Non-patronising childrens films?

January

Neyite wrote: »

My mother reminds me of this when I hint that she tells the same story over and over. She mentions that she read our books to us hundreds of times and its payback.

My dad does the exact same, if I say the girls were up early or anything, he just says "yeah, YOU used to wake up at 5am, payback."

Hannibal Smith

kunst nugget wrote: »

As a fella who grew up in the 80s and who spent many a day playing with Star Wars figures and watching the original movies I now find it hard to hand money over to George Lucas to help fund the many innovative ways he has of pooing all over the fond memories I used to have of those films.

Plus, having only daughters helps in that regard.

George Lucas was only good when he had someone looking over his shoulders ...whenh went solo (no pun intended) the results were disastrous.

hey...follow my username....get a few a-team dvds ! my kid loves them...though maybe slightly brainwashed

Toy Story movies 1 and 3 are great....havent dated at all, the first one I mean.

otherwise you can't beat jungle book...the songs the characters not preachy.

saw the start of tangled which was funny....but turned a bit barbie-like.

Shrek is good?

Kaylee

Don't want to take this off topic - but does anyone know why The Jungle Book DVD is so expensive to buy? This is one I would really like to show to the kids... anybody get it cheaper anywhere (£28.99 Amazon 40th Anniversary edition :eek:). Likewise The Little Mermaid.

Sleepy

Studio Ghibli: My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, Porco Rosso (though possibly one for the boys?)

Disney: Jungle Book, Dumbo

Pixar: Toy Story Trilogy, Up, Cars, Monsters Inc, The Incredibles

iguana

Up and Bolt are my favourite two in recent years (I like dogs) but what I'm really looking forward to is rewatching all my old childhood favourites when he's old enough to appreciate them. The Princess Bride is right up there, followed by Star Wars (original versions have been sourced, Han shot first god dammit!). Also on the list is Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, ET and Indiana Jones. Hopefully I won't have a world weary kid who is too unimpressed by the 80s effects to enjoy them.

Xdancer

I think I must be the only one who finds Up depressing. The opening montage of his life with his wife is so sad - everything goes wrong for them.

I watched Labyrinth the other day. I used to love it when I was younger.

NextSteps

Xdancer wrote: »

I think I must be the only one who finds Up depressing. The opening montage of his life with his wife is so sad - everything goes wrong for them.

Oh I bawl my eyes out every time. Couldn't possibly watch that with my kid.

shrapnel222

i'd recommend the 3 robbers also. such a great little story.

deeks

Gambas wrote: »

I'm with you all the way on this. Happy Feet is dire.

Monsters Inc was bad too. In fact almost any Pixar I can think of is pretty lame IMO. Up was 'cute', like Toy Story, but hardly worth the effort. Bugs Life and Nemo are the best of a shiney but bad lot.

I would hazard a guess that you're in a minority of one with that opinion - particularly the bold bit. Bar Cars 2 (and perhaps Cars 1) all the Pixar movies have been exceptional. I must point out that even though I have an almost 2 year old now all the Pixar movies I've seen were before my daughter was born so I can't even use her as an excuse

Das Kitty

I haven't seen the Lorax, I'm not a Dr. Seuss fan in general. We had one of the books when I was a kid and I found it disturbing.

James (3) is a big fan of films (or 'movies' as he irritatingly refers to them).

Recent favourites are ET, he feels very sad when it's over, but has decided that ET's Mama and Daddy are in the spaceship waiting for him.

He's also loving The Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch he can handle, but the twister at the start requires hugging through.

He's been watching Dumbo for about 9 months now and only on the most recent viewing did he realise how creepy and disturbing the Elephants on Parade scene is. (He also only calls Dumbo by his real name, Jumbo)

Tangled, Enchanted and the Princess and the Frog were also viewed over Christmas and enjoyed by all.

movingsucks

Xdancer wrote: »

I think I must be the only one who finds Up depressing. The opening montage of his life with his wife is so sad - everything goes wrong for them.

I watched Labyrinth the other day. I used to love it when I was younger.

What got me about Up was

he never actually needed to do the whole thing with the house coz his wife had been happy with him all along

dr ro

surprised nobody's mentioned wall e yet. I could and do watch that over and over. It's so clever.

belcampprisoner

what ages are kids

siochain

The original animated version 'lion the witch and the wardrobe’ excellent !

pwurple

So, here is a quick list of the recommendations so far. Thanks all, hope I didn't miss any!

---

Finding Nemo
The Snowman
Spirited Away
My Neighbour Totoro
Ponyo
Howls moving castle
Porco Rosso
Puss in Boots
How to train your dragon
Kung Fu Panda
Up
The Incredibles
The Gruffalo
The Gruddalo's
Megamind
Gnomeo and Juliet
Land Before Time
The Princess Bride
Monsters Inc
Ratatouille
Toy Story trilogy
Jungle Book
Beauty and the Beast
Dumbo
The Little Mermaid
Bolt
Lemony Snickett
Spiderwick
Labyrinth
Jumanji
Hook
Spongebob
The Iron Giant
Lassie
Star Wars
Hugo
Cars 1
Kung Fu Panda
Bugs Life
Shrek
Wall E
A-Team
Ghostbusters
Back to the Future
ET
Tangled
Indiana Jones
The 3 robbers
The Wizard of Oz
Enchanted
The Princess and the Frog
The Lion the witch and the wardrobe (original animated version)

Prettyblack

Yellow Submarine - the 1968 Beatles cartoon. Its great, different, obviously the effects are wild and psychedelic, but its so different from what they've seen before, and the songs are so good, that they should enjoy it. The message isn't preachy either - Music good, Love good, being mean is bad. The voices are funny and there's a lot for adults to enjoy.

