A Dog’s Courage & 39 Other Family Films Available Now On Amazon Prime

Originally titled Underdog, A Dog’s Courage is a South Korean animated film about one pack of abandoned animals’ quest to find a safe place they can call home. Translated into English, the film follows Jacob, a playful dog who joins a pack of strays after being abandoned by his human owners. Frustrated by humans’ negative impact on their lives and environment, Jacob leads the pack in seeking to find “a place without humans” where the dogs can live freely and without having to hide from humans. But does such a paradise even exist?

Watch A Dog’s Courage, rated for ages 7 and up.

Jim Carrey and Angela Lansbury star in Mr. Popper’s Penguins, a 2011 comedy loosely based on a children’s book of the same name. Thomas Popper, played by Carrey, is a busy businessman and single dad who finds he inherited a penguin from his recently deceased father. Unfortunately, Popper’s initial efforts to return the penguin only result in him being sent five more penguins. But while caring for six penguins in a New York City apartment proves to be just as difficult as it sounds, Popper finds the seabirds help him connect with his children. Fans of Hamilton will want to look for Lin-Manuel Miranda in a supporting role.

Watch Mr. Popper’s Penguins, rated PG.

Eddie Murphy stars in Meet Dave, a 2008 science-fiction comedy. When Dave first arrives in New York, he comes off as more than just a little strange to those around him. But while Dave may look like a human man on the outside, he’s actually a spaceship for a crew of teeny tiny aliens. Intent on stealing salt, which they need to save their own planet from an energy crisis, from the Earth’s oceans, the alien crew struggle to operate their ship in a way that mimics human behavior or adjust to human emotion.

Watch Meet Dave, rated PG.

The Trumpet of the Swan is an animated children’s film about a swan who struggles to find his voice. It is based on a children’s book of the same name written by E.B. White. Although born a trumpeter swan, it’s not too long after Louie hatches from his egg that his parents quickly realize he cannot speak. Growing up, Louie feels alienated from his siblings — all of whom have lovely swan calls traditional to trumpeter swans. As he gets older Louie finds himself in love with a swan named Serena (voiced by Reese Witherspoon). But unable to really communicate with Serena, Louie struggles to express how he feels about her. In an effort to communicate his feelings, he learns to play the trumpet. After finding his own unique means of expression, Louie becomes a star.

Watch The Trumpet of the Swan, rated G.

Ten-year-old Dana loves dinosaurs and yearns to be a paleontologist. And thanks to her special field guide, she can see dinosaurs in real life, making it easy to conduct experiments and learn about dinosaur behavior. In Dino Dana The Movie, Dana sets out to conduct experiment 901 and answer the question of where are all the kid dinosaurs? To help her get to the bottom of this prehistoric mystery, Dana teams up with her big sister and two of her neighbors.

Watch Dino Dana The Movie, rated for ages 7 and up.

A young Katherine Heigl stars in Wish Upon A Star, a 1996 made-for-television film that sees two sisters swap bodies after one wishes on a shooting star. Fifteen-year-old Hayley can’t help but wonder what life would be like if she was as popular and stylish as her 18-year-old sister Alexia. To Hayley, who is shy and school-focused, Alexia seems carefree. She has a driver’s license and a boyfriend, after all! One night, Hayley sees a shooting star and uses it to wish she could become her sister. When the two sisters wake up the next morning in each other’s bodies, they’re forced to navigate the school day as each other. But the sisters soon find their lives are not what the other had assumed them to be.

Watch Wish Upon A Star, rated PG.

In Slappy and the Stinkers, a group of five 7-year-old friends with a reputation for wreaking havoc around their school are dubbed “the Stinkers” by their principal. During a field trip to a nearby aquarium, the Stinkers happen upon a sea lion named Slappy. Convinced that Slappy looks miserable stuck inside his aquarium habitat, the children smuggle the sea lion onto their school bus and then into the principal’s house. When the Stinkers finally get Slappy to a nearby beach, they find the sea lion isn’t incredibly interested in returning to the ocean, where dangerous Orcas lurk. Can the gang get Slappy back to the aquarium without their principal finding out what they’ve done and expelling them?

