80s kids / family films - entertaining, moving, disturbing
by jirifl | created - 20 Apr 2014 | updated - 19 Aug 2015 | PublicThe list is organized by genres and themes:
- adventure films
- movies about aliens or monsters
- films dealing with all sorts of technology (from robots to videogames)
- fairytales
- animated films
- the ones too weird and wicked for any other category
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Deadly Games (1989)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Horror, Thriller
On Christmas Eve, a resourceful young boy has to defend himself and his grandfather from a killer dressed as Santa Claus.
Director: René Manzor | Stars: Brigitte Fossey, Louis Ducreux, Patrick Floersheim, Alain Lalanne
Votes: 2,782
2. Stand by Me (1986)
R | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 441,539 | Gross: $52.29M
3. The Goonies (1985)
PG | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman
Votes: 298,315 | Gross: $61.50M
4. The Quest (1986)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A resourceful American orphan living in rural Australia finds himself caught up in the magic of a local Aboriginal myth that might be more real than anyone knows.
Directors: Brian Trenchard-Smith, Russell Hagg | Stars: Henry Thomas, Tony Barry, Rachel Friend, Tamsin West
Votes: 2,170
5. The Peanut Butter Solution (1985)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Peanut butter is the secret ingredient for magic potions made by two friendly ghosts. Eleven-year-old Michael loses all of his hair when he gets a fright and uses the potion to get his hair back.
Director: Michael Rubbo | Stars: Mathew Mackay, Siluck Saysanasy, Alison Darcy, Michael Hogan
Votes: 2,696
6. Paperhouse (1988)
PG-13 | 92 min | Drama, Fantasy
A young girl lost in the loneliness and boredom of reality finds solace in an ill boy, whom she can visit in a surreal dream world that she drew in her school composition book.
Director: Bernard Rose | Stars: Charlotte Burke, Jane Bertish, Samantha Cahill, Glenne Headly
Votes: 6,282 | Gross: $0.24M
7. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
PG | 95 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
In a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk.
Director: Jack Clayton | Stars: Mary Grace Canfield, Richard Davalos, Jake Dengel, Jack Dodson
Votes: 10,613 | Gross: $8.40M
8. BMX Bandits (1983)
PG | 88 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A trio of teen BMX enthusiasts become entangled with a group of bank robbers after discovering their cache of walkie-talkies.
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: David Argue, John Ley, Nicole Kidman, Angelo D'Angelo
Votes: 6,019
9. Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
PG-13 | 109 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery
When assorted people start having inexplicable delusions that lead to their deaths, a teenage Sherlock Holmes decides to investigate.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox, Sophie Ward, Anthony Higgins
Votes: 23,405 | Gross: $19.74M
10. The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)
G | 86 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn join Mark Twain on his airship to meet Halley's Comet.
Director: Will Vinton | Stars: James Whitmore, Michele Mariana, Gary Krug, Chris Ritchie
Votes: 3,401 | Gross: $0.85M
11. The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988)
PG | 92 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Men seeking relief from the Black Death, guided by a boy's vision, dig a tunnel from 14th century England to 20th century New Zealand.
Director: Vincent Ward | Stars: Bruce Lyons, Chris Haywood, Hamish Gough, Marshall Napier
Votes: 3,978 | Gross: $1.33M
12. The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
R | 98 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A young Cro-Magnon woman is raised by Neanderthals.
Director: Michael Chapman | Stars: Daryl Hannah, Pamela Reed, James Remar, Thomas G. Waites
Votes: 6,963 | Gross: $1.95M
13. E.T. (1982)
PG | 115 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace
Votes: 437,446 | Gross: $435.11M
14. Gremlins (1984)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie
Votes: 247,765 | Gross: $148.17M
15. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
The Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper.
Directors: Joe Dante, Chuck Jones | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Howie Mandel, Tony Randall
Votes: 112,823 | Gross: $41.48M
16. The Witches (1990)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.
Director: Nicolas Roeg | Stars: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson
Votes: 54,645 | Gross: $10.36M
17. The Monster Squad (1987)
PG-13 | 82 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
A group of young monster fanatics attempts to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his monsters.
Director: Fred Dekker | Stars: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr
Votes: 35,299 | Gross: $3.77M
18. The Gate (1987)
PG-13 | 85 min | Fantasy, Horror
Kids left home alone accidentally unleash a horde of malevolent demons from a mysterious hole in their suburban backyard.
Director: Tibor Takács | Stars: Stephen Dorff, Christa Denton, Louis Tripp, Kelly Rowan
Votes: 19,590 | Gross: $13.54M
19. Little Monsters (1989)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A boy discovers an incredible and gruesome world of monsters under his bed.
