15 Great Kids' Movies You Can Stream on Amazon Prime
Sometimes, it feels like deciding what to watch on family movie night takes longer than watching the actual film does — especially if you don't feel like paying to rent or buy something. To cut down on your decision-making, we sifted through all the family movies on Prime and found the best of the best that everyone will enjoy.
Year: 2024Runtime: 1h 44minDirector: John KrasinskiA combination of live-action and animation, this movie tells the story of Bea, a young girl who realizes she can see forgotten imaginary friends and decides to reconnect them with their kids. Not only was it written and directed by John Krasinski, but there are also other A-listers involved too: Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carrell, Awkwafina, and Maya Rudolph, among many more. P.S.: In case you didn't put it together before, IF stands for 'imaginary friends.'Watch on Prime Video: IF
Year: 2009Runtime: 1h 30minDirector: David BowersInspired by a manga series with the same name, this animated sci-fi movie is set in the 22nd-century, a time when humans and robots coexist. After his son Toby dies in an accident, Dr. Tenma builds a robot named Astro to replace him. Instead of becoming a member of the family, Astro is disowned because nothing can ever truly replace Tony. The robot ends up on a journey to discover who he truly is, and he even ends up teaming up with Dr. Tenma to take down the evil President Stone.Watch on Prime Video: Astro Boy
Year: 2000Runtime: 1h 15minDirector: Paul Demeyer, Stig BergqvistConsidering this movie is 25 years old, it's possible you watched it when you were a kid. But it's more than just a nostalgic watch — your family will enjoy experiencing Paris from babies' points of view, laughing at the slapstick comedy, and feeling all the feels over the heartwarming story of young Chuckie Finster trying to find his new mother.Watch on Prime Video: Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
Year: 2023Runtime: 1h 29minDirector: Aaron Horvath, Michael JelenicIs there a more iconic duo out there than Mario and Luigi? Anyone who's seen this would disagree. Based on the Super Mario game series, the movie follows the Brooklyn brothers as they fix a water main and then magically end up in Mushroom Kingdom. What follows is an action-packed adventure that will leave your kids begging for the latest Nintendo gadget.Watch on Prime Video: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Year: 2003Runtime: 1h 23minDirector: Kevin LimaWhat kid hasn't dreamt about living in a hotel and causing a ruckus? Yours can live vicariously through Eloise, a 6-year-old created by Kay Thompson who calls a penthouse in the Plaza Hotel home. Although her nanny is responsible for keeping her in line, when a prince comes to New York, she ends up playing matchmaker at a debutante ball.Watch on Prime Video: Eloise at the Plaza
Year: 2017Runtime: 1h 31minDirector: Alberto RodríguezAn animated film showcasing loyalty and heart, it's named after the main character, Ozzy the beagle. When his owners go to a comic festival in Japan, he's left at a luxury dog spa — that's not actually a spa, but instead a prison. In order to reunite with his family, he forms an alliance with other prisoners and together they make a brave plan to escape.Watch on Prime Video: Ozzy
Year: 2005Runtime: 1h 22minDirector: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrathAt Central Park Zoo, Alex the lion is the main attraction — which is exactly how he likes it. Thanks to Marty the zebra and some penguins, he and his other friends end up part of an adventure they never asked for on the island of (you guessed it) Madagascar. It's a beloved animated film that still holds up 20 years after being released. Warning: Don't watch if you don't want 'I Like to Move It' stuck in your head for the next week.Watch on Prime Video: Madagascar
Year: 2016Runtime: 1h 30minDirector: Trevor Wall, Anthony BellA polar bear with the ability to talk to humans, Norm has always been the odd one out. When a real estate developer decides to build luxury condos in the Arctic, he has to use this unique ability to save his home. This movie tackles the theme of environmentalism as simply as it can, while also showing kids how to overcome adversity.Watch on Prime Video: Norm of the North
Year: 2007Runtime: 1h 17minDirector: Howard E. Baker, John Fox, Kyung Ho LeeIf you want to watch Finding Nemo or Shark Tale but don't feel like paying for either, try Shark Bait, which is basically a combination of the two. After losing his parents to a fishing boat in the Boston Harbor, Pi moves to a Caribbean reef with his aunt Pearl. There, he falls for an angelfish named Cordelia, who Tony the shark just so happens to have a thing for. After angering him, Pi starts training for a showdown in order to defend the entire reef from their bully.Watch on Prime Video: Shark Bait
