Funny family movies aren’t just kid’s movies. These are films both parents and their children can enjoy together. The best family movies not only have great plots and characters that keep everyone entertained but also plenty of laughs that appeal to both adults and children alike.
There are so many great movies that fit under the category of funny family movies, from animated features to coming-of-age dramas to adventure flicks. As more and more family movies are being made, it can be hard to know which are the best. That’s where we can help out.
We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite funny family movies that can be enjoyed by kids, parents, grandparents, and even the family pet. So grab the popcorn and get ready to laugh out loud with these hilarious flicks.
16 Funny Family Movies Everyone Can Enjoy
Sony Pictures
1. The NeverEnding Story (1984)
The enduring image of The NeverEnding Story is the main character Bastian Bux riding on the back of the luck dragon Falkor, who resembles a cuddly dog. The movie, based on the book by Michael Ende, is a fantasy epic about a young boy who gets caught up in a wild adventure after reading a magical book.
The NeverEnding Story is a children’s classic that has something for everyone. While at times scary and dark, there is plenty of humor scattered throughout to keep things level. The creature designs and puppets used are also fantastic and very reminiscent of other fantasy movies of that time, such as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
Watch on Prime2. Paddington (2014 & 2017)
Paddington Bear is a favorite character from children’s literature. He’s an anthropomorphized bear who is known for being super polite and always getting into trouble. He is found in Paddington Station and adopted by the Brown family. Having featured in several books and TV shows, he was given a new lease on life in 2014 with the release of Paddington.
The live-action movie finds Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) enjoying his new home with the Brown family while being hunted by a taxidermist played by Nicole Kidman. The sequel sees Paddington arrested and imprisoned for theft, with the Brown family having to solve the mystery while Paddington tries to survive prison. A third film is in production and should carry on the bear’s funny adventures in 2023.
Watch on Netflix3. School of Rock (2003)
Mistaken for a substitute school teacher, Jack Black takes on the role with vigor as he teaches his students music and tries to recruit them to be his backup band for a “Battle of the Bands” competition. It’s a stupid premise but one that works surprisingly well thanks to Black’s comedic timing and the young cast of students he teaches.
School of Rock is lots of fun with a great cast and an even better soundtrack that includes “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin, “Touch Me” by The Doors, “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks, and “Substitute” by The Who.
Watch on Netflix4. Uncle Buck (1989)
John Candy was a household name by the time Uncle Buck came out in 1989. In the film Candy plays the titular character, a lover of the bachelor lifestyle (despite having a girlfriend) who is tasked with looking after his brother’s kids while they are away.
While he is their last choice to babysit, Buck does a reasonable job, bonding with the two youngest children (Macaulay Culkin and Gaby Hoffmann) as he goes head to head in a battle of wills with eldest daughter Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly).
Uncle Buck has plenty of laughs thanks to Candy’s larger-than-life personality and considering it is written and directed by the late, great John Hughes, it’s no surprise the movie also is anchored by an emotional core with a feel-good ending.
Watch on Netflix5. Toy Story (1995)
Possibly the best-animated feature ever created by Disney Pixar, Toy Story is a fantastic family comedy set in a world where toys come to life. The movie focuses on two toys, Woody (a cowboy voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (a spaceman voiced by Tim Allen), and their testy relationship as the two try and become owner Andy’s favorite toy.
There’s so much to love about this movie, from the computer animation to the voice-over work to Randy Newman’s amazing score. Grossing $363 million, the film spawned three sequels (all fabulous) and a spin-off movie, Lightyear (not so good).
Watch on Disney+6. Yes Day (2021)
Would you say yes to everything your kids asked? That’s the whole plot of Yes Day. Jennifer Garner and Édgar Ramírez are parents who try and liven up their life and find favor with their kids by having one day where they will say yes to anything the kids want, within reason of course.
Hilarity ensues as Garner, Ramírez, and their three kids get up to all sorts of mischief. You’ll notice one of the kids is Jenny Ortega, who has blown up since starring in Netflix hit Wednesday. Watching this movie might inspire you to try something similar, although we don’t suggest driving through a car wash with the windows down.
Watch on Netflix7. Monsters, Inc (2001)
Monsters, Inc is another fabulous Disney Pixar collaboration. Monsters Sully (John Goodman) and Mike (Billy Crystal) work for a power company that harvests the screams of human children. When a young girl somehow finds her way into their world, the two must work together to keep her secret from the other monsters and get her home.
A huge hit grossing over $577 million, Monsters, Inc led to a prequel, Monsters University, and a spin-off TV series. Great fun for the whole family.
