I have 2 younger kids - girl 9 and boy 7 who are mad about Star Wars. I am looking to broaden their Sci-Fi horizons, and looking for family friendly suggestions from the group.
I was thinking that the old Charlton Heston movie 'Planet Of the Apes' would be a good start.
Any other ideas?
Thanks in advance!
Hmm, do they enjoy fantasy too? Harry Potter might be a good choice - not Sci-Fi of course. Oh, there's this other Sci-Fi TV series that started back in the 1960's too. Now what was that called?
Quote from: Rico on September 08, 2009, 12:07:01 PM
Hmm, do they enjoy fantasy too? Harry Potter might be a good choice - not Sci-Fi of course. Oh, there's this other Sci-Fi TV series that started back in the 1960's too. Now what was that called?
Good idea about HP. The 9 year old is on Book 5, and the 7 year old laboring through Book 4 (I say with pride!).
TOS is an excellent idea! ((why didn't I think of that!))
That's about the age I get into TOS, or a couple years older. Even try the animated Trek series too.
Over labour day weekend the Space channel up here had a "Trek remastered" marathon. I caught a few with my wife (City on the Edge of Forever, Amok Time, etc) and it actually convinced her to watch through them with me!
So TOS doesn't just appeal to kids. :)
Good job Joe! Now is the time to strike! With Trek being "cool" now to those that didn't know, it's ALWAYS been cool! ;)
LOL. We've watched every other series from start to finish, so she is most definitely a fan. The problem with TOS is she couldn't see past the effects a lot of the time. With the enhanced episodes she was able to look past it and see the show for what it is.
I just need to show her a few more scenes of 60's The Shat getting his shirt ripped. :)
"City on the Edge of Forever" is just such an amazing episode with very little need for effects. I defy anyone who likes heart wrenching drama to watch that episode and not be moved.
Exactly, though she kind of giggled when they jumped out of the guardian in slo mo at the end.
Well, at risk of sounding like a stuck record, have you thought about something light hearted...a sci-fi comedy maybe.....perhaps a Red Dwarf or two?
Only ask as I have 2 daughters. A 6 year old and a 10 year old. I told them that they could stop up to watch the RD Easter specials if they had watched all the previous series of Dwarf. They did and they loved it.
Though the wife got a bit upset at the shoe shop when my 6 year old started telling the assisstant about the end of the Backwards episode when Cat goes for a ............anyway-we were saying...?
Quote from: Rico on September 08, 2009, 12:07:01 PM
Hmm, do they enjoy fantasy too? Harry Potter might be a good choice - not Sci-Fi of course. Oh, there's this other Sci-Fi TV series that started back in the 1960's too. Now what was that called?
Ummmmmm....
Quote from: bromptonboy on September 08, 2009, 11:56:10 AM
I have 2 younger kids - girl 9 and boy 7 who are mad about Star Wars. I am looking to broaden their Sci-Fi horizons, and looking for family friendly suggestions from the group.
I was thinking that the old Charlton Heston movie 'Planet Of the Apes' would be a good start.
Any other ideas?
Thanks in advance!
There's all sorts of kid friendly sci-fi. What about animation? Close Encounters? There are quite a few series/movies from the time of Star Wars. I can't remember when I saw POTA but I think I was in my teens.
Also, some of those 80's movies like "The Goonies", "Explorers", "Flight of the Navigator", "Short Circuit", etc. might be good too
Excellent suggestions. I am glad I consulted the hive-mind, since I forgot about The Goonies. I'll ad that to the Netflix queue along with Planet of the Apes (old school one, none of this Markey Mark nonsense in my house! :) ), and perhaps Forbidden Planet for starters.
That's hard. I wouldn't recommend TOS to kids that age. I tried it and they were put off by the graphics. Enterprise has a better chance.
Here are a few that have worked with the kids around me:
Flight of the Navigator
*batteries not included
E.T.
The Last Mimzy
Willow (not Sci-fi but timeless)
The New Star Trek
Titan A.E.
Treasure Planet
The Middle Man
Believe it or not, the Power Rangers have also stoked the Sci-fi furnace in the kids as well. Now, the daughter is migrating to Aaron Stone and Clone wars, but you get the point.
I'd really recommend Star Trek: The Next Generation. I think I was about that age, maybe a little younger when I got into it. When I was that age it was my favorite show. I later came round to TOS, then I got into lots of other great Scifi series.
We have a number of good sci fi shows for kids down under, Ocean Girl and The Girl from Tommorrow being two of them but there are a heap of others. You can still get the Girl From Tommorrow on DVD and its worth watching (I did with my 5 recently) for the 80's haircuts and computers run on 5 1/4 inch disks... Now those were the days. I would also add in there Short Curcuit. My kids watched it 4-5 times in a row.
