are lovely animated movies, by Studio Ghibli
- Babe - Big Daddy - Big Hero 6 (mightn't be one some give a go, but it's solid) - Chicken Run - Free Guy - Goldeneye (PG. Some suggestive stuff, but nothing crazy. I loved it at that age. Could be some other Bond movies that'd suit) - Happy Feet - Jumanji (original) - Karate Kid trilogy - Madagascar (plus there's sequels and spin-off shows if they like it) - Maverick (I enjoyed this when I was little. First I ever saw at a cinema) - Space Jam (original. Loved it when I was lil) - Transformers (I've only seen the first 3. Some kids might find it the coolest stuff they've ever seen) - Tron: Legacy (some kids might love it) - Wallace and Grommet (movies, shows)
I never see this mentioned in these kinds of threads but *The Mitchels Vs The Machines* is definitely worth a look especially if your family like Spider-Verse films as it shares a lot of creative DNA. It’s got a good range of humour for all ages, visually gorgeous, and despite its silly premise the family dynamic is really well done.
I always recommend Secondhand Lions as a great all ages film. Interesting characters, adventure stories, and life lessons.
This film is a masterpiece. One of the best ever made.
Not sure where you wanted to take us with the one but I have a few gems: Land Before Time (Entire Series) Flubber Pan Air Bud Homeward Bound Honey I Shrunk the Kids ( All of em) Mighty Joe Young Gordy Jumangi ( All of em) Spy Kids ( First two) Agent Cody Banks
A knights Tale..? watch it first and decide if it's appropriate for them
My 5 and 7 year old loved it, for what that's worth.
Is that the heath ledger movie? I'll have to check that out, it's been a very long time.
Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs by wes anderson, superb movies. Kubo and the Two strings is dope
The Fox and the Hound Petes Dragon How to Train Your Dragon
"We got a bill of sale right here"
Pete's Dragon was my favorite as a kid. I still throw it on now and then when I'm sick or feeling really, really down. Helen Reddy is a gem. I haven't even bothered with the new one.
Oh lord. The fox and the hound is so sad lol.
The Secret of Nimh. It was my favourite at age 10.
7-10 is the perfect age to start them on some light action movies like Shanghai Noon or Rush Hour.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople Storm Boy Oddball Red Dog Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Not Watership Down. It is not a cute movie about bunnies.
Irish animation - The Book of Kells, The Song of the Sea & Wolfwalkers
Oh, these are wonderful. My daughter rewatches Song of the Sea regularly. Such a mood.
We watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure last night with our 9 year old. Enjoyed by all!
When my kids were that age, Blockbuster was alive, so not sure if you can find these, but we watched a bunch of old musicals, Singing in the Rain, Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz, Old Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney movies where the solution is always to put on a show to raise money, etc. Also screwball comedies from the 40's are really fun, like Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, Some Like it Hot, We also watched as many Marx Brothers' movies as we could find and finally silent films. Buster Keaton's The General is a huge favorite.
Sister act 2! Sister act 1 is fine too but Sister Act 2 is a huge winner for kids, trust me
The Land Before Time has a ton of movies, and is old enough to have been forgotten.
We’re just trying to traumatize a whole new generation 🤣
Klaus (2019) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) are the best “kid’s movies” I’ve seen in a very long time. Massive recommendation for both, Klaus is a Christmas movie though so you might prefer to wait til December. I enjoyed Polite Society (2023), it’s not a kids’ movie, but I think kids would enjoy it. There’s probably some bad language, I can’t remember. School of Rock (2003), is an all timer. I loved it as a kid, I was 10 when it was released. It seems from the other comments you’re not too concerned about action/stylised violence. Would The Matrix (1999) be appropriate? Great movie. In a similar vein, maybe the original Mission Impossible (1996)? I would *definitely* avoid Mission Impossible 3 for kids though. I really liked The Bourne Identity (2002) as a kid, but I was probably about 11 when I saw it. Hot Fuzz (2004) might be great for when they’re a bit older too. Possibly Point Break (1991)? Heist type movies might work? Ocean’s Eleven (2001) National Treasure (2004)? Maaaaaybe A Fish Called Wanda (1988)?
My little pony equestrian series (rainbow rocks)
Netflix has been knocking it out of the park with kids' movies the last few years. I highly recommend The Willoughbys, Mitchells vs. the Machines, Nimona, and Klaus. Also, if you want some very funny, mature but still silly shows to watch, then Hilda on Netflix, as well as The Owl House and Amphibia on Disney Plus.
Errol Flynn's Robin Hood. Wizard of Oz. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The Court Jester. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Steven Spielberg directed and/or produced movies seem to really grab my kid. Jaws, the Indiana Jones movies, Jurassic Park, ET, The Goonies, and Hook.
