Five Animated Movies that Are Funny and Family Friendly

There are a lot of animated movies, and some of them are quite good, but it is hard to find one that is truly for the entire family, where the parents won't be bored and the little ones won't be traumatized (or at least taught some really annoying, inappropriate words and behavior). Here are five animated movies that are funny and family friendly!

The Emperor's New Groove - This story, made in 2000, of an arrogant Emperor who is turned in to a llama that learns compassion through a simple peasant reminds me of the old cartoons, with wit and energy in place of gross out, lazy "jokes." Kronk, played by the incomparable Patrick Warburton, is a hoot, and Eartha Kitt as Yzma is a definite surprise. The story is well told and worth hearing, and the whole family will enjoy the humor together.

Madagascar - This 2005 animated movie features zoo animals in New York who dream of life in the wild, with no clear understanding of what that entails. They escape, and end up in a Madagascar inhabited by lemurs. Here they must learn to survive. The movie is full of gags spoofing other movies, and the penguins steal the show.

Flushed Away - Flushed Away, made in 2006, may not be the best title for a family friendly animated movie, but Roddy, the mouse "in the gilded cage" in this movie is literally flushed down his own potty after being tricked by Syd, the sewer rat, leading to an incredible adventure down below. Don't give up on it too quickly, and watch for all the sight gags along the way. The singing slugs are, believe it or not, a highlight, and the french frogs and the Mime with the phone are not to be missed! It's zany, British-style humor, and perhaps it's not for everyone, but I found it so funny that I'm surprised if someone doesn't!

How to Train Your Dragon - A sweet, witty 2010 animated movie about a skinny geek of a Viking lad, who just wants to be "like everybody else." However, his size alone guarantees that won't happen, and his interests tend more to brains than brawn. He is sure that if he can just kill one of the dragons that plague his village, he'll be popular at last. He actually does manage to wound one of the more elusive dragons and finds himself empathizing with it more than he would like. Meanwhile, he begins dragon killing classes with his peers, and between studying his wounded dragon and applying the things he learns to the dragons he's being trained to kill, slowly realizes there is truly a better way. How he finally convinces his friends, and more importantly, his father, is a charming little tale, and one I highly recommend.

Despicable Me - This 2010 film is funny on so many levels. It is reminiscent of the old, clever cartoons, like Rocky and Bullwinkle. (Imagine if Boris Badenov reformed!) It also incorporates lots of spoofs of other movies, such as Mission Impossible, Star Wars, Saturday Night Fever, and the James Bond films. There's a little bit of Munsters or Adam's Family as well. Also, it has a really sweet story at the heart of it, about a would-be bad guy in a quest to be the criminal mastermind of the world, who is transformed by three little orphan girls. This film, despite the title, is harmless and one children will love. The story is sweet, the sight gags and truly clever lines never stop and the "violence" is the cartoon variety where the injured party pops back up relatively unharmed. `

These five funny, family friendly, animated movies are well worth seeing with your whole family, because they have enough harmless humor and stories with heart for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Source: Personal Experience

The Internet Movie Database