I have a few suggestions:
The old "Lost in Space" tv shows, and then the movie.
Dexters Laboratory (My two kids loved it).
The Secret of NiMH.
The Last Starfighter.
Small Soldiers (I had to watch that one with them at least eight times)
Last StarFighter is a good call. Let them see the original before the remake is unleashed on us all.
Watched the Goonies last night with them - they enjoyed that quite a lot. Thanks for the suggestion (I had forgotten about that one).
The old Battlestar Galactica is really cool for a kid. Those shiny metal bots spouting "by your command" good stuff - Buck Rogers in the 25th Century if you can handle all the spandex. :) :cylon
I loved Galactica as a kid. I won't watch it now as it won't live up to my memory.
Did you guys get Lost in Space in the UK? I am thinking about getting those DVD's from netflix for the kids.
You know, I realized that there were three or four sci-fi/fantasy franchises that I enjoyed before I joined the geeky fold. If they haven't watched them already, I would really recommend Disney's Gargoyles TV series, Jim Henson's Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Disney's version of Stargate), and the quintessential fairy-tale movie The Princess Bride
Now that I am a little more experienced in the geek side, I too would recommend Star Trek: TNG. Oh, and Doctor Who, of course. :)
Quote from: KC on October 17, 2009, 03:09:55 PM
You know, I realized that there were three or four sci-fi/fantasy franchises that I enjoyed before I joined the geeky fold. If they haven't watched them already, I would really recommend Disney's Gargoyles TV series, Jim Henson's Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Disney's version of Stargate), and the quintessential fairy-tale movie The Princess Bride
Now that I am a little more experienced in the geek side, I too would recommend Star Trek: TNG. Oh, and Doctor Who, of course. :)
"The Dark Chrystal" is a great suggestion. A very under-rated movie. The puppetry and effects were fantastic. Should've been a sequel to that one.
Quote from: ChadH on October 18, 2009, 08:57:34 PM
Quote from: KC on October 17, 2009, 03:09:55 PM
You know, I realized that there were three or four sci-fi/fantasy franchises that I enjoyed before I joined the geeky fold. If they haven't watched them already, I would really recommend Disney's Gargoyles TV series, Jim Henson's Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Disney's version of Stargate), and the quintessential fairy-tale movie The Princess Bride
Now that I am a little more experienced in the geek side, I too would recommend Star Trek: TNG. Oh, and Doctor Who, of course. :)
"The Dark Chrystal" is a great suggestion. A very under-rated movie. The puppetry and effects were fantastic. Should've been a sequel to that one.
There is actually a sequel in the works for Dark Crystal.
Dark Crystal was really good! Great to hear there is a sequel in the works. Imagine what that world would be like in CGI?!
Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on October 18, 2009, 10:33:21 PM
Quote from: ChadH on October 18, 2009, 08:57:34 PM
Quote from: KC on October 17, 2009, 03:09:55 PM
You know, I realized that there were three or four sci-fi/fantasy franchises that I enjoyed before I joined the geeky fold. If they haven't watched them already, I would really recommend Disney's Gargoyles TV series, Jim Henson's Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Disney's version of Stargate), and the quintessential fairy-tale movie The Princess Bride
Now that I am a little more experienced in the geek side, I too would recommend Star Trek: TNG. Oh, and Doctor Who, of course. :)
"The Dark Chrystal" is a great suggestion. A very under-rated movie. The puppetry and effects were fantastic. Should've been a sequel to that one.
There is actually a sequel in the works for Dark Crystal.
Wonderful! So there really is some semblance of right and order to the universe after all.
Careful now. The words "Chickens" "don't count" and "your" could apply.........(I've been stung in the past!)
Quote from: ori-STUDFARM on October 25, 2009, 06:49:26 AM
Careful now. The words "Chickens" "don't count" and "your" could apply.........(I've been stung in the past!)
Do you mean "Don't count your chickens before their cocks on sticks?":)
Yes, who can tell which direction those movie execs will jump?
For some reason, ours are now hooked on Star Wars. Phantom Menace was on over here at the weekend and we have Attack of the Clones next week.
I'm not sure what I'll do with Revenge of the Sith since I don't think the youngest or oldest will cope with all of that.
I guess I ought to launch them into the Clone Wars :)
Yes, my son has turned into a star wars fanatic. He saved up enough for the Star Wars Lego game on the Wii - and (when we let him use the Wii) will doggedly chop away with his light saber! :)