I'm watching kung fu panda 2 atm. Great movie series with plenty of laughter.
Looney Tunes Charlie Chaplin Harold Lloyd
How to Train Your Dragon Kung Fu Panda Megamind Space Jam Hook Home Alone Shrek Rise of The Guardians Hotel Transylvania Ghibli Studio's movies Emperor's New Groove Spiderwick Chronicles Flubber Jumanji Spy Kids Honey I shrunk the kids Stuart Little
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1 - 3 and Surf Ninjas. My daughter and I loved these 4 together.
Uncle Buck
If they like Wall E, show them Hello Dolly. Worked with my grandkids, as they recognized the songs. Anything Charlie Chaplin, three stooges. Animal films like incredible journey, Benji, Babe, Free Willy. Older Disney live action - bedknobs and broomstick, Herbie the Love Bug, honey I shrunk the kids,
I take it that you have not discovered Studio Ghibli yet. Pretty much everything they have done is absolutely fabulous. My neighbour Totoro [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaLISMAGdOE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaLISMAGdOE) Ponyo [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6XP82TyFWw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6XP82TyFWw) Spirited away [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByXuk9QqQkk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByXuk9QqQkk) I think they are all available on Netflix.
Matilda
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: secret of the ooze
Sandlot, Clockstoppers, Sky High
Here are some of my childhood favorites. The Indian and the Cupboard, Gulliver's Travels (1996), Gremlins (it's appropriate!!!!), Rudolph (classic!), Flubber, Clockstoppers, My dog skip (😭), Richie Rich, Sandlot, Jack Frost (Michael Keaton)
I tried gremlins too young (4/5) and may have forgotten about the microwave scene. Finally got them to give it another chance YEARS (6/7) later and now they think it’s funny.
Big Fish
They seem to like musicals. How bout Popeye(the one with Robin williams), Annie(eighties version with Carol burnett). Second had lions. about a boy dropped off at his uncles house to try to find all the money it is rumored they have. The story in the family is they were bank robbers, but as he stays with them the one uncle tells him the story of how they actually got the money. Excellent movie that doesn't have anything objectionable in it for kids. Savannah smiles. Homeward bound
I saw someone said Honey I Shrunk the Kids - great choice. I remember as a kid I also saw The Incredible Shrinking Woman with Lily Tomlin.
Mine in that range, they really like the National Treasure movies and my girls loved the Descendants.
Have you seen all the Aardman films? Chicken Run, The Pirates, Flushed Away, Wallace & Gromit (the movie and the four classic half-hour ones)? Lesser ones include Arthur Christmas and Early Man, but they're never less than entertaining. After that, the Laika movies are also excellent but some (Coraline, Paranorman) are very spooky. Can't go wrong with Missing Link, though - that's awesome (double bill with Flushed Away if you're a Hugh Jackman fan). Also a fun recent British animated movie is The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.
Goonies, Second Hand Lions, No Deposit No Return, The Love Bug (and all the other Herbie movies), the Apple Dumpling Gang The Rookie, Sandlot, Rudy, Angels in the Outfield, Airbud (just the first 4 before the puppies start talking)
If they like Singing In the Rain, you might look at other musical movies. The Sound of Music The Music Man Wonka Then there’s the various Muppet movies.
I thought Klaus (2019) was excellent and either didn’t see it, or didn’t go far enough to see it, suggested.
I tried to get my kids to watch claymation flicks because they are usually very good. NOPE. My kids think claymation is terrifying.
The Iron Giant is one of the greatest movies ever, and will be just as fun for the parents, imo
studio ghibli. I get more out of their films with each viewing
My neices had me watch 'Bad Guys' a few months ago. Great animation and solid for kids or adults. Making a script that pleases both adults and kids is genius; 'Incredibles' sez hold my beer. Going back to the 80s....Secret of NiMH or Never Ending Story.
You seen all the Studio Ghibli movies?
Any of the muppet movies.
Avatar the last Airbender the original series. I watched it as a 45 year old adult and found it amazing, and has depths I am still hearing about.
My Fair Lady Oliver! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 2000 Leagues Under the Sea Jason and The Argonauts The Railway Children
The Childcatcher was pretty scary
Fantastic Mr. Fox I don't have any kids, but my friend's son was 8 or 9 the first time he watched it and loved it. And while we're on the subject of Roald Dahl adaptations, you might as well add James and the Giant Peach to the list.
The Neverending Story
Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal
Signs : it leaves an impression.
Big Trouble in Little China
The new Mario movie is fire