To See if Your Favorite Film Made the List, Visit www.TimetoPlayMag.com the Destination for Information, Entertainment, and Services on What’s Fun for Children and their Families
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Time to Play ™, an informative, multi-media resource for parents and caregivers, today released The New Classics, the top 50 kid movies over the last 25 years. The list of recommended favorites was compiled by the Time to Play editorial team and can be found at TimetoPlayMag.com. For the generation born after 1980, and the first group of youngsters to enjoy watching their favorite films over an over with the introduction of home video, these are some of the most memorable and magical films of their childhood.
Anticipated to become one of this season’s most highly trafficked family-friendly websites, TimetoPlayMag.com offers parents and gift givers information, entertainment, and services on what’s fun for children and their families. Its comprehensive content features hundreds of toy reviews and recommendations; hot toy lists and editors’ picks; a product/gift finder; informative and amusing blog entries from leading toy, family entertainment and parenting experts; seasonal stories; safety tips and recall information; daily giveaways of in demand toys and more.
“Creating this list brought back so many fun memories for us at Time to Play, we had a great time naming the New Classics and hope our readers enjoy and connect with this list as much as we did,” says Jim Silver, editor in chief.
“Everyone has a favorite film from their childhood, one that you can still watch and enjoy no matter how much you’ve grown up,” says Chris Byrne, (A.K.A. The Toy Guy®), content director, Time to Play. “For any parent who has sat through twenty showings of The Lion King often in one week, the New Classics list will remind them of the many wonderful hours spent alongside their enthralled and captivated kids.”
A team of twelve Time to Play movie buffs spanning four generations reviewed hundreds of movies that have debuted since 1983; criteria included a theatrical release, story, quality of the film, entertainment value, whether they stand up to repeated viewing over time and if kids still love them today.
Following are the top 20 films named to the Time to Play New Classics list; each film is accompanied by a brief description and the editors’ view on why the film is a New Classic. To view the rest of the films on the Time to Play New Classics list, visit www.TimetoPlayMag.com.
1. Finding Nemo (2003)
This Academy Award winning animated feature tells the story of Nemo, a young clownfish who gets captured by a scuba diver and kept as a pet. His father must overcome his fears as he sets off an on epic quest to rescue his son. Along the way he hooks up with a scatterbrained blue tang fish named Dory who becomes his sidekick, though suffering from short term memory problems that can be hilarious. The pair must confront sharks, deep-sea anglers, fields of poisonous jellyfish, sea turtles, pelicans, and much more, Marlin rises above his fears and completes his quest.
Why We Love It: The beautiful animation, hilarious characters and witty dialogue are only the beginning. Ultimately, this is a classic epic story in which the hero must confront his fears, overcome challenges and take risks in order to come home safely.
2. The Lion King (1994)
Basically, it’s Hamlet with lions. The story unfolds in the Pride Lands of Africa where young Simba, a cub who “just can’t wait to be king” must grow into his royal position. Along the way, he has to come to terms with his envious Uncle Scar who tries to usurp the throne and forces Simba into exile from the kingdom. Alone and adrift, Simba falls in with the meerkat Timon and his warmhearted warthog pal, Pumbaa. Adopting their carefree lifestyle of “Hakuna Matata” (no worries). Simba seems destined for a life of carefree play until he is awakened to his responsibility to his pride and matures to the point where he is able to understand and claim his role in the “Circle of Life.”
Why We Love It: It’s a classic coming of age story, and the Academy Award-winning score still ranks among the best musicals in movies or theater. The messages of growing into taking responsibility for one’s life and overcoming challenges resonate with kids and adults alike.
3. Shrek (2001)
Shrek is an ogre who lives in a swamp and prefers to have his days in, somewhat gassy, peace. However, when rescues Donkey from the swamp he gets a fast-talking comic sidekick, whether he wants one or not. Shrek (The name comes from the German “Scrheck,” which means “terror.”) finds his world turned even more upside down when there is an invasion of characters from fairy tales who have been banished from the Kingdom of Duloc by the evil Lord Farquaad. Shrek can take no more, and wants answers. He and Donkey set off on a classic quest complete with battles, adventures and the rescuing of the Princess Fiona, who has a secret of her own. As with every fairy tale, it ends with a happily ever after, as Shrek and Fiona kiss and “love’s true form” is revealed. Prepare to be surprised…and to laugh. Shrek won the first Best Animated Feature Academy Award.
