Wondering how to keep those kids entertained during this lockdown? Here are some tried and tested formulae to keep those big-little imaginations occupied.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Before anything else, make sure to complete this rite of passage in childhood with so much time on your hands.
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Both versions of this Roald Dahl classic are on Netflix but don’t we just love Gene Wilder a tad more than Johnny Depp. This movie proved to be a beloved classic, especially with Wilder’s charm and Dahl’s unforgettable story.
The Kung-Fu Panda series
All the Panda lovers in the house, introduce kids to the world of Po with this beloved animated series.
Better — and funnier — than its predecessor. The series is fairly grown-up despite its silly, colorful, and vivacious center stage panda.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2018 saw this unexpected film receive the Best Animated Film Oscar. It is beyond doubt one of the best superhero movies of the modern era and has a little bit of everything.
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First, it carries the comic-book aesthetic in unseen ways. Second, it takes a leap forward in terms of representation in superhero movies.
Third, it is still unbelievably fun! The kind of movie that you and your kids will re-watch with your grandkids.
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Kids dig this series of films about the high jinks their pets get up to when adults are at work or school.
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![The Secret Life Of Pets 2 | Official Trailer [HD] | Illumination](https://www.epicdope.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FmYocfuqu2A8%2F0.jpg)
It’s a lovable family movie for when you’re in the mood for bright colors and recognizable voices but don’t want to be really challenged by what you’re watching.
The Little Prince
The iconic bestselling story The Little Prince is on Netflix with a talented cast that has brought to life Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic talent may not be a point-for-point translation of the tale. Still, it manages to give a tribute to the novella’s fan-favorite characters and scenes.
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The Fox, The Snake, and The Rose are all present. They’re brought to life to conjure up images of the original drawings alongside the cutting-edge computer-generated characters.
This contrast also sets apart the book’s story, which exists as a story within a larger framing story following The Little Girl (Foy) and her uptight, hyper-organized Mother (McAdams). This is a great place to start if you haven’t read The Little Prince or seen any of its adaptations over the years.
The Adventures of Tintin
Adapting the Belgian cartoonist Hergé’s Tintin books that span centuries of history on Earth and other planets was no easy task. Thank God for Steven Spielberg who took the mantle for this one.
Spielberg zeroes in on perhaps the most famous Tintin story: The Secret of the Unicorn with his classic Spielberg adventure touch while staying true to Tintin’s investigative roots.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
For anime-enthusiast homes and Studio Ghibli lovers, here is an anime take on Alice in Wonderland. Mary and the Witch’s Flower, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, is based on Mary Stewart’s The Little Broomstick. Mary is a young girl with no friends, living in the northern English countryside with a deep-seated hunger for adventure.
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After chasing a cat into a forest, her whole life changes upon the discovery of a mysterious broom with enchanted abilities.
Hugo
Hugo is an unmissable family-friendly escape into the 1930s Paris portrayed by Martin Scorsese through the eyes of a 12-year-old kid living in the railway station.
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Hugo is a tale of woe and familial hardship, even as it proves the necessity of creativity to thrive. Another award-winner here.
Ralph Breaks The Internet
The follow-up to the delightfully inventive Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet expands the boundaries and scope of the analog universe into the digital.
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The film centers on Ralph and his pal Vanellope von Schweetz as they traverse the World Wide Web. Packed full of memes and internet humor, Ralph Breaks the Internet is treated for children of the digital age.
Invader Zim
The Netflix-adapted Enter the Florpus tracks Zim after the events of the original TV series, seeing the little alien grappling with an existential dilemma. As he’s fighting for a chance to understand Earth’s true purpose, Zim’s arch-nemesis plots his downfall.
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Can the little alien overcome his human rival, or will he only be a memory? With a critics score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, no family can go wrong with this adventure.
Incredibles 2
2004’s The Incredibles is a classic. But Incredibles 2 is a more than worthy sequel that was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.
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The sequel deals with a society that wants to ban superpowers and force superheroes into normal lives. Meanwhile, there is still crime to be dealt with.
The Princess and the Frog
10 years ago, Disney introduced fans to Tiana, the first African-American Disney princess in The Princess and the Frog. Set in New Orleans during the early 20th century, the story centered on Tiana, a working-class woman who dreamed of opening her own restaurant.
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That dream was far more important to her than the childhood stories like “The Frog Prince.” However, Tiana still finds herself in the middle of a froggy fantasy and a voodoo curse.
The movie takes some fun liberties with the source material. Still, it is also one of the few traditionally animated tales of the modern era. That fact didn’t escape critics and general audiences alike.
Back To The Future
What if you went to high school with your parents? Teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is sent back in time to prevent a catastrophic event, so he has to run into his parents at their high school. Admittedly for slightly older kids, the 1985 classic Back to the Future is a must see.
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Despicable Me
The mother of all things Minion! This sweet 2010 animated film kicked off a lucrative franchise.
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Steve Carell voices a baddie known as Gru who wants to be the most powerful supervillain ever. But his “bad guy” tendencies are put to the test when he becomes the parent of three young girls.
My Life As A Zucchini
It’s French. You have been warned. Get ready for some dark stuff, probably most suitable for middle-aged kids.
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Based on a hit 2002 novel about a kid who accidentally kills his alcoholic mother, this animated movie has it all — wit, depth, and beautiful visuals.
My Girl
There’s a whole generation that grew up on this film. One of the only good family films on Netflix that’s not animated is a coming-of-age tale of a young girl growing up in 1972. It was a massive hit, earning $120 million and just as many buckets of tears.
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Klaus
One of the most shocking Oscar nominations this year, Klaus found itself neck-to-neck with much-bigger films like Toy Story 4 in the Best Animated Film category. However, people who had seen it were less surprised. With its hand-drawn animation, Klaus is a visual treat for any holiday.
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The Croods
Here is a hit animated family sitcom set in the caveman days for all those dads dealing with their daughter’s first love.
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Its father-daughter material is heart-warming, but it is the visual cleverness of its creators that most kids take away. It is a nice blend of heart and humor.
Popeye
Everyone needs to know the genius of Robin Williams. Fortunately there is something lighter than Goodwill Hunting or Dead Poets Society. But it is equally crazy and rule bending.
One of the weirdest movies ever made, this Robert Altman film was not a critic favorite in the 1980s, but kids still love it. It now has some adult defenders too we might add. Robin Williams is fearless as the headliner, giving his all as he always did on camera.
Tarzan
This hand-drawn hit, the last Disney animation of the bygone century, seems to have been largely forgotten among bigger names.
It’s a solid adventure flick with some lovely visuals and heath touching tale. Some nostalgia for you, some jungle fun for the little one!
The Willoughbys
Here’s something for the weird, slightly darker ones. Will Forte and Maya Rudolph only two names in this quirky and clever adaptation of the book by Lois Lowry about a family of kids who try to leave their awful parents behind and raise themselves alone. Narrated by the brilliant Ricky Gervais, it’s just a lovably oddball flick.
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