The Besterest Kids Films Evar.

[Mr Mystery]

How do?

As you may recall, I'm now a Godfather (pinstriped fairy costume remains in the concept phase only). And because of this, and having a decent sized flat, I know that in a few years I may be having her over for babysitting duties.

Of course, this means I need to rethink my film collection. Much as I'm rarely one for social convention, somehow I don't think my extensive SciFi and Horror collection is really going to cut the mustard.

So here I come, cap in hand looking for recommendations on what cool films a sprog might enjoy. Already in my collection I have Labyrinth and Dark Crystal, which as far as I'm concerned are totes compulsory childhood viewing. Oh, and Star Wars. Much much Star Wars.

Anything is up for consideration, even if it's typically 'girly' and will reduce my adult Brian to jelly with a single, let alone repeated watching.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Charlottes Web (I like both versions)

[grimmas]

Shrek

All of them.

[lobster-overlord]

My 7 year old daughter just watched Goldfinger and Thunderball. Buck the system.

[Morgrim]

The first Land Before Time is very good, but very sad.

Ditto for The Last Unicorn.

[Psychosplodge]

Labyrinth, dark crystal, never ending story, the land before time (mother****ing treestars!)(don't bother with the sequels beyond the first one), finding nemo, finding nemo, finding nemo, batteries not included.

Erm, I'm sure theres more.

[Kirsten]

just get everything Disney and Pixar

[CoffeeGrunt]

Pixar and Disney? Also get some Studio Ghibli in there. Spirited Away would be a good one, a scary but fun adventure for a kid, with a decent English dub, and the main character is a girl. Inside Out would also be a good recommendation, and the Toy Story films. Ooh, and...yeah, pretty much anything Pixar. Even Cars/Planes are simply mediocre.

Just avoid Grave of the Fireflies if you get some Ghibli, if the name didn't tip you off. It's an excellently-told story and beautifully animated, but it is also a soul-crushing spiral into despair and thus probably not what you'd wanna show of seven year old godchild. Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro are other classics. The Miyazaki ones are the best to look out for.

Hook is a good movie as well, especially if you watch Peter Pan first. Nightmare Before Christmas, ET, How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, (Gene Wilder, though the Johnny Depp remake is alright.)

Can you tell I've been planning a collection myself for my niece and nephew? :P

Anything by Aardman, so Wallace and Gromit or Chicken Run, they're fun movies.

[Gotthammer]

My Neighbour Totoro

Kiki's Delivery Service

The Cat Returns

Muppet Treasure Island (any of the later Muppet movies really)

Mr Bean's Holiday

^ good for all ages


Laputa, Castle in the Sky

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Spirited Away

Whisper of the Heart

Wolf Children

The Princess Bride

Castle of Cagliostro

Willow

^ older ickles

Some good serieses for ickler ickle ones include Miniscule (5 minute eps with no dialogue and cute bugs), Looney Tunes (the newer Looney Tunes Show is very good), Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse (glorious absurdism), Mr Bean

For older ickles Avatar: The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, K-On! - both series and the movie of course - (Girls being friends! Girls having adventures! Girls having fun!), Azumanga Diaoh (as K-On, but with more weirdness), Nichijou (lots of weirdness, but with friendship between girls as the main theme), Squid Girl (so many puns)

And be prepared that the kid will probably not like a good chunk of "classic" kids movies and will definitely love "bad" films a whole lot.

[Mr Mystery]

I'm usually OK with bad films.

As long as it's not the Garbage Pail Kids Movie.....that scarred me, that did.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Oh God, that atrocity...

Girls Und Panzer is fun, and teaches women the assertive, feminine art of Tankery! That said, viewer discretion is advised, a lot of good tanks get deaded. :(

[Psychosplodge]

It's ok they get better. How else would they fight in the next tankery season?

[CoffeeGrunt]

I still find it hilarious that you have tanks getting pounded by other tank fire, rolling or getting thrown around, and everyone inside just has a few scrapes and grazes. :P

I mean, the American team would've had at least four Shermans brew up in a horrible fireball.

[Psychosplodge]

I thought you only had to look at them for that to happen?

Also non of them wear overalls and all seem to compete in mini skirts.

[Kirsten]

that's how I drive my tank

[CoffeeGrunt]

I think some of them wear different outfits. That said, I can only really think of the sniper in the Sherman Firefly, who wore a vest done up like she was a femme John McClane, haha. The American outfit had baggy trousers IIRC, though.

Let's face it, it's Japan. They put everyone in mini-skirts.

[Psychosplodge]

True. I'd forgot the yanks, with the British, Germans, and whatever the Protagonists are supposed to be being clad thusly.

[Kirsten]

they are all Japanese though aren't they, technically, just pretending to be other countries?

[Gotthammer]

They are indeed.

And since this is a recommendations for kids thread I should point out that GuP, while very fun, is veeeeery heavy on fanservice.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Yeah, different prefectures of Japan playing at being their chosen country. Apparently Darjeeling, the British Captain, is absurdly obsessed with British culture and appearing British. I can't remember what the Italian team uniform was. Probably mini-skirts.