Why We Love It: The wit of this movie and the send up of all the classic fairy tales delivers humor that exists on many different levels, so the whole family will enjoy the film. The messages of acceptance and the fact that beauty is in the eye of the beholder are gently delivered, and we love the songs during the end credits.
4. The Little Mermaid (1989)
Ariel is a mermaid, who longs to be human when she falls in love with Prince Eric whom she sees on the shore. To make her dream come true, she must turn her back on her home and trade her beautiful voice to Ursula, the Sea Witch, for a pair of legs. But, of course, there’s a catch, Ariel can only stay human if she receives true love’s kiss from Eric in a few day’s time. It’s not an easy task. To help her achieve her happily ever after, she has to rely on her under-the-sea friend Sebastian, a crab, a loudmouthed seagull and help she can from a singing crab named Sebastian, a loudmouth seagull, and a flounder. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Song, and it was the last of the Disney animated films to use painted cells.
Why We Love It: Sure, it’s romantic as all get out, but it’s got that wonderful, unforgettable score and plenty of humor to entertain the entire family. Ariel is another one of the strong-minded Disney Princesses who’s willing to take risks and uses her wits and bravery to make her dreams come true.
5. Home Alone (1990)
8-year-old Kevin McAllister is accidentally left behind when his family takes off for a vacation in Paris for Christmas. Once he realizes they’ve left him home by himself, Kevin learns to fend for himself, and eventually has to protect his house against bumbling burglars Harry and Marv, through rigging a series of elaborate booby traps. It’s a race against time as Kevin tries to protect the house, the burglars try to get in, and his frantic mother tries to get home to rescue her son, who, as it turns out, isn’t’ the one who needs rescuing.
Why We Love It: The classic holiday comedy is impossible to resist. Kevin’s booby traps are hysterical, and his plotting to fend for himself and protect the house are pure kid. It’s a classic tale of empowerment for kids…and a cautionary tale to parents to count noses before boarding a plane.
6. Toy Story (1995)
Woody, a toy cowboy, is the boy Andy’s favorite toy. He’s the leader of all the other toys in Andy’s Room, a world of its own that comes to life when Andy’s not around. But when Andy gets Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger, for his birthday, Woody suddenly finds himself out in the cold. Buzz and Woody end up in a competition to see who’s going to be Andy’s favorite toy, and along the way learn that by overcoming challenges and working together, they can actually both be favorites.
Why We Love It: This is a quintessential buddy movie where two feuding characters end up friends. What makes it special is the groundbreaking digital animation, the way all Andy’s toys come to life, and, of course, the heartwarming story and humor. What kid doesn’t wonder whether or not his or her toys have lives of their own?
7. Back to the Future (1985)
Marty McFly is your average teenager in 1985. When his friend Doc Emmett Brown is shot during one of his experiments on time travel, Marty ends up traveling back to 1955 in the time machine—a reconfigured DeLorean car. Now, he must find the Doc in 1955, convince him that his experiments will work, and, incidentally, save his life. But it’s not that easy Marty gets in between his future parents and has to be sure that they get together—if Marty is not to find his own existence wiped out.
Why We Love It: This is a classic fish-out-of-water story, but it’s fun to see the changes between the present day and the past and how Marty tries to fit into what is really a foreign world. The exuberant script, great cast and surprise ending make this a great thrill ride of a movie.
8. Aladdin (1992)
Set in the fictional Arabian kingdom of Agrabah, the movie tells the story of a young boy, Aladdin who by being sent into the Cave of Wonders by the evil Vizier Jafar stumbles upon a lamp. Aladdin, trapped in the cave with his sidekick, Abu, unknowingly releases the Genie of the lamp, who grants hi three wishes. Aladdin uses his wishes to become a Prince to chase the affections of Princess Jasmine. When Jafar finally steals the lamp and gets three wishes of his own, Aladdin must rely on his intelligence to trick Jafar and save Jasmine, her family and his friends from letting the evil Jafar rule the kingdom.
