A lot of Chris Lilley’s shows could do the trick. They do have some adult references and some swearing here and there but nothing you wouldn’t hear from going out side.
My father got into serious trouble with my mom when my little brother was two because of Blazing Saddles. My mom had taken me somewhere, and my brother was in the playroom playing with blocks. Dad figured it was safe to watch Blazing Saddles, as little bro wasn’t able to see the TV, and he could see little bro.
A few days later, little bro walks up to my mother and casually called her a “tonic bitch,” and wandered off.
Needless to say Mel Brooks was banned in our house for a few years, but we all loved it when we were allowed to watch it. Spaceballs as well.
Lots of Spielberg directed stuff fits here I think like close encounters, Indiana Jones, Jaws
The blues brothers I remember was a lot of fun & don’t recall anything that stands out as too adult. tons of music, violence is not very serious
mst3k/rifftrax take a lot of old cheap movies and have comedians joke over the movie’s audio, I think most of it is pretty pg-13 stuff but not pandering to kids
Some Coen brothers/Ethan Coen movies like O brother where art thou and raising Arizona, true grit, add a bit more complexity to stories over kids movies, but keep the violence not too scary
If it wasn’t for a few f bombs the Blue Brothers could have been rated PG. And maybe the used condom joke at the very beginning.
The princess bride
The movie I had on tape when I was a kid and I watched over and over again is Young Frankenstein.
The human centipede
It’s basically a live-action version of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Depending on the age, but if they are still not truly able to follow complex storylines and conversations, you could really get away with anything that isn’t scary, sexual or violent.
My parents watched Friends all the time, I didn’t understand half of it but it was fun to watch as kid.
they aren’t movies, but Doctor Who is a fantastic show for the whole family. maybe start at Matt Smith episodes unless they don’t mind cheesier effects and costumes.
Tron. Labyrinth. Goonies. Legend. Etc.
And by etc, OP means Princess Bride.
I cannot for the life of me understand the love for this movie. But the love for it spans generations so assume I’m the one in the wrong, but I just don’t see it.
I love this movie so much, but I get it. I feel like you have to have seen it at a certain age in order to really feel it.
Alright, that may be fair. I didn’t see it till I was in my mid 30s. And I will fight to the death with sticks, anybody who doesn’t like hook. So, I get it, but I don’t get it.
I like Hook too. I think I was 8 or 9 when it came out and it was amazing to me. My friend who is just a couple of years older didn’t like it because his younger siblings fucked that up for him by playing it on repeat.
It helps if you watch it over and over, until the tape wears out.
Yes
All the films in the following list are PG-13, PG, or older and unrated, and I went light on sexual themes in the PG-13 part (except for Austin Powers, because… it’s Austin Powers). This is just me quickly going through my own movie collection.
PG-13:
- Arachnophobia (1990)
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
- Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
- Cabin Boy (1994)
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
- Gremlins (1984)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
- Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)
- Life is Beautiful (1997)
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Director’s Cut, if you can
- Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
- The Mummy (1999)
- The Mummy Returns (2001)
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
- Pirates of the Carribean (2006)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- Raising Arizona (1987)
- Sneakers (1992)
- UHF (1989)
- Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
PG:
- *batteries not included (1987)
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
- Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990)
- Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
- Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
- The Dark Crystal (1982)
- Dreams by Akira Kurosawa (1990)
- Flow (2024)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Ghostbusters II (1985)
- The Goonies (1985)
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
- Jewel of the Nile (1985)
- Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Porco Rosso (1992)
- The Princess Bride (1987)
- The Producers (1967)
- Indiana Jones original trilogy (1981-1989)
- Real Genius (1985)
- Shaolin Soccer (2001)
- Spaceballs (1987)
- Strange Brew (1983)
- Three Amigos! (1986)
- Time Bandits (1981)
- Twins (1988)
- Uncle Buck (1989)
- War Games (1983)
- The Wizard (1989)
- Wizards (1977)
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
Unrated:
- The Great Escape (1963)
- Hundreds of Beavers (2024)
- Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
- Nova Seed (2016)
- Rashomon (1950)
- Seven Samurai (1954)
- Stalker (1979)
Also, special mention to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) which would be otherwise PG except for the scene where Steve Martin says “fuck” 18 times, which alone earned it it’s R rating.
If the adventures of Baron Munchausen is the movie I think it is, Uma Thurman’s nipple is on screen for a minute. Just the one nipple I believe.
I came here to offer suggestions, but damn my dude, blockbuster never would have died if they had you in charge!
The Princess Bride. It’s got fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…
And it seems like it could be from a ttrpg session. Very amusing!
My first thoughts were the naked gun or Monty Python movies.
Naked Gun has some pretty sexual themes, Monty Python less so if you’re only talking Holy Grail. Life of Brian and Meaning of Life have loads of sexual themes and nudity.
The 1980s version of Time Bandits is made by the Monty Python team for a family audience!
I keep forgetting there’s a modern version, I’ll add the year on my list to make clear that’s the one I mean!
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy might be good too (at least the six episode TV series that just feels like a long film). I also think it’s a little more appropriate.
Any of the Studio Ghibli anime. Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are two of my favorites. If you’re not into anime, just trust me and give them a try; the writing and drama is on par with any Grammy-winning blockbuster from the past 50 years.
Star Wars: Clone wars, Bad Batch, and Rebels.
All animated, very much not cutesy little kid stuff. War, trauma, death, PTSD for soldiers, all of it. Its also something special to watch a sith lord murder their way out of a ship using nothing but the force.
Edit: oh, movies, my bad. Hmm, thats a little trickier for me.
Lord of the Rings! Ditto for most of the YA film adoptions from the last twenty years
