AIBU to think that the only PG movies that will appeal to my 10yo are 1980s classics

[twoeighty]

My 10yo DS is turning his nose up at modern PG movies - they're mostly cartoons and he's outgrown them. We've let him watch a few 12s (Harry Potter, LOTR, after he'd read the books) but as we also have a 7yo we're trying not to make a habit of it.

I'm struggling to find family movies suitable for us all to watch together, and have resorted to this list for ideas. So we've been watching a lot of 1980s classics like Back to the Future, Home Alone, Raiders of the Lost Ark. They've been great, and I'm left wondering why there doesn't seem to be a modern equivalent - surely there's demand for great family movies, without the 12+ stuff? Or perhaps times have changed and those movies I listed would have been rated a 12 if they were released now?

Agree that most of what mine enjoy/ed are the 80s films - which I'm Ok with. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid films are pretty good

Wargames has aged surprisingly well. Ds really enjoyedit at 8 or 9.

If he likes LOTR/HP he might like Eragon, which is PG, ditto the two Percy Jackson movies.

I'm not sure whether guidelines have changed but I think they might have shifted? Especially since the advent of 12A meaning parents can take children under 12 to see a 12 in the cinema. It might be that film makers are still aiming their films at the 8-12 market but because of 12A it's reduced the restrictions on those films. Whereas before to appeal to the "older primary aged" children they had to keep within the boundaries of PG they can now use 12 things.

What about anime/manga? DH is getting DS into a lot of it and he loves it.

What about Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins- that sort of thing?

And School of Rock, obviously.

Another thought, have you seen all the Studio Ghibli movies, admittedly animations, but I would have thought would still appeal just fine to a 10 y/o

Keep the ideas coming! (Unfortunately never managed to get him into Mary Poppins though).

Thinking of trying Gremlins next.

Ghostbusters
Bugsy Malone
Indiana Jones
Star Wars

A Knight's Tale is a PG.

I browse play.com, restricted to kids/family with a PG rating, to get ideas on films for my DD. We buy loads of 2nd hand DVDs for about £1 to watch, and we've had loads of really great films recently. Even if you don't buy anything it'll give you ideas.

Labyrinth
Dark Crystal

Isn't gremlins a 15?! The science teacher had a very unhappy end. And there's a memorable blender scene...

Don't forget the goonies!

Gremlins was definitely a 15. I remember the hoo-hah at the time as they had all the toy merchandise in shops and then no children were allowed to see it...

(I'm pretty sure it would be a 12 now, but they didn't have 12s at the time)

The goonies is a pg (and I secretly think the best film ever made) .

What age would you show Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at? Is 4.5 too early? My Ds loves Mary poppins & the sound of music, but then in Chitty there's that scary child catcher?!

Nothing else to do in the 80s but go to the cinema or read a book...no Internet, fewer TV channels....the big family movies were the big market then. Now I believe the big money-making market in film is the 18-25 year old males, so horror, action, thriller & sci-fi films are where the studios focus the money. The rest of the market has fragmented compared to the homogeneity of the 80s where everyone went to see a few big films (same goes for music too...) A shame as you're right that you don't get those big funny and slick films that are clever and well-made but also appeal to a wide audience any more (Big, etc.)

How about:
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (maybe more suited to 12+ rather than 10)
The Princess Bride
Willow
The Flight of the Navigator
Tron (original)

Goonies IS the best film of all time, alongside short circuit, batteries not included, labyrinth, dark crystal, big, et and all the other stuff mentioned! We have family film night and the kids (7-14) love love love mums old films:-)

DD watched Chitty from a very early age (about 2 I think). She is strange though cos she LOVES the child catcher

They did have 12s at the time gremlins was released, just not 12a. But I remember my friend saying that it was an odd classification.

Hmm, I wonder if there might be a cut version of gremlins that's a Pg then. I'll check it out on the imdb parents guide.

That guide put me off "Big", although having looked again I think there are 2 versions of it, with the Pg being a cut version. It was on tv recently and we recorded it, so hopefully that is the Pg as it was on about 5pm..

My DS is more scared of tension and sinister characters than violence and gore. He found the childcatcher disturbing in CCBB when he was younger, hated the drowning scene in Water Horse, and the house fire in "Up". The Jaws character in James Bond gave him nightmares too.

Talking of James Bond, we've watched all the PGs which are mostly the early ones. However the mysoginism in them is appalling and I regretted letting them see them. We had to have lots of chats about how women used to be perceived in the movies and how things have changed.

The goonies is the best film full stop for that age. I'm afraid all the old (since when did the 1980s become old) films are better than today's although I did enjoy frozen and polar express. But seen once not sure see again while I've seen home alone, batteries not included, roger rabbit etc 1000 of times

Flight of the navigator I loved that!
there's also some really good manga out there. I can't remember the rating but ghost in the shell is a good series.

escape to witch mountain?
The mummy?
jurassic park?