Raising Little PeopleLists for all parents trying their hardest to raise happy, emotionally healthy, successful children—or, at least, to keep the kids alive while maintaining some modicum of sanity.
Updated June 2, 2023 18.9K votes 2.5K voters 259.3K views
Over 2.5K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Kid Movies Catered To Adult Humor
Voting Rules
Vote up the kids movies that are interesting and enjoyable for adults with good taste.
It's in each and every one of us... conveniently situated between the cynicism and the crass tendencies - a love for funny adult cartoons and secretly comedic children's movies. Whether you're a curmudgeonly senior with zero tolerance for nonsense, or a 25-year-old financial analyst who is too cool for school, we know you'll appreciate the adult jokes found in the following children's movies.
Disney knows it; DreamWorks strives for it; every family filmmaker works to find it. It’s our inner child! That piece of us that refuses to grow up and the light that refuses to stop shining even if it’s turned off. What better place to flip that switch than at the movies? Flicks like The Lego Movie and The Muppet Movie probably have more jokes for adults in them than they do for kids, which is why this list ranks the best kid movies for adults.
Whether it’s Pixar’s breathtaking animation or the endlessly quotable humor in The Princess Bride, it’s officially okay for adults, even ones without children, to enjoy watching films that were made for the young ones. These are the funniest, most family friendly, and best stories told on celluloid that are just as rewarding for adults as they are for kids. In fact, every film on this list was made with adults in mind (the filmmakers at Disney know that parents represent half the audience).
Be sure to upvote your favorite kids movies that are enjoyable for adults! There are so many great ones out there... add any you don't already see listed!
The Shrek series features four feature length films from DreamWorks Animation. As a whole, the franchise takes a postmodern twist on the fairy tale. Kids will love the well-drawn characters and storyline, especially the whole beauty and the beast/true love conquers all motif. Adults will enjoy catching all the deconstructing winks that break down the fourth wall.
Actors: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Peter Dennis
Pixar does it again. Finding Nemo is clearly made for both kids and adults to enjoy. The animation is a marvel to behold, and the characters are endearing and three-dimensional. Of course, young children won't get the stoner references (hopefully). But, there are plenty of hilarious jokes in there for the young ones as well.
Actors: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett
A two-year-old girl sneaks into a city exclusively inhabited by monsters, and has to be removed by two friendly creatures before anyone evil gets a whiff of her presence. Kids may be scared of monsters in real life, but in Monsters, Inc., they are friendly and hilarious. Adults will also find the humor laugh out loud funny, especially the wisecracking chop-busting that goes on between Sully (John Goodman) and Mike (Billy Crystal).
Actors: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn
Up won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2010. What's even more impressive is that the film was nominated for Best Picture (it's not often that an animated film receives that nod). However, the first act of the film is a huge downer, as the elderly Carl's wife passes away. Fortunately, both child and adult can revel in the uplifting tale of an old man keeping a promise to his wife. When his house flies away and Carl discovers an eight-year-old Boy Scout is on board, the adventure that follows is genuinely exhilarating for both young and old.
Actors: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo
Brad Bird and Pixar teamed up to create 2004's animated classic The Incredibles. The story follows an incognito superhero family that has retired to plain old suburban life. Adults will be able to relate to Bob (the dad) and Helen's (the mom) nostalgia for the good old days, as they miss the excitement of being heroes and fighting crime. Both parents and kids will find the film equally hilarious.
Actors: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn
Mrs. Doubtfire is arguably the late Robin Williams's finest comedic performance. The family film about a man trying to pass as an older woman is a hoot for both kids and adults. Throw in Williams's visual physical comedy and it's laugh out loud hilarious. Mrs. Doubtfire is universally loved because at its core, it is truly a sweet movie about what it takes to keep a family together.
