The 1980s has a pretty fair claim to the title of "Cinema's Best Decade." Were the 1930s, '50s, and '70s loaded with artistic classics? Sure. But the '80s had everything from Aliens and The Terminator to Chopping Mall and Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, and God bless it for possessing such outlandish diversity.
Not every one of the decade's films were notable (not even all the famous ones, Flashdance), but there's a pretty massive collection of films that any budding film fan must take in at least once. These are the '80s definitive films, at least those that are appropriate for kiddos.
20 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Irvin Kershner's sublime follow-up to George Lucas' Star Wars somehow manages to be just as effective as that masterpiece. The Empire Strikes Back is the definitive example of how a franchise should expand its mythology. From Hoth and Boba Fett to the legendary twist, it's a movie that never stops short of being fully compelling.
It's also a movie that appeals to everyone, to an impressive degree. If looking at the film in terms of thematic richness, it's definitely a narrative tailored to adults. And, yet, like the remainder of the original trilogy, it has macro-scale appeal. The Empire Strikes Back isn't just one of the '80s best sci-fi movies, it's one of the '80s best movies period.
19 Airplane! (1980)
The ultimate spoof film, Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers' Airplane! is as laugh out loud funny now as it was over 40 years ago. That said, there are some jokes that certainly couldn't be filmed now. At least not in a PG rated film.
There's also an instance of nudity, so parents concerned about a shot of a woman's breasts should be on the lookout. Even still, it's the film that popularized the cinematic satire, and it's required viewing. There are also so many jokes in the movie that it's almost impossible for at least a dozen of them not to land with the children (Even if, hopefully, they're not going to understand the inflatable pilot visual gag).
18 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark is the perfect adventure film. And like many PG-rated classics of the time, it has some scenes that might be a bit much for the youngest kiddos in the audience. For instance, the death of Alfred Molina's character towards the opening of the film and the face-melting, head-exploding deaths of the three antagonists towards the end.
But Raiders is one of the few perfect movies, and it's certainly one of those works any kid remotely interested in the arts should sit and watch. While they're at it, give Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade a shot as well.
17 Superman II (1981)
While Richard Donner's 2006 director's cut is far different (and superior), Richard Lester's version of Superman II that hit theaters in 1981 is solid all the same. The initial run of Superman films have nothing that should offend or frighten viewers, and there are even some good messages strewn about.
That is, in the first two films. Superman III is a cluttered mess and 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace represents the decade's use of cheese in all the worst ways. It's not that the latter two are inappropriate, they're just very skippable. Even still, at least kids can take in a double feature of Superman: The Movie and Superman II, and considering they were shot simultaneously and directly connect, it's probably for the best to just keep it at the two anyway.
Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was a full-on event back in 1982. Like Titanic, it basically played on the big screen for an entire year, with people catching their third, fourth, or even fifth viewing. It's a timeless classic, a movie that carries the visuals of an '80s work but with an air that can simply be called 'Special.' In other words, there will never come a generation of kids who wouldn't feel moved by E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it's certainly a movie that knows how to go for the heartstrings.
It's just important that, especially on the first viewing, the watcher selects the original version. The less said about the heavily-edited early aughts re-release, the better. Fortunately, home media releases of the film have since favored the original version, making the touched-up version a Blu-ray extra at most.
15 Poltergeist (1982)
A little mixture of Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg, there are certainly moments in Poltergeist that will scare the heck out of younger kids (not that watching a man tear his own face off is pleasant for adults, either). But, a few harmless chills are good for a growing ticket buyer.
Hooper's film (which Spielberg produced, but there's always been a floating rumor he co-directed it) perfectly captures the middle class family with the Freelings, and their bond will be palpable to children and adults alike. So to see that loving family dynamic ripped apart will be equally effective, also to every age demo.
