Good movies. For kids.

[poltah]

I was down at Blockbuster today with my little sister and her friend. Both are 12 years old. And I tried helping them find a good movie, but it's pretty difficult.

Now I'm pretty large with ratings and stuff. I'm gonna watch Slumdog Millionaire with my 12 year old sister once it gets out. No doubt.
I also watched Forrest Gump with her a year or so ago.

Anyway. What are some good movies for kids? That aren't "kids movies".

[joeyrock]

Spellbound
Catch Me if you Can
Uncle Buck
Planes Train and Automobiles
Back to the Future 1,2,3
Amelie ... though actually that has some sex in it.. are you French? :p
Office Space
Raising Arizona
Serenity
Hot Fuzz
Stardust

[pruben]

Some of the movies i grew up with, or I think they fit (10+):
The James Bond movies from the 60's and early 70's
Many Tim Burton movies (Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, etc.)
Wes Anderson movies
Little Miss Sunshine
Jurrasic Park
Indy movies
ST: IV, V, VI
Close Encounters of the third kind
Life is Beautiful
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Being There
(The Last Emperor?)

[diane]

Well, in part, it depends on their tastes. That said, Anakin has over the two years of TRS hit up Dan with endless emails about movies. And in turn, for everyone Anakin mentions, he gives him 5 more. Here is the list of movies that the kid has seen that he has loved.

Iron Man
BIlly Madison
Tommy Boy
Explorers
Flight of the Navigator
Indy 1 & 3
Princess Bride
Bill & Ted Excellent Adventure
Clue (he honestly fell off the couch laughing with this one)
Princess Monoake
Howl's Moving Castle
Baron Munchausen
All Austin Powers
All Back to the Futures
Spaceballs
Big Fish
Bend It Like Beckham
Big Fat Liar
Tin Man
Beetlejuice
Blues Brothers
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Fast and the Furious
Galaxy Quest
Ghostbusters
Various Futuramas
Gross Pointe Blanke
Hudson Hawk
Labryinth
Die Hards
Mean Girls
The Ocean movies 11-13
National Lampoon various vacations
National Treasure
Robin Hood-Men In Tights
Real Genius
Short Circuit
Shaun of the Dead
Karate Kids
Goonies
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Zoolander

Okay, some of these are ones I wanted to watch and made the kid watch with me like Bend it and Mean Girls, but they are still really good.

This is a nice range of types of movies with various sex and violence depending on your sensibilities that are still engaging enough to keep a pre-teen's interest. Honestly, I think they are the hardest group. At least teens will watch something for kitsch value.

[scoobydiesel]

The brave little toaster!

cough...what...yeah...

[darthender]

Kill Bill!

[dylangiacon]

I watch a lot of old school movies with my kids.

The likes of Baron Munchousen and Willow.

[aerodash84]

A lot of what Diane said, I'd list. Here are some I didn't see listed yet that might go on there.

Disney (animated non-sequels usually) and Pixar movies
The Muppet Movies especially Treasure Island rewatched w/ parents & still held up.
The Ninja Turtle movies even TMNT was pretty rad.
Transformers 80's edition if you haven't
Jurassic Park trilogy
M. Night movies up to Signs
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
Jaws
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
10 Things I Hate About You
Moulin Rouge
Fido
Terminator 2
Star Trek (new one)
Most of the Marvel movies
The Batman movies and Superman minus 3 & 4
Ghostbusters 1 & 2 were major movies in my life and growing up.

Just some I remember growing up with.

[gabeja]

Good 80's comedies. Ferris Bueller, Fletch, The Jerk, Stripes, Airplane, Caddyshack, all those hold up.


Oh, Big, that too.