- - - Updated - - -


And since this is a recommendations for kids thread I should point out that GuP, while very fun, is veeeeery heavy on fanservice.

I'm trying to think of an anime that isn't. :S

Actually, I'm not sure if One Punch Man has a significant amount of fanservice. Only female character I can think of is Tatsumaki, though. It's also really not for kids anyway, haha.

[Psychosplodge]

I thought it was rather tame in terms of "fanservice", but then again I think I watched HSotD around the same time so it would look tame next to that. (Mystery, HSotD IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN)

[Kirsten]

High School was a seriously weird series.

[Psychosplodge]

yeah and that's without the zombies.

[CoffeeGrunt]

I have to be honest, I watched a bit of HSotD, and boy howdy that show was entirely fanservice. Every time I was kinda getting into the plot the camera would cut to an upskirt or well-timed breeze. :/

GuP does seem much tamer than most, I think other than miniskirts and the usual stuff it doesn't really have much fanservice, though? Other than a few euphemisms, at least.

[Gotthammer]

I'm trying to think of an anime that isn't. :S

All the other ones I mentioned ;)

[Psychosplodge]

I have to be honest, I watched a bit of HSotD, and boy howdy that show was entirely fanservice. Every time I was kinda getting into the plot the camera would cut to an upskirt or well-timed breeze. :/


Whats surprising is the SO enjoyed it despite that because the story was alright. The OVA though goes beyond OTT fanservice to borderline softporn at points.

[YorkNecromancer]

Most of the suggestions above are pretty good. Ones I'd go with include:

'Adventure Time'.
'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (not 'Legend of Korra', though - bit too old for younger kids).
'Ulyssess 31' (if we're going with anime).

And yeah, anything by Pixar is pretty great, as are any Disney films that are post 1999. The earlier ones are fun, but their messages are very dated (particularly 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Beauty and the Beast' which are great films, but which normalise some very dodgy behaviours).

[Kirsten]

Ulysses makes me think of the old cartoon that was on in the 80s, Ulysses, Ulysses, roaming through the galaxies. or something along those lines.

[Psychosplodge]

You also want to get the Willy Fogg round the world in eighty days series where Fogg was a lion or something. I hated it as a child and others should be made to suffer equally.

[Kirsten]

80 days around the world

this is going to mean a day of 80s themes stuck in my head.

one for all and all for one, muskahounds are always ready!

[Mr Mystery]

Ulysses makes me think of the old cartoon that was on in the 80s, Ulysses, Ulysses, roaming through the galaxies. or something along those lines.

That's the one. And also one of the few Animes I've ever enjoyed.

For clarity - got nowt against the medium, I've just never really got on with it.

[Brakkart]

Mysterious Cities of Gold - great late 80's era cartoon saga in 39 parts that explored south american history and myth. Every episode ended with a short mini documentary too and can get the whole series on DVD quite cheap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq5Y_ogiyi0

Batman the Animated Series - Quite simply one of the greatest cartoon series ever made and the starting point for the DC Animated Universe that was to run through several other shows (Superman, Static Shock, Batman Beyond) and culminate in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEx9r5enZsk

Gummi Bears - Magic, mystery, cute heroes and a great villain in Duke Igthorn and his long suffering lackey Toady, plus wickedly catchy theme tune!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HCjQbKowUo

Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers - Great fun cartoon with another catchy theme tune (Sorry Kirsten!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFXTa2yeYWs

Ulysses 31 - Mentioned already and its great not just for the theme tune which is awesome, but for giving a pretty decent basic knowledge of greek mythology too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev1aBt-_Zs4

[Kirsten]

definitely Batman yes, that is amazing. also the Brave and the Bold, also excellent.

[Psychosplodge]

Batman the Animated Series - Quite simply one of the greatest cartoon series ever made and the starting point for the DC Animated Universe that was to run through several other shows (Superman, Static Shock, Batman Beyond) and culminate in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEx9r5enZsk&feature=youtu.be

Gummi Bears - Magic, mystery, cute heroes and a great villain in Duke Igthorn and his long suffering lackey Toady, plus wickedly catchy theme tune!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWigVVh7OXM&feature=youtu.be

Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers - Great fun cartoon with another catchy theme tune (Sorry Kirsten!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFXTa2yeYWs&feature=youtu.be


How'd I forget those classics?

[Al Shut]

This thread makes me wonder how much of the stuff I loved as a kid is actually any good or total crap.

Also Chip and Dale is clearly inferior to Darkwing Duck.

[Rissan4ever]

Somebody may have said this already, but... FROZEN! It's the best Disney princess movie ever. And, I know everyone likes to pretend they're sick of Let It Go, but I'm not. It's an awesome song. It's right up there with Born This Way and Firework in my book.