Watch Slappy and the Stinkers, rated PG.

Introduce your children to both Pollyanna and black-and-white silent films with this early adaptation of Eleanor H. Porter’s beloved children’s book. Released in 1920, this film stars Mary Pickford as Pollyanna, a young girl who is sent to live with a seemingly unfeeling rich aunt after her father dies. One day while hiding from her aunt, Pollyanna meets a fellow orphan named Jimmy Bean, whom she befriends and hides in her aunt’s cellar until she can convince her aunt to allow Jimmy to live with them. Although a silent film (meaning young children not yet able to read, will need the film’s dialogue read aloud to them), this version of Pollyanna still packs a punch, covering a number of Pollyanna and Jimmy’s adventures.

Watch Pollyanna, rated PG.

Based on the novel Four Children and It, Four Kids and It is a 2020 British fantasy film that sees four children in a newly blended family find a magical creature capable of granting one wish a day. The kids soon learn the creature’s wish-granting powers are only temporary and every wish granted ends at sunset. Eager to reunite their individual parents and break up their blended parents, the kids set out to learn how to make at least one wish permanent. Along the way, however, they find they like each other more than they first realized.

Watch Four Kids and It, rated PG.

After escaping from wicked NASA agents, a Mysterious Alien Creature (MAC) finds itself hiding in a minivan that belongs to Janet Cruise, a single mom raising two boys. While MAC manages to continue hiding from the family as they move to Los Angeles, he’s soon discovered by Janet’s youngest son Eric, who uses a wheelchair. While chasing the creature, Eric slides down a hill and into a lake where he would have drowned if MAC hadn’t saved him. After befriending the alien, Eric decides to help the creature reunite with his lost family.

Watch Mac & Me, rated PG.

At 13, Desi feels her life is nothing but problems. First, her family home is put up for sale. Then her struggling cartoonist dad is duped by a flirtatious, money-hungry agent. And finally, Desi, who struggles to fit in and make friends, must find a date to take to a friend’s upcoming birthday party. To help her navigate life’s challenges, Desi is sent an angel in training who helps the teen learn it’s OK to be yourself.

Watch Angel In Training, rated G.

Characters from Nickelodeon’s Rugrats collide with the cast of The Wild Thornberrys in Rugrats Go Wild, an animated adventure film that finds Tommy and Chuckie stranded on a remote island. When Tommy and Chuckie get stranded with their parents, they’re relieved to learn the Thornberry family is also on the island. But Tommy finds himself in a bit too much adventure when he and Chuckie set off with Tommy’s talking dog Spike to find Donnie and Eliza Thornberry. Can they connect with the Thornberrys before the leopard Siri gets hungry enough to eat them?

Watch Rugrats Go Wild, rated PG.

Based on characters from Jean de Brunhoff's popular Babar book series, Babar: The Movie is an animated adventure film centered around Babar’s first few days as king of the elephants. The film opens with an older Babar telling his four children a story about how on the day he became king he learned of a rhinoceros attack. Frustrated by the lengthy procedures a king must follow, Babar impatiently sets off into the jungle to confront the attacking rhinos alone. Can the new elephant king thwart off the attacking rhinos by himself or will his impatience put him into danger?

Watch Babar: The Movie, rated G.

Children who love all things Pokémon are sure to enjoy Pokémon 3: The Movie, which follows Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum as he journeys to Greenfield, a town where The Unknown, some of the most mysterious Pokémon creatures, live. When Ash’s mother is kidnapped by The Unknown, Ash and his team must battle their way through a mysterious mansion created by The Unknown to save her. Common Sense Media has recommended Pokémon 3: The Movie for children 5 and up.

Watch Pokémon 3: The Movie, G.

