#10: FROZEN (5+) This is a delightful sister story from Walt Disney Animation Studios filled with heart and humor. Older sister Elsa has extraordinary powers to freeze things, but she can't control them. When she runs away from the kingdom, her younger sister, Princess Anna goes after her, and encounters a talking snowman, and a funny guy named Kristoff and his overly expressive reindeer Sven. It has a bit of potty humor, and a snow monster scene might be scary for toddlers, but in general, this is a very kid friendly movie.
#9: WRECK-IT RALPH: (10+) This movie is a hysterically funny, and at times touching Disney film about...video game characters? This one is a little more obscure than Frozen, but it's still delightful. Ralph, the bad guy of his video game decides that he wants to become a hero, goes on a quest to get a gold medal, and messes everything up. To fix things, he has to team up with memorable characters Vanillope and Felix to name a few. There are some scary sequences with bugs, and younger kids might not get all the refrences, but this is a blast for tweens.
#8: THE WIZARD OF OZ: (5+) There is nothing innapropriate in this classic musical based on L. Frank Baum's novel. This is one of the few instances where the movie is better than the book. Little kids might be scared by the witch or the flying monkeys, so be careful with littles, but this is awesome! It tells the story of an ordinary farm girl, Dorothy who stumbles upon a fantasy land and teams up with the scarecrow, tin man, and lion, to get home. This movie has really cutting-edge visuals for 1938, too!
#7 TANGLED: (7+) Yet another Disney Animated movie on this list. There are a lot of them. This is basically a retelling on Rapunzel with one of Disney's classic twists. We've got our strong heroine, Rapunzel, opressed by Mother Gothel, who finds an escape when she befriends dashing criminal Flynn Ryder. And the CGI is amazing. You could never do this "hair thing" with traditional animation! Gothel may be a little scary, there are thugs, and a lot of suspense near the end, but overall, this is family friendly
#6 SINGIN IN THE RAIN (10+) The reason this is 10+ is because it's a classic musical, mostly starring adults, set in the 1920's transition from silent films to talkies. This film is brilliant, but it won't hold younger kids attention. But be sure to show "Singin' in the Rain" and "Make em' Laugh" to the little guys.
#5 STAR WARS: EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE: (8+) You can't go wrong with this one. Great for older kids and families. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia, as well as the galaxy far, away, are introduced for the first time. Show your kids this one before Phantom Menace, if you want them to get the "right idea" of Star Wars. Don't be shocked to see this so high. There are two things holding this back. The fact that I've got stuff planned for #1, and the special editions you're probably forced to show them (see what I did there). Of course special eds. are a minor nitpick and no matter what version you have the kids have got to see it. (You can read my post about the topic if you're really interested in unaltered versions). Actually I'm watching 2004 special ed. here in a few (;-)). There are some intense scenes, and a planet and a space station, as well as several spaceships with fighters in them, but nothing too graphic or violent.
#4: DESPICABLE ME: (5+) This movie is a quirky and weird one brought to us from Illumination. Gru, a super villain, attempts to steal the moon, and falls in love with three adorable and funny girls in the meantime. The minions are cute and silly, and the humor is pitch perfect. The action is mild and not too intense until the end. There are a few references to potty humor (including a fart gun), but it's pretty mild. While this movie is not for everyone, I watch it more often than Star Wars for the laughs.
#3: A BUG"S LIFE: (7+): Another quirky movie I love, this one from Pixar and a little more poignant. A colony of ants who are being opressed by grasshoppers send outsider Flik to the city to find warriors, but he comes back with....circus bugs? These guys are hilarious and really quite heroic. The grasshoppers are freaky-looking for little kids (I saw it when I was 5 and hid under a blanket), and the climax is quite intense, but kids should enjoy the adorable bugs, especially, Princess Dot.
#: ZOOTOPIA: (10+): While younger kids will be fine with most of the movie, there were some scenes with savage animals that I thought were especially intense. Judy Hopps, an optimistic bunny, wants to become a police officer! She moves to the big city Zootopia, and predators look down on her because she's a little bunny. She befriends a sarcastic fox named Nick, and has to save the day, and bring the city together. This message delivers a pretty big plot twist (although not as big as the one in the next entry), a sountrack by Giaccnino, and a catchy song by Shakira that's perfectly kids appropriate. The messages are generally positive, about trying your best and bringing people together. This also offers some pretty good insights into the nature of our culture, the CGI is amazing and in my opinion, it's Disney Animated's best yet.
#1: STAR WARS: EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK AND STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI (10+) Okay, okay, Empire is clearly better and the Ewoks are there for merchandising, but seriously, can you really have one without the other? Empire leaves you on a cliffhanger that Jedi sets out to conclude. These movies have pretty intense scenes, so that's why I said 10+ although younger kids will probably be fine, I saw them when I was eight or nine, but didn't really enjoy them until I was 12. I don't want to give anything away, so if you haven't watched these films I have three words for you: GO. DO. IT.