[terryscss]

I'm actually kinda drawn to movies targeted to pre-teens/teens, so I've watched most of this stuff and I can tell you what's good and what's not. Here's my list:

Newsies
Enchanted
Big Fat Liar
Raise Your Voice
Agent Cody Banks
All the High School Musicals
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist
Charlie Bartlett
Bring It On (just the original, the other ones are horrid)
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Election
Night at the Museum


I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now

[-mk-]

The brave little toaster!

cough...what...yeah...
I love you so much right now. The BLT is one of my favs.

[trunolimit]

Any body remeber rock-a-doodle doo?

I can't get my niece to sit through any movie that doesn't involve singing.

[trunolimit]

I'm actually kinda drawn to movies targeted to pre-teens/teens, so I've watched most of this stuff and I can tell you what's good and what's not. Here's my list:

Newsies
Enchanted
Big Fat Liar
Raise Your Voice
Agent Cody Banks
All the High School Musicals
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist
Charlie Bartlett
Bring It On (just the original, the other ones are horrid)
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Election
Night at the Museum


I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now

dude that's kinda weird that you're drawn to those movies. I mean I've seen all of those to but I was forced to sit through them because of my niece. except for nick an norahs I have yet to see that.

not to be sexist but boys have a totally different taste than girls. Like if it was your little brother I could recommend movies like toy soldiers, star kid, and street fighter the animated movie, or chronicles of ridik (one of my fav).

my little sister liked more down to earth movies like Adam Sandler comedies and tween movies anything involving Lindsy lohan, Hillary duff that sort of thing.

[terryscss]

dude that's kinda weird that you're drawn to those movies. I mean I've seen all of those to but I was forced to sit through them because of my niece. except for nick an norahs I have yet to see that.

Trust me, I totally get this. My only real defense is that I had a huge crush on Hilary Duff in middle/high school so I watch way more Disney Channel then anyone ever should. I've also always really been into musicals, that's why movies such as high school musical and enchanted appealed to me. And btw, anyone who loved Disney animated movies, needs to see Enchanted, it really is everything I love about those movies all thrown together into a live action movie!

[dh_jin]

Hot Fuzz was mentioned but i'd kinda disagree. near the end it's kinda brutal. no spoilers or anything but yeah. saw that with my sis and she was kinda shocked when the end death sequence happened

and like Nick and Norah is a great film and is enchanted the disney movie with the guy from greys anatomy? it's actually really good. surprisingly funny

[terryscss]

is enchanted the disney movie with the guy from greys anatomy? it's actually really good. surprisingly funny

That's the one!

[scoobydiesel]

Any body remeber rock-a-doodle doo?

I can't get my niece to sit through any movie that doesn't involve singing.

Ha dude that one ranks right there with BLT to me :D it was awesome!

i remember it freaked me out a bit too lol

[anakinastronaut]

I loved Shaun of the Dead but Hot Fuzz was too much. Fletch and Caddyshack are just as boring as Ridgemont High was. My dad says I will like them when I'm older, but I have seen 16 Candles because my mom is a girl and that is really funny and the others aren't and they are about whiny high school people too.
The Marvel Movies are really good, especially the Wolverine versus Hulk, the the Iron Man one is good too, but the new cartoon sucks.

As for girly movies, a lot of those movies like High School Musical and Bring It On and stuff isn't that bad. The music in the background is normally fun and they are kinda sweet. Some though like Camp Rock, make me want to vomit. And when my friend Savannah asked if I wanted to go see the Hannah Montana movie I thought I would rather hang myself first. My mom made an excuse and we went to the zoo instead. My mom loves the zoo.

Really, I watch anything Dan tells me to watch or my mom or dad says they feel guilty that they haven't shown me it yet. Except with vampires. I hate vampires.

[terryscss]

I
As for girly movies, a lot of those movies like High School Musical and Bring It On and stuff isn't that bad. The music in the background is normally fun and they are kinda sweet. Some though like Camp Rock, make me want to vomit. And when my friend Savannah asked if I wanted to go see the Hannah Montana movie I thought I would rather hang myself first. My mom made an excuse and we went to the zoo instead. My mom loves the zoo.