In Albion: The Enchanted Stallion, a 12-year-old girl is taken into an enchanted and magical kingdom of Albion on the back of a black stallion. Once there, the young girl learns she alone is the only one who can save the inhabitants of Albion from their tyrannical ruler. Common Sense Media has recommended this film for children age 10 and up due to some mild violence.

Watch Albion: The Enchanted Stallion, rated TV-PG.

For the Brandston family, one snowy day holds more than enough adventure for everyone. Snow Day stars Chevy Chase as Tom Brandston, a TV weatherman annoyed with the false reports of another flashier reporter. When Brandston’s daughter Natalie wishes for a snow day, she’s delighted to wake up and find school has been canceled. While her brother attempts to catch the attention of his school crush, Natalie and her friends hatch a plan to sabotage the work of the local snowplow in order to have a second snow day. Snow Day has been recommended by Common Sense Media for children aged 5 and up.

Watch Snow Day, rated PG.

Designed to be a sequel to the original Annie, Annie: A Royal Adventure follows Oliver Warbucks and his newly-adopted daughter Annie as they travel to England with Annie’s dog Sandy to see Daddy Warbucks knighted by the King. The gang bring along Annie’s orphan friend Molly as well as a new friend named Hannah. Once in England, the girls catch wind of an evil noblewoman’s plot to blow up Buckingham Palace while all of England’s heirs to the throne are inside for Daddy Warbuck’s knighting ceremony. Can Annie and her friends foil the woman’s evil scheme or will Annie find herself an orphan once again? Common Sense Media has recommended children 5 and younger wait to watch Annie: A Royal Adventure.

Watch Annie: A Royal Adventure, rated G.

Based on The Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this version of Hansel and Gretel see the brother and sister abandoned in the forest by their parents when a famine hits their village. The siblings soon stumble upon the house of the witch Griselda. Lured by the home’s delicious decoration, the children become prisoners of Griselda, who aims to fatten Hansel up in order to eat the young boy in a gingerbread. Common Sense Media has recommended this 1988 film version of the popular children’s fairy tale for kids 8 and up.

Watch Hansel and Gretel, rated PG-13.

Adapted from Charles Perrault’s classic fairytale, Amazon Prime’s Cinderella is a musical romance starring Camila Cabello, Billy Porter, Idina Menzel, James Corden, Minnie Driver, and more. But although this version of Cinderella still follows the general fairytale generations of children know and love, there are some differences between it and some of the more classic retellings. For example, in Amazon’s adaptation, Cinderella, or Ella, is a talented dressmaker who dreams of becoming financially independent from her wicked stepmother in order to open her own store. When Ella catches the eye of Prince Robert, he assumes the identity of a commoner in order to get close enough to her to invite her to a ball, where she can meet potential future clients. But Ella’s wicked stepmother and stepsisters ruin her dress for the ball and order her to stay home. Can her “Fabulous Godmother” help her salvage the dress and get to the ball in time? Common Sense Media recommends this adaptation of Cinderella for children ages 8 and up.

Watch Amazon Prime’s Cinderella, rated PG.

Opposite Day attempts to answer the age-old question, what if kids ruled the world? Embarrassed by his parents, young Samuel Benson uses a wishing star to wish kids ruled the world before falling asleep one night. When he awakens, Samuel and his sister find that every adult they know is acting like a child and all the children they know have become important people who run businesses. Can Samuel and his sister find a way to reverse Samuel’s wish while also keeping their own childish parents and grandparents out of trouble? Common Sense Media recommends Opposite Day for children age 7 and up.

Watch Opposite Day, rated G.

Emma Watson stars in Ballet Shoes, a British television film adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's 1936 book of the same name. The film centers on three orphans who are adopted by a traveling paleontologist and sent to live with his niece. There they are able to study at The Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, where they flourish in different mediums. Common Sense Media recommends Ballet Shoes for children ages eight and up.

Watch Ballet Shoes, rated PG.