14 Ghostbusters (1984)
A genre-blender that stands as a masterclass on how to do so, Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters is also one of the most quoted and beloved films of all time. Admittedly, there's some stuff in it that makes it a difficult choice for a group of elementary schoolers, but fortunately the movie's sexual innuendo and situations are so subtle it's doubtful they'd pick up on it.
But there are also some hellhounds, a librarian ghost, and Slimer. No kid will be afraid of Slimer, but the hellhounds are to the '80s what the Flying Monkeys were to the '30s. So for the kids prone to nightmares, let Ghostbusters sit on the shelf for a few years, but do make sure to show it. It wouldn't hurt to show them Ghostbusters: Afterlife and, presumably, its now-delayed sequel.
13 Gremlins (1984)
If there's any film absolutely begging for a legacy sequel, it's Joe Dante's Gremlins, one of the most horrific (and entertaining) Christmas films ever to grace the silver screen. Like much of the remainder of Dante's filmography, Gremlins is a film that straddles the line in being geared towards children or adults, with a skewing towards the former.
But the film is rated PG (in fact, along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, it's the reason why there is a PG-13) and there's nothing that will scar children...too badly. For the kids out there who are en route to horror fandom, Gremlins is one of the key starting points.
12 The Karate Kid (1984)
Rocky director John G. Avildsen did for martial arts in The Karate Kid what he did for boxing in that earlier classic. Specifically, he turned a sport into a heartfelt money printer.
The film generated nearly $131 million on a budget of just $8 million, making the film one of the decade's bigger sleeper hit family movies. It also kicked off a franchise that continues to this day with the wildly successful Netflix series Cobrai Kai.
11 Back to the Future (1985)
A movie that manages to be both a product of its own time and another, Robert Zemeckis' genius but bizarre Back to the Future is almost certainly the best movie to feature a mom hitting on her own unborn son. With note perfect performances from the cast and comparably strong chemistry between them, it's one of the hardest ensembles (and, vicariously, films) to find fault with.
There's some language in Back to the Future that might make some parents want to cover their kids' ears, but otherwise it's an innocuous affair. And, regardless of age or the viewer's genre proclivity, it's an experience they're unlikely to forget, even if they're not actually the ones moving at eighty-eight miles per hour.
10 The Goonies (1985)
The Goonies are good enough for kids on movie night, without a doubt. Admittedly, the character of Sloth is regrettable now, but he's simultaneously a lovable character and a big part of the film's '80s vibe appeal.
A lot about the film works, from the trio of antagonistic performances (which aren't too scary for the youngest in the room) to the music and cinematography. But what makes it work so well for the kids of the world is its tone, which is light enough to be involving but realistic enough to not be condescending. Not to mention the seven kids (of varying ages) who lead the film, all of whom provide performances that not only make viewers believe in their lifelong camaraderie, but feel involved in the narrative and kinship themselves.
9 Top Gun (1986)
Top Gun isn't going to be a great choice for the six-year-olds in the audience, but for a 12-year-old it's a solid choice. Of course, Top Gun: Maverick has since been almost universally considered the better (and less misogynist) film, and it's equally required viewing.
But Tony Scott's 1986 original is still one of its decade's definitive movies. And what child can grow into adulthood without having their heart broken by Goose's death?
8 Crocodile Dundee (1986)
Crocodile Dundee, starring Paul Hogan, was not just a massive success at the box office. It was a movie that captured the zeitgeist and introduced terms into the American lexicon that only recently graciously seem to have exited for good.
The film, led by charming work from one-time real-life couple Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski, is an endearing time at the movies and features no content that will prove off-putting for the younger set. The film doesn't even lose steam once it leaves the outback for New York City. So it stands to reason kids won't lose interest even though there are fewer Crocodiles in the latter half than there is time spent on Dundee's love life.
7 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Like fellow John Hughes movie Uncle Buck, Ferris Bueller's Day Off should appeal to every demo, but it's not a film younger kids are likely to understand in full. Yet, for those who can understand the machinations of a coming-of-age story, they don't get much better than Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
With fourth wall breaks, parades, and faked illnesses, Ferris Bueller shows audiences how to push away responsibility and kick back. He's not the best influence for kids, but at least Ferris isn't of the cruel sort. He's just kind of a goof.
