Top kids films for adults

Mar 14 2012 at 1:06 PM

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) Admitting to your wife that you accidentally shrunk the kids and took them outside with the trash has got to be a tough one for any married couple to get past but it certainly made a great story. This classic film is entertaining for audiences of all ages.
Short Circuit (1988) "Number 5 is alive!" It is hard to not develop a soft spot for the lovable Number 5 who just wants to be allowed to live. After becoming electrocuted, he is the only one in a group of experimental robots in a lab to suddenly become intelligent, and escape.
Back to the Future (1985) What happens when a teenager is accidently sent 30 years into the past by a time-traveling car invented by his crazy, genius friend, Dr. Emmett Brown? Movie magic! Anyone who has never watched this movie - and the sequels - with their kids needs to rent it now.
Ron Howard and George Lucas teamed up to create the 1988 fantasy classic, Willow, about a reluctant dwarf who must protect an infant princess, prophesied to bring about the downfall of an evil queen. A winning combination for any adventure-loving movie fan.
Indiana Jones franchise (1981 -1989) Some of the scarierscenes of this franchise make it more suitable for teenage children but the action-packed adventures of the famous archaeologist, Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, will have everyone on the edge of their seats.
Jumanji (1995) When Robin Williams is involved in a children's film it is usually a safe bet that adults will enjoy the film as much as the kids. Throw in a supernatural board game that releases wild animals and other hazards from the deep jungle opon each player's move and you are onto a winner.
(1939) Who wouldn't be happy to return to somewhere over the rainbow with Dorothy and all her friends as she follows the yellow brick road on her journey home to Kansas?
Gremlins (1984) When a boy inadvertantly breaks the three important rules concerning his new pet he unleashes a horde of monsters on an unsuspecting small town. Fun and chaos in equal measures follows.
Beaches (1988) A story of childhood friendship between two girls that spans over thirty years into adulthood. While this probably won't be one for the dads, mothers and daughters can enjoy this one together. Remember the tissues.
Inkheart (2008) Equal parts adventure and heart, this film will have you from the opening scene. When a young girl discovers that her father has a secret talent that brings characters from books to life she sets out with him on a mission to save her mother and the world from a freed villain intent on bringing about the end of their world.
Ice Age (2002) Scrat, the saber-toothed squirrel and his frustrating battle to to find somewhere to store his prized elusive acorn always makes for entertaining viewing. But the real adventure unfolds when Sid, Manfred and Diego ( who has his own motive for joining the search) team up to track down the family of an orphaned human baby.
Look Who's Talking (1989) Talking babies and a romantic comedy? There is something in this one for both the young and old. As long as it doesn't raise too many questions about where babies come from ...
The NeverEnding Story (1984) Return to Fantasia with your own kids as Atreyu battles to discover the means to end 'The Nothing', a void of darkness that is consuming everything in the land.
Harry Potter series (2001-2011) Based on the successful novels by J.K Rowling, this series is loved equally by children and adults alike.
Mrs Doubtfire (1993) Robin Williams' character goes to extreme lengths to spend time with his children after a bitter divorce with his wife who has custody. One of Williams' best films.
Steven Spielberg won over a generation of kids and adults with his 1985 film The Goonies. This story about a group of kids who embark on an adventure after finding an old pirate map will entertain you from beginning to end.
The classic story of Rapunzel was given a modern and entertaining twist by Disney in the 2010 hit, Tangled. Full of humour, adventure, love and heroics – this film is bound to have little girls braiding their hair and their parents laughing at the witty one-liners.
The Mighty Ducks (1992) Family films at its best. The tale of a self-centered lawyer who is sentenced to community service coaching a seemingly untalented youth hockey team ends up getting more than he bargained for.
William Shakespeares star-crossed lovers get a make-over in Gnomeo & Juliet. Kids will be captivated by the colourful action while parents will be laughing at the jokes and irony of the story as these two gnomes fight for their love.
An angry, lovable ogre, an annoying, wise-cracking donkey and a princess with a secret. Throw in a handful of fairytale characters and you are on to a winner. Shrek was so successful with children and parents alike that they couldn't stop making more.
Jim Henson's production team made puppet-filled Labyrinth in 1986 for children ... though it didn't hurt that mums with a bit of a 'thing' for David Bowie were drawn in too.
Brilliant concept and hilarious characters mixed in with the most adorable animated child you will ever see. Who could forget the yellow ice cone scene? Monsters Inc deliviers a perfect combination of adult humour and child entertainment.
J.J. Abrams delivered the seasons blockbuster with Super 8.Set in the summer of 1979 a group of friends witness a train crash while making a zombie movie and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town. Fans of The Goonies will love this movie but reserve this one for the older kids.
