Children’s movies can be amongst the most entertaining of all films. Part of their appeal is that they can be shown to any age group and still captivate the audience. They are generally appropriate for anyone to watch and are a good way for families to spend quality time together. Here is a list of my top ten children’s classic movies that are sure to appeal to any age group.
10. Finding Nemo (2003) – Finding Nemo is one of those movies that became an instant classic. Pixar didn’t an incredible job with the animation in this movie. Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres were spectacular in their respective roles. My sons were pre-teens at the time of this release and were still thoroughly entertained. My nephew to this day continually asks to watch Nemo on visits.
9. Spy Kids(2001) – For my family, this came out at the exact time when my children were of the age that this film would be most appealing to them. A movie about kids saving their parents was a genius idea that had the kids coming in packs. The Sequels although not as good were also entertaining.
8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) – Rudolph is a timeless classic that CBS ingeniously re-introduces to new generations every year. Filmed in stop motion animation, the film has the animation appeal to keep the younger viewers glued to the TV while it takes the older viewers down memory lane.
7. Toy Story (1995) – Woody, Buzz and the gang have been keeping audiences of all ages entertained for over 15 years. To this day, whenever I come across the crew I have to stop and pay attention. The sequels that have come out have been equally entertaining.
6. A Christmas Story (1983) – The exploits of little Ralphie’s attempts to get the official Red Ryder BB Rifle have firmly established this film as a must watch movie every Christmas. You can generally find this movie playing on Christmas day in an all day marathon.
5. E. T. The Extra Terrestrial(1982) – Steven Spielberg made finding aliens cool in this 1982 hit. I remember going to the movies over and over to see it again and again. After all this was pre-DVD and this is what you had to do when you wanted to see a movie more than once.
4. The Wizard of Oz (1939) – It takes an exceptional movie to still captivate new audiences over 70 years after its original release and this timeless classic is that and such much more. You have to wonder if the filmmakers ever dreamed that kids would be saying “there’s no place like home” in 2010.
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) – What can you say about this movie franchise that the box office numbers haven’t said? Genius writing, special effects, casting, directing and story line make all the Potter movies a must for any child. My children have grown into adulthood with this line and are as entertained as they were in 2001.
2. Home Alone(1990) – It’s hard to believe that this movie was made 20 years ago. Kevin McAllister defends his home against the thieving Stan and Marv. This movie took kid power to a whole new level and dominated the box office while doing it. The sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was equally entertaining, but after that the franchise lost its sizzle.
1. The Lion King(1994) – Want to blame a movie for starting a revolution? The Lion King was so good that you forgot you were watching a cartoon. The music alone was good enough to warrant watching it, but you had a compelling storyline that had moral undertones all throughout the movie. My children were singing “Hakuna Matata” for months. When you start a movie making revolution you have to be at the top of the list.