6 Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Is Planes, Trains & Automobiles rated R? Yes. But, like My Cousin Vinny, it "earns" that rating solely through the usage of the oh-so-dreaded "F word." In other words, there's nothing in Planes, Trains & Automobiles that any given kid can't hear on the street on any given day.
And, chances are, they hear it on any given day more times than Steve Martin spouts it during his rant. Planes, Trains & Automobiles isn't some crass R-rated comedy, it's a heartwarming bonding tale that several times shows a character's very real and forgivable frustration.
5 Big (1988)
Penny Marshall's charming Big has some stuff in it that might be inappropriate for super young kids (e.g. discussions of sex and a few expletives), but for the most part it's a film tailored to everyone. The Tom Hanks starring classic is one of the '80s best, and at the very least it's a film with an ingenious concept.
But the advanced-aging concept wouldn't work were the adult child not played by the right adult actor, and Hanks was the right adult actor. His altered form of 12-year-old Josh Baskin is as lovable and joyous as any kid learning about the world, and his enthusiasm will prove infectious for all in the audience, regardless of age. Like other coming of age films, there's some stuff in Big that might go a bit over the younger set's heads, but watching Baskin navigate his predicament with his buddy (when they're not eating candy, drinking booze, and jumping on beds) is fun enough to carry them through.
4 Beetlejuice (1988)
The most Tim Burton film to ever come from Tim Burton, Beetlejuice is an interesting and utterly unique dark comedy with a standout performance from Michael Keaton. Like with any other exploration of Burton's mind, Beetlejuice is loaded with macabre imagery and dark humor, and while that may prove off-putting to some single-digit-aged viewers, Winona Ryder's Lydia Deetz is a perfect similarly-aged window into the narrative's chaos.
She's not exactly a straightwoman character (one who is a totally average person who then gets dragged into the events of a narrative), she's a little more unique and interesting, like Burton himself. The straight person characters would be Geena Davis' and Alec Baldwin's Barbara and Adam Maitland, and while the deaths of the two very likable characters early on could prove scary, their immediate and bizarre resurrection should prove enough to get kids on board with some of the film's impending outlandishly dark (yet silly) moments.
3 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
It's not fair to say Robert Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger Rabbit walked so films like Space Jam could run, because Roger Rabbit was and remains a partially-animated cut above. A very loose adaptation of the 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, Zemeckis' live-action and animation hybrid is more focused on satirizing the industry of which it's a part.
The film also possesses a pretty compelling mystery at its core, and it's one that should appeal to kids just as much as adults. That said, the younger set needs to prepare themselves for some nightmares featuring Christopher Lloyd's Judge Doom.
2 Field of Dreams (1989)
There's perhaps no better movie for fathers to show their sons than Field of Dreams. It's a sports film that isn't quite about sports, lending it a macro-scale appeal that hasn't diminished even after decades.
Kevin Costner is entirely in his All-American element as baseball fan Ray Kinsella, a farmer who realizes his cornfield holds the magical property of bringing back dead athletes for a game or two. But then there's James Earl Jones as Terence Mann, an author who once heard the voices Ray's hearing. Lastly, there's standout work from Amy Madigan and the late Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson, both of whom bring as much warmth (and range) to the project as Jones and Costner.
1 Batman (1989)
Just one year after director Tim Burton and actor Michael Keaton were bringing undead swindler Beetlejuice to life they were leading the charge on one of the 1980s' biggest movies. And, in terms of anticipation, Batman was almost certainly the biggest movie of the '80s.
People turned out in droves for it, allowing adults to feel like children and for children to imagine themselves as Batman in the most big-budget and mainstream way yet. And even with dozens of superhero films released in its wake, almost none of the impact of 1989's trendsetting origin story has been diminished.
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