From the depths of a galaxy far, far away to the Goon Docks of Astoria, where a pirate ship and its treasure lay undiscovered, every picture in our collection of 30 Kids and Family Movie Classics is an immersive cinematic experience.
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1. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (2005)
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien shared a close but turbulent relationship born in the dreaming spires of Oxford. Tolkien was critical of Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia and its use of religious iconography and narrative beats, while Lewis offered encouragement and support for Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Both men were intrinsically linked, and a shared love of history would sit at the centre of their fantasy worlds.
Tolkien built his fantasy world from the horrors of the First World War, while Lewis placed his biblical fantasy into the hands of young evacuees during the Second World War. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe would lace its story of betrayal and resurrection with elements of classic Greek mythology, pagan belief and fantasy, sculpting a world that celebrated Christian biblical texts while exploring broader mythology.
Andrew Adamson’s beautiful, thoughtful, and stunning adaptation opened to positive reviews on December 9, 2005, bringing the world of C.S. Lewis to life in exquisite detail through puppetry, physical effects, and CGI. Unlike the equally impressive BBC TV series, Adamson had the budget and technical power to add scale, enlarging Narnia into a breathtaking world of darkness and light. Walden Media always envisioned The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as the opening chapter of a series, and true to their word, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader would follow.
However, due to legal disputes over rights between Walden Media, 20th Century Fox, and Disney, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader would be the final Narnia outing. Disney’s acquisition of Fox would later solve this legal battle, but, as yet, there are no signs of any return to Narnia.
2. LUCA (2021)
After serving as a story artist for Coco and Ratatouille, Enrico Casarosa finally took to the director’s chair with Luca just as the pandemic put a stop to cinema screenings. As a result, Casarosa’s delightful, engaging and colourful story of friendship, pasta, love, vespers and diversity quietly slipped onto Disney+ like the equally brilliant Soul and Turning Red.
Luca deserved a big screen, with each beautifully animated scene bathed in the sunshine and sea air of the Italian coast as we met two young sea monsters, Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), whose newfound friendship and love involved a daring exploration of the human world above their ocean home. Casarosa, Andrews, and Stephenson’s story is a delicate, loving, and bold exploration of identity, friendship, discrimination, and acceptance, and a love letter to Italian cinema.
With its summer vibes, complex coming-of-age themes, and the energetic, passionate voice performances of Tremblay and Grazer, this magical, sun-drenched tale of two sea creatures in boys’ clothing is believable, heartwarming, and joyous.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
3. HOME ALONE (1990)
Bathed in the classic colours of Christmas, from its sets to its costumes and locations, John Hughes and Chris Columbus’ festive comedy masterpiece is an all-time great of the family movie genre. The McCallister home is adorned with deep reds and luscious greens, from the wallpaper to the rugs and ornaments. The house is a living and breathing Christmas wreath with Kevin, the naughty Christmas elf, at its heart.
Home Alone cleverly adopts a child’s perspective through low-angle camera shots that let the viewer see the world through Kevin’s eyes. It joyously explores themes of childhood wish-fulfilment and adventure, reflecting the moment when children strive for some level of independence, even if they are not yet ready to do so without their family’s support.
Home Alone also pays homage to Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life, a film on TV when Kevin realises he “made his family disappear.” In Capra’s movie, George Bailey explores the world that could have been if he had chosen to commit suicide. In Home Alone, Kevin explores a reverse situation as he navigates a world where he is the only one remaining. As a result, while George Bailey discovers his value to his family, Kevin learns the value of his family to him.
Through Kevin’s eyes, Hughes and Columbus take us back to being eight years old, wrapping us in an energetic, slapstick Christmas tale bound by the spirit of adventure and the unrelenting imagination of every child.
4. CORALINE (2009)
WORDS CALUM COOPER
Coraline is a film that proudly challenges its audience. Its fairy- tale roots breed familiarity, while its reversal of typical tones, characterisations, and themes gives it an original and haunting coat of paint. Even the fact that Coraline’s name is a reworking of the more common Caroline – something acknowledged in the film – hints at the ways in which the story plays with its tropes and genre in order to entice its audience, whether through visual enchantment or outright horror.
