Friday night is family movie night for us and I've been struggling to find movies lately. Our boys are 6, 5, and 3. Alot of the PG movies out there, in my opinion, are inappropriate for children. I mostly have a problem with the language (name calling, continuous sarcasm, inappropriate jokes), but many of the scenes are so very intense as well. I was hoping that we could get a good, mommy-approved, list going for some great, wholesome kids movies!
Some movies that we have enjoyed are:
Clifford's Really Big Movie, Curious George- Follow That Monkey, Wall-E, Cars, All 3 Toy Storys, Everyone's Hero, SOME of the Land Before Time movies, Happy Feet, All of the Buddie movies (Air, Snow, Space, Santa)- although they are torturous for my husband and I, any Veggietales Movie, Fox and the Hound II, Frosty the Snowman......
Ramona and Beezus! We just watched this as a family and it was wonderful! My 7 year old son declared it the best movie he's ever seen.
My kids also love Bolt, UP, the Homeward Bound movies, Shaun the Sheep short films, and Pixar short films (compilation on DVD).
We just watched "Herbie the Love Bug" and my boys (4 and 5) LOVED IT! My daughter (2) didn't really care, she's a little young to sit through a movie anyway.
We are starting family movie night, and starting with the movies we loved. Next up - Herbie Goes Banana's! and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I want to get Mary Poppins too. I'm sure there are more... along that line of 1960's movies that are good for kids and not scary at all. I think those movies are more age appropriate than many of the movies out today.
J.
UP is loads of fun! And when they are older, you probably will enjoy Hoodwinked, also.
Edited to add:
Our kids love The Iron Giant too! There is one or two curse words (very mild ones) and part of it is a little intense... but your 6 year old would enjoy it for sure! It is a "cartoon" but the characters are not cartoon-ish, if that makes sense. My kids are 12 and 9, and my son (the 12 yr old) still gets it out to watch every once in a while. We LOVE it and have for YEARS!
How about "Barbie in The Princess and the Pauper". I know you said BOYS but I think they AND YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND would enjoy this! It's got a lot of good scenes. My HUSBAND even likes it! We've watched it MULTIPLE times as our family movie night!
(Actually, there have been a few of the Barbie movies that both my husband and I have ENJOYED watching with our kids...LOL. "Barbie as Rapunzel" and "Barbie in a Mermaid Tale".
Flipper
I am all about the oldies :-) Almost anything Disney, here are some (I could list a ton, here is a link to get more ideas http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Disney_movies
(anything on the website I would reccommend)
Mary Poppins, Pollyana, Sammy the Way Out Seal, Swiss Family Robinson, Parent Trap (origional), Babes in Toyland, The Absent Minded Professor (flubber) Shaggy Dog, Love Bug, Summer Magic, Incredible Journey (daughters fav), Flight of the Navigator, Honey I Shrunk the Kids
and any animated Disney we love
My 7 year old son, husband, and I loved The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock. It may have a few parts that are a little mature but it was something we all enjoyed together and had a great message! --Maybe something to remember as they get a little older?
The Ice Age movies and Madagascar movies are fun. We also loved Marmaduke! Snoopy Come Home is great! Anything Winnie the Pooh is awesome, too! UP was great!
My son loves this movie called Iron Giant.
cars cloudywith a chance of meatballs
We love Babe! There's also the Chronicles of Narnia, although my 4 year old gets a little bored during the first one. I also second UP, we love it here.
the last unicorn- slightly scary at some points but my 4 and 2 year old love it (mainly the 4 year old).
we have recently starting watching/renting older disney movies. not the cartoons but the movies shot in the 50's 60's and early 70's here are a few to check out. they are a riot and even my very jaded 15 year old likes them lol
tonight we watched the apple dumpling gang
candleshoe
the parent trap (original with haley mills)
treasure island
that darn cat (again the original with haley mills)
freaky friday
apple dumpling gang rides again
escape to witch mountain (original not the newer one)
the incredible mr limpet
20,000 leagues under the sea
the horse in the grey flannel suit
herby the love bug (original)
the shaggy dog
swiss family robinson
old yeller
the ugly dachsund
bed knobs and broomsticks
pete's dragon
the journey of natty gan
milo and otis
black beauty
white fang
incredible journey (1 and 2)
these are just a few but we love them. my sons also loved the older musicals that were in black and white with gene kelly, fred astair, ginger rogers etc. oh and laurel and hardy good luck
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Updated
Balto is one of our all time favorites.
The Casper movies
Charlie Brown movies
Any of the older Disney movies - Cinderella, Snow White etc.
Mary Poppins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Absent Minded Professor
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
Sound of Music
101 Dalamations
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Swan Princess
Caillou series
Martha Talks series
Busy Town Mysteries
Cinderella starring Brandy
Kipper Series
Jack in the Bean Stalk starring Colin Ford
My kids (ages 6 and almost 4) favorite movies are:
How to Train Your Dragon
Surf's Up
The Princess and the Frog
Beauty and the Beast
Finding Nemo
My Neighbor Totoro
Shark Tale
Ponyo
Up
The Little Mermaid
"How to Train Your Dragon" , "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" , 'Nanny McPhee 1 and 2" and "Princess and the Frog". (Funny for us adults, our 16 yr old and our 2 yr old.)
Our toddler loves anything with music; she especially liked StepUp2 and 3.
I know you aren't looking for that kind of thing...if you are looking for safe you need to look to older films made before the 90's like "Mary Poppins", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Sound of Music" etc. I think it's pretty hard to not find sarcasm or name calling due to its found in many films and cartoons old and new (Ex. Flintstones and Shrek.) We can all make suggestions but in the end it is up to you because you know what you do and don't like. You can shield your kids for so long; its up to the parent to keep open communication and discuss any and all issues in a film no matter what genre it is.
There is a movie out called The Runner from Ravenshead. It was the audience choice award at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival this year. Here's the link to their website: http://ravensheadmovie.com/
They got a standing ovation after the showing. It was brilliant! My kids love the movie. The entire cast is made up of 5 children. It is so well done. I highly, highly recommend it!
Shiloh - it is about a boy who saves a dog (Beagle) from a miserly miserable man needing love and companionship. A great story especially if your boys are animal lovers. My son loved this movie since he was very small - he will say it is one of his favorites. Sandlot? Maybe can't remember, but has some moral teachings.
go to your library and see if they have some of the older Disney movies....
We love Parent Trap, all the Herbie movies, Gus, Shaggy Dog, etc.
