Santa's Little Helper: Movies Kids Will Love (Cont.) 

Get showtimes, tickets, interviews and more at MSN Movies

For Really Little Kids

"Fraggle Rock"

Kids a little too small for a feature-length movie aren't too young for DVDs in their tiny stockings. What works best, though, are stories that can be enjoyed in, say, 30 minutes or fewer.

If you're of a certain age, then you will probably remember "Fraggle Rock," the Jim Henson TV series that ran for four seasons in the early 1980s. It told the story of a group of adorable creatures who live in a network of caves called Fraggle Rock eating radishes and doozer sticks. Over the course of the 96 episodes, the characters learn about each other and how much they have in common with those they think of as their enemies.

In classic Henson style, though, the big themes are sketched in tones that little kids can understand.

Die-hard fans are mad that HIT Entertainment released the first three seasons before combining them all into this four-DVD set, understandably so because the early purchasers have no way of buying the fourth season alone. But for people who waited, this collection has 20 DVDs offering hours of sweet viewing for kids. It's not cheap: The MSRP is $139.98, though of course savvy shoppers can find it for much less.

"Scholastic Storybook Treasures"

Depending on your budget, you have lots of choices here. Scholastic has taken beloved children's books and animated them for the screen, along with subtitles that help beginning readers practice their new skill.

Two standalones make swell stocking stuffers: "Make Way for Ducklings," the classic Robert McCloskey story about a pair of mallards seeking the perfect home for their babies. It also has "The Ugly Duckling," "The Story About Ping," and four more bonus bird tales.

Dog lovers might like "Harry the Dirty Dog," about a runaway pooch who becomes so muddy his own family doesn't know him. The collection also features the delightful "Officer Buckle and Gloria," and "Dot the Fire Dog," plus four more doggy tales.

Each retails for $14.95.

If you have more room in your stocking and budget, then Scholastic's "Treasury of 20 Storybook Classics" is a really nice collection, featuring Doreen Cronin's beloved "Diary of a Spider," Beverly Cleary's "Mouse and the Motorcycle," the hilarious "Bear Snores On," and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," by the singular Kadir Nelson. This DVD will appeal to the nature lover inside each kid. This one also features "Owl Moon" by the legendary Jane Yolen.

Each DVD in the set runs about an hour, though they can be enjoyed in much shorter increments by kids who don't like to sit still all that long. The collection retails for $29.99.

No Boys Allowed! Movies for Girls

"Ballet Shoes"

Let's face it, movies about old-fashioned girls wearing toe shoes and cloches won't have much appeal to the boys in the house. But girly-girls will love "Ballet Shoes," a BBC movie based on the classic Noel Streatfeild books, and starring Emma Watson from "Harry Potter."

This movie is rated PG because some of the adult characters smoke cigarettes, but this shouldn't be a deterrent for people who like scrappy girls, ballet and a healthy dose of orphans. The overall message of the story is that girls can make a difference in the world by following their passions. In a world oversaturated with the likes of Bratz and the sometimes casually mean-spirited Hannah Montana, this is a refreshing change.

It retails for $24.98.

"Kit Kittredge: An American Girl"

Who knew that a kids' movie set in the Depression using foreclosures as a story line would suddenly feel so timely in 2008? Does this mean the cloche hat will soon be seen on the heads of little girls everywhere?

I wouldn't object, and this movie, based on an American Girl doll, is solid and sweet entertainment for little girls. Abigail Breslin, also wonderful in "Nim's Island," stars as a scrappy reporter who stands up for the truth and helps protect a group of lovable hobos.

This DVD retails for $28.98.

Girls, Keep Out! Movies for Boys

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars"

The scene in my 4-year-old daughter's preschool class this Halloween was comical. Almost every single boy in class was dressed as a Star Wars character, and while the little boys knew exactly who they were, all the volunteer parents had to scratch their heads and guess.

The point: "Star Wars" remains a potent force for the testosterone set, even the teeny tiny version. The animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" is not a movie that most grown-ups will love (there's way more shooting than actual story), but if Santa has a really soft heart, this two-DVD set will certainly thrill a young boy. It retails for $34.98 (and it's not hard to find it cheaper).

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"

The movie was a critical disappointment, and Santa might rightly be accused of tippling rum punch if he spends $34.99 on the DVD (the $100 set with all the movies in the series is probably the better value). But it does sort of seem like a rite of passage for the American male to watch and emulate the great Indiana Jones.

The aging Harrison Ford proves he can still pull off action hero, and there are some spectacular and fun scenes before the movie devolves into something that should be watched to be fully appreciated in its campy glory.

"Iron Man"

For boys of a certain age, "Iron Man" is really the action-slash-adventure movie of the year. It stars Robert Downey Jr. as a jaded weapons manufacturer who's nearly killed by his own devices before he refashions himself as a superhero.

It's violent, and Tony Stark is a lothario with women, so this movie is a lousy choice for boys younger than 14 or so. But it's exciting, clever and well made; boys who are old enough to understand such things will be absolutely thrilled to watch it. So, actually, forget about putting this one in the kids' stockings. Instead, give it to the biggest kid in your house: your kids' dad.

The two-disc edition retails for $39.99.

Return to previous page

See also: MSN Movies Gift Guide