In doing so, it set the precedent for Laika Studios and their range of remarkable claymation films, all of which offer mature, imaginative alternatives to the general lightheartedness of most Disney animations. Compelling, beautiful, dark, funny, horrifying, and everything in between, Coraline should be recognised for what it is: one of animated cinema’s greatest offerings.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
5. ALPHA (2018)
Alpha is the story of a teenage boy, a wolf and the birth of a union that remains steadfast today. Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is the firstborn son of clan leader Tau (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), who is training him to one day lead the tribe. Under his father’s instruction, Keda learns hunting, spearcraft, survival and leadership. But Keda’s mother (Natassia Malthe) is less convinced of her partner’s training techniques, stating that Keda “leads with his heart, not his spear.”
Despite her concerns, Tau decides his son is ready for his first hunt, leading Keda and his fellow hunters into the plains for wildebeest. This is the perfect time for Tau to instruct Keda on the dangers of the hunt, navigation using only the stars and the survival techniques he must master and own.
But the hunt ends in tragedy as a herd of wildebeest tears through the group and tosses Keda’s young body over the side of a cliff, where he lands lifeless on a steep ledge. Keda is unconscious, his body limp and unmoving, and with no way to reach him, his father believes he is dead. Grieving his loss, Tau leads his men back home.
Days later, Keda awakens as a flash flood offers a dangerous opportunity to escape the ledge. As he reaches land, his leg badly broken, a pack of wolves stalk him with every step. Keda has no choice but to fight the ravenous wolves, injuring one of the pack in the scuffle. But as Keda and the injured wolf lay on the ground, their energy spent, a spark of companionship began to grow. Could they achieve more together than apart?
Albert Hughes avoids simple Disney story arcs, firmly establishing the film as a survival adventure. Here, stunning action sequences and moments of quiet reflection sit side by side in a film that requires little language. Kedu speaks an ancient dialect, and subtitles are used throughout, smartly introducing kids to the world of foreign cinema through an American production full of heart-pounding action. But the real genius sits within the breathtaking cinematography of Martin Gschlacht, the rousing score of Joseph S. DeBeasi and Michael Stearns, and the cracking central performance of Kodi Smit-McPhee.
6. BUGSY MALONE (1976)
Alan Parker’s gloriously unique kids’ mobster musical is a timeless joy, full to the brim with splurge guns, cream pies, art deco sets, and toe-tapping musical numbers from the legendary Paul Williams (The Muppet Movie).
In Parker’s pre-pubescent gangster world, adults are kept at bay even though they sing every classic song in the Bugsy repertoire. In late-20s New York City, we follow Bugsy (Scott Baio) through a gangland feud as his loyalties are torn between impressing the city newcomer, Blousey Brown (Florence Garland), and protecting the business interests of Fat Sam.
Unlike anything before or since, Bugsy Malone is delightfully cheesy, deliciously mad and undeniably brilliant. Here, Alan Parker pays homage to classic gangster movies through a child’s eyes, offering a musical like no other. So get down to Fat Sam’s, where you’ll always find a table, and there’s always room for just one more.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
7. THE LION KING (1994)
The first Disney animated feature, not based on an existing book or fairy tale, The Lion King, roared into cinemas in 1994 and helped Disney find its voice again. Drawing on elements of the classic coming-of-age story and weaving them into Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Lion King remains one of the bravest and boldest Disney films ever. Add the music of Tim Rice, Elton John, and Hans Zimmer, and the voice talent of James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and it becomes possibly the greatest Disney film ever made.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
8. HUGO (2011)
Based on the novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo is a technical marvel and a love letter to the birth of cinema. Set amidst the hustle and bustle of Paris’ Montparnasse train station in the early 1930s, a young orphan, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), lives in the station’s clock tower, repairing and maintaining the clocks.
Hugo lost his mother at a young age and then his clockmaker father (Jude Law) in a dreadful fire, and now lives alone, hiding in the train station’s walls and avoiding the station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen). As Hugo attempts to repair an automaton his father was working on before his death, he steals parts from a shopkeeper who sells mechanical toys and magic tricks.
However, unknown to Hugo, the shopkeeper is the legendary film director Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley) – a man whose groundbreaking films are all but forgotten following the horrors of World War I. But when his goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), and Hugo become friends, a mission is born to celebrate the work Georges has kept locked away.
Let me briefly explain to those unfamiliar with Georges Méliès and his place in film history. Many will be familiar with the 1902 silent film “A Trip to the Moon”; in it, a rocket crashes into the moon’s face, and we then witness a group of explorers walking onto its surface. Directed by Georges Méliès, A Trip to the Moon remains one of the earliest examples of special effects and fantasy in film. Long before The Wizard of Oz brought Technicolour to our screens, A Trip to the Moon was painstakingly hand-coloured, making it the second colour film ever made, following Le Château hanté, also directed by Méliès.
