As a little kid I had about 75 VHS tapes in my room and I watched every single one of them hundreds of times. I’ve always loved movies and I love re watching all of the movies that I loved as a child. These are the movies that I always ask for on DVD when Christmas rolls around. Some of them are classics and some of them are just my favorites. But all of them are on Netflix and they’re all great picks for you and your kids to enjoy together. This is my list of my Top Ten Favorite Movies from My Childhood.
Dumbo
An adorable but incredibly sad story about a flying baby elephant shrew. Baby Mine is one of the saddest lullabies ever written but it’s so beautiful. This movie is super weird though, those pink elephants still freak me out. Only 60 minutes though, great if your kids have short attention spans!
The Prince of Egypt
This is actually the biblical story of Moses. It’s a great way to introduce these kinds of stories to kids who may be having trouble understanding the complex story telling in the bible. However, there are some graphic scenes in this movie involving slavery and death so parents should use their best judgement on whether it is appropriate for their kids.
Treasure Planet
Great adventure tale, a journey of a young boy to find riches for his family and redeem his past mistakes. It also has excellent role models for girls and boys including the tough female captain of the ship and the fearless young man who is leading the expedition.
Lilo and Stitch
Everybody loves Stitch. He’s adorable and destructive but he loves and protects Lilo no matter what. This movie sparked a TV show and two sequels but the original is one of my favorite movies. The soundtrack is a hilarious compilation of Elvis tracks and beautiful Hawaiian music. It’s a must watch!
Tarzan
Phil Collins is one of my favorite musician. He went all out on this soundtrack and they are still some of my favorite songs. And it has talking elephants and gorillas. There is a rather dark ending though involving the antagonist falling to his death through some tangled vines but it’s still a great movie for kids. Do not watch Tarzan and Jane though, it’s terrible and you will feel disappointed. If you must watch a sequel watch Tarzan 2, that ones okay.
Hercules
Kind of unknown but one of my favorite movies of all-time. The Muses are my favorite Disney characters and they help pull the whole story together. My sister and I both love this movie and I highly recommend it for all ages. As Shae put it, “I like it.” Shae Babiak everyone, such a way with words:P
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
This movie is secretly propaganda against the destruction of the environment but it’s still great and interesting and heartfelt. You follow a little fairy as she pulls a human into her world to show the effects that cutting down the forest has on those who live in it. This movie also has on of the best villain songs in any movie which is sung by Tim Curry. And the late Robin Williams plays a crazy bat so you know it’s going to be funny.
Anastasia
A forgotten princess since she isn’t a part of the Disney family. Anastasia however has strength and resilience and is an excellent role model. She is true to herself and wants nothing more than to find her family. As she and her friends travel from Russia to Paris they face trials but in front of them by the evil Rasputin and must work together to get to Anastasia’s grandmother. Rasputin is hilarious and so is Bartok, his adorable bat friend. I wish Bartok’s movie was on Netflix, it might be even better than Anastasia.
Pocahontas
While it’s not the most accurate tale it is a great way to show the way Natives were treated by the settlers when they came to America. And the songs are beautiful and the animals are cute and the princess is strong and wise and fearless and I wish I was her. This is a great movie for anyone of any age. Also the sequel is pretty good so you’re cleared to watch that one too.
Mulan
Hardcore and honorable, Mulan is a powerful warrior who dresses as a man to protect her aging father from war. She must work together with her unlikely friends to save China from the Huns. Plus this movie has “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” one of the greatest Disney songs ever written. Mulan kicks butt and doesn’t back down from any challenge. The sequel is good but the animation looks really weird so if you do watch it make sure you watch the weird snoopy faces they all make.
Runner-Ups
Robin Hood
It’s the story of Robin Hood but with animals, what’s not to love!
The Emperors New Groove
Such a weird movie but definitely one of David Spades best roles. Maybe his best role. He’s basically playing David Spade but he’s a llama. It’s a really weird movie.
Chicken Run
Might be weirder than The Emperors New Groove. It’s the story of some chickens who try to learn how to fly from a flightless rooster. It was weird when I was a kid too. But it’s funny and the claymation is incredible. It’s just a silly movie to watch with your kids.
