The rescuers, flushed away, Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, Horton finds a Who, Up.
If you check out these films on IMDB, you'll often find parent advisories. Other sites offer similar guidance.
The Land Before Time series seems to labour moral points. My kids liked them.
try this
I listened to a podcast by the founder, Michael Flaherty from his speech at BYU recently. Quite good.
My 4yr old loves a Polish cartoon called Reksio, basically about a dog trying to "do the right thing" in various situations. The language isn't an issue as there's no speaking. I think there's some available on YouTube
My Neighbour Totoro is fantastic.
Except for the train with the stutter who needs to see the Fat Con Con Con Con Controller
Excellent- we watch it in Czech, name changed to Reksik (no speaking though so language isn't an issue).
Krtek is great for kids (Mole for the Brits), and is essentially word-free so whether you find the Czech or German or English versions they all work. Just watch out on Youtube, there seems to be a Czech national pastime of overdubbing classic kid's shows with rather humorous dialogue.
And for pure laughs it's hard to beat Pat and Mat.
My children always loved the Wallace and Grommit movies; Howls (sp?) Moving Castle; Samurai Jack (TV series); Monsters Inc; Monsters vs Aliens; definitely Up; Princess Bride; Stardust
Do a search on IMDB for Family movies
My nieces were big Barney fans - one of them has thankfully progressed to Dora. At least she isnt purple! They watched it so much too that I could sing some of the tunes. Scary.
OP, another one that I can think of are the Care Bears. So adorable and squish-able!!
Like you I was / am concerned with the content of films my daughters watch, even films aimed at children had content in it that I felt wasn't suitable for my children at that time.
I used the website http://www.pluggedin.com/ which reviewed films plus music and other things, you could read their comments and then decide for youself if you think it is suitable for your children.
Sometimes we would watch a film together which I knew would raise questions in order to be able to discuss something.
It is run by an American Christain organisation called Focus on the family.
It depends what you consider "good and moral" ; for some people, all movies are bad and immoral.
Can you give a short list of movies that you like/dislike?
Then, there is the artistic feeling stepping in : life is not moral or immoral, but it can be beautiful if there is good art in it.
Personaly, I consider that the early episodes of Pingu are sometimes so immoral that I really like them, and I am happy that my daughter (2.5 year old) see them. On the other hand, I think that the modern animated movies are usually so vulgar, stupid and moral (yes, horribly moral), that I can't fit them in my DVD player.
Regarding the cursing, children would catch it by many means (not only TV/movies), and I guess that it's mainly up to the parents to be a model of virtue and to put some clear limits about words that they don't want to hear.
/Paul
In general terms, Barbapapa is an excellent show, there are the old ones from the seventies and a new series since a few years ago (a good improvement in my mind, traveling around the world). Easy to watch, easy to understand and follow.
Then there's those tender sequences that kids will treasure forever where Michael Caine's girlfriend picks him up from prison in the stolen Pakistani ambassador's car and drives him to a hotel room where she's arranged about 8 hookers for him to 'have' and when asked which one he wants he pauses and says, "All of them"
Great movie though, I love it.
I am surprised where I've watched a few movies with no sex, violence or swearing and towards the end of the movie they throw in an expletive. Really strange.
In 1995 to celebrate 100 years of movies the Vatican drew up a list of films it deemed great under the categories of religion, values or art.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican%27s_list_45_films
Not much in there for the younger ones but It's A Wonderful Life is one of my all time faves.
Babe is a wonderful film for children - apart from some awkward questions at the beginning about the whereabouts of the piglet's mother, it's lovely.
Babe II, however, while being a brilliant film, is a bit dark for children, I think.
Funny how it goes. Star Wars is the same: Fun, harmless first film; brilliant, dark sequel.
I'm just glad we never got to see Babe III, The Sheep-Ewok.
Had forgotten about the mole... another one that she's really into
Please keep posting more ...i am taking notes of all the suggestions. thanks alot!
Vegetales
Shaun the sheep
Chitty chatty bang bang
My 4 year old likes to watch Nanny 911 so see how bad other kids can be and she happily says "I am not like that Mummy".
She also likes Come Dine with Me.
But as far as kids films go some of the ones she has obsessed over are as follows
Happy Feet - excellent film although some scary scenes with the sea lion.
Madagascar - all of them
Bee Movie
Polar Express
Shrek - all of them
Ratatouille
Mouse Hunt
Babe
TV programs
Pingu
Peppa Pig
Waybaloo
Fifi
Night garden (although she has now outgrown that - thank god)
Shaun the Sheep
Creature Comforts
Wallace and Gromit
Postman Pat
Worzel Gummidge (courtesy of You Tube)
Paddington Bear (courtesy of You Tube)
The Wombles - As above.
Not sure if these are suitable as I have no kids of my own, but as a child I loved:
Mary Poppins
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Sound of Music
Lassie movies - all of them
Swallows and Amazons
Famous Five (not sure if they made movies but I loved the books)
Not a movie, but I also loved Skippy (sp)
Barbapapa (you'll find some of them on youtube)
Pettersson & Findus
Biene Maja (not sure if it's available in english...)
Some of the cartoons that filled my childhood:
Tom Sawyer
Alice in Wonderland
Heidi
The Maia Bee
The Muppets Show
All these are pretty much harmless, and teach good morals (though we could discuss about Muppets and Tom Sawyer morals for hours, and I won't even start on the smoking stuff in Alice...)
Most are anime, simple, and easily available. I bought some of those for my little cousine.
On the other hand, at 6-8 I was a huge fan of series like "War of the Worlds" "Thundercats" "Transformers" "Knights of the Zodiac" "The Storyteller" etc... They were violent, but I actually learnt my best lessons about friendship from dying bloody characters than with silly dancing princesses...