[Psychosplodge]

Also Chip and Dale is clearly inferior to Darkwing Duck.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone be so wrong in such a short sentence :p

[Al Shut]

Suck gas, evildoer.

[Mr Mystery]

Well indeed.

Everyone knows that, in descending order, it's......

Duck Tales > Tail Spin > Chip and Dale > Darkwing Duck.

Chip and Dale is a no go. Those sodding voices. And once they've started on one set of poorly animated Chipmunks, it leads to poorly CGI animated Chipmunks. That's not happening. Not on my watch!

[Psychosplodge]

No, no, no, no, no.

That list should clearly have chip and dale at the beginning of it.
I mean they're indiana jones and magnum in chipmunk form.
They're nothing like the wannabe rockstar chipmunks.

[Mr Mystery]

Nope. Can't stand those sodding voices.

[Psychosplodge]

lols we literally wore the videos out. You can still see the 'rents cringe if they hear the themetune.

[Al Shut]

Or worse the coo coo cola song.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Batman the Animated Series - Quite simply one of the greatest cartoon series ever made and the starting point for the DC Animated Universe that was to run through several other shows (Superman, Static Shock, Batman Beyond) and culminate in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.

https://youtu.be/lEx9r5enZsk

How did I forget Batman: TAS!? It's pretty dark material at times, but it treats the IP with probably the highest respect outside of the comics until the Arkham games came around.

[JamesP]

Coming to this thread late, I won't waste time by repeating all of the great suggestions that have already been made - with one exception: my two girls (3 and 5 years-old) both love Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service but Ponyo's a favourite as well.

Re. Disney, Frozen is an obvious choice as it nicely steers away from/ subverts the all-a-girl-needs-to-do-is-dream-and-get-a-prince crap but Tangled does the same as well, and both are very good films.

You might also want to get some episodic stuff, for when you want to watch something with your goddaughter but want to be able to stop easily without them complaining - it's easier to say 'oh look, it's finished,let's do something else' with a Peppa Pig collection or whatever, as you're regularly coming to the end of episodes. Pixar DVDs are quite good for this too as they often have short films on them - e.g. Wall-E has two.

My two love collections of classic Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry etc - the very little ones love the colours and the pictures, when they're older they love the slapstick and when they're older still, the slapstick and the dialogue/ jokes as well. If you go for classic cartoons, be careful with what editions you go for, as some episodes are very much of their time and have

For more modern collections, Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly, and Sarah and Duck are all pretty good and also interesting for grown-ups. And yes, My Little Pony too. If you get some Peppa, you'll find that Brian Blessed was born to play a banjo-playing, cheese-obsessed, lighthouse-keeper rabbit. Or see what they like from CBeebies and then look at what's available on iplayer or dvd. It would be wrong of me to recommend that you might look on youtube where people have posted whole DVDs' worth of kids TV, obviously.

Four very important things:

1) CBeebies programmes on Iplayer are your friend. This cannot be stated enough. It's like a free childminder.

2) They've done a new Danger Mouse. All the episodes are on CBBC Iplayer and it's great. It'll probably be on DVD soon, if it's not already.

3) Be prepared to fast-forward through the ubiquitous adverts for merchandise etc. Otherwise the first thing you will hear after the film is endless pleading to buy toy range X and to go to theme park Y.

4) Barbie DVDs exist. They are pure evil.

[Mr Mystery]

Ahhh...on point 3)

As God Father, it's part of my responsibilities to make sure she has cool toys and ace parties....

Oh god. I'm going to need a toy box for my flat, aren't I?

[JamesP]

Oh god. I'm going to need a toy box for my flat, aren't I?

Yep. You will also need to hide all wargames figures that you don't want to be 'played with' AKA destroyed. Or that you don't want to have a serious makeover.

I give you, My Little Dalek:

17698

[Horncastle]

Another good one is Brave; my daughter prefers it to Frozen.

[Mr Mystery]

I've seen Brave, and it's rather good.

As for keeping models away from tiny peeps - gaming room is entirely off limits to the tiddly.

[grimmas]

Brave was good but think how great it could have been if the characters were Welsh rather than Scotish

[Psychosplodge]

I give you, My Little Dalek:

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=17698&d=1457454088


Where's its cutie mark?

[JamesP]

Where's its cutie mark?

They forgot to do one. Maybe this? 17708

[Psychosplodge]

lols

[Brakkart]

Couple more great old cartoon shows that can be gotten on DVD now and both boast kick *** theme tunes:

M.A.S.K. How this has not been done as a live action movie I will never understand, I mean secret agents, terrorists, transforming vehicles, it pretty much writes itself.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Z1yLO9C-Q

Visionaries Sadly only 13 episodes of this were ever made, but the whole lot can be got on 1 DVD set for not much more than a tenner.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBoxGdz2Km4

EDIT: Ohh thought of another after I posted this:

Defenders of the Earth Another one I know I'd like to see on a big screen someday.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xLKzsynt5I

[Kirsten]

I liked Visionaries

[Psychosplodge]

:eek: defenders of the earth