13 of the best family movies available on Starz 2020
- Home Alone 1 & 2
- Ice Age
- The Goonies
- Horton Hears a Who
- Karate Kid
- Robots
- Nancy Drew
- Despicable Me
- Rio
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2
- Arthur Christmas
- Miracle on 34th Street
- Akeelah and the Bee
1. Home Alone 1 & 2
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.6 / 6.8 | 65 / 33 | Starz, Disney+ |
These family comedies follow a young boy who is left home alone in the first movie, and alone in New York in the second. Throughout the movies, he faces certain obstacles by himself using his quick thinking to protect his house from burglars (first movie) and to protect an elderly man’s toy store from a robbery (second movie).
Both of these movies are Christmas classics, and I have grown up watching them. They are the perfect movie for a family viewing, destined to trigger a nostalgia trip for the older adults in the room while keeping the younger audience entertained with a few hours of brilliant, unique gags.
2. Ice Age
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.5 | 77 | Starz, Disney+ |
Ice Age is one of the greatest family movies to date, following three unique characters, including a woolly mammoth, a saber tooth tiger, and a sloth. The movie follows the trio on a hectic journey as they try to return a human baby to its tribe, all the while facing the natural disasters of an ice age.
The wonderful voice performances and the dark humor masqueraded as children’s humor truly makes this movie a keeper. Ice Age is perfect for the family since the witty jokes will land with the adults while the juvenile gags will keep the kids laughing.
3. The Goonies
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.8 | 76 | Starz |
This is a wonderfully fun adventure that follows a group of preteen boys who discovers an ancient map. The movie follows them as they come across fantastical creatures and locations as they try to find long lost treasure. The Goonies is described as an Indiana Jones-type adventure, but with kids. Much like home alone, this will be a great nostalgia trip for most adults in the room, and an exciting, humourous watch for the kids.
4. Horton Hears a Who!
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 6.8 | 79 | Starz |
In Horton Hears a Who, you get to experience the wonderfully animated performances of both Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell, who voice the main characters. This movie follows an elephant who decides to help the city of Whoville (which resides on an almost invisible speck of dust). This is a must-see Jim Carrey movie for the family, with its touching message and clever comedy guaranteed to keep the whole family intrigued.
5. The Karate Kid (1984)
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.2 | 88 | Starz, Hollywood Suite, CTV |
The Karate Kid is a classic, must-see movie for all audiences, especially families. Daniel is a bullied teenager who gets trained by a Japanese janitor (who is actually a martial arts master), and he soon finds out that the path is not easy, but is worth it in the end. This heart-warming movie will keep the kids at the edge of their seats as the adults try to brush the nostalgic tears from their eyes.
6. Robots
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 6.3 | 64 | Starz |
Rodney is a young inventor, raring to head to the big city where he encounters the not-so welcoming management of his new company. While this is an older family comedy, Robin Williams still brings the humor to the next level.
The first memory I have when I think of this movie is my dad roaring with laughter from the living room couch. This movie is a great pick for families who want to be laughing the whole way through but who also want a genuine message.
7. Nancy Drew
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 5.9 | 50 | Starz |
Nancy Drew is an intelligent, self-driven teen who stumbles across a spooky mystery when she accompanies her dad on a business trip. I have watched this movie dozens of times as a young teen, and even as an adult, I enjoy the wholesome, light content as much as I did when I was a Nancy Drew super fan. This movie will provide a fun evening for your family and will keep the minds of your kids busy as they try to piece the mystery together.
[slide-anything id=’1406′]8. Despicable Me
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.6 | 81 | Starz, Prime Video |
Criminal mastermind Felonious Gru, uses three orphan girls to pull off his grand plan but finds his heart growing softer towards them as the plan progresses. On top of its gripping plotline, this movie had my whole family laughing with its clever gags and adorable minions. If you are looking for a lighthearted film with a positive message, then Despicable Me is definitely worth watching.
9. Rio
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 6.9 | 72 | Starz |
When Blu is abducted by poachers, he goes on an adventure of a lifetime and finds himself on a captivating journey through Rio de Janeiro. This is a visually pleasing and charming adventure comedy that is great for family movie night. Its quirky gags will keep everyone laughing while