Year: 2017Runtime: 1h 33minDirector: Jayson ThiessenMy Little Pony came to life in 1983, and it's still just as relevant today. In the 2017 franchise film, alicorn Twilight Sparkle is on a mission to save Equestria from evil with five of her pony friends and her dragon friend/assistant. What is this evil, you may be wondering? Unicorn Tempest Shadow, voiced by Emily Blunt, and the Storm King, voiced by Liev Schreiber. Other big names include Kristin Chenoweth, Sia, Taye Diggs, and Uzo Aduba.Watch on Prime Video: My Little Pony: The Movie
Year: 2022Runtime: 1h 42minDirector: Joel Crawford, Januel P. MercadoThey say cats have nine lives, but what happens when they're down to their last one? When you're Puss in Boots, you go on a hunt for the Last Wish of the fallen Wishing Star — alongside every other fairy tale character — to have them restored. Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, and John Mulaney all lent their voices to the sixth installment of the Shrek franchise.Watch on Prime Video: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Year: 2022Runtime: 1h 23minDirector: Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del ValTaking place before the three Despicable Me films but after the first Minions, this comedy follows Gru as an 11-year-old in 1976. With big dreams to become a supervillain, he hires the Minions to be a part of his team and then receives an audition to join the Vicious 6, a supervillain team looking to replace their founder. What happens next is, unsurprisingly, chaos — which is exactly what we all love about the Despicable Me franchise.Watch on Prime Video: Minions: The Rise of Gru
Year: 2014Runtime: 1h 26minDirector: Eric Darnell, Simon J. SmithIf you thought the best part of the Madagascar series was the penguins, you're going to love this film. The villain is a Giant Pacific octopus named Dave, who has vowed to get revenge on all Adélie penguins after Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, and Private upstaged him at the Central Park Zoo. The foursome works with the North Wind intelligence agency to help prevent their capture and, naturally, all kinds of shenanigans ensue. Watch on Prime Video: Penguins of Madagascar
Year: 2015Runtime: 1h 27minDirector: Alexs StandermannAfter Buzzlina Von Beena steals the Queen's royal jelly, which she needs to survive, Maya finds out and is subsequently banished from their hive. Her best friend Willy joins her, and when the hornets are falsely blamed for the theft, they join forces with a young hornet named Sting to get the jelly back and bring Buzzlina to justice.Watch on Prime Video: Maya the Bee
Year: 2011Runtime: 1h 31minDirector: John SchultzFeeling nostalgic for the good old days? Consider going back in time with Judy Moody. She and her friends are competing to see who has the best summer, and because her parents left her with her younger brother Stink and aunt Opal, she's in dead last. Her luck starts to change when she joins Stink on a hunt for Bigfoot, however — even though they never find him.Watch on Prime Video: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
These 15 Kids' Storage Beds Have Hidden Depths
I Tried 8 Baby Food and Kids' Meal Delivery Services — Here Are the Best of the Bunch
The Best Zipper Sheets to Solve the Worst Bed-Making Task
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Girl Authority
40 minutes ago
- Geek Girl Authority
Nintendo Switch 2 Archives
Categories Select Category Games GGA Columns Movies Stuff We Like The Daily Bugle TV & Streaming Games Stuff We Like Think Pieces Video Games Pokémon Scarlet & Violet now play a lot better with the Switch 2 release. But the new console hasn't fixed the series' lacking graphics yet.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
This New Thriller Had Me Side-Eyeing Every Character—and Then Bingeing All 8 Episodes
If there's one genre that never fails to reel me in, it's a good old-fashioned thriller—give me suspense, mystery and maybe a murder or two, and I'm sold. I want the kind of show that keeps me up way too late, second-guessing every character and basically gaslighting myself trying to figure out who the real villain is. If you're into that kind of twisty drama too, let me put The Better Sister on your radar. The Better Sister is an 8-episode limited series based on the bestselling novel by Alafair Burke and it digs into the kind of messy, complicated family dynamics that are so fun to watch unravel. Jessica Biel plays Chloe, a successful media exec living what looks like a perfect life with her lawyer husband, Adam (Corey Stoll), and her teenage son, Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan). Meanwhile, Nicky (Elizabeth Banks), Chloe's estranged sister, is struggling to stay clean and keep her life on track. Then—bam—Adam is murdered and everything spirals. Jojo Whilden/Prime I won't reveal