13 Kids’ Movies Turning 30 That Will Make Millennials Feel Old

It’s difficult to believe that a bunch of kids’ movies released in 1994 are turning 30 this year. Many millennials — those born between 1981 and 1996 — grew up watching some of these family-friendly flicks.

1994 was a notable year for children’s movies, led by The Lion King — the highest-grossing movie of the year. Thumbelina, The Flintstones, Richie Rich, The Little Rascals, and many more movies aimed at kids also premiered in 1994.

Does the fact that the following movies turn 30 this year make any millennials out there wonder how three decades went by so fast?

The Lion King

It’s difficult to measure the cultural impact of The Lion King on the impressionable young millennials of 30 years ago. The animated musical chronicling the coming-of-age story of a young lion named Simba (Matthew Broderick) also memorably features the unmistakable voice of James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Simba’s father and the King of the Pride Lands.

Not only did The Lion King rule the box office, it won two Oscars and spawned several direct-to-video sequels, TV series, a 2019 photorealistic remake, a Broadway musical, and enough merchandise to fill a small African country. The movie also got a whole generation to say the feel-good phrase hakuna matata regularly.

The Pagemaster

The combination live action/animated fantasy film The Pagemaster stars Macaulay Culkin as a fearful 10-year-old boy who uses statistics to avoid confronting things in life that make him uncomfortable. Christopher Lloyd makes a memorable appearance as an eccentric librarian.

Although it wasn’t a Home Alone-level hit at the box office, at least one critic appreciated that the movie encouraged the children of 1994 to read more books.

Little Giants

This family-friendly sports comedy stars Rick Moranis and Ed O’Neill as two small-town Ohio brothers who each coach rival peewee football teams.

Although Little Giants got mixed reviews and didn’t score a touchdown at the box office, millennials and those who got picked last in gym class — as well as diehard Moranis fans — remember it fondly and have made it a cult classic.

Blank Check

The comedy Blank Check stars Brian Bonsall as Preston Waters — an 11-year-old boy who finds a blank check and uses it to buy a house under the alias Mr. Macintosh, which prompts bank employees to try and track down the pint-sized criminal.

Although The New York Times described Blank Check and its emphasis on grabbing all the goods you can as a movie “no parents in their right minds should let children see,” this only made kids want to see it more. Blank Check became a minor hit, grossing $30.6 million worldwide.

The Swan Princess

The animated musical fantasy The Swan Princess is based on the ballet Swan Lake. The theme song “Far Longer Than Forever” by Regina Belle and Jeffrey Osborne got nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

The Swan Princess sank fast at the box office, unable to compete with a little animated musical called The Lion King that continued its theatrical rule. Young millennials later discovered The Swan Princess on VHS and embraced it, which inspired several more direct-to-video sequels.

The Little Rascals

1994’s The Little Rascals is based on the Our Gang short films of the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s. The movie follows the adventures of neighborhood children named Spanky, Alfalfa, Froggy, Porky, and Buckwheat, to name a few.

Critics at the time wondered if The Little Rascals would appeal to the young millennial children of parents nostalgic for the Our Gang characters. It turns out that the movie made a decent $67.3 million worldwide and its audience grew after it got released on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray years later.

D2: The Mighty Ducks

D2: The Mighty Ducks is the second installment of The Mighty Ducks sports comedy-drama trilogy, following 1992’s The Mighty Ducks. In D2, Coach Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) once again assembles the peewee hockey team Mighty Ducks he previously coached to glory.

Like the original film, D2: The Mighty Ducks didn’t score with critics, but kids of 1994 showed up at cinemas to watch the team of teen misfits try to emerge victorious once again.

Angels in the Outfield

Angels in the Outfield is one of several sports comedies pitched at children in 1994. A young Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as foster child Roger Bomman, a boy who successfully prays for angels to help California Angels baseball team players on the field. The Angels manager (Danny Glover) decides to keep Roger around for good luck and as a consultant.

Although this remake of the 1951 film of the same name struck out with critics, young moviegoers thought the idea of a kid calling the shots for an MLB team was a home run.

The Flintstones

Kids of several generations who grew up watching reruns of The Flintstones cartoons on TV got a live-action interpretation in 1994 starring John Goodman as Fred Flintstone, Rick Moranis as Barney Rubble, Elizabeth Perkins as Wilma Flintstone, and Rosie O’Donnell as Betty Rubble.

Although critics such as Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel commented that the movie’s subject matter — office politics, embezzlement, infidelity, and in-law problems — went over the heads of children, The Flintstones still rocked its way to a $341.6 million worldwide box office. Universal screamed “yabba-dabba-do!” and green-lit a 2000 prequel.

Richie Rich

Based on the comic book character of the same name, Richie Rich stars Macaulay Culkin as Richard “Richie” Rich Jr. — the richest boy on the planet. The film was Culkin’s final role as a child actor before he returned to the screen in 2003 as an adult. Rory Culkin, Macaulay’s younger brother, plays the younger Richie in the movie.

Although Richie Rich got a mixed reaction from critics, it performed well enough at the box office before really raking in the cash on home video, making a whopping $125 million in VHS rentals and $44.2 million in retail sales. Rich, indeed!

Thumbelina

The animated musical film Thumbelina is based on the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The story about a little girl no bigger than a thumb who emerges from a magical flower and starts singing features the voices of Jodi Benson, Gary Imhoff, and John Hurt.

What millennials remember most about Thumbelina is Charo’s hilarious performance as the voice of the villainous Mrs. Toad during the song “On the Road.”

Although Thumbelina croaked at the box office and Roger Ebert doubted that anyone over the age of 12 would have any interest in the film, millennials who were under 12 at the time still giggle about that Charo number.

Baby’s Day Out

Written by John Hughes, the adventure-comedy Baby’s Day Out is about an abducted baby who escapes and is pursued by three criminals (Joe Mantegna, Joe Pantoliano, and Brian Haley) throughout Chicago.

Roger Ebert pointed out that the gags in the fast-paced flick might have worked in a cartoon, but seem kind of silly in a live-action movie. Years later, in the 2010s, a video review of Baby’s Day Out told from the perspective of a fictional character went viral and prompted millennials who watched the movie as kids to create multiple memes.

Camp Nowhere

The adventure-comedy Camp Nowhere is about a group of junior high kids who refuse to go to summer camps chosen by their parents. Instead, the scheming children decide to create an adult-free summer camp that they would actually enjoy. The movie stars General Hospital actor Jonathan Jackson in his film debut.

One of the few positive reviews of Camp Nowhere described it as “sweet,” “likeable,” and even “vaguely hip.” It tickled enough millennials to prompt Kino Lorber to release a special edition Blu-ray in 2018.