What parent wasn't excited when Disney released The Lion King from their vault last year? We all rushed out to put the DVD on for our kids and the meaning of the circle of life really came home.
How to Train Your Dragon had us in stitches as much as the kids. The whole family will enjoy this one.
Spike Jonze's 2009 film adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are was largely aimed at a generation of hipsters with fond memories of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book.
The Illusionist - another French animation from the makers of of The Triplets of Belleville - was based on a previously unproduced script by Gallic comedy titan Jacques Tati, which picqued the interest of grown up movie-goers.
Part of Pixar's success is that their films are just as loved by children as they are by adults. Toy Story 3 reduced fully grown cinema critics to tears, and also delivered plenty of grown-up laughs with the introduction of Michael Keaton's smooth-talking Ken doll.
Sure, it's an animation, but a legion of adults were lured in to 2003's Triplets of Belleville by the beautiful artwork, the lilt of the French language and the frenetic jazz soundtrack.
No one had ever seen anything like Who Framed Roger Rabbit when it was released in 1988. Animation AND real life acting in the one movie? Inconceivable. While the antics of Roger pleased the younger viewers, parents were intrigued by a bumbling Bob Hopkins and the sexiest cartoon character ever created - Jessica Rabbit.
When Tim Burton recreated Roald Dahl's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005, grown ups streamed to the cinema to see how Johnny Depp tacked the role made famous by Gene Wilder in the 1971 original.
When The Dark Crystal hit cinema screens in 1982, many terrified kids had to be taken from the cinema before the credits rolled. It wasn't just a clever title, it turned out the film was just a little too dark for children. But the more robust adults in the audience were captivated by Jim Henson's wizardry.
Children were mesmerised in 2000 when the team behind Wallace and Gromit released Chicken Run. The funny accents and excellent avian hairstyles pleased the kids while the storyline of animals rebelling against poor farming conditions also resonated with the adults in the audience.
Even in a children's Christmas film, Will Ferrell is still very much loved by adults. 2003's Elf gave the Saturday Night Live alumni the chance to escalate his slap-stick and capitalise on his range of facial expressions for the enjoyment of children and adults alike.
In 1982 Steven Spielberg told the story of a little lost alien to cinemas full of puppet-loving children. But watch ET as an adult and chances are the poignant story will still have you blubbering by the end.
Wes Anderson surprised fans of his left-of-centre films (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore), when he announced he was making a stop motion animation of Roald Dahl's classic tale Fantastic Mr. Fox. But the end result was a heart-warming comedy that really was fun for the whole family.
1984's Ghostbusters had all the ingredients for teenage boys: spooky ghosts, impressive weapons and a young Sigourney Weaver. But it was the comedy produced by the three male leads - especially Bill Murray - that meant the film became a cult classic with adult fans.
Martin Scorcese made Hugo after the children's story The Invention of Hugo Cabret was bought to his attention by his daughter, who encouraged him to make it into a movie. Some critics have suggested that the storyline is too sophisticated for children, but that's unlikely to concern anyone at the studio as the box office dollars (and awards) roll in.
Tim Burton pitched 1993's A Nightmare Before Christmas as a children's Christmas film. But the end result was a bit too dark for pre-schoolers, and it was an older generation who embraced the visual masterpiece.
Jason Segal resurrected Jim Henson's Muppet franchise in 2012 with a feature length film. There were plenty of references thrown into the script for the generations of adults who grew up with the show.
The character of Pee Wee Herman was meant to appeal to children, but it was a generation of teenagers and adults who ended up buying the cinema tickets and lapping up the films which included Big Top Pee Wee and Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki wowed audiences in 2008 with Ponyo, an animated adventure about a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess. While children certainly loved the film, adults with an appreciation for art could also marvel at the fact that in this age of CGI, each cell of the film was painstakingly worked on by a group of passionate artists.
The Princess Bride had a fairytale backbone which appealed to children, but the witty one-liners and the good looking nature of the two leads (Cary Elwes and Robin Wright), appealed to parents too.
Pixar's 2009 feature Up had plenty of colour and animals for the kids, but it also had one of the most poignant love stories ever seen on film for the adults.
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For all those parents who are constantly subjected to children's films they hate here are some choices that we think you will enjoy too.

Have you forgot about the classics you loved as a child? Maybe it's time to introduce your kids to them. From the loveable extra-terrestrial in E.T and the adventure seeking kids of The Goonies to the magical world of The Labyrinth and the Disney classic The Lion King.