everything but I watched the first episode and let me just say this: the series does not drag its feet. It jumps straight into the drama, with Chloe walking into her living room and finding Adam dead just a few minutes into the first episode. It's intense, it's shocking and it completely sets the tone for what's clearly going to be a wild ride. We get a glimpse into the sisters' complicated family history through a flashback—turns out Chloe is married to her sister's ex and the son she's raising? He's actually her sister's. And the drama really kicks off when we find out that very son's DNA was found under the dead husband's fingernails. Oh, and Chloe apparently had a burner phone and texted someone on it right before finding her husband dead. As if that's not enough, there's a shady coworker who wasn't exactly Adam's biggest fan… plus a possible stalker situation brewing. So yeah, things are messy. Did I mention this is all in the first episode? So needless to say, this isn't one of those shows that makes you wait until episode five for something to actually happen. The tension starts building fast and by the time the credits started rolling I was already mentally side-eyeing a handful of characters, each of whom could very realistically be the killer. Episode one left me with way more questions than answers—not just about the murder itself, but about the sisters, their family history and what the heck has actually been going on in all of their lives. Thankfully, all eight episodes were released at the same time, so the binge was fast and furious. You can stream The Better Sister on Prime Video now. Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here. 16 Shows and Movies to Watch This Weekend, Recommended by Our Editors
Business Insider
6 hours ago
- Business Insider
Nintendo Switch 2 review: A fun console with tons of potential, but where are the exclusive games?
Compared to other Nintendo consoles, the Switch 2 is an outlier. It's the first Nintendo system that feels like a direct, no-frills upgrade to its predecessor. It looks similar, it doesn't require new controllers, and it even plays 99% of the original Switch's library. It's a sequel, which is rare for such an innovation-focused company. This lack of innovation gives the Switch 2 its greatest strengths and worst flaws. On the one hand, the system carries over everything I loved about the original console, including its massive library and iconic blend of handheld and TV gaming. But on the other hand, it offers what ultimately amounts to a similar gaming experience at jacked-up prices. I've spent more than a week with the Nintendo Switch 2, playing a variety of games every day. Although I consider it a no-brainer purchase for players who never bought a Switch, I'm not convinced it's worth upgrading from the original. At least, not yet. I'm confident the Switch 2 will eventually become an even better console than the Switch 1, but it needs more exclusive games to get there. The Nintendo Switch 2 looks and feels better than the original Like the original Switch, the Switch 2 is a handheld system that can also be placed in a dock to use with a TV at home. The Switch 2's built-in screen is nearly two inches bigger than the original console's, and when combined with a higher resolution — up to 1080p from the original's 720p — the comparison is night and day. Small details are easier to see, and tiny text takes less time to decipher. However, this is an LCD screen rather than an OLED one. Nintendo released an OLED version of the original Switch in 2021, and this type of screen offers higher contrast. That said, this new display's colors are still noticeably more vibrant than the standard Switch's LCD. The improved image quality is in part due to the screen's support for high dynamic range (HDR), a feature that the Switch 1 didn't have. HDR enables enhanced contrast and a wider range of colors. Though the Switch 2's backlight isn't bright or precise enough to showcase the full impact of what HDR can do, it still benefits from this feature. You can learn more in our HDR guide. I'm excited to see more games take advantage of the console's 120Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz on the original Switch) and the dock's 4K output for Ultra HD gaming on a 4K TV. The higher refresh rate can provide smoother motion, while the higher resolution offers a sharper, more detailed picture. There's only one game released so far that goes up to 120 FPS, the "Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour" tech demo, and it does indeed look very smooth. The creatively named Joy-Con 2 controllers are a mixed bag. They're larger than the original controllers, making them feel less cramped in your hands. They also connect to the Switch 2 magnetically, which is more convenient than the original's physical rails, albeit a bit flimsier feeling. It's a worthwhile tradeoff. But for whatever reason, Nintendo built them with the same problematic joystick parts that caused the infamous "Joy-Con Drift" issue on the original system. This flaw is a ticking time bomb that'll crop up more frequently as time goes on, so keep an eye on your controllers for symptoms. Each Joy-Con 2 can also be used as an optical mouse, but few games take advantage of this feature so far. When I used it, the mouse sensors were accurate and responsive, but the controller felt a bit too thin to handle as comfortably as a real mouse. The most powerful Nintendo console yet, but it has the worst battery life Where the Nintendo Switch 2 truly shines is in its performance, and not just with Switch 2 games. Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 runs on a custom-made Nvidia chip. It's hard to compare the chip to any other system like-for-like, but most hardware breakdowns describe the Switch 2 as a mobile PlayStation 4. That might not sound like much, but it's a big improvement over the original Switch's underpowered hardware and opens the door to a wide variety of big-budget AAA titles. Graphically intensive games, like " Cyberpunk 2077," which were impossible to run on an original Switch, are now available on the Switch 2. "Cyberpunk 2077" still doesn't run perfectly, but it's more than playable. The most shocking aspect of the Switch 2's performance is how it improves games made for the original console: The load times in " Splatoon 3" and " The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" have shrunk to only a few seconds. Fast travel in "Pokémon Sword" is near-instantaneous, and the normally lag-filled "Pokémon Scarlet" runs at a smooth 60 FPS. Some " Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" matches start before the game can even show which characters are fighting. The Switch 2 has become the ultimate way to experience original Switch games, even if they don't have a dedicated "Switch 2 Edition" update. If you don't own the original console and you've been wanting to play these games, this makes the Switch 2 an obvious buy. This improved performance does come with downsides, though. Most notable is the reduced battery life, which is down to an estimated two to 6.5 hours from the original's 4.5 to nine. Both also take more than five minutes to turn on after being plugged in to charge, which is a major blow to the console's portability. I ran a test comparing the Switch 2 to my 2018 original model, seeing how long they could last running "Tears of the Kingdom" in a busy in-game area with the camera endlessly spinning. The brand-new Switch 2 lasted about two hours and fifty minutes, while I logged about two hours and thirty-five minutes on my original Switch. Though the Switch 2 did last slightly longer in this test, it's important to note that my original system has a seven-year-old, heavily used battery. With that in mind, the comparison is disappointing. The only exclusives so far are a new 'Mario Kart' and a frustrating tech demo As of this writing, the Switch 2 only has two exclusive Nintendo games: " Mario Kart World" and " Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour." They're leagues apart in quality. "Mario Kart World" is the best game in the series so far. The most fun part of any "Mario Kart" race is the chaotic first few seconds when everyone is jockeying for an early lead, and the new Knockout Tour mode, which turns the race into a battle royale, makes that chaos last the entire match. There's no such thing as a comfortable lead — you're always in danger of getting bumped to the bottom of the pack. It also boasts a wonderfully diverse set of characters, most of whom have multiple unlockable costumes or forms; an updated trick system that lets you ride on walls and charge boosts at any time; and some incredible tracks, including a beautiful new version of Rainbow Road that's both the longest course in series history, and feels more like a shared boss battle than a racetrack. The graphics are crisp, and load times are short. It's also got a banger soundtrack that references and remixes songs from throughout the "Mario" franchise. But is it worth buying a Switch 2 for? By itself, I wouldn't say so. For all its new features, the basics of "Mario Kart" haven't changed, and I don't expect the original Switch's "Mario Kart 8" multiplayer servers to empty out anytime soon. Wait for more exclusives — and, hopefully, for "Mario Kart World" to go on sale. "Nintendo Switch Welcome Tour," meanwhile, presents itself as a quirky way to learn more about your system, but in reality, it's more of a chore than a fun instruction manual. To progress from area to area, you need to collect stamps, which are gathered by running up to each of the Switch 2's individual buttons/ports and pressing "A" to open a pop-up that tells you what they're called. There's no indication of which stamps