To say Georges Méliès was one of the fathers of modern cinema is an understatement; after all, many of the effects we now take for granted were created by him. Here, Méliès invented the split screen, stop-motion, and jump cut, taking us from the Lumière Brothers’ love of real life to the fantastical and magical world that cinema would later embrace. Méliès brought his skills as a theatre magician to the screen and, in turn, changed cinema forever.
However, most of his work was destroyed after the First World War, and by 1925, Méliès was penniless, running a small toy booth at the Paris Montparnasse train station. But history has been kinder, and Méliès has rightly regained his crown as a true pioneer of early cinema.
Without Méliès, our cinematic world would be very different; he was a genius, a visionary and an artist. Hugo celebrates his life, artistry and vision through a fantastic clockwork world that Méliès would approve of.
9. THE GOONIES (1985)
To say 1985 was an impressive year at the box office is an understatement; it was the year that saw The Color Purple, Back to the Future, The Breakfast Club, Fright Night, Witness, The Explorers and, of course, Richard Donner’s The Goonies. The Goonies may have been born in the imagination of its Executive Producer, Steven Spielberg, but its journey to the screen was a collision of creative minds, as Spielberg was unavailable to direct the picture himself. Spielberg would turn to the new Amblin Entertainment writer, Chris Columbus, to draft what would become The Goonies, following his script-writing duties on Gremlins in 1984.
In Columbus’s hands, Spielberg’s vision would, like Gremlins, become a comic-book world of fantasy, adventure, humour, and escapism. Here, the classic kids’ adventure movies of the 1950s would merge with Indiana Jones-inspired action and 1980s pop culture to create a film unlike anything before or since.
Spielberg opted to pass directing duties to Richard Donner, a director with a diverse range of experience, including The Omen, Lola, and Superman: The Movie. Donner loved the James Bond franchise and brought that love to The Goonies in spades; just look at the character of Data, whom Donner sculpted from Columbus’s initial draft. With three creative titans on board, The Goonies would inhabit the same world as Gremlins, pay homage to Indiana Jones and James Bond, and even offer a loving nod to Superman: the Movie.
Throughout The Goonies, adults are placed at arm’s length, with the villains never equalling the intelligence and ingenuity of our young adventurers, a theme Chris Columbus would return to in his directorial debut, Adventures in Babysitting. Over the years since its release, many films and TV shows have attempted to recreate the magic of Donner, Spielberg and Columbus’s teenage adventure, but few have matched its success.
The Goonies is a joy and a rip-roaring wonder of mid-80s cinema that, like its 1985 cousins Back to the Future and The Breakfast Club, continues to inspire directors, producers, actors and audiences today.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
10. THE ROCKETEER (1991)
Created by comic book writer and artist Dave Stevens, The Rocketeer debuted in comic stores in 1982, offering readers a blend of serial adventure and Indiana Jones-inspired action. However, despite its comic-book success, few people saw The Rocketeer in theatres, as the troubled Disney production nose-dived when it should have soared.
Jo Johnson’s movie would inhabit a world similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark, as the audience was bathed in 1930s action and adventure reminiscent of the Saturday afternoon serials that pulled young crowds into the Picture Palaces of old. Like those old Palaces, it’s a film that shines with Art Deco beauty, offering an action spectacular similar to modern Marvel hits, such as Captain America: The First Avenger. The action sequences are full of suspense and wit, and the performances are sublime, from Timothy Dalton’s dastardly Neville Sinclair to Billy Campbell’s all-action matinee hero Cliff and Terry O’Quinn’s slick Howard Hughes.
Thankfully, in the years since its release, The Rocketeer has found a dedicated fan base; it’s just a pity that so many never got to experience it on the big screen.
11. THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992)
Despite high hopes of success, The Muppet Christmas Carol would be left in the shadow of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Disney’s Aladdin on its release in 1992. Yet, despite this, The Muppet Christmas Carol would become an enduring Christmas classic. Its global success would come many years after its cinema release via home video, in the same way It’s a Wonderful Life earned its festive stripes on TV. It’s easy to see why, as The Muppet Christmas Carol treats Dickens’ source material with the utmost love and respect.
