30 funny family movies you and your kids will love

This 1995 pick-me-up family comedy about a pig who herds sheep was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It’s got talking animals and positive messages, and it’s sweet and playful at the same time: What more could you want in a funny family movie? Be warned, though: Your kids may want to become vegetarians after watching Babe’s dilemma over whether to trust humans, who, after all, eat pigs.

Best for: Ages 6 and up

Today’s parents may remember watching reruns of the classic cartoon. Now, the titular cat and mouse rivals are back at it in this mix of animation and live-action. In the 2021 movie, Tom and Jerry wreak havoc at a fancy hotel, where wedding planner Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz) is trying to arrange the wedding of Preeta (Pallavi Sharda). Comedic actor Ken Jeong costars. FYI, like the original, the flick does have some cartoon violence.

Best for: Ages 6 and up

It sounds like a strange idea: Mix real-life basketball star Michael Jordan playing himself with animated Looney Tunes characters who need his help against evil, B-ball-playing aliens. But somehow, this funny 1996 flick scores with audiences young and old. As with Tom & Jerry, today’s parents may feel some nostalgia for Bugs Bunny and company, but be aware that requisite cartoon violence does come along with it. A sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy, debuted in July 2021 with LeBron James, so this is the perfect time to catch up on the original.

Best for: Ages 7 and up

The beloved classic children’s character gets the live-action/CGI treatment in this 2015 movie. Set in London with plenty of whimsical British humor, the film follows the adventures of cuddly Paddington (the voice of Ben Whishaw), who finds a home with the Brown family, but an evil taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) wants to add him to her collection. A sequel came out in 2018, and there’s a third film in development.

Best for: Ages 6 and up

“You can’t stop the beat” of this foot-tapping 2007 musical about a 1960s teenager in Baltimore who wants to star on the local dance program. Mixed in are important messages about body positivity and racial equality, but it’s all couched in a hilarious, vibrant musical-comedy package.

Best for: Ages 11 and up

With Pixar’s trademark blend of the very serious with the very amusing, this for-all-ages 2003 film strikes just the right balance between hilarious and heartfelt. When his young son is taken by a diver to be put in a fish tank, clownfish Marlin (the voice of Albert Brooks) must find him to bring him back to the ocean. The problem? He’s terrified of everything that may lurk beyond his reef home. His new blue tang friend Dory (the voice of Ellen DeGeneres) provides many of the film’s big laughs.

Best for: Ages 5 and up

Before there was the superhero family of The Incredibles, there was the espionage family of Spy Kids. The first of four flicks in the franchise, the original 2001 movie combines laughs with action as two kids learn that their parents are secretly spies. But the adults have been captured, so now the kids have to take up the undercover mantle to rescue them. Created by Robert Rodriguez, the film is also inclusive, as it stars a Latina family.

Best for: Ages 7 and up

One of Robin Williams’ classic family comedies (along with Hook and Mrs. Doubtfire), the original 1995 film in the franchise is a rousing adventure about a magical board game that transports players to a jungle world – and brings the jungle of the game to the players’ world. Two recent sequels with Dwayne Johnson, 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level, followed, and a fourth is currently in development. It might be a bit scary for little ones, so it’s best for ages 10 and up.

Best for: Ages 10 and up

This is a movie that makes fun of itself, as it plays on the Disney princess trope with tons of self-referential jokes about the fairy-tale genre, and fans of all ages will find it hilarious. The princess of an animated fantasy world (Amy Adams) ends up in the real New York City, where she falls in love with a regular guy (Patrick Dempsey) – and the comedic culture clash between the two worlds is totally, well, enchanting. A sequel, Disenchanted, is in the works.

Best for: Ages 6 and up

This surprisingly deep movie features an anthropomorphic world of talking animals who (like humans) face stereotyping and prejudice. Even with these subtle messages, the film succeeds at amusing both young audiences and adults, with some jokes aimed squarely at the latter. No one thinks cute bunnies can be police officers, a job that usually belong to “predator” species, not “prey,” but Judy Hopps (the voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) is determined to prove them wrong. Dance along to the ending scene featuring Shakira’s “Try Everything.”

Best for: Ages 8 and up