you're missing, which leads to situations where you're sprinting around a giant Joy-Con, desperately checking every corner to figure out what buttons you missed. The mini-games are amusing but one-note, and the quizzes, which require you to read dozens of pages of explanations on how the Switch 2 was built and works, are boring. If "Welcome Tour" was a free pack-in with the system, none of this would be much of an issue, but it costs $10. My advice? Just watch a playthrough on YouTube. I had low expectations, but the system's new GameChat feature left me pleasantly surprised GameChat is the Switch 2's voice and video-chatting app. It's free until 2026, at which point you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass membership to use it. Nintendo has hyped it up as one of the console's biggest selling points. Going in, I was pretty negative on GameChat. I figured it'd be like Nintendo's past attempts at online chat: Clunky and unintuitive. I also thought it'd pale in comparison to a free service like Discord. I'm happy to say that I was wrong! Setting up a GameChat session with my friend took only a few seconds, although waiting for them to actually connect once they accept the invite takes some time. The choppy screen sharing looks bad at first, but in practice, really wasn't noticeable. And the system's built-in microphone has some shockingly good noise cancellation. Even when I ran a hair dryer at full blast only a few feet away, my friend couldn't hear it, but made out my voice perfectly. GameChat isn't as feature-rich as Discord, but it doesn't need to be. It's made for quick, casual multiplayer sessions, not long-term communication. I expect it'll also be popular with kids, since it's encased in its own ecosystem, making it safer than a random Discord server. I didn't have a compatible webcam to test out the video-chatting function, but testing from The Verge has found mixed results when connecting third-party webcams. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to which cams work and which don't. But when they do work, video evidence from other players shows that the feeds are pretty smooth. The Switch 2's portable power costs a pretty penny Now, the elephant in the room: The Switch 2 costs $450, which is $100 more than the Switch OLED, $150 more than the standard Switch, and comparable to both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. It's also $100 more expensive than the cheapest Steam Deck, which is the most popular non-Nintendo handheld gaming system. The Switch 2's price isn't unreasonable compared to its competitors from rival brands. But this high cost makes it the most expensive Nintendo console yet, and it might mean that Nintendo's reign as the choice for gamers on a budget is ending. The price of games is getting higher, too. "Mario Kart World" costs $80, and that's not going to be a rare occurrence. Add in the cost of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription ($20 to $50 a year, depending on your plan), and the budget starts to get frighteningly tight. And that's before you consider buying any Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, like microSD Express cards, screen protectors, cases, controllers, and cameras. Obviously, everyone has a different financial situation. But at a time when prices are rising across the board, it's hard to justify spending so much on a relatively incremental upgrade of a console. Is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth buying? If you already own a Nintendo Switch, then no, the Switch 2 isn't worth it just yet. The system doesn't have enough exclusive games right now, so most of your library will be titles you could have played already without spending more money. And because there aren't many exclusives that take advantage of the system's new graphical features, the Switch 2's 120 FPS and 4K resolution upgrades aren't that important. And while the new design is fantastic, it's not worth $450. The system simply hasn't justified its price. But if you never hopped on the Switch train, now's a great time to buy your ticket. That is, if you can find one in stock. Buying a Switch 2 gives you immediate access to a massive library of games, including original Switch classics like " Super Mario Odyssey," new experiences like " Mario Kart World," and remastered ports like " Street Fighter 6." There are also loads of new games coming in the next year, including the open-world RPG "Pokémon Legends: Z-A" and the highly anticipated first-person adventure "Metroid Prime 4." All this is to say that, yes, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a great console. And a year or two from now, it might just be the best product Nintendo has ever released. But right now, it's an inessential upgrade. It's the best choice for new players who never bought an original Switch, but overpriced for existing Switch owners.
