Top Ten Kids Movies of the Last Decade

Pirates of the Caribbean
Of all the movies created in the past decade, very few have the ability to completely entertain both children and adults alike. The formula for such success was written by the creators of the series of movies beanded, "Pirates of the Caribbean." Children of all ages were drawn in by the action, adventure, comedy and romance that surrounds Jack Sparrow and his entourage. The replay value of these movies is tremendous as the special effects draw the viewer into the captivating story time and time again.

Finding Nemo
The stunning beauty of the underwater world that is Finding Nemo brings people back to this fun and heart-warming story. Finding fault in the characters of finding Nemo is actually the point of this intriguing film. There are no perfect personalities in this story and that is what makes it so real and inviting. Just about anyone can identify themselves in some character of Finding Nemo. The story keeps you from the opening credits to one of the best endings in the history of film-making.

Harry Potter (Series)
This reviewer is thankful that he did not grow up in the era that was Harry Potter. The books themselves are among the thickest and heaviest in child-reading history and few stories illicit more controversy between morality factions. Mere box office statistics leave Harry Potter in a class by itself, but the stories and characters kept audiences coming back for more. Visual effects are impressive, but not quite up to par with many other movies, but this is made up for in the fan-frenzy creation of great characters and fantastic settings.

Chronicles of Narnia
Movie-making technology finally caught up with the far-reaching fantasy stories of half a century ago. Before computer graphics could be implemented to create such believable worlds, the story of Narnia had been relegated to the realm of animation. The tremendous story-telling of CS Lewis was given increased credit in this interpretation the story. Now the land of Narnia is a land worth revisiting on film, but it is still better travelled through the pages of the books.

Shrek
The casual observer might have thought that the Disney powerhouse held a monopoly on high quality children's movies, particulary those of the animated sort. That was until the big green ogre we know and love, Shrek, came upon the scene. Children love the stories for their quaint humor and high adventure. Adults love them for the parody jabs at the Disney movies of their own past. The animation is top quality that matches anything put out by the imagineers at competing studios.

Cars
Most children's movies start out a little slow and build up to the action. The opening scene and sounds of Cars immediately draws the attention of anyone in the room. Attention to detail is probably the most rewarding feature of watching this film. The story is rather elementary, but the way it is presented inspires audible awe from the audience. From pieces of rubber sticking to the "camera" as cars speed by to the "I can almost smell the rust" efffects builds on the entertainment value of Pixar's Cars.

Ice Age (Series)
Now just wait a minute! Recent memory tells us that global warming is bad, but without such an event in the past, this series would never have been possible. The latest installment of the Ice Age series does seem like it over reaches the sustainable power of parts one and two, but overall, Ice Age is a fun ad intriguing adventure of sight and sound. The storyline of all the movies seems to ebb and flow, but without the comedic interludes, they might all fall flat.

Monsters, Inc.
Another masterpiece from the Pixar braintrust continues to make children, and some adults, sleep with the lights on. It is unlikely that there is anyone who saw Monsters, Inc. that didn't at least look in their closet for some sign of a visit. This movie is also an interesting twist on renewable energy that often goes overlooked. While the real story may be the interaction between the characters and their combined adventure, the underlying story is one of alternative power. An intellectual adventure wrapped in an entertaining story, that is what viewers will find in Monsters, Inc.

Ratatouille
What child who saw Ratatouille didn't want to become a chef after seeing this film? Kitchens across the globe heated up with children's fancified notions that "anyone can cook."

WALL• E
Many children's movies in recent memory draw upon some political or environmental issue, but few venture into such topics as overtly as does Wall-e. This film pulls no punches at the over commercialized world we have come to live in and the possible effects of such overstimulated living. Even so, Wall-e is a heart-warming story with plenty of action and enough romance to entertain most audiences.