The 1980s were a remarkable time for movies. Numerous beloved franchises began during the decade, including Back to the Future and Ridley Scott’s Alien. Many of those are still relevant today, including The Terminator, which premiered in 1984. The 80s were just as noteworthy for kids’ movies too. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released in 1982. Ghostbusters had multigenerational appeal, but the endless toy lines prove the studios absolutely had a younger audience in mind.
80’s kids’ movies have a different vibe from newer releases. Many of the era’s most beloved kids’ films have a notably darker tone. Others explore surprisingly mature themes that may resonate more with parents than with the kids they bought them for. The most memorable 80s kids movies aren’t afraid to tug at the audience’s heartstrings, either, like The NeverEnding Story with its gut-wrenching scene in the swamp.
Despite their age, many 80s classics have found a long-lasting home in pop culture. Some remain so influential that even younger audiences will visit them for the first time decades later. On that note, several exceptional kids’ movies of the time have fallen out of the conversation today.
A lack of popularity doesn’t necessarily mean a film is bad, and some simply fade into obscurity through the years. With this in mind, here’s a selection of superb 80s kids’ movies that have stood the test of time. The list features some animated movies, as well as live-action gems we rarely hear about nowadays.
10
All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
All Dogs Go to Heaven is a powerful late-80s animated movie by Don Bluth. It’s an animal adventure movie with a crime story and an art style that’s arguably timeless.
The movie stars Charlie, voiced by Burt Reynolds. He ends up in ‘dog heaven,’ a place where all dogs go, since they are inherently good. Charlie decides he has unfinished business with Carface, an unsavory crime boss, and returns to settle the score.
All Dogs Go to Heaven has a straightforward story, but Charlie’s second life becomes much more complicated when he meets a young girl, Anne Marie, who can talk to animals. Charlie’s motives change as the pair bond in a surprisingly mature story that both kids and adults can enjoy.
9
Willow (1988)
Willow is arguably the most well-known movie on this list, thanks to the recent series that catapulted it into the spotlight. However, the Willow TV show was short-lived, pushing the 1988 film back into obscurity.
Willow tells a thrilling fantasy tale about Willow (Warwick Davis). He’s a farmer and an unlikely hero who finds a special baby floating down a river. Willow leaves the safety of his village on a grand adventure to find a safe place for the infant.
Willow quickly realizes the world is a cruel place, full of dangerous people and magical threats. He teams up with Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), a skilled swordsman, on a globetrotting adventure with a great message about self-belief.
8
The Last Unicorn (1982)
The Last Unicorn is a remarkable animated movie, boasting vivid imagery and an oddly bleak take on a world where magic is fading.
As the name implies, The Last Unicorn is about a unicorn, voiced by Mia Farrow, who embarks on an adventure to determine if she is truly the last of her kind. She meets many people and creatures on her journey, but quickly discovers that most of them are not friendly. It’s a far cry from other movies with unicorns, where the legendary creatures are often met with joy and wonder.
Despite the icy reception, the unicorn teams up with a small group, including Schmendrick, a flawed magician, eager to prove himself. Like many films on this list, kids will find The Last Unicorn enjoyable, if a little scary at times. Adults will find the movie oddly relatable for a story about a fantasy creature.
7
Time Bandits (1981)
Time Bandits is an early 80s movie with an all-star cast, including Sean Connery and John Cleese. The movie stars Craig Warnock as Kevin, a young boy obsessed with adventure stories and history.
Kevin meets a group of time-traveling dwarves and joins them on their adventures. The catch is that those dwarves aren’t entirely innocent and steal priceless treasures from across history. They acquired a powerful artifact from the Evil Genius (David Warner), and he wants it back.
The story of Time Bandits is as wild as it sounds. John Cleese plays Robin Hood, and the film offers viewers a grand comedy-filled time-traveling tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
6
The Black Cauldron (1985)
We don’t usually associate Disney projects with movies nobody remembers, but The Black Cauldron tells a classic fantasy tale rarely referenced today.