Director: Richard Greenberg | Stars: Fred Savage, Howie Mandel, Daniel Stern, Margaret Whitton
Votes: 14,195 | Gross: $0.79M
20. The Ewok Adventure (1984 TV Movie)
TV-G | 96 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Wicket the Ewok and his friends agree to help two shipwrecked human children, Mace and Cindel, on a quest to find their parents.
Director: John Korty | Stars: Eric Walker, Warwick Davis, Fionnula Flanagan, Guy Boyd
Votes: 12,507
21. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985 TV Movie)
TV-G | 94 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Marauders raid the Ewok village and steal a power supply they believe to be magical. Wicket helps Cindel escape the evil witch Charal, and they befriend a hermit who may help them save the village.
Directors: Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat | Stars: Wilford Brimley, Warwick Davis, Aubree Miller, Siân Phillips
Votes: 10,778
22. Ghostbusters (1984)
PG | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Votes: 450,037 | Gross: $238.63M
23. Ghostbusters II (1989)
PG | 108 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Votes: 224,735 | Gross: $112.49M
24. Beetlejuice (1988)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Fantasy
The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Annie McEnroe
Votes: 340,023 | Gross: $73.71M
25. Short Circuit (1986)
PG | 98 min | Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes.
Director: John Badham | Stars: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton
Votes: 66,321 | Gross: $40.70M
26. Short Circuit 2 (1988)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Robot Johnny Five comes to the city and gets manipulated by criminals who want him for their own purposes.
Director: Kenneth Johnson | Stars: Fisher Stevens, Michael McKean, Tim Blaney, Cynthia Gibb
Votes: 26,858 | Gross: $21.63M
27. Explorers (1985)
PG | 109 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it and build themselves a spaceship. Now what?
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Bobby Fite, Bradley Gregg
Votes: 23,731 | Gross: $9.87M
28. *batteries not included (1987)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Aliens help a feisty old New York couple in their battle against the ruthless land developer who's out to evict them.
Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frank McRae, Elizabeth Peña
Votes: 37,692 | Gross: $32.95M
29. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
In 1978, a boy travels eight years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 51,687 | Gross: $18.56M
30. Tron (1982)
PG | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A computer hacker is abducted into the digital world and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.
Director: Steven Lisberger | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan
Votes: 129,255 | Gross: $33.00M
31. Innerspace (1987)
PG | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A test pilot is miniaturized in a secret experiment, and accidentally injected into a hapless store clerk.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Kevin McCarthy
Votes: 65,113 | Gross: $25.89M
32. D.A.R.Y.L. (1985)
PG | 99 min | Family, Sci-Fi
A seemingly normal young boy is found abandoned on a mountain road and adopted by a family who are increasingly amazed by his abilities before discovering the secret behind his real identity.
Director: Simon Wincer | Stars: Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Kathryn Walker, Colleen Camp
Votes: 14,090 | Gross: $7.84M
33. The Wizard (1989)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A boy and his brother run away from home and hitch cross-country, with help from a girl they meet, to compete in the ultimate video-game championship.
Director: Todd Holland | Stars: Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, Jenny Lewis, Vince Trankina
Votes: 16,552 | Gross: $14.28M
34. The NeverEnding Story (1984)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Gerald McRaney
Votes: 156,917 | Gross: $20.16M
35. Return to Oz (1985)
PG | 113 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Dorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, is somehow called back to Oz when a vain witch and the Nome King destroy everything that makes the magical land beautiful.
Director: Walter Murch | Stars: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie
Votes: 30,352
36. Legend (1985)
PG | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent
Votes: 72,462 | Gross: $15.50M
37. The Dark Crystal (1982)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.
Directors: Jim Henson, Frank Oz | Stars: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz
Votes: 71,449 | Gross: $40.58M
38. Labyrinth (1986)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson
Votes: 149,555 | Gross: $12.73M
39. Dragonslayer (1981)
PG | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young wizarding apprentice is sent to kill a dragon which has been devouring girls from a nearby kingdom.
Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam
Votes: 19,949 | Gross: $14.11M
40. Hook (1991)
PG | 142 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins
Votes: 273,211 | Gross: $119.65M
41. Momo (1986)
101 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
In the village of Momo the pace of time goes very slowly. Nobody is bothering about stress but everyone has time to chat and rest - until the day the grey men arrive. With a great selling ... See full summary »
Director: Johannes Schaaf | Stars: Radost Bokel, Mario Adorf, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sylvester Groth
Votes: 2,085
42. Willow (1988)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young farmer is chosen to undertake a perilous journey in order to protect a special baby from an evil queen.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh
Votes: 129,843 | Gross: $57.27M
43. The Princess Bride (1987)
PG | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon
Votes: 450,890 | Gross: $30.86M
44. The Secret of NIMH (1982)
G | 82 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she suspected.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Elizabeth Hartman, Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise, Arthur Malet
Votes: 45,140 | Gross: $10.14M
45. The Last Unicorn (1982)
G | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A beautiful unicorn sets out to learn if she truly is the last of her kind in this sparkling animated musical.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Alan Arkin
Votes: 29,529 | Gross: $6.46M
46. The Flight of Dragons (1982 Video)
Passed | 95 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A young Boston writer goes back in time into an era where wizards and dragon reign and science is just barely known.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Victor Buono, James Gregory, James Earl Jones, Harry Morgan
Votes: 6,084
47. Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987)
G | 87 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Pinocchio and his friends, a glow worm and a marionette, search for a magic music box. However, so is the evil Scalawag and the Emperor of the Night.
