Blast from the Past: Childhood Favs to Rewatch
Many of us have been occupied with school work lately, haven't we? We don't even have much free time to do things that we want and have fun (unless you are one of those people who procrastinate ;) ). And when we do have free time, how do we usually spend it? I'm sure most of us just scroll through our social media, watch youtube videos, listen to music, or text people. Why not spend this time to relive some of your old childhood movies? Maybe these are some you may have forgotten about or haven't even seen!
Craving some adventure? Bridge to Terabithia is the movie for you.
Bridge to Terabithia was one of the many movies that touched people's hearts and impacted them emotionally. When a young boy named Jesse becomes friends with a girl named Leslie, his life changes. Throughout the movie we see these two friends create an imaginary world called Terabithia, and we follow them on the adventures of their adolescent lives. This is a story about a friendship built from hardships, struggles, happy moments, and the fun of childhood.
Here's another movie which stars AnnaSophia Robb from Bridge to Terabithia: Because of Winn Dixie (PG)
There are so many heart-warming movies out there about dogs, and Because of Winn Dixie is one of them. 10-year-old Opal moves with her preacher father to a small town in Florida, and like most people when they move to a new place, she has a difficult time settling down and making friends. She eventually finds a companion in a stray dog who she names "Winn Dixie." With the help of Winn Dixie, Opal is able to meet and form relationships with people in her town, as well as learn more about friendship.
Are you into Japanese animation? Studio Ghibli films are sure to entertain you!
I'm sure many of us have grown up watching the works of Hayao Miyazaki, with beautiful animation and out-of-this-world plots. And don't even get me started on anime food - there's just something about animated foods that make them look better than the ones in real life (or maybe it's just me). Anyways, if you are looking for adventure, magic, fantasy, and something that isn't so contemporary, Studio Ghibli films are what you need.
Here of some of the wonderful Miyazaki movies that I recommend:
Kiki's Delivery Service (One of my all-time favorite movies and I highly recommend it)
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle (Another one of my favorites)
My Neighbor Totoro
Ponyo
Castle in the Sky
Princess Mononoke
Looking for a creepy movie to scare your inner child? Coraline is the one for you. (PG)
Coraline was one of the movies which creeped us out the most and gave many of us nightmares. I guess this could be considered a child horror movie? This is a movie about an adventurous young girl who discovers an alternate universe that lies behind a secret door in her house. This parallel world replicates her own in a way which she believes to be better, or so she thinks. As she explores the world of buttoned-eyes, she realizes that she has to find a way to return back to hers.
Want to explore the world of wizardry? The Harry Potter movies (or books ;) ) will take you on a magical adventure. (PG/PG-13)
If you haven't grown up either reading or watching Harry Potter, I'm sorry to say that you've been living under a rock this whole time. This series is about a young boy named Harry who discovers that he's a wizard. With a sense of discovery of himself and his purpose, he embarks on an adventure starting from the iconic school Hogwarts. Harry Potter's journey is a reflection of adolescence and the loss of the childhood innocence: as the series progress, Harry's issues become more and more complicated and less black and white, and he has to deal with more and more serious consequences of his own actions.
Here are my top 3 favorites:
Prisoner of Azkaban
Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's stone)
Chamber of Secrets
She's the Man (PG-13)
The film begins when Viola Hastings girls' soccer team gets cut off and the girls are unable to join the boys' team. A plan falls right onto her lap when her twin brother Sebastian decides to ditch school for a couple weeks. She decides to disguise herself as her brother and attend the opposing elite boarding school in order to prove that a girl can be on the same team as a guy. In the process, she meets her roommate, Duke, and starts catching feelings for him. Throughout the film, Viola learns to improve her soccer skills, but at the same time, she must hide her true identity. This is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I recommend it if you are looking for something super funny and entertaining.
Are you into Chick-flicks? What about cheerleading? Here are some Bring It On movies to CHEER you up (that was a bad pun, but it's okay). (PG-13)
If you want to see a teen drama with some sass and killer cheerleading moves, these are the movies for you! Each movie isn't the same as the other: they're all different stories about different people who have the cheerleading spirit and wants to be the best they can be.
Bring It On
Bring It On Again
Bring It On: All or Nothing
Bring It On: In It to Win It
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish
The Princess Diaries (G)
Mia Thermopolis is an ordinary teenager living in San Francisco, trying to survive high school... or so she thinks. When her paternal grandmother Clarisse comes to visit her, she discovers that she has royal blood - she's a real-life princess. Now, with her typical city-girl qualities, Mia must learn how to meet the standards of royalty in order to head towards the throne in Genovia. Just FYI: there's a 2nd movie ;)
Would you rather see Cinderella in human form?
Cinderella is one of the Disney classics about a princess living in distress (or a "damsel in distress" hehe). Most of us know how the tale goes: Cinderella is tortured by her stepmother and step-sisters; she goes to the ball and meets the prince; she loses her glass slipper as she runs from the ball; the prince finds her and they lived happily ever after. Many live-action movies were created based off this - most of them are contemporary.
A Cinderella Story (PG)
Another Cinderella Story (PG)
A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song (PG or PG-13?)
Cinderella (PG) (A live-action based off the legit tale)
Some Barbie movies to bring out your inner girliness.
Life in plastic is definitely fantastic! Despite all the pink, cheesiness, princesses, and girliness, most of us can agree that there are some pretty enjoyable Barbie movies out there.
Barbie in the Nutcracker
Barbie as Rapunzel
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses
Barbie as the Island Princess
Barbie and the Diamond Castle
Barbie and the Three Musketeers
Barbie in a Mermaid Tale
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale
Barbie: Princess Charm School
Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar
These are some of the movies I really liked and recommend, which is almost all of it. I'm guilty of being a former Barbie fan, but I can't blame these Barbie movies for being so good.