London, Europe Brief News – Looking to marathon the best family movies? Here is a list of the best five movies your kids should watch before they’re 12.
1. The Lion King (1994)
A lion-sized hit at the cinema when it first came out, this sparkling animation has only gone from strength to strength since—with a theatre spin-off, a remake and about a bazillion rewatches on Disney+ to its name. Simba, the lion cub who grows from young pretender to regal presence at Pride Rock, is our flawed hero; Scar, the hissable villain; Pumba and Timbo, the fun and flatulent double act who provide the laughs. It’s just never not a joy.
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Kickstart an evening of witchcraft and wizardry with the inaugural story of the beloved Harry Potter series. When a young boy learns about his true identity and magicial powers, he soon finds himself on Platform 9 3/4 en route to Hogwarts, a boarding school unlike any other. Adventure awaits for our budding new wizard, and from that point on, his life—and the world’s—is turned upside down.
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
It’s a simple story, really: Boy meets alien. Boy and alien become best friends. Boy says goodbye to alien when his outer-space buddy has to go home, causing audiences everywhere to sob uncontrollably. How Steven Spielberg tells it, of course, makes a world of difference, as he infuses this family blockbuster with a childlike sense of awe.
4. Star Wars (1977)
What’s the right order to watch the Star Wars movies? Good question! Our advice is to start with the original (and best) and go from there. From its opening shot, in which that whooping great Star Destroyer whooshes seemingly endlessly across the screen, youngsters will be as entranced as if they’ve been caught in a Death Star tractor beam. Timeless heros, scary villains, adorable droids and all the mysteries of the Jedi share the screen for two hours of matinee-style magic that will keep even the most restless youngling busy. Watching the Star Wars movies has become a more complex family rite of passage with every new addition to the canon and spin-off, but even if you’re just in the mood for one trip to a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars will never let you down.
5. Queen of Katwe (2016)
Like the mostly lovely Akeelah and the Bee (minus the troubling racial stereotypes), Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe takes one of the least-exciting competitions out there – chess – and transforms it into the linchpin of a triumphant underdog story. Centering on a true story of a Ugandan teen ascending from the slums to the World Chess Olympiads and featuring solid turns from David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong’o, it’s essentially a sports movie that ditches footballs for bishops.