Watch on Disney+8. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
When it comes to Jim Carrey, there are plenty of movies he has been in that could make this list. The Mask, Liar, Liar, and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events are all worthwhile picks, but we’ve gone with one of the rubber-faced comedian’s more recent movies, Sonic the Hedgehog.
Based on the video game of the same name, the movie finds Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) teaming with the human sheriff Thomas Wachowski (James Marsden) to battle Dr. Robotnik (Carrey) and save the world. Sonic the Hedgehog is surprisingly enjoyable for a video game adaptation that’s nearly as much fun as playing the game.
Watch on Prime9. Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone might be a Christmas classic but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until December to watch it. A movie loved by everyone, Home Alone is about a young kid named Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) who gets left home alone after his family goes on vacation and forgets him.
He is then forced to stop two burglars, Joe Pesic and Daniel Stern, who are trying to rob his home. McCallister turns the place into a body trap-filled house of horrors as Pesic and Stern find themselves getting battered from pillar to post.
Although much more violent than you might remember Home Alone is still great family fun and makes for a super double bill with the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Watch on Disney+10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
The first film in the Harry Potter trilogy might not be the best, but it’s a great introduction to the world of Hogwarts and sets up the rest of the franchise. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers he comes from a long line of famous wizards and is enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he must learn to control his newfound powers and discover his true destiny.
Although not a laugh-out-loud comedy, there are lots of funny moments in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, especially when Potter’s best friend Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) shows up.
Watch on Prime11. Jumanji (1995)
No, not the remake with The Rock and Kevin Hart but the original starring the great Robin Williams. Young lad Alan Parrish (Williams) gets trapped in the board game Jumanji in 1969. When two kids find the game 26 years later and begin to play, they unwittingly unleash Willams and bring the game into the real world.
As Williams is the star, you know there are going to be laughs, but this one has something for everyone. Although the reviews were mixed, it was a commercial hit and is a really fun movie.
Watch on Netflix12. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
This is an enjoyable movie about a group of kids who visit the chocolate factory of the recluse Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder). After winning golden tickets to tour the factory, the five kids and a guardian join Wonka on his tour as he tries to find someone best suited to take over the company.
It’s a childhood classic adapted from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While the Tim Burton version is fine, Johnny Depp doesn’t hold a candle to Wilder as Wonka. Another great funny family movie you watch on Amazon Prime.
Watch on Prime13. The Muppets (2011)
Choosing a favorite Muppets movie is like picking your favorite child, but it’s hard to go past 2011s The Muppets. Taking Jim Henson’s creations and bringing them into the modern world, this comedy is also part musical and part drama.
The plot concerns Jason Segel and Amy Adams helping Kermit the Frog reform the Muppets so they can raise the $10 million needed to save the Muppet Theater from evil oil baron Tex Richman (Chris Copper).
All your favorite Muppet characters make their presence felt (Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Rizzo the Rat, Lips, Animal, and many more) while a host of celebrity cameos make things interesting.
Watch on Disney+14. The Peanuts Movie (2015)
Peanuts has been around for what seems like an eternity, and in 2015, Blue Sky Studios decided to bring Charlie Brown and his pals back to the big screen. The Peanuts Movie is a computer-animated take on the classic comic strip and the first Peanuts movie in 35 years.
Strangely it’s a love story at its core, with Brown trying to get closer to the Little Red-Haired Girl and Snoopy writing a book where he tries to save his love interest, Fifi, from the Red Baron. The movie was well received and brought Charlie Brown to a whole new audience.
Watch on Disney+15. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, then you’ve probably seen Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. For everyone else, it’s a great introduction to Paul Reubens’s weird and wonderful Pee-Wee Herman. Reubens was a huge comedy star in the 80s until he got arrested for exposing himself in an adult theatre in 1991.
Forgetting about that incident, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure is a very strange movie that follows Herman as he searches for his lost bike. There’s a lot of slapstick comedy and surreal moments that make this movie a very interesting watch. It’s not for everyone, but if your humor is a little different from most other people’s, it’s certainly worth a look.
Watch on Prime16. The Goonies (1985)
Another 80s great, The Goonies is everything you want in a funny family movie. There’s action, drama, laughs, and a deformed man-child with a heart of gold named Sloth. A group of kids discover a treasure map and go searching for the lost treasure of the legendary pirate “One-Eyed Willy.” Hot on their tail is the Fratelli family, criminals who are also hunting down the treasure.
The cast contains some great actors who went on to do even better things (Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, and Corey Feldman) and the story by Steven Spielberg is everything you would expect from the man who gave us E.T. and the Indiana Jones franchise. Cyndi Lauper’s “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” is also one of the best movie theme songs ever released.
Watch on Prime
See more about - 14 Of The Best 90s Kids Movies