If you have kids of your own, then you definitely know the pain of sitting through some absolutely nonsensical, horrendous, low-budget film with your spawn. Five times in a row. Every day. For a month. On the other hand, if you are an adult without any kids, it doesn’t mean that you’re not entitled to some great quality animated fun! So, whether you’re searching for something truly good to watch alongside your kids, or wish to keep this joy solely for yourself, then you’ve clicked your way to exactly the right place, as this is our list of the best movies for kids up to date!
Expect to see all the Disney classics on this list, the ones you loved watching yourself as a kid but might’ve forgotten. Besides this already vast collection, you’ll find their newer releases alongside Pixar’s gems and quite a few non-animated films like the iconic Home Alone, the most loveable Matilda, and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. And, to make your choice, since you’re the responsible adult here, that much easier, we’ve supplied the top submissions with short descriptions.
Shall we move along to the kids’ movies? They are, just, as usual, a bit further down! Once you are there, don’t forget to vote for the coolest movies for kids and share this article with anyone you think might find this article useful.
#1 Monsters, Inc. Franchise
2001 | 1h 32m | Directed by Pete Docter, David Silverman, and Lee Unkrich
Voiced by Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs
One of the first Pixar movies ever made and it’s still everything you want in a family film: hilarious, imaginative, heartwarming, and altogether dazzling in its animation. The world of Monstropolis is so well-conceived that you know how it all works before the characters have to explain it to you. And the relationship between Mike and Sulley is so genuine that it feels like an extension of the fondness we feel for our own best friends.
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54points
#2 Ratatouille
2007 | 1h 51m | Directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava
Voiced by Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt
Ratatouille is one of the few films to exemplify the fact that Pixar has an artistic license to do anything it wants. Some may think that the story of a rat who becomes a chef is too far-fetched, but Ratatouille is such a relatable animated movie. The film’s themes of pursuing your dreams and striving to be more than what others expect you to be are universal concepts that will resonate with children and adults alike.
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44points
#3 Inside Out
2015 | 1h 35m | Directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen
Voiced by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black
Who would’ve thought the secret to our happiness lies in a bunch of tiny creatures living in the control room of our brain? Inside Out is one clever movie that explores that very theory and shows us how emotions can affect our lives and decisions: it’s easy to see why it’s considered one of the best Pixar movies! It also earned several awards, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film Of The Year.
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42points
#4 Robin Hood (1973)
1973 | 1 hour 23 minutes | Directed by Wolfgang Retherman, David Hand
Voiced by Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Roger Miller
Robin Hood is an animated musical adventure comedy film that's based on the English folk tale of the same name with the characters reimagined as anthropomorphic animals. Here the famous swashbuckler and the hero of the poor, Robin Hood, is a red fox. His sidekick, Little John, is a bear, and together with other inhabitants of Sherwood, they try to suppress the rule of greedy Prince John, a lion. Besides being well-animated and highly entertaining, Robin Hood can surely boast about its undeniable wit, one that's intelligent and savory.
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41points
#5 Tangled
2010 | 1 hour 40 minutes | Directed by Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
Voiced by Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy
Tangled is a 3D computer-animated musical adventure comedy film loosely based on the German folk fairy tale Rapunzel collected and published by the Brothers Grimm. The film tells the story of Rapunzel - a young princess with magical blonde hair imprisoned in a tower by her mean stepmother. But when a runaway thief stumbles upon her, she takes the chance to escape and to see the world for the very first time. It's always fun to see a princess story in vivid animated colors, and Tangled does not disappoint!
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40points
#6 Madagascar Franchise
The Madagascar franchise, consisting of three movies and one spin-off, follows the adventures of four anthropomorphic Central Park Zoo animals. The foursome has spent their lives happily in captivity until they are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa. Thus, the foursome’s main goal now is to find a way back from the wilderness to New York City. What’s interesting with the Madagascar franchise is that each consecutive movie has gained warmer and warmer praises from critics! So, if you liked the original, you’ll love the sequels.
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39points
#7 Mulan (1998)
1998 | 1 hour 28 minutes | Directed by Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook
Voiced by Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong
Mulan is one of those rare Disney movies that were not based on an existent tale but rather employed an original script. To make it authentic, several artistic supervisors visited various places in China where they found their inspiration for the story of Mulan, a misfit tomboy ready to guard her family's honor at whatever cost. The movie's vibrant characters, impeccable voice acting, and the story itself made Mulan into a hugely successful feature that every '90s kid has watched and loved.
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39points
#8 Hotel Transylvania Franchise
While the Hotel Transylvania franchise encompasses way more than movies, let’s stick to them this time. After all, we’re here to talk about films, aren’t we? So, consisting of four films, the last of which has been released early this year, the franchise follows the events happening at the titular hotel. The residents of said hotel are all monsters of various breeding and this is the only place where they can relax from fear of being persecuted by humans. No matter which of the four movies you pick, be prepared for hilarious mishaps, adorable characters, and some quality fun!
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38points
#9 The Little Mermaid
1989 | 1 hour 23 minutes | Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker
Voiced by Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois
The Little Mermaid is an animated musical fantasy film based on the 1837 Danish fairytale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film centers around the story of Ariel - a rebellious mermaid princess who's fascinated with life on land. During one of her shore visits, which are strictly forbidden by her father, King Triton, she falls in love with a human prince. For a chance to spend three days as a human and meet him, Ariel makes a deal with an evil witch, Ursula. Unfortunately, the plan goes awry, and now it is King Triton who has to make the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter. The Little Mermaid is crowned as one of the best Disney animations ever, so if you've missed it - check it out now!