I think I like you Anakin. I too enjoy Bring It On and High School Musical and hate Camp Rock and Hannah Montana. I look forward to meeting you! I'll finally have someone to talk about this stuff with!

[scootman]

i will just throw out Lion King, The Incredibles, and Monty Python and The Holy Grail

[jabber]

Good 80's comedies. Ferris Bueller, Fletch, The Jerk, Stripes, Airplane, Caddyshack, all those hold up.


Oh, Big, that too.

Erm, I think I disagree with your suggestions of Caddyshack and Stripes. Both are R-rated movies and are not appropriate for a 12-year old girl considering they contain nudity. Stripes has full-frontal female nudity and I'm not sure a 12-year-old girl would feel comfortable sitting next to her big brother with that on the screen, not to mention how he would feel about it.

Airplane has a couple of breast shots, one clothed and one not at all, but the movie is rated PG so I suppose it is up to poltah as to whether or not he thinks his kid sister can handle that.

I do like your avatar image though. Cassidy is awesome.

Perhaps Bridge to Terabithia, The Golden Compass, and Pan's Labyrinth would be more entertaining to a 12-year-old girl considering the lead characters are girls around that age, give or take a couple years.

[dentistry]

I cried watching the first Pokémon movie (aged 17...). And the third one I think. The second one, Pokémon 2000 was also good. Fourth was a decent watch.

Ultimately, get them addicted to Pokémon, there's like 9 movies or something, and about a decade worth of episodes and games to make them play.
That'll keep them entertained till they hit their mid twenties.


edit: a bit young for twelve year olds. But like, I still watch Pokémon and err I didn't think that was just me but I'm starting to think that it is...
:(

[terryscss]

I cried watching the first Pokémon movie (aged 17...). And the third one I think. The second one, Pokémon 2000 was also good. Fourth was a decent watch.

Ultimately, get them addicted to Pokémon, there's like 9 movies or something, and about a decade worth of episodes and games to make them play.
That'll keep them entertained till they hit their mid twenties.


edit: a bit young for twelve year olds. But like, I still watch Pokémon and err I didn't think that was just me but I'm starting to think that it is...
:(

This is kinda a good and bad strategy. My 12-year-old nephew is really into pokemon, and you're right, it keeps him entertained, and don't get me wrong, I was really into pokemon in middle school, but after I watched the 6th pokemon movie in a row, I wanted to rip my eyes out. At least then I'd have an excuse to leave and not lose my title as "cool uncle." In fact, ripping my own eyes out may add to my street cred with the little guy.

[scoobydiesel]

haha....i did kinda shed a little tear for pokemon back in the day...cough...

[frankiethewaffle]

Hmm, tough call.

Disney, animated and Pixar for sure as was said. Dreamworks too. Depends on how protective you are of your sister, as I would be very much.

80's movies not so much. As I fondly remember them, not for a twelve year old. Which is sadly when I saw them. Back to the future and all yeah, but may be lame to a kid now. Again all of those movies that us geeks like, may not connect.

Latest teen movies? No American Pie stuff. "Bring It On"? No. As much as a fan I am for those movies, they are for the wrong reasons. She is twelve.

For a twelve year old, Night at the Museum is ok. Has some .edu in there. I learned or went to seek and learn some history from the Young Guns movies. If your sis is geeky as well as her friends, throw in the Star Wars and Indy flicks for sure. You know better than I.

At 12, I would avoid the Proft/Abrams movies like Airplane, or Naked gun, or any Leslie Nielsen movie that I love form those guys. Something like that, that works, though are the movies like Clueless, applies today. I will drop my personal fave, "Johnny Dangerously". Same Director, Amy Heckerling. Fun stuff. Although J.Dangerously may lose them.

Good luck. keep your sister safe.

[vegan]

Studio Ghibli movies, like My Neighbor Totoro. They're for everyone, though 12 years old may be approaching the age where kids avoid everything "kiddish" as much as possible.