Why We Love It: The terrific songs, exciting story and the performance by Robin Williams as the Genie are enough to make this a classic. But the great spirit of the story and the wonderful characters of Jasmine, as strong-willed princess, the hilarious Genie, Jafar and his parrot and, of course Aladdin, are unforgettable.
9. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The 13th movie from Walt Disney Animation, this delightful musical film retells the classic French story of Belle, a young woman who allows herself to be imprisoned in the castle of the Beast in exchange for his releasing her inventor father. The Beast is really a prince who has been transformed into his hideous shape by an old woman who appeared at his castle one night and offers him a rose in exchange for shelter. The Prince, who has no kindness in his heart, turns her away. The woman transforms him and everyone in his household. They can only be released from the spell if the Beast learns to love another person. Will Belle be the one to teach him this important lesson before the last petal falls from the enchanted rose? And can Belle save the Beast from Gaston and the townspeople? The movie won Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Song.
Why We Love It: The story is romantic, but funny. The score is extraordinary. An entire generation has grown up loving this film, and while it’s more likely that girls will watch this over and over again, boys like the comic elements of the bully Gaston who gets his comeuppance, Horloge the clock and Lumiere the candlestick. We also love the message of not judging people by their appearance and the way the story celebrates strong and resourceful women.
10. The Princess Bride (1987)
When a young boy is home sick, his grandfather visits him and reads him a story; The Princess Bride, a tale of the love between the beautiful Buttercup and the love struck Westley, a love story cruelly interrupted by Westley’s death at sea when seeking his fortune. Heartbroken, Buttercup has sworn never to love again, but accepts the marriage proposal of the rich and handsome Prince Humperdinck. Westley, however, returns to find Buttercup, must endure trials and fight battles to win her and her love for eternity.
Why We Love It: Rob Reiner’s beloved movie is at once a real heroic epic and a loving satire of the form. It amuses kids and adults alike, and combines romance and comedy in a truly classic way.
11. Ghostbusters (1984)
Three scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City because their research into ghosts is thought to be insane. Convinced they’re onto something, and convinced of the need to rescue New York from mysterious haunting, they become Ghostbusters. As they rid the city of dangerous specters, they stumble upon a gateway to another dimension and must save the city—and the world—from doom.
Why We Love It: It’s silly, good fun. The special effects are great. The characters are a riot, and final battle with the Stay Puff Marshmallow man alone is enough to make this a classic.
12. BIG (1988)
When a young boy, Josh, makes a wish on the Zoltan machine to be big, he gets more than he bargained for. He wakes up the following morning to find that his wish has been granted. Suddenly, he’s the same 12-year-old but in a 30 year old’s body. Now he must learn to cope with the grown up world, and he learns that he needs to find his way back to the life he knew.
Why We Love It: Tom Hanks is completely believable as a kid in a grown man’s body, but what’s most wonderful about this essentially gentle story is how strange and peculiar the adult world looks from a new perspective. The message, be yourself and learn to play is something we can all hear regularly.
13. The Sandlot (1993)
Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepfather, and wants to learn to play baseball. Befriended by the local, he’s soon in a new group of friends who make the old sandlot their virtual home. Their adventures as they grow involved a tree house, dealing with rivals and facing down the ball-eating dog known only as The Beast.
Why We Love It: This is a classic buddy movie for kids. Adults may feel nostalgic as they watch it, but kids relate to the desire to find friends and the adventures that ensue.
14. The Incredibles (2004)
Mr. Incredible (A.K.A. Bob Parr), and his wife Helen (A.K.A. Elastigirl), are two of the world’s greatest famous crime-fighting superheroes. Problem is, they’ve been retired by the government and are not exactly fitting into every day life. Their suburban life where they live with super kids Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack is soon disrupted as Mr. Incredible gets back into action. Only it’s a trap, and the whole family must pull together to save the other superheroes. Oh, and save the world, too.
Why We Love It: For all its excitement and comedy, this is a movie about the power of family. With charming characters, real adventure and a terrific script, it teaches kids it’s alright to be special, and that your family really matters.
15. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Harry Potter is an average 11 year old boy who has lived with the Dursley family ever since his parents died in a car crash. The Dursley’s resent Harry and treat him badly, which Harry accepts but doesn’t really understand. Then, on his 11th birthday, he finds that he’s been accepted as a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry learns that his parents were wizards and were killed by an evil wizard Voldemort, and that he’s a wizard, too. He faces a new life with new friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. But all is not easy going. He finds that he and his friends must confront the evil Voldemort to save themselves and their school.
Why We Love It: Harry Potter has become a legend in just a few short years. Kids can relate to his adventures, and the need to learn to rely on their gifts and their friends to confront the challenges of the world.
16. Babe (1995)
Farmer Hoggett wins a runt piglet at a local fair. Babe, has his own ideas and thinks he’s a sheepdog, not a pig. He becomes special friends with one of the sheepdogs, Fly. With Fly’s help, and Farmer Hoggett’s intuition, Babe embarks on a career in sheepherding with some very unexpected results.
Why We Love It: Who doesn’t love movies about talking animals? But really this movie is all about overcoming whatever obstacles may be in your way to be able to make your dreams come true.
17. Honey I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Wayne Szalinski is a preoccupied inventor who just can’t seem to get his electro-magnetic shrinking machine to work. Then, when his kids and two friends race to the attic lab to retrieve a lost baseball, they accidentally get shrunk to 1/100th their size. When the tiny kids get put out with the trash, the chaos begins. The kids face all kinds of unexpected dangers from bees to sprinklers to a runaway lawn mower. Saved at the last minute by their quick-thinking dog, Wayne sizes up the situation and returns the kids to normal.
Why We Love It: The madcap pace and seeing normally benign objects take on dangerous scale is hilarious. And it’s a classic tale of kids having to fend for themselves presented with great humor and fun.
18. Elf (2003)
Buddy is a child raised as an elf at the North Pole at Santa’s workshop. But something’s not quite right. In fact, he doesn’t stop growing, and finds that he’s not a “real elf” at all. So he sets out to find his real father who lives in New York. But it’s not what he expects, and he has to overcome some harsh realities and help everyone to discover the real meaning of Christmas. Along the way, he learns who his real family is, though he may not fit in perfectly.
Why We Love It: This is a wonderful holiday movie about learning the true meaning of the holidays and about finding yourself. The charming story and the innocent performance by Will Ferrell make this a movie families will want to watch every year.
19. Monsters Inc (2001)
In the city of Monstropolis, the biggest corporation is Monsters, Inc., the city’s power company. Its job is to scare humans, but employees can never be contaminated by direct contact with them. When two of the monsters, James P. Sullivan, known as Sulley, and Mike Wazowski, his short, green, one-eyed best friend, accidently find themselves saddled with an illegal a 2-year-old baby girl named “Boo,” they realize that humans aren’t quite as scary as they thought. Now they just have to convince the rest of the monster world—and get out of some tight scrapes.
Why We Love It: This is one of the most inventive and engaging movies Pixar has created. The performance by Billy Crystal as Mike is priceless, and the ingenuity of the story keeps the comedy coming throughout.
20. The Muppets take Manhattan (1984)
In the tradition of the all-time classic backstage musicals, the Muppets graduate from college and come to New York to make it big in show biz. All kinds of crazy things happen, and it often looks like their dreams are out of reach. But in the best showbiz tradition, everything turns out all right in the end and Kermit and company find their dreams come true.
Why We Love It: This is a time-honored story, but told by the Muppets with their own unique brand of humor, it’s priceless. The score is great, and there are plenty of guest performances in the tradition of the Muppets. This is pure family enchantment.
About Time to Play
Jim Silver, editor-in-chief at aNb Media and Chris Byrne, renowned toy and children’s lifestyle expert (A.K.A. The Toy Guy®), have partnered to introduce Time to Play™. Time to Play is an informative, multi-faceted resource for parents and caregivers powered by aNb Media, TheToyGuy.com, and a team of leading, well-known toy, family entertainment, and parenting experts. The group’s first venture is a playful destination website, www.TimetoPlayMag.com which provides adults with information, entertainment, and services on what’s fun for children and their families.
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