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37points
#10 Jumanji
1995 | 1 hour 44 minutes | Directed by Joe Johnston
Starring Tom Hanks, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt
Jumanji is a 1995 fantasy adventure movie starring everyone's favorite Robin Williams. And while you did already know that, you might not know that the Jumanji movie is based on a picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. If you need your memory refreshed, the story here centers around a board game that's undoubtedly more thrilling than Monopoly. It's a supernatural game that releases jungle-based hazards upon its player with each step they make. There's havoc, there are chilling adventures, but everything ends well for our heroes in the end. The movie's success later spawned a full-blown franchise, with plenty of films to follow up and one pretty creepy animated series.
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33points
#11 Moana
2016 | 1 hour 47 minutes | Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker, Don Hall
Voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House
Moana (also known as Vaiana or Oceania in some markets) is a 3D computer-animated musical adventure film that tells the story of Moana Waialiki. She's a strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village who's chosen to reunite a mystical goddess Te Fiti with a lost relic. So she sets sail to find a demigod, Maui, in hopes of finding Te Fiti's relic and saving her people from hunger. And although it is an original story, it is heavily based on various Polynesian myths offering a glimpse into their mythology and culture. Moana is a truly delightful movie praised both by critics and the viewers.
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33points
#12 Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
1966 | 26 minutes | Directed by Chuck Jones, Ben Washam
Voiced by Boris Karloff, Thurl Ravenscroft, June Foray
The Grinch, a surly antisocial heel, has been trying to steal Christmas since the very day his story was published in 1957. His debut on the screen, though, was in 1966 - an animated TV special that revived Mr. Grinch and showed his evil intentions to the world. This cartoon also gave us one of our favorite Christmas songs - You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch by Thurl Ravenscroft. And, if classy cartoons are your preference for the season, How The Grinch Stole Christmas will hit the bullseye.
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30points
#13 101 Dalmatians (1961)
1961 | 1 hour 19 minutes | Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman
Voiced by Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O’Malley
Although 101 Dalmatians has had plenty of ecranizations throughout the years, the one that we’d like to include in our list is the original Disney animation from 1961. It is based on Dodie Smith’s novel The Hundred And One Dalmatians and centers, well, you know it, around Dalmatian puppies. A litter of them is kidnapped by the villainous Cruella de Vil who wants to turn them into fancy fur coats. The puppies' parents, Pongo and Perdita, set out to rescue their little ones, saving, in addition to their own, 84 more Dalmatian puppies brought from pet stores, bringing the total count to 101. It’s a witty, charming, heartwarming animation that proved to be a remarkable success among both the younger and the older audiences.
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28points
#17 Aladdin (1992)
1992 | 1 hour 30 minutes | Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker
Voiced by Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin
Aladdin, an animated musical fantasy comedy, made it into the pages of the history books not only because of its undeniable entertainment value but also by becoming the highest-grossing Disney movie of the time. Based on an Arabic folk tale of the same name from One Thousand And One Nights, the story brings us back to a time when genie-inhabited lamps were a thing and when a street urchin could pretend to be a wealthy prince and marry the beautiful princess in the end. The story is thrilling, the characters are scene-stealing, the music is memorable, and the animation style is impeccable. What's not to love about Aladdin!
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24points
#18 Cinderella (1950)
1950 | 1 hour 14 minutes | Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Voiced by Ilene Woods, James MacDonald, Eleanor Audley
Cinderella is an animated musical fantasy film based on the fairy tale of the same name by Charles Perrault. We all know the story - Cinderella is a good-hearted girl living with her mean stepmother and three stepsisters. A ball for the prince to meet his wife is announced, but Cinderella has no way of going as her stepmom won't let her. However, the loveable mice Gus and Jaq and her fairy godmother help Cinderella with a makeover and a ticket for the ball. And although the original story then has the three stepsisters chopping off their toes to fit in Cinderella's lost glass slipper, Disney's version is far more beautiful, kid-friendly, and enchanting!
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22points
#19 Wreck-It Ralph
2012 | 1 hour 41 minutes | Directed by Rich Moore
Voiced by John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
Wreck-It Ralph is a computer-animated comedy film that tells the story of the eponymous arcade game villain who rebels against his 'bad guy' role. What Wreck-It Ralph truly wants is to be a hero, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives. Full of references to the games and pop culture of the olden times, Wreck-It Ralph is a highly entertaining movie for kids and their parents. A rara avis in the world of animated film!
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21points
#20 Matilda
1996 | 1 hour 38 minutes | Directed by Danny DeVito
Starring Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Mara Wilson
1996's Matilda, a fantasy comedy film, is probably the loveliest, most heartwarming movie of the decade. Based on the book by the legendary writer Roald Dahl, it follows the story of a girl, Matilda, who's a real genius and has just a slither of psychic powers. She's misunderstood and mistreated by her parents, and the school's principal is one tyrannic overlord. Thankfully, there's also a teacher who loves Matilda, and the story, ultimately, ends in the most beautiful way. It's a smart movie made very believable by great acting, a tight plot, and a pace that's just right.
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20points