Director: Hal Sutherland | Stars: Edward Asner, Tom Bosley, Lana Beeson, Linda Gary
Votes: 762 | Gross: $3.26M
48. All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
G | 84 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A canine angel, Charlie, sneaks back to earth from heaven but ends up befriending an orphan girl who can speak to animals. In the process, Charlie learns that friendship is the most heavenly gift of all.
Directors: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Dan Kuenster | Stars: Dom DeLuise, Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson, Judith Barsi
Votes: 46,097 | Gross: $27.10M
49. The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
G | 77 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
R.A.S. agents Miss Bianca and Bernard race to Australia to save a little boy and a rare golden eagle from a murderous poacher.
Directors: Hendel Butoy, Mike Gabriel | Stars: Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, John Candy, Tristan Rogers
Votes: 47,259 | Gross: $27.93M
50. An American Tail (1986)
G | 80 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must relocate them while trying to survive in a new country.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Dom DeLuise, Christopher Plummer, Erica Yohn, Nehemiah Persoff
Votes: 58,044 | Gross: $47.48M
51. An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
G | 75 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Fievel's family decides to move out to the West, unaware that they are falling into a trap perpetrated by a smooth-talking cat.
Directors: Phil Nibbelink, Simon Wells | Stars: James Stewart, John Cleese, Amy Irving, Phillip Glasser
Votes: 28,300 | Gross: $22.17M
52. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
PG | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 216,796 | Gross: $156.45M
53. The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
G | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A group of dated appliances embark on a journey to the city to find their master after being abandoned in a cabin in the woods.
Director: Jerry Rees | Stars: Jon Lovitz, Timothy Stack, Timothy E. Day, Thurl Ravenscroft
Votes: 27,731
54. Oliver & Company (1988)
G | 74 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A lost and alone kitten joins a gang of dogs engaged in petty larceny in New York City.
Director: George Scribner | Stars: Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan
Votes: 52,944 | Gross: $74.15M
55. The Black Cauldron (1985)
PG | 80 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A young boy and a group of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can.
Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich | Stars: Grant Bardsley, Freddie Jones, Susan Sheridan, Nigel Hawthorne
Votes: 40,726 | Gross: $21.29M
56. The Land Before Time (1988)
G | 69 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
An orphaned brontosaurus teams up with other young dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in a valley.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Pat Hingle, Gabriel Damon, Helen Shaver, Bill Erwin
Votes: 98,673 | Gross: $48.09M
57. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
G | 83 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A fox named Tod and a hound named Copper vow to be best friends forever. But as Copper grows into a hunting dog, their unlikely friendship faces the ultimate test.
Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, David Hand, Wolfgang Reitherman | Stars: Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson
Votes: 101,898 | Gross: $63.46M
58. The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
PG | 84 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The Autobots must stop a colossal planet consuming robot who goes after the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. At the same time, they must defend themselves against an all-out attack from the Decepticons.
Director: Nelson Shin | Stars: Orson Welles, Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy, Norman Alden
Votes: 41,939 | Gross: $5.85M
59. Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger
Votes: 59,085 | Gross: $40.90M
60. The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Dodger must confront the struggles of life as he is visited by the Garbage Pail Kids and intimidated by some older bullies.
Director: Rod Amateau | Stars: Anthony Newley, Mackenzie Astin, Phil Fondacaro, Katie Barberi
Votes: 8,714 | Gross: $1.58M
61. Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990 TV Movie)
Unrated | 26 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Many different cartoon stars like Bugs Bunny, the Muppet Babies and Garfield join forces to convince a teenager that drugs aren't cool.
Directors: Milton Gray, Marsh Lamore, Robert Shellhorn, Mike Svayko, Karen Peterson | Stars: Ross Bagdasarian Jr., Jeff Bergman, Townsend Coleman, Wayne Collins
Votes: 1,315
62. Hawk Jones (1986 Video)
Not Rated | 88 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
In this film in which the cast is comprised entirely of kids, Hawk Jones is one cop fighting against a city full of criminals. Now reluctantly working with a new partner, he vows to rid the city of a crime syndicate run by Antonio Copolla.
Director: Richard Lowry | Stars: Christopher Allamon, Richard Babcock, Jack Ball, Josiah Ball
Votes: 140
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