Watching a children’s movie is a great way of relieving stress. More importantly, it also allows you to spend quality bonding time with the family whether at the cinema or just at home. Thousands of kids’ movies have been released yearly since the movie industry began and choosing the best of the best can be difficult. Thus, I came up with a list of only top ten movies which I enjoyed as a child and more now as a parent. These movies have been popular since their release and are listed from the most recent to the oldest.
1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
This recently released movie is a humour-filled story of Flint Lockwood who invents a machine that can turn water into food. As his invention is released to the atmosphere, hamburgers and hotdogs begin to fall from the sky. It has made the mayor and the townspeople very happy. However, problems arise when the food becomes so huge that it threatens their lives. It has a moral lesson to teach to both children and adults especially about the danger of gluttony. Go see it for yourself!
2. The Chronicles of Narnia (2005)
C.S. Lewis’ novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe comes to life in this enchanting film. It is a story about four children namely Edmund, Lucy, Peter and Susanne, who while playing at the home of a strange professor, find a new world inside an enchanted wardrobe. Inside the wardrobe, they come to the land of Narnia where they find animals that talk including the supernatural King of Narnia, Aslan, who is a lion. It is in this land that they identify their strengths which enable them to free Narnia from an evil White Witch. It’s an ideal movie for children and adults to watch because it demonstrates how ordinary individuals can make a change in the circumstances around them.
3. Shrek 2 (2004)
This is a sequel to the first Shrek movie released in 2001. Based on gross sales records, it has exceeded the popularity of the previous Shrek movie as well the one that came after this release. In this movie, Shrek, having won the battle against a dragon and the evil Lord Farquaad goes to the land of Far, Far Away to meet the parents of his wife, Princess Fiona. There, he faces his greatest challenge because his father-in-law wants another “happy ending” for his daughter. It is a funny and a unique movie since it incorporates the popular fairy tale characters that adults and children can recognize.
4. Finding Nemo (2003)
This movie is about a father’s search for his lost son. On the first day of school, Nemo, a clown fish, sees a boat on his own and swims up to touch it despite his father’s warning. He is captured by a diver and finds his way to a fish tank filled with other colourful fishes. His father, Marlin who witnesses the capture of his son, desperately looks for him and enlists the help of Dory, a blue tang who suffers from short term memory loss. They find themselves swimming to dangerous waters dominated by sharks, angler fishes and jelly fishes. Consequently, Nemo hears of his father’s search for him and makes his move to escape from the fish tank. It is a funny yet touching movie to watch. Teary moments ahead as father and son make their way back into each other’s arms. It also teaches a lesson to kids about how they should respond to their parents’ instructions and admonitions. It also demonstrates the value of cooperation.
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
The first of a series of films adapted from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, this movie is about Harry who is turning 11 years old and has found out that he is the son of two powerful wizards. In the story, he is invited to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to harness his own magical powers and this is where his adventures begin. I like this movie because it encourages children to have faith in their abilities and make their journey towards self-discovery.
6. The Lion King (1994)
Disney Pictures produced this movie about a lion cub Simba who is destined to be the king of Pride Rock. His father, King Mufasa teaches him about the things he needs to learn as a ruler. However, his evil uncle Scar manipulates circumstances which lead to the death of his father and his exile due to his guilt about his father’s death. Outside of Pride Lands, he meets Pumbaa, a warthog and Timon, a meerkat and he grows up into an adult. He has almost forgotten his destiny when he crosses paths with Nala, his childhood friend who tells him about the condition of Pride Lands. He is then convinced by Nala to go back to his homeland and take his rightful place as king. It is a must-see movie for children as it illustrates the cycle of how the young children eventually mature, become responsible and follow their destiny in the future.
7. Aladdin (1992)
This is a romantic story of a street thief named Aladdin who meets Jasmine, a Sultan’s daughter. She has run away from the palace because she doesn’t want to be married to anybody unless it is for love. Aladdin finds a way for him to win over Jasmine’s love and eventually marry her by disguising as “Prince Ali.” He is also aided by a magical genie which enables him to defeat the Sultan's vizier and to win Jasmine’s hand in marriage. From this movie, kids can learn that love usually finds a way.
8. Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone is definitely a hilarious movie about an eight-year-old boy named Kevin who is accidentally left at home as his family goes to France on a vacation. On his own, he learns to defend himself and his home against the efforts of two robbers. The movie made me literally laugh out loud seeing the two thieves outmaneuvered by a little boy. It is a classic family movie that shows how kids can think for themselves.
9. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
This is a movie about Elliot, a 10 year-old boy who befriends and helps an alien who was accidentally unable to board his space ship to return home. Eliot tries to hide the little alien from government authorities who want to capture him. Eliot and his friends then try to help E.T. to go back home. It is a classic movie that has withstood the test of time and can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. It moved me when I watched it as a little kid and it still touches me even now when I am a parent.
10. Star Wars (1977)
I remember seeing this movie which is the first of the Star Wars trilogy when I was a little kid. Even at that time, it fascinated me with the different-looking characters from out of this world. This introduced me to the world of science fiction and made me ponder about the possibility of other living creatures in other worlds. The plot revolves around Luke Skywalker, his Jedi mentors and his friends in their fight against the evil Darth Vader and their quest for peace in the galaxy.
These are wonderful kids’ movies you should not fail to see with your family. Enjoy watching!
This article was first published on theAsianParent.
