6.) Jumanji
This movie isn’t exactly a critical darling, and a quick internet search shows that people don’t hold this film in as high regard as my 8 year old self did. However, if ever there was a movie that will be remembered as the first movie we had to walk out of because it was scaring the crap out of my best friend and little sister, it would be Jumanji.
This was one of those movies that was a children’s film and not a children’s film at the same time. On one hand, a story about children (both adult and actual kids) trying to survive a living board game is an awesome idea, and even though the special effects are kind of ehh overall (except for that awesome looking lion) the movie is an exciting and creative experience throughout…provided you don’t scare easily. Giant killer mosquitoes, killer plants, huge killer crocodiles, killer monkeys, a hunter who kills people for sport… pretty much everything a small child’s nightmares could ever be composed of. Fortunately, my over imagination never set the wheels of trauma in motion for me while watching this, and I still enjoy seeing a jungle burst out of a children’s board game.
7.) Home Alone II
Hardcore fans will deny this to their dying breath, but Home Alone II is essentially the same movie as the original, just on a bigger scale. That fact doesn’t make it any less dope though.
Even though this movie cements Mr. and Mrs. McCallister’s places in the worst film parents Hall of Fame, since they somewhat unbelievably manage to lose the same son they lost last year yet again, the movie “apologizes” for rehashing the same plot by being even funnier. Sure the “Wet Bandits” should have died from the previous, life threatening external and internal injuries they suffered at the hands of everyone’s favorite child sociopath, but what they suffer here is somehow even worse, and thus that much more funny.
With the way he treats them, as well as the hotel staff throughout the movie, it’s pretty clear that Kevin is just a general menace, especially when left to his own devices, but it always comes from a position of self defense, so the “get them before they get me” undertone of the movie just ends up being a light-hearted good time for all who are watching.
8.) A Goofy Movie
It’s become clear to me over the course of this post that my childhood self had a weakness for animated films with great soundtracks. Although in the case of A Goofy Movie, it’s really more like 2 or 3 really memorable songs.
This is the movie that really give Goofy some depth as a character, especially for audience members who never really got into the Goof Troop T.V. show. It’s basically one big father son bonding moment spread out over the course of a movie, but it’s a fun experience getting there. Plus, how dope was it watching Max hit the Perfect Cast in front of Powerline and thousands of people, which allowed him to make up for all his high school fails in the span of one concert?
9.) Casper
I’m getting to that age where certain things that I used to enjoy as a child betray how old I am, and Casper is one of those things. Even though Casper clearly was created(and possibly even peaked) before I was even born, and this movie came out within the same time frame as other movies on this list, I used to watch Casper on those Cartoon compilation VHS tapes, you know the ones that had the REALLY old cartoons like Felix the Cat and the Looney Tunes episodes with all the racist undertones? Yeah those.
Casper has now fallen into that generational gap of characters that would probably warrant a blank stare from my ten year old cousin, but back in 1995, Casper had some of the best special effects of that year.
I’m not really going to go into too much detail about this movie, because it only barely beat out other potential contenders for my list. I will say that it’s probably the only ghost centered movie that you can show your kids that won’t give them nightmares.
10.) Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
This is probably the most “mature” kid’s movie on the list, and definitely one of the most iconic. There is a lot of adult themed humor in this movie that somehow managed to mostly go over my head as a child… Except for any scene involving these two characters below:
What I found to be the coolest thing about this movie is that it’s a cartoon oriented film that doesn’t rely on instantly recognizable characters in order to make the movie work.
Of course, there are cameos all throughout the film, but in an era where Bugs Bunny ruled supreme, the fact that it’s such a great movie about a rabbit NOT named Bugs is an accomplishment within itself. It’s also a film that has aged very well over the years and is probably the best cartoon live action film of all time.
Do You agree with my list? What movies would you have changed? Leave a comment and let me know.