Eleven-year-old Hope loves to dance and play softball. But when the chance to audition for a major role in The Nutcracker arrives and a dance instructor questions Hope’s level of commitment, the girl must choose between her love of ballet and her desire to play softball. Can a famous prima ballerina help Hope master the moves she needs to wow the audition judges? Hope Dances has not yet been reviewed by Common Sense Media.

Watch Hope Dances, which is not yet rated.

Although Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants is a French film, there’s little to no dialogue in the roughly one-and-a-half-hour animated movie. Instead, the film features a wealth of music and sound effects that help tell the story of the day a box of sugar sparked a war between black ants and red ants, and how a tiny ladybug helped one ant save his colony.

Watch Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants, which is not rated.

Based on the animated children’s television series from Zinkia Entertainment, Pocoyo in Cinemas sees Pocoyo, Nina, Pato, and Elly form a team of super friends. When a villain threatens to disturb the peace of Pocoyo World, only Pocoyo and his League of Super Friends can put things right. At just 50 minutes long, this colorful Pocoyo movie is perfect for younger children like preschoolers.

Watch Pocoyo in Cinemas, which has not yet been rated.

Based on the popular PBS Kids children’s TV series of a similar name, The Daniel Tiger Movie: Won’t You Be Our Neighbor follows Daniel Tiger as he learns a new family is moving into his neighborhood. Will the family have a child around his same age that he could befriend? Daniel’s family helps him welcome their new neighbors and make sure they feel at home in their new town. Common Sense Media recommends The Daniel Tiger Movie: Won’t You Be Our Neighbor for children ages 3 and up.

Watch The Daniel Tiger Movie: Won’t You Be Our Neighbor, which has not been rated.

Viola Davis stars in Amazon's Troop Zero, a family comedy centered around a spunky young girl's quest to join the Birdie Scout youth group and win the group's talent show so her voice can be included on NASA's Voyager Golden Record. While full of funny moments, the film is ultimately one about grit, perseverance, and the value of friendship. Amazon's Troop Zero is recommended for children 10 and up by Common Sense Media.

Watch Amazon's Troop Zero, rated PG.

In the animated tale of adventure that is Bold Eagels, poachers begin targeting the endangered animals living inside Eagle Park. Can a talking police car protect the park’s only eagle egg and the tiny eaglet that hatches from it, or will the bird, and the park, find themselves at the end of the line? Common Sense Media recommends Bold Eagles for children ages 6 and up.

Watch Bold Eagels, rated G.

For an indoor cat like Blanket, the outside world holds a lot of things to be afraid of. But when Blanket's adventurous son Cape sets off on a quest to find his mother in the legendary cat paradise Peachtopia he must brave the world beyond his apartment in order to find him. Because Cats does contain references to death and more than one perilous situation, Common Sense Media recommends it for children ages 9 and up.

Watch Cats, rated PG.

This Ukrainian animated tale of a princess abducted by an evil sorcerer features a humble peasant hero named Ruslan. While not your traditional white knight, Ruslan is madly in love with the princess and risks his life to save her. The Stolen Princess is recommended for families and kids of all ages by Amazon.

Watch The Stolen Princess, which has not been rated.

Directed by Masami Hata and William Hurtz and based on Winsor McCay's comic strip of the same name, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is a whimsical animated musical that center's around one boy's curious dreams. Kids will love the fun characters Nemo meets in Slumberland while his adventures (and misadventures) are sure to delight the entire family. Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is recommended for children age seven and up due to some nightmare scariness.

Watch Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, rated G.

Based on Wilson Rawls' 1961 children's novel of the same name, Where The Red Fern Grows centers around a 12-year-old boy named Billy who desperately wants a pair of dogs his family can't afford. After working multiple jobs, Billy is finally able to purchase two Redbone Coonhound pups, who he immediately trains to hunt raccoons and eventually enters into a raccoon-hunting contest. Where The Red Fern Grows is rated G but recommended by Common Sense Media for children age 9 and up due to references to death and some mild violence.

