3 Nostalgic Animated Movies on Prime Video for the Family
As much fun as it is to discover new things together with the kids, nobody can deny that sharing little blasts from the past with the family can be special. Nostalgia can bring a lot of joy. Especially if your kids end up loving the relics of your childhood as much as you did when you were young.
I for one adore rediscovering the movies and books and games that I grew up with. It’s undeniably part of my personality that I like to share things with other people if I think they’ll enjoy them. And I suppose that should come as no surprise when you stop to consider what we do here on Dad Suggests. And that desire to pass on and share fun experiences is at its peak when it comes to my kids.
I’ve written before about the movies I can’t wait to share with my kids - currently 8 and 4 - and, unfortunately, I’m still waiting for most of them. But, as it turns out, I still have plenty of old, meaningful, and beloved movies that I don’t have to wait to share. And of course that’s particularly true with cartoons.
Every once in a while I’m shocked to see the cool old stuff hiding in the depths of Netflix or Hulu or Prime Video. And quite recently my kids and I hit what I consider to be quite the treasure trove of animated movies on Prime Video in particular. In just the last few months we’ve rediscovered 3 of my most beloved cartoons from childhood. And I’m happy to report that they were all very big hits - especially with my 8-year-old son.
Now, even though all 3 of these movies were made almost 10 years apart, I experienced all of them at just about the same time of my childhood. I was old enough to store them in my memory bank, but young enough to get foggy on many of the details over the last 30 years. In other words, they were right in the sweet spot for an incoming wave of nostalgia when I watched them with the kids.
The best case scenario is that one of these movies is swirling around in your own personal memories of childhood. Ideally you’ve long forgotten about their existence and a light bulb will come on at their mention. Of course this would make sharing them with the kiddos all the more special. But, I assure you, even if you’ve never seen these movies, they’re bound to still be a hit with the family.
Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links that will take you to view the movies’ listings on Prime Video.
3 Animated Movies to Discover on Prime Video
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)
Based on the comic strip by cartoonist Winsor McCay - Little Nemo was a Japanese-American fantasy film that completely captured my imagination as a little guy. There was also a Little Nemo video game for the NES that has its own place in my heart - and that my sweet wife tracked down to give me last Christmas.
The movie is truly spectacular, with an exciting story and wonderful characters. It’s one of my favorite animated fantasies of all time. At some times the formula of bumping into new, strange friends and trying to rescue loved ones reminds me of Labyrinth. And at the very least that comparison will give you a sense of the positive feelings this great cartoon stirs up.
And there’s this one moment that burned the movie into my memory, when Nemo uses a key on a secret door he was never supposed to open - and unleashes the nightmares behind it. For decades it was basically all I could remember of the movie, and it’s adorable to see my son now shouting at the screen for Nemo not to open the door.
Unico in the Island of Magic (1983)
Unico is burned into my memory for a very different reason. From a kid’s perspective, this movie can be absolutely haunting - in a good way of course. There are 2 Unico animes to enjoy, but In the Island of Magic is the one that sticks with me, because the main villain, Lord Kuruku, is running around turning humans and animals into living dolls.
Our protagonist Unico, on the other hand, is a soft-spoken baby unicorn with the power to make other living creatures lighthearted and happy, and he’s basically just trying to find his place in the world. It’s impossible not to fall in love with him. And he’s also by no means the only character to fall in love with in the movie. There is undoubtedly some spectacular imagination on display in the character creation.
Quite frankly, Lord Kuruku is one of the creepiest villains of my childhood (Toooby… You’re not being lazy again are you, Toby?) but I’ve also always enjoyed creepy things - so you might want to watch this one before the kids! But the thing is, the scariness was a complete non-issue with my kids. Unico himself is the most adorable and sweetest little unicorn you’ve ever seen - so it’s really the wildest juxtaposition. And ultimately it’s just a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting adventure movie. My son was on board for the whole thing, and my 4-year-old was in for the Unico parts, and under the cover for Lord Kuruku.
The Point (1971)
The great Harry Nilsson released the music of The Point on an album which he narrated himself in 1970. Shortly after its release, he turned the story and the music into a magnificent animated movie narrated by Ringo Starr, and it’s nearing it’s 50th anniversary. The most memorable song, “Me and My Arrow”, peaked at number 34 in the Billboard Top 100 - which is remarkable when you think about it, because never have I once thought of it as a single to be played on the radio. It’s indelibly tied in my head to the simple narration of one my favorite children’s movies.
The Point tells the story of Oblio, who is born without a point on his head. The problem is that everyone and everything has a point in the Land of Point. For a while, Oblio wears a pointed hat to try to fit in with the others, but, eventually he’s banished from town and into the pointless forest. Along the way, he runs into a great many very creative and imaginative characters. This is the 70s after all - and we are talking about Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr.
Undoubtedly the highlight is Nilsson’s amazing music, and that alone is reason enough to share it with the kids. For that reason, it’s also a lot of fun to simply listen to the original album with the kids, and hear Nilsson himself narrate the story like an audio book. Both of my kids were very engaged listening to it that way too. But the animation definitely has a lot of zany charm to it, and it really drives home the sweet philosophy of the story quite well. And you probably know exactly what I’m talking about if you’re seeing a picture of Oblio and Arrow for the first time in 30 or 40 years - remembering what a special pair that boy and his dog make.
Are there any movies from your childhood that you couldn’t wait to share with the kids? Have you rediscovered any of them recently? Did the kids like them? Let us know in the comments!
