10 Best Family Movies to Watch in Theaters This Summer

Rating: PG. Pixar's Inside Out is made for adults and kids alike: It's moving, emotional, nostalgic, and — like literally every Pixar movie before it — completely hilarious and visually amazing. Watch it once, and then stay in the movie theater and watch it again. Just be warned: You and your little ones might tear up during some of the weightier emotional moments, but the overall message is about the upside of understanding your emotions.

Rating: PG. Let's be honest: The best part of Despicable Me was the minions. These completely deranged-yet-lovable creatures stole the show, and now they're taking over the big screen (and taking on Sandra Bullock's Scarlet Overkill) in Minions. There might not be a deep, metaphorical message in the movie (as is the case with Inside Out), but it's guaranteed laughs. It will hold even a squirmy toddler's attention for 90 minutes.

Rating: PG. From the creator of Wallace and Gromit comes Shaun the Sheep, a mischievous ball of fluff who loves himself an adventure and accidentally ends up exchanging farm life for city life. Sheer hilarity. Aardman Animations is known for throwing a few adult-friendly jokes into their films, so don't worry — you won't be too bored as your children squeal with sheep-induced delight.

Rating: PG-13. Everything Meryl Streep touches turns to gold, so there's no reason to expect anything less than brilliance from Ricki and the Flash, the story of a woman who leaves her loved ones to pursue her dream of becoming a rock star. Streep co-stars with her real-life daughter, Mamie Gummer, which means this movie is next-level family-friendly. Expect to leave the theater with a new understanding of what family means — plus a few new songs to sing in the car on the way home.

Rating: PG-13. Tom Cruise is back in action as special agent Ethan Hunt, who's tasked with taking down an organization of nefarious assassins called the Syndicate. Mission: Impossible movies are always full of action, humor and heroics, but keep in mind that they're for older audiences. Your teen will love watching Tom Cruise scale down buildings and beat up bad guys, but your 5-year-old? Maybe not so much.

Rating: PG-13. Marvel's Ant-Man is action-packed fun that will entertain both teens and parents. But the best part of the movie is the perfectly-cast Paul Rudd. This is the comedic actor's first superhero blockbuster, and something tells us it won't be his last. Basically, if your child loves himself or herself a Marvel movie, they won't be disappointed.

Rating: PG-13. Calling all arcade game enthusiasts! In case the previews didn't make it clear, Pixels is a movie wherein your favorite classic game characters (hi, Donkey Kong) come down from outer space and attack humanity. The only people who can save us? A bunch of gamers, obviously. The film will be a major win for kids who love going to the arcade even more than they love going to the movies, but it's a fun ride for audiences of all ages and interests. Except people who don't like Adam Sandler, that is.

Rating: PG-13. Nothing says summer like a superhero movie, and Marvel's Fantastic Four promises to be excellent. With Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch and Kate Mara as Susan Storm, the movie is poised to be a combination of truly exceptional acting and a super-fun plot. In other words, it's a home run. Plus, as we already mentioned, it's Marvel. Really, there's no going wrong with this one for the older kids — your family will love it.

Rating: PG. Like most movies about dogs, you can expect Max to be extremely emotional and heavy on the inspiration. After all, this isn't an ordinary puppy we're dealing with: he's a hero, marine, and man's best friend. Note: This movie might be too sad for little kids, but audiences eight and up should be able to handle the surplus of puppy love.

Rating: PG-13. Basically the perfect movie for a young adult audience, Paper Towns is about a boy who chases after his childhood crush when she goes missing. Sweet, sentimental, and based off John Green's best-selling novel. (P.S. If your teen doesn't want to go with you, buy them tickets to go with their friends — it's a must-see.)