Watch Where The Red Fern Grows, rated PG.

Based on Johanna Spyri's 1881 children's book of the same name, Heidi tells the story of a young orphan sent to live with her estranged grandfather in the Swiss Alps. But when young Heidi is taken from her grandfather and sent to live as a companion to the daughter of a wealthy family in the city, she longs for her rural life in the mountains and sets out to show her new friend the beauty of her home. The film is recommended for children age seven and up by Common Sense Media.

Watch Heidi, rated G.

Although first released in 1974, Benji remains a classic family film. It follows a stray dog named Benji who wants to be adopted by the Chapman family children despite their dog-hating father. When greedy criminals kidnap the Chapman children in an effort to exchange them for ransom, Benji must do whatever is necessary to save his human friends and win their father's heart. The film is rated G and recommended by Common Sense Media for children seven and older.

Watch Benji, rated G.

Based on Norman Bridwell's beloved children's book series and the PBS Kids TV show Clifford the Big Red Dog, Clifford's Really Big Movie follows Clifford as he runs away from home to join a traveling animal circus with his friends. Common Sense Media recommends Clifford's Really Big Movie for children four and up.

Watch Clifford's Really Big Movie, rated G.

In The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Camping, Nick, Sally, and Fish are taken on a camping trip by The Cat in the Hat. Over the course of their great outdoor adventure, the gang hikes through Fickle Fern Forest, climbs Mount Weewobble, and canoes down the Tickle Drop River. While Common Sense Media has not reviewed this specific Cat in the Hat film, it has rated most other feature films based on this Dr. Seuss book series as being suitable for children as young as three or four.

Watch The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Camping, which has not yet been rated.

Based on a French children's novel by Cécile Aubry, Belle and Sebastian follows a 7-year-old orphan boy living in a small village in the French Alps that is terrorized by a mysterious beast. One day while hiking in the mountains Sebastian happens upon the beast, which turns out to be a wild and mud-coated livestock guardian dog. Over time Sebastian befriends the dog, whom he names Belle. But when Belle injures a German Nazi soldier, authorities order the dog be hunted down and killed. Can Sebastian save his friend in time and show the town the dog isn't the beast they believe it to be? Belle and Sebastian has earned Common Sense Media's Common Sense Selection seal and is recommended for children 10 and up.

Watch Belle and Sebastian, rated PG.

Fun-loving Eloise can’t help but stumble into adventure after adventure at the hotel she lives in. In Eloise At The Plaza the 6-year-old attempts to play matchmaker for her beloved nanny (played by Julie Andrews). Common Sense Media has generally rated Eloise-related movies as suitable for children older than age 4 or 5.

Watch Eloise At The Plaza, rated G.

In Camp Cool Kids, Brothers Zach and Spence find themselves on opposing teams, and in opposing friend groups, at their summer camp’s annual campgames. But can Spence find the courage to step out on his own and make new friends while standing up to the camp’s bullies? Common Sense Media recommends Camp Cool Kids for children ages 8 and up.

Watch Camp Cool Kids rated TV-PG.

As a child Tad, always dreamed of becoming a daring archeologist. What he didn’t expect, however, was for his childhood dream to come true. Although grown-up Tad works in construction, he’s mistaken for a famous professor and whisked away to an adventure in Peru in Tad: the Lost Explorer. Common Sense Media recommends this animated film for children ages 8 and up.

Watch Tad: the Lost Explorer, rated PG.

Soar to new heights — and new adventures — with Petey the fighter plane. Hot-tempered Petey must learn to be more dependable. Thankfully, his friends are willing to help. Can Petey learn the skills he needs in time to carry out the most urgent mission assigned to his Desert Sky Air Force Base? Common Sense Media recommends The Adventures of Petey and Friends for children ages 5 and up.

Watch The Adventures of Petey and Friends, which is not yet rated.