The Movie: Lucas and Spielberg wanted a Boys' Own adventure. They got one. Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones is a one-man action rollercoaster, and not even Crystal Skull can curb his appeal to child adventurers everywhere.
Moment That Stuck In The Memory: Dodging poison arrows, scampering under closing stone doors, outrunning a giant boulder… What an entrance!
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Comments
Heisenberg
Jan 16th 2012, 8:58
So this is basically just a random list of movies, as technically they all would of been from at least one persons childhood? And The Goonies didn't even make the top 20? *sad face*
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QuietLife
Jan 16th 2012, 8:59
I count 48, not 50...
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Bandit1
Jan 16th 2012, 9:30
Firstly: "You loved'em as kids....", well, how can that be if movies from 2009 are on the list. If some people match this...they will very likely still be kids now 2-3 years later. Some good calls though on "Ghostbusters", "Big", "BTTF", "Indy" and "Star Wars". But I LOVED Convoy and Smokey and the Bandit as a kid...and still love them the same...maybe even more. Btw, in "School Of Rock" Jack Blacks school-band does not win at the end....
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sashurst
Jan 16th 2012, 10:03
@Heisenberg The list was voted for by our social media pals, with some entries chucked in by us lot in the office. @Bandit1 We're guessing some people voted on behalf of their own children, which is why 2009 films have made the grade. Either that or films like Up appeal to our inner kid. And Jack Black's band don't win the comp, but (spoiler) it's a moral victory all the same :) @QuietLife Thanks for pointing it out, it's a system glitch. We're on it, expect two more entries to appear very soon!
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FBMKristengaa
Jan 16th 2012, 10:45
No Land Before Time? Outrageous!
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KingofSpain
Jan 16th 2012, 11:51
Agree with @FBMKristengaa - Land Before Time should be a cert for a list such as this. Same goes for An American Tail, Gremlins, Innerspace and Moonwalker.
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Hadouken76
Jan 16th 2012, 11:58
no 1986 Transformers:The Movie? (Optimus? Noooo!) Flight of Dragons? (Smrgl! Noooo!) Watership Down (hazel! Nooo!) .God , my childhood was one big trauma.
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spunkbag
Jan 16th 2012, 12:20
No monster squad, no short circuit, no flight of the navigator, no space camp and no young Sherlock Holmes what a load of c**p
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Murphy0806
Jan 16th 2012, 12:54
@hadouken Gorbash was my hero as a child. @s***kbag I watched Monster Squad again last year and it wasn't quite as good as I remembered (wolfman's got nards is still a great line tho and I believe i heard the term chickens**t for the first time watching it). Aladdin should have been in there and there are a few omissions already mentioned. Saying that I did watch Robocop when I was 9 so my view on childhood films may be a little skewed.
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QuietLife
Jan 16th 2012, 13:45
Good additional entries TF! Loving the Flight of the Navigator appreciation. Also, this article has reminded me how much I fancied Bill's step-mum Missy when I was younger!!
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SiMan
Jan 16th 2012, 13:47
What makes a good family-friendly film is that they don't talk down to the younger audience. Just compare the first two home alone films (2 idiotic but genuinely dangerous villains) to the later sequels (villains who are just idiots). Films that don't presume children need everything to be spelled out for them. I do wish Labyrinth was higher on this list though - love that film. Also, how many of us got to watch films like Die Hard and even Predator when we were growing up. Those films that were still violent, but had a lot of the graphic stuff edited out for TV. Does that even happen any more?
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a7sox
Jan 16th 2012, 14:47
Well this is a completely necessary nitpick but I can't help myself. The kids don't win the battle of the bands in School of Rock
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2Dglasses
Jan 16th 2012, 15:46
Wasnt it Ben Gardners boat and head? If we're talking kids films, maybe *batteries not included too? although i suppose it didnt actually have any kids in it. Good shout on Innerspace too.
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KingofSpain
Jan 16th 2012, 17:54
Oh, and how could I forget?? Turner and Hooch! Essential childhood viewing.
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Hadouken76
Jan 16th 2012, 19:10
Strange to see To kill a Mockingbird there, being in black and white and a courtroom would of bored me senseless as a kid, maybe it was shown in school. Yeah Murphy006, of all things that deserve a remake its that (from the people that brought us How to train your dragon). SiMan its all downloads and netflix nowadays, no sneaking a peak at parents video / dvd collection. The Explorers was my first VHS experience. Still ace. Silent Running... sad little robot gardener..*sobs*. Okay thats enough.
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lonea
Jan 16th 2012, 21:23
Okay, where is The Neverending Story?!
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nkutzler
Jan 16th 2012, 21:41
Lion King: "Good job he knows Hakuna Matata". WHAT?! And Incredibles is #1. There's no arguing that.
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theGlimmerTwin
Jan 16th 2012, 22:39
Good list, but the lack of 'Dark Crystal' is quite frankly criminal! Excellent shout on Flight of the Navigator however, loved that film :) In you're including Innerspace (which is a winner) then I think you have to include War Games as well.
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deedeedragons
Jan 17th 2012, 0:25
Iron Giant (like always) should be higher. Some choices here are odd to say the least....
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FBMMccurdy
Jan 17th 2012, 2:37
No monster squad? no princess bride ?? come on now surely......
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spunkbag
Jan 17th 2012, 9:47
Murphy0806 I recorded monster squad off sky last year and still love that film as do my 3 kids and my wife. I just wish it had been released on DVD in the uk, especially the American special edition. Good shout on never ending story as well
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KingofSpain
Jan 17th 2012, 16:03
Couple more - Cool Runnings and Mrs Doubtfire.
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DanRose
Jan 18th 2012, 13:17
Not sure who's childhood this is all from but nice list nevertheless. I always remember watching this film about a bunch of kids who discover something in the lake... think its a monster. Aussie movie... Think it was called Frog's Dreaming?? Anyone remember it? I was fascinated by the creature in the lake that turned out to be something completely harmless... also Monster Squad was brilliant and still is, Never Ending Story, Princess Bride and Dark Crystal should be there... Am early 30's... Also Goonies No. 1... Easily
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DanRose
Jan 18th 2012, 13:23
Oh the Bride is there... ok, but no Short Circuit, Watership Down, Flight of the Dragons, and most you guys have mentioned. Murphy0806. Robocop was the first 18 I saw, must have been around 9ish too... I hope your name is some kind of homage to the great cop...
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Ramirez
Jan 18th 2012, 21:09
Entry no 37, actual spoiler, School of Rock DON'T win battle of the bands. They do learn several life lessons and become much better people though. They do get called back by the crowd for the encore.
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Ramirez
Jan 18th 2012, 21:15
No Big Trouble in Little China either. Not angry, just disappointed.
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MrScary
Jan 19th 2012, 18:05
"@Bandit1 We're guessing some people voted on behalf of their own children, which is why 2009 films have made the grade." What about a film from 2011; Super 8? That was a great film, but no one who visits this site can truthfully claim it was a great film from their childhood. It isn't even 12 months old yet. I think a better list for that to be on would be "Best Films ABOUT Childhood", along with The Goonies, Stand By Me, Home Alone, The Sandlot, etc., etc.
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bazman05
Jan 21st 2012, 14:06
Common, Star Wars? I hated it when I was a kid and am not fond of it now. I guess you were always destined to be geeks from a young age. You have some excellent choices in that list and then you blow it all with your number 1.
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Shane35007
Mar 7th 2012, 4:45
Bummer deal, no "Sandlot"....seems like an oversight
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cc1129
Apr 12th 2012, 7:29
The character in JAWS was named Ben Gardner, not Ben Willis.
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