Was Madagascar mentioned? That's a funny one. There's no real message, except "being free". :-)

Despicable Me is funny too, with the little yellow "minions".

Sleepy

Oh, it's very Disney but the only real "message" is not to give up in the face of adversity, but my 4 year old adores "Dolphin Tale".

eviltimeban

I remember Antz being good, its quite good for the adults actually, Woody Allen does the main voice, and for the kids, well, they're ants! :-)

lonestargirl

For anyone interested Film 4 are doing a Studio Ghibhli season over Easter.

Queen-Mise

My two really like Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - not sure if they fit your profile though.

Chitty, Chitty and the original Mary Poppins should probably get in as it might open them up to old movies and the love of them.

Rugrats movies was watched to death here also.

The Tinkerbell's are also quite watchable... Went to the latest in the cinema at Xmas and my 11 year old boy came with my daughter and I (!! - and he actually enjoyed it).

Jumanji is very watchable - we always watch it when it appears on Watch or one of those stations. They are some very funny parts in it.

Night at the Museum 1 is funny; not as sure on the second one. There are a few cringe bits but the funny bits by far outweigh them.

beans

Just don't make the mistake I did and assume that all Ghibli output is suitable for kids!

Das Kitty

beans wrote: »

Just don't make the mistake I did and assume that all Ghibli output is suitable for kids!

LOL! Do tell!

Selfheal

What about Lady and the Tramp?

And Fly Away Home - based on a true story.

beans

Das Kitty wrote: »

LOL! Do tell!

Oh, thankfully no kids were scarred for life in the making of this anecdote, but me and my lady-friend stuck 'Grave of the Fireflies' on to cheer us up one evening without doing a scan of the plot etc. Unless you want to explain why all those people are on fire, or why that child isn't getting up, give it a miss. It's amazing though.

I'd imagine 'Princess Mononoke' could give some young kids bad dreams too.

Das Kitty

beans wrote: »

Oh, thankfully no kids were scarred for life in the making of this anecdote, but me and my lady-friend stuck 'Grave of the Fireflies' on to cheer us up one evening without doing a scan of the plot etc. Unless you want to explain why all those people are on fire, or why that child isn't getting up, give it a miss. It's amazing though.

I'd imagine 'Princess Mononoke' could give some young kids bad dreams too.

Ha ha. Oh dear.

He loves Spirited Away, which I find unsettling at times, and is Totoro mad. I've taken a vow to always read the IMDB parental advice after Paranorman. BIG mistake.

wolfpawnat

Cienciano wrote: »

Anything by Pixar. Except cars 2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pixar_films

Wall-E is accused of being about consumerism and the true sloth of humans, though it was not intended to be so in your face about it, some people really do seem to read too much into story lines these days.

dr ro wrote: »

surprised nobody's mentioned wall e yet. I could and do watch that over and over. It's so clever.

It is essential watching in my house. I have watched it 74 times (no joke) since xmas and I still haven't thrown it out the window, though my partner has been caught singing the opening theme in the shower on more than one occasion.

All Pixars are adored by my little guy, seriously hard to get him to watch much else, he adores anything with a good plot line. He is mad for the Fox and the Hound and Happy Feet too. But Pixar is still his favourite.

January

Das Kitty wrote: »

Ha ha. Oh dear.

He loves Spirited Away, which I find unsettling at times, and is Totoro mad. I've taken a vow to always read the IMDB parental advice after Paranorman. BIG mistake.

Oh god my older two love Paranorman... is there something I'm missing?!

Just looked up the parents guide - whoosh... a lot of that stuff went right over my head when we were watching it...

Hotel Transylvania on the other hand... There's references to wanting to "kiss your tush" which I found a bit :eek:

Das Kitty

January wrote: »

Oh god my older two love Paranorman... is there something I'm missing?!

Just looked up the parents guide - whoosh... a lot of that stuff went right over my head when we were watching it...

Hotel Transylvania on the other hand... There's references to wanting to "kiss your tush" which I found a bit :eek:

He found the zombies losing bits of their bodies terrifying. The inneundo wouldn't bother me at all. The poor lad had nightmares about zombies eating his Daddy.

dub_skav

Das Kitty wrote: »

Ha ha. Oh dear.

He loves Spirited Away, which I find unsettling at times, and is Totoro mad. I've taken a vow to always read the IMDB parental advice after Paranorman. BIG mistake.

Jesus, I just read the parent's guide for Finding Nemo (one of our little one's favourites) and it's ludicrous.

Don't think I'll be reading any of them in future, too many Maude Flanders types around

wolfpawnat

dub_skav wrote: »

Jesus, I just read the parent's guide for Finding Nemo (one of our little one's favourites) and it's ludicrous.

Don't think I'll be reading any of them in future, too many Maude Flanders types around

I heard that Wall-E had won awards and decided to google what awards and all this other stuff came up too. Seriously, there are some people with too much time on their hands to complain, all this BS about condemning children to think they are lazy planet consuming locusts. I am aware teaching children to be more aware of their planet is part of the film, but the parents who complain about it to the extent to rant online for several pages about it is ridiculous.