Taran is a pig-keeper who yearns for adventure. He cares for a magical pig called Hen Wen, who can see the future. Taran is forced into action when evil forces steal Hen Wen, hoping to use the pig’s abilities to locate the Black Cauldron, an object of unimaginable power.
The Black Cauldron tells a great coming-of-age story. Taran meets Eilonwy, a princess, on his journey, and the movie delves into dark fantasy territory as the evil Horned King closes in on his prize.
5
The Last Starfighter (1984)
The story of The Last Starfighter will resonate with any young gamer. Lance Guest stars as Alex Rogan, a young man living a humble life in a trailer with his family. He’s also a big fan of the fictional game Starfighter, and just got the highest score in the arcade.
His achievement is much more prestigious than a place on the leaderboards. Alex learns that the Starfighter game was never developed on Earth and is actually a training platform for becoming an intergalactic pilot in the Star League.
The Last Starfighter follows Alex’s journey to become a space pilot, as well as what happens on Earth without him. It’s a classic wish-fulfillment movie with a unique draw for arcade-goers.
4
Cloak & Dagger (1984)
Carrying on the video-game-adjacent theme, Cloak & Dagger is about a young boy named Davey (Henry Thomas). He loves gaming and finds himself caught up in a real-life spy story after discovering an Atari cartridge loaded with military secrets.
Cloak & Dagger does not look like a kids’ movie, even though it was marketed as one through its video game link. Davey also has an imaginary friend called Jack Flack (Dabney Coleman). He’s a stereotypical spy and tough guy who helps Davey deal with potentially deadly encounters in the real world.
The movie is a family-friendly spy thriller at its core, which sets it apart from other movies on this list. It also features antagonists who seem surprisingly real, rather than goofy villains any kid could outsmart.
3
Flight Of The Navigator (1986)
Flight of the Navigator is another Disney movie, although one rarely referenced nowadays. Its obscurity is a shame because it remains a whimsical sci-fi story about David (Joey Cramer), a young boy who ends up piloting a UFO.
There’s more to David’s link to the spacecraft than I will reveal here, but the ship itself is unforgettable. The spacecraft, called Max, has a personality that evolves throughout the film. It’s professional and cold with David at the start, but quickly becomes wittier and more sarcastic as a bond forms.
While Flight of the Navigator was marketed for children, it explores mature themes that are very impactful for an adult audience today. The movie offers a fun sci-fi tale on the surface, wrapped around a tragic story about a lost childhood.
2
The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
The Brave Little Toaster is a superb animated adventure about a group of sentient household appliances who set out to find their master. They believe he abandoned them, as he hadn’t visited their cabin in years.
The movie explores themes of abandonment similar to those in Toy Story, but The Brave Little Toaster arguably hits much harder. Toaster always holds on to the belief that the master still loves them, and the audience learns how other appliances, like Kirby the vacuum cleaner, feel about the situation.
The Brave Little Toaster is an epic adventure with a far stronger story than you might expect from its premise. Like many movies on this list, the 1987 film explores mature themes that are quite powerful for any adults watching today.
1
The Secret Of NIMH (1982)
The Secret of NIMH is an exceptional animated film with a beautiful art style. It tells a dark fantasy story that audiences of all ages will appreciate, with enough emotional depth for adults.
The movie introduces us to a field mouse called Mrs. Brisby, who finds herself in a difficult situation. A farmer is threatening to destroy her home, but she cannot relocate as she’s nursing her poorly son, Timothy.
Mrs. Brisby embarks on an adventure to find the rats of NIMH. These particular rats are special because they are hyper-intelligent, and their strange world reflects that.
The Secret of NIMH is a near-perfect animated kids’ movie for so many reasons. It still looks incredible, and Mrs. Brisby is a brilliant protagonist because she’s relatable. She isn’t an action hero, but we know she will stop at nothing to rescue her son. The Secret of NIMH isn’t just a brilliant 80s kids movie; it’s an exceptional dark fantasy film that still holds up more than 40 years later.