Ninety per cent of Gonzo’s narration is taken directly from the book, and Michael Caine never treats the story as children’s entertainment. Instead, he offers us one of his best performances as Scrooge. But maybe what makes The Muppet Christmas Carol so powerful is its place as a love letter from a son to a recently departed father. Brian Henson celebrates his father’s Muppet world with joy, creativity and endless love. The result is a film that embraces and celebrates Dickens’ work while reminding us why The Muppets are among the most important cultural creations of the past 60 years.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
12. JURASSIC PARK (1993)
Every kid has been obsessed with dinosaurs at some point in their childhood. These hulking beasts, who once ruled the Earth, may be long dead, but they are certainly not forgotten. In 1993, Steven Spielberg was to bring them back using state-of-the-art digital effects that had never been seen before. Jurassic Park wasn’t just a summer blockbuster built on the same media campaign used by Spielberg in Jaws; it was a cinematic event of colossal proportions that heralded a new age of digital movie-making, thunderous sound, and gargantuan box-office receipts.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
13. HORRIBLE HISTORIES: ROTTEN ROMANS (2019)
Based on the bestselling books by Terry Deary, Horrible Histories first aired on TV in 2009, blending historical fact and fiction with humour, sketches, and songs. Horrible Histories offered children and adults a delightful mix of fun and learning, and its recipe was a massive success for Children’s BBC as it moved to a new stand-alone channel.
From the outset, Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans is a proudly British film, echoing the ingenuity and charm of the TV show, as well as the Ealing comedies of the past, Monty Python, and the Carry On series.
Opening with a tongue-in-cheek take on the treacherous murder of Claudius (Derek Jacobi) by his moody and insolent son, Nero (Craig Roberts), and scheming wife, Agrippina (Kim Cattrall), Horrible Histories delights in creating a freewheeling atmosphere. But the story really picks up the pace when we are introduced to Atti (Sebastian Croft), a typical Roman teen looking for a pair of golden boots. Unfortunately for Atti, the golden boots he seeks will lead to Nero’s banishment of him to the ‘Stain’ of the Empire (aka Britain). However, soon after arriving, Atti is captured by a fiery Celtic girl named Orla (Emilia Jones) just as a new Celtic warrior, Boudicca (Kate Nash), builds an anti-Roman alliance.
From the outset, Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans presents a joyous musical-comedy that feels fresh and innovative, drawing in young and old alike with its comedic charm. Jessica Swale and Giles Pilbrow’s screenplay is packed with glorious one-liners and wit as they skillfully adapt a TV sketch show into a feature-length story. Performances are equally fun, light, and energetic, with Sebastian Croft, Craig Roberts, and Emilia Jones delighting alongside a stunning ensemble cast. The result is a delicious mix of history, humour and fun that appeals to all ages.
14. THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN (1993)
Mark Twain’s 1884 novel has been adapted for the screen many times since its publication, from the 1918 silent-screen adventure to Tom and Huck (1995). Set along the banks of the Mississippi River, Twain’s book has become deeply ingrained in the history of literature, with literary giants like Ernest Hemingway stating that American literature began and ended with Huck Finn. Twain’s language, violence, cutting satire and breadth are unique in children’s literature, as he dovetails adventure with humour and social discussions ranging from domestic violence and slavery to war and religion.
However, the breadth and depth of Twain’s work have posed challenges for filmmakers, particularly when adapting the text for young audiences. As a result, many adaptations have watered down the novel’s social themes and violence in favour of a kid-friendly spit-and-sawdust adventure.
When Disney announced a live-action version of Huckleberry Finn, many anticipated yet another watered-down adaptation of Twain’s novel. After all, the Disney machine was —and essentially still is —fearful of anything that challenges its family-friendly image. But, first-time director Stephen Sommers achieved something rather unique with his 1993 adaptation. Sommers brought Twain’s work to a young audience while maintaining elements of darkness. The result was a rip-roaring adventure that didn’t shy away from a deeper exploration of Twain’s work.
Despite the film’s opening narration from a young Elijah Wood stating, “Get ready for a spit-lickin‘ good time!” The Adventures of Huck Finn never falls into the Disney trap of becoming coy or cute. Sommers consistently maintains Huck’s core journey of enlightenment while attempting to incorporate Twain’s language. The Adventures of Huck Finn is full of charm, beauty, and respect, and deserves more critical acclaim.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
15. TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES (2018)
Poor Robin is always in the shadow of Batman’s cape, with his juvenile crime-fighting never enough to secure his own movie franchise. But at least he has the Teen Titans at his side, even if they are also relegated to the sidelines by the famous Justice League.
Starting its life on TV, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies saw our favourite dysfunctional teen heroes arrive on the big screen in 2018, embracing their debut with irreverent humour, colour and more than a dose of anti-Justice League fervour. The result was an entertaining and engaging film full of gags transcending age boundaries, from the tongue-in-cheek humour aimed squarely at the DC Comics Universe to pop culture references and Looney Tunes-inspired mayhem. So grab the popcorn, turn down the lights, and settle in for Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, it’s a wild, loud, and fun trip into the lighter side of DC.
16. MRS DOUBTFIRE (1993)
Love knows no bounds, and Mrs Doubtfire proved it! Released in 1993, Chris Columbus’s heartwarming comedy-drama, starring the late great Robin Williams, captivated audiences with its poignant story of fatherhood, family separation, love, and acceptance.
Robin Williams’ masterful performance sees Daniel Hillard, a devoted but irresponsible father going through a divorce, create an eccentric British nanny named Mrs Doubtfire to spend much-needed time with his kids. Here, Daniel’s new persona becomes a source of comfort and stability for his kids during some of the most challenging times while helping him build bridges with his estranged wife (Sally Field).
This finely tuned comedy effectively leverages Williams’ freewheeling comedic strengths throughout, but beneath the laughter lies a deeply thoughtful and tender exploration of divorce and its impact on children. Here, Mrs Doubtfire beautifully highlights the importance of communication and understanding when family life suddenly crumbles, set against a backdrop of laughter and love.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
17. WOLFWALKERS (2020)
The year is 1650, and the place is Kilkenny, Ireland. Oliver Cromwell’s puritanical and violent subjugation of the Irish people is underway as colonial English forces establish new towns by carving away swathes of ancient woodland. Bill (Sean Bean), a robust, northern English man, has been dispatched to Kilkenny with his young daughter, Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), to rid the woods of the native Irish wolf. However, deep in the forest, an ancient magic survives in the form of a mother and her young daughter.
From the Kilkenny-based studio Cartoon Saloon, the creative force behind The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and The Breadwinner, Wolfwalkers is a beautiful, engaging and thoughtful journey into folklore and fantasy. Here, the animation is a living and breathing watercolour that lights up the screen, bathing us in its artistic brilliance.
Wolfwalkers explores diversity, humanity, friendship, and acceptance, but it also addresses the darkest periods of Irish history, including Cromwell’s efforts to strip Ireland of its culture and identity. It is an animated masterpiece full of charm, heart and artistic wonder.
18. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
Thirty-three years since its final instalment in 1990, the Back to the Future trilogy remains the best time travel trilogy ever to grace our cinema screens. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg, Back to the Future (1985), Back to the Future Part II (1989), and Back to the Future Part III (1990) have left an indelible mark on popular culture and filmmaking.
Mixing classic coming-of-age themes with a thrilling time-travel adventure, Back to the Future seamlessly blends humour, nostalgia, and science fiction into a timeless format for all ages. Through the adventures of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), themes of friendship, family and love dovetail with the classic Grandfather paradox of time travel.
But far from confusing its audience with general relativity and quantum physics, each Back to the Future film bathes them in the spirit of adventure and the power of friendship and love, creating a trilogy that is accessible, fun, and joyous. The result is three movies, unlike anything that came before or after. The Back to the Future trilogy is timeless, magical and an ode to the power of 80s Hollywood storytelling and imagination.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
19. MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND (1996)
Following the model established in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Brian Henson’s second feature would draw inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson rather than Charles Dickens. However, unlike The Christmas Carol, Treasure Island would steer a more comedic course. The result was a wild Muppet adventure, where Tim Curry stole the show as Long John Silver alongside a young Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkins. However, the fact that Muppet Treasure Island is remembered more for Curry than Kermit would lead to unfair criticism of the final film.
Muppet Treasure Island is a beautifully crafted film that builds on the emerging confidence of Brian Henson’s pre-Disney studio, while returning to a Muppet Show-inspired style of comedy. So, lay anchor and grab the popcorn because you won’t find a better anarchic musical adventure.
20. RICHIE RICH (1994)
By 1994, Macaulay Culkin had solidified his position as one of the most successful child stars of the 1990s. Culkin first came to public attention in the 1988 film Rocket Gibraltar, but John Hughes propelled him into the stratosphere with Uncle Buck (1989) and then Home Alone (1990).
Following those two box office hits, Macaulay would perform in seven more films, two TV shows, and three music videos before landing the role of Richie Rich. In just four years, that pace is tiring and all-consuming for even the most well-established adult stars. However, this persistent on-screen presence was taking its toll on a 13-year-old boy whose life was directed by an overbearing father.
In Richie Rich, that toll is on display for all to see. Richie has everything a boy could ever desire, but lacks the most important thing money can’t buy: friends. Culkin was in a similar place, as his Hollywood dream morphed into a nightmare of isolation, parental control, and pressure, with his dad aggressively negotiating new contracts while keeping a firm grip on the money piling in.
In Richie Rich, Culkin’s longing for escape is visible in every scene as he attempts to turn on the charm, creating an unplanned portrait of a child star trying to maintain a pretence of enjoyment.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
21. SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978)
Richard Donner promised the world “You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly,” and he wasn’t messing around. Donner’s Superman: The Movie premiered in 1978 and forever revolutionised the comic book movie. Superman continues to inspire and steer every comic book hero’s arrival on the silver screen to this day, and Christopher Reeve’s Man of Steel continues to provide the template for every interpretation of Siegel and Shuster’s iconic character.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
22. STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977)
In May 1977, a cinema event unlike anything before was about to take place: the premiere of Star Wars: A New Hope. The cultural impact of Star Wars is undisputed, from its transformative influence on science fiction and adventure to its revolutionary visual and sound effects. Star Wars leapt from the screen into the hearts, minds, and imaginations of a whole generation, including me, enthralling, captivating, and embedding itself in our world.
Star Wars would explore age-old themes of friendship, family, and good versus evil, drawing on Greek and Japanese mythology while paying homage to the works of Tolkien, Asimov, and Herbert. It would build on Stanley Kubrick’s visionary special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey while celebrating the energetic space operas of the 1950s and 1960s. And it would reflect the 70s social revolution already underway.
Star Wars offered a new hope for change and equality as a youthful, diverse rebellion took on an ageing, stale, and corrupt empire. Here, our orphaned hero, Luke Skywalker, would be joined by the wise grandfatherly figure of Ben Kenobi, the strong, resilient and politically astute Leia and the brave but conflicted Han Solo in building a rebellion of faith, belief and conviction – one that would destroy a weapon of mass destruction, The Death Star, through perseverance, endurance and loss.
This was a younger generation dismantling the advancement of hate, brutality, destruction and war. Star Wars spoke to young people’s hopes, dreams and aspirations in a changing world while creating a new cinematic landscape. It is the movie that ushered in a new age and changed filmmaking, cinema and storytelling forever.
23. JUMANJI (1995)
Mention the film Jumanji to any kid today, and they will no doubt talk about Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. The relaunch of Jumanji captured the imaginations of a new generation accustomed to computer games while paying homage to the original. However, as with all remakes and reinterpretations, many kids watching The Rock today have never seen the 1995 film.
The 1990s marked a significant leap forward in on-screen digital effects, with Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Jurassic Park (1993) pushing the boundaries. Meanwhile, theatrical sound also moved beyond the shadows of Dolby Stereo (SR), with DTS Digital and Dolby Digital enveloping the audience in spatial audio like never before. However, while these technological advances were groundbreaking, many movies still relied on practical effects, stop-motion, and model work to transport viewers to new worlds. Like Jurassic Park, Jumanji is a fascinating example of a movie with one foot in the new digital world and one in old-school physical effects.
Jumanji is as frantic as the wild creatures at its heart, taking us from 1869 to 1969 before ending in 1995. Here, director Joe Johnson explores themes of time, love, belonging, and isolation while paying homage to the fantasy and adventure films of Steven Spielberg, Richard Donner, and Joe Dante. Robin Williams is off the leash yet vulnerable, while the two kids at the heart of the action, Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce), create a joyous sense of fun and adventure.
Twenty-seven years after it hit our screens in 1995, Jumanji’s effects work is a tale of two halves, with only some of the groundbreaking digital work remaining impressive. However, as with many early digital movies, it is redeemed by its impressive visual effects work.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
24. MY GIRL (1991)
Now often overlooked, Howard Zieff’s poignant coming-of-age drama My Girl remains a stunning exploration of death, grief, and the pain of bereavement in childhood. Films exploring these themes set during early adolescence remain rare, and while many coming-of-age movies include death as a narrative device, few place grief at the centre of the story.
