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How Movie Monsters Help Kids
Beasts are bad guys, right? Not always. Movie monsters get a bad rap, but they often have positive qualities that help kids learn good things. With monsters, kids can focus on the character's inner beauty and learn how emotional qualities can trump physical appearance -- making them into lovable giants. Also, movie monsters are imperfect, which makes them relatable to kids.
Make use of movie monsters to help guide kids towards positive behavior -- like being a good friend, making good choices, reporting bullies, and working together.
But even nice monsters can sometimes be scary to little kids, so use our movie reviews when deciding what to watch.
The Best Beasts in the Biz
Monsters, Inc., Age 5
Sully
By exposing Monsters, Inc.'s cynical tactics, Sully upends the Monstropolis power grid from an unsustainable model of fear mongering to an infinitely renewable resource: laughs.
Beauty and the Beast, Age 5
Beast
Destined
to a life of hideous loneliness, Beast is rescued by love, proving that
anyone can learn the basics of humanity: kindness, compassion, and a
killer waltz.
My Neighbor Totoro, Age 5
Totoro
The
enormous magical sprite serves as a comfort to two sisters whose mother
is sick. Through Totoro, their worries are replaced with strength and
hope.
The Iron Giant, Age 6
Robot
Against
the backdrop of the Cold War, this towering, monosyllabic bone-crusher
serves as a symbol of individual choice -- specifically, the ability to
know right from wrong ... and choose what's right.
Pete's Dragon, Age 7
Elliot the Dragon
With
the ability to make himself invisible, Elliot is the friend who's
always there when you need him. And even though he blunders, his good
deeds and selflessness outshine his clumsiness.
Harry and the Hendersons, Age 7
Harry, aka Bigfoot
His
violent rampages mask a heart of gold, and in the end this hairy beast
and his loving captors learn the message of self-help posters
everywhere: If you love something, set it free.
Monsters vs. Aliens, Age 7
B.O.B
This
gooey one-eyed monster may not be the brightest bulb, but his
so-dumb-it-might-actually-work ideas help his merry band of monsters
defeat the bad guys, proving in the end that there's -- ahem -- no "I"
in team.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Age 7
E.T.
E.T.
gives Elliot's life purpose, and he leaves the lonely little boy with a
very special lesson: the gift of knowing when to sacrifice your own
needs for someone else's benefit.
Where the Wild Things Are, Age 9
Carol
His
unattainable desire for perfection drives him to tantrums -- just like
a kid. But through his childish behavior, he shows that patience,
acceptance, and realistic expectations, both for yourself and others,
can lead to happiness.
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Age10
Yoda
The
unlikely looking Jedi Master with a penchant for re-ordering subjects
and verbs teaches that believing in yourself and trusting your
abilities can give you the confidence to take on the world.
Who are your favorite movie monsters?
There are 7 community opinions on this topic
Ahh, I remember The Iron Giant, that has to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I used to watch it at my grandparents house each and every time I went there.
I love the tale 'Beauty and the Beast'. The story was created so long ago, but it weaves a moral like no other story.
i love all of these movies! i agree with the statement about sully. he is a kind caring loveable and hard working monster. he is a great role model
I'm w/ Bloody Gorgeous. Iron Giant is one of the great mis-promoted movies of all time. If Warner Bros. had understood what a gem they had in this movie, it would have been a huge hit. Instead, it has become a cult film.
As a parent, the messages are all good. Be wary of authority figures if your heart tells you something different, violence as response to injustice just breeds more violence, families may be complicated but when they are bound by love they can overcome anything, etc. In addition, it is a visual treat and for someone who remembers those nuclear "training" films, a wonderfully complicated trip to my past.
We all know now that Brad Bird is a genius, but if he had only made this one film, we would still be convinced of that.
I love the iron giant. It had a lot of meaning in it. Oh gosh, and I am so sick of Monsters Inc. It was an OK movie, but after I watching about a million times, I can't stand the sight of it anymore. Way to ruin a movie, right?
oh my.... These are all good movies. Totoro is one my favorite kid's movies, and I'm old and I really enjoyed it (I was like 12 when I first watched it) but I wish common sense wouldn't consider them beasts, mosters rather, cause they're spirits and not beasts or monsters. =)
There was a book, "The Official Godzilla Compendium", now unfortunately both out of date and our of print, which included a guest essay, "Godzilla as a Parenting Tool" by a Ph.D. social psychologist. He presented a six-point argument as to the positive values we pass to our children from Godzilla movies. Succinctly, the six were: 1) real vs. pretend; 2) helping others; 3) the importance of family; 4) the importance of the environment; 5) the importance of courage; and 6) how to take care of things that are important to us. It's a well thought out and well-written article that would lead me to add Godzilla to the likes of Beast and the Iron Giant.