Paddington 2 Available on: Amazon Prime UK, Amazon Prime US (for rent)
Rango (2011)
Rango, a pet chameleon, is more of an actor than a hero, but when a car accident leaves him stranded in an old western town called Dirt, he’s going to have to step up. Posing as a dangerous gunslinger, he volunteers to help find much-needed water—and take on the role of sheriff. There are plenty of familiar voices among the cast of this animated adventure, including Johnny Depp and Isla Fisher, and the film offers a quirky send-up of the Spirit of the West.
Available on: Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK (for rent)
Raven Tales (2014)
This animated film, created by the studio that produced a series with the same name (some episodes of which are integrated into the story), draws on traditional Native American tales, particularly from the Haida people, but with influences from other tribes as well. In the film, a village celebration is interrupted by the combination of a storm and a dark curse. Produced by a Canadian film company and created and acted by indigenous people, the film is a nice way to introduce traditional tales of the Americas to a young audience.
Available on: Amazon Prime US
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1965)
While many young viewers will be familiar with the Disney version of Cinderella, this classic musical version starring Lesley Ann Warren gives them a whole new set of songs to sing and dance to. The film celebrates imagination and hope, and allows Cinderella and the prince to have a chance encounter that begins their relationship well before the ball.
Available on: Amazon Prime US
Secret of NIMH (1982)
The adventures of Mrs. Frisby, the courageous mouse who needs to move her family’s home, and the intelligent rats who have formed an entire society under a rosebush, definitely formed some of my own childhood memories (including a possibly unwise fondness for rats). Based on a middle grade novel, the animated classic is a hugely imaginative work from Don Bluth, and while there are some scary moments and cartoon violence between rodents and their predators, overall the science fiction story of a mouse saving her family remains an excellent watch.
Available on: Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK (for rent)
Sesame Street: The Cookie Thief (2015)
While this recent Sesame Street movie is no Follow that Bird, the story of how Elmo and Cookie Monster solve the mystery of disappearing cookie art in a new Sesame Street museum will absolutely entertain fans of the furry monsters. The puns on artists (Vincent Van Dough, Edvard Munch) will give adults a little bit of additional fun to watch for while the preschoolers in the audience try to figure out how Cookie Monster will clear his name and catch the real thief.
Available on: Amazon Prime US
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
Arguably the finest spin-off character of all time, Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep first arrived in Wallace and Gromit special, A Close Shave. In 1995 the public met him, loved him, and thereby decreed that no child’s rucksack or lunch box should go unadorned by him. The (largely) silent star was a hit and continues to be so to this day with his own TV series, a spin-off from that, and two feature-length films. This is the first of those, and it takes the ovine residents of Mossy Bottom Farm into the big city in search of their lost (and amnesiac) farmer. A total delight, and packed with nerdy in-jokes and references.
Available on: Amazon Prime UK, Amazon Prime US (for rent)
Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
This animated sequel to Gnomeo and Juliet has the two title characters from that film recruiting the famous detective Sherlock Gnomes to help solve the mystery of where the garden ornaments are disappearing. It’s silly fun, but the main garden gnomes are voiced by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, and Johnny Depp, with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Dr. Watson, so even if the silly plot doesn’t hook parents the way it does their kids, the cast will entertain.
Available on: Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK (for purchase)
The Spy Next Door (2010)
There are plenty of movies about a tough male taking on the role of a babysitter or caretaker, and seeing Jackie Chan as the action hero/sitter in this one adds Chan’s signature comedic timing to the mix. Chan plays Bob Ho, a former CIA operative watching his girlfriend’s kids. He thinks the hardest job will be winning them over, but when one of the kids downloads a top-secret formula, Ho’s old Russian nemesis gets involved, and the family ends up in a kid-friendly, kung fu, spy mashup.
Available on: Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK (for rent)
Song of the Sea (2014)
Every single one of Irish animation indie Cartoon Saloon’s full-length films–The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and The Breadwinner–have been nominated for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award, with good reason. They’re gorgeous, original, and brave, telling often difficult stories with magic and astonishing beauty. 2014’s Song of the Sea is about Ben, a young boy grieving for his mother, and the enchanted journey he and his little sister Saoirse take to rebuild their family around their loss. Filled with lilting Irish music and rich, colorful 2D animation, it’s a folk tale dream and the perfect antidote to the migrainous neon pop-and-techno-filled kids’ films pumped out elsewhere.
Available on: Amazon Prime UK, Amazon Prime US (for rent)
Troop Zero (2019)
This Amazon Original live-action movie about a group of misfits who beat the odds to become champions may seem overly familiar—it’s a plot that parents have seen over and over again. But for kids who haven’t seen The Mighty Ducks, The Bad News Beers, or every other incarnation, the story will hit the right notes. It centers on an astronomy-loving girl (Mckenna Grace)who is laughed out of the local equivalent of a bougie Girl Scout troupe in 1977 Georgia, so she brings together a multi-ethnic, multi-abled, multi-gendered group of fellow Scouts to compete in a talent contest. The scouting theme is also a draw, as is the cast, particularly with Viola Davis as the misfit scout leader and Allison Janney as her queen bee counterpart.
Available on: Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK
Wild Kratts specials (2016-2018)
For the preschool set or younger elementary set, you can’t beat the Wild Kratts for creature entertainment. The Kratt Brothers have been performing animal education shows since they started Kratts Creatures in 1996, and they continue to make an appearance in person on the Wild Kratts before the show delves into their animated adventures. There are two seasons of the Wild Kratts available on Amazon Prime, but if you’re looking for a longer, single adventure, Amazon Prime has three 45 minute specials: Creepy Creatures (a Halloween special), Alaska Hero’s Journey, and Creatures of the Deep Sea.
Available on: Amazon Prime US
Wonder (2017)
Based on the immensely popular novel by R.J. Palacio, this live action film follows the story of Auggie Pullman, a boy born with facial differences. His parents have home schooled him until fifth grade when he enters Beecher Prep, a private school. Though he is initially ostracized and mocked for his appearance, Auggie is befriended by Jack, and though their friendship goes through some bumps, initially they help reshape the way others look at Auggie. The story details the community’s journey toward compassion and acceptance.
Available on: Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK (for rent)
Wonder Park (2019)
This fantastic adventure of a young girl restoring a theme park blends magical and STEM themes in a CGI animated Wonderland. Though some of the more mature themes might make this more appropriate for older elementary children, the visual spectacle, full of colors, and gentle humor will give that older audience plenty to enjoy.
Available on: Amazon Prime US, Amazon Prime UK (for rent)