My Girl, like A Monster Calls and Kindling, has the confidence to place death front and centre while exploring friendship and coming-of-age themes as we join Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky), her dad Harry (Dan Aykroyd) and her new friend Thomas (Macaulay Culkin) during a 70s summer of change and transformation.
My Girl perfectly captures the complexities of the coming-of-age process through Vada’s exploration of her identity and the loss of a friend who, like her, sat on the fringes of school life. Here, the film’s exploration of self-discovery, first love, and loss tugs at the heartstrings without manipulating its audience. My Girl remains one of the best kids’ movies of the early 1990s and a testament to the power of cinema in helping kids explore grief.
25. NOW AND THEN (1995)
On the release of Now and Then in 1995, critics drew comparisons between Stand By Me and Lesli Linka Glatter’s coming-of-age tale starring Demi Moore, Melanie Griffith, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson, Devon Sawa, Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann and Ashleigh Aston Moore. These comparisons would see many critics of the day criticise Glatter’s film as a poor imitation of Stand by Me. Yet, despite a lacklustre box-office haul, Now and Then would find success on VHS, DVD, and TV as a must-see sleepover movie for an entire generation.
You may therefore find yourself asking why Now and Then has all but vanished in the United Kingdom and is near impossible to find, despite its stellar cast and a screenwriter who would go on to create Pretty Little Liars. The answer remains shrouded in mystery, but what’s clear is that Now and Then is well worth a reappraisal and a long-overdue digital release.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
26. WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory may not have found critical acclaim upon its release, but it remains a film of pure imagination and sweet, sugar-coated joy. Initially financed by the Quaker Oats Company, Mel Stuart’s film exudes a deep love of Dahl’s source material and the eccentricity of his writing and characters.
However, Stuart’s movie did not find favour with the man himself on release; in fact, in the biography written by Dahl’s long-time friend Donald Sturrock, Roald Dahl allegedly said the film was ‘crummy’. His dislike of the movie centred on Mel Stuart’s changes to the book during production and an inexplicable dislike of Gene Wilder. Dahl stated he would have preferred to see Peter Sellars or Spike Milligan as Wonka, someone older with a far more eccentric British vibe. For Dahl, Wilder was young, foolish, soft and sentimental.
As much as I value the legendary author’s opinions, he was wrong. Mel Stuart’s film may have reworked elements of the story to fit the big screen, but this was necessary due to the limitations of practical effects and the associated budget. However, in my opinion, Dahl really got it wrong in his opinion on Gene Wilder as Wonka. Wilder makes the movie tick, and as a result, his interpretation of Willy Wonka has become a benchmark that many others have failed to match (let’s not even bother discussing Tim Burton’s adaptation). It is a testament to Wilder’s characterisation that fifty years later, even Timothée Chalamet’s new Willy Wonka channelled Wilder’s character.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory remains a benchmark in Dahl adaptations. Stuart’s film offers a bright musical for young audiences that isn’t afraid to explore the darkest corners of childhood imagination. It then mixes this with a musical score as memorable as the performances, creating a unique, exhilarating, fabulous, and divine cinematic potion. The result would create the template for oh-so-many Dahl movies, including Matilda the Musical and the delightful Fantastic Mr Fox.
27. FREE WILLY (1993)
By the mid-1970s, the international Save The Whale campaign had begun to make its voice heard in advocating for the abolition of the whaling industry, and by the early 1980s, the International Whaling Commission had proposed a moratorium on commercial whaling. This transition in public thinking was also reflected in films, from A Whale for the Killing (1981) to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
However, while this campaign marked a considerable step forward in protection, discussions about the cruelty inflicted on performing whales, dolphins, and sea lions remained largely silent. The business of SeaWorld and others thrived on a model that was becoming uncomfortable, much like a circus. By the 1990s, the tide was slowly turning on using whales and dolphins as entertainment, and one film was about to turn that wave into a tsunami.
Free Willy was more E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial than Flipper as a boy and a whale united in seeking escape, freedom and love through the story of a lonely, damaged and angry foster child and an equally lonely performing whale.
Bathed in the beautiful cinematography of Robbie Greenberg and brought to life by the outstanding score of Basil Poledouris, Free Willy would combine stunning animatronic work with a real Killer Whale held in captivity called Keiko. It would challenge the commercial footprint of organisations such as SeaWorld and spark a renewed call to set these animals free. Keiko the Whale, like Willy, found his freedom in 2002 but died shortly after. However, his role in redefining our views on captivity and entertainment will live on.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
28. SPIDER-MAN (2002)
Hands up if you owned a pair of Spider-Man pyjamas as a kid and climbed across the top of the sofa pretending to be on a high-rise building. Just me? Of course not. Out of all the characters created by Stan Lee, Spider-Man is the one everyone wants to be, and in 2002, after much delay, he finally arrived on our cinema screens thanks to Sam Raimi.
The roles of Peter Parker and Spider-Man would sit safely in the hands of Tobey Maguire for two more films following his amazing arrival, with Spider-Man 2 possibly being one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Without Spider-Man in 2002, there wouldn’t have been a Marvel Cinematic Universe.
30 Kids and Family Movie Classics
29. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
For 85 years, The Wizard of Oz has captivated audiences with catchy tunes, charm and technicolour beauty. On its release in 1939, it sat at the cutting edge of filmmaking, wowing audiences with its use of colour, grand sets, and flying monkeys.
MGM’s lavish adaptation of Baum’s book was not the first to grace the silver screen; a silent movie version had been released in 1910. However, MGM’s adaptation was a world away from anything that had come before, and as a result, it was plagued by technical problems and turbulence from the outset. Costumes were so restrictive that actors could barely move, toxic paints were used as makeup, leading to burns and chest problems, effects went wrong and caused injuries, and the young Judy Garland was fed uppers and downers.
Meanwhile, the ever-increasing budget for The Wizard of Oz would only add to MGM’s woes, as it reached an unheard-of $2.7 million, double the cost of any previous MGM picture to date.
Hopes were high that Victor Fleming’s film would attract large cinema audiences upon its release, but despite positive reviews, hardly any butts ended up in seats, leading to re-releases in 1949 and 1955 to try and recoup some of the cost. Despite its problems and shortcomings at the time, it has become one of Hollywood’s most beloved Golden Era cinematic treasures. Its songs have become legendary, its themes of found family, equality and hope timeless, and its performances eternally endearing.
But look deeper, and Dorothy’s journey through Oz is a journey through a changing social landscape, one where political deceit had become the norm, new cities offered dreams they couldn’t fulfil, and people followed leaders who claimed to have all the answers but in reality, had none as they hid behind tricks and curtains. Maybe we are living in Oz now? And perhaps not much has changed since 1939. Or maybe The Wizard of Oz finds meaning in every generation it touches based on the world surrounding it at the time. If that’s the case, there’s no denying that Victor Fleming’s troubled yet beautiful film is one of the greatest moving pictures ever made.
30. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind may have announced Steven Spielberg’s arrival as a filmmaking genius, but E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial cemented his place as a silver screen legend. No film before or since has matched Steven Spielberg’s 1982 family picture in either charm, power, or beauty. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial transcends the year of its birth as it enthrals and inspires new generations over forty years after its release. Here, the emotional, funny, and magical story of Elliott and his vulnerable alien friend from a distant star speaks to the child in every one of us.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was born from Steven Spielberg’s childhood experiences of divorce and the memories of insecurity and separation that followed. In E.T., Elliott grapples with the breakup of his parents while feeling disconnected from his older Dungeon and Dragon’s loving brother and a younger sister who does not fully understand the ramifications of the family breakdown. These human emotions and fears surround the arrival of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as we explore love, friendship and separation through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy. Every camera movement and angle reflects Elliot’s perspective of the world around him as an alien (who feels like him) enters his life.
We all have magical friends during childhood, especially during times of stress, when the world feels scary or dark. These friends often take the form of soft toys, figurines, or pets that provide security and listen without bias. Even as we enter adulthood, we find ourselves wishing on a star or looking to the heavens for answers to our troubles, fears or apprehensions; E.T. is the physical embodiment of that act.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial reminds us of a child’s need to find meaning in the confusing actions of adults and of all children’s ability to see beyond the physical differences and cultural barriers that often separate us. It offers us hope and speaks directly to our fear of loss, reminding us that our journey with others remains in our hearts no matter the distance between us.
The film’s final farewell, “I’ll be right here,” shows E.T. pointing his finger towards Elliott’s chest, indicating that no matter the distance or the loss, memories, experiences, and love last forever in our hearts. Spielberg’s film is about the power of recovery, unity and love, even when it may feel like our world is falling apart. It is unquestionably one of the most beautiful films ever made; it transcends time, allowing our inner child to break free while comforting every new child who finds its magic. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial reflects the dreams and fears of us all, regardless of age or difference, through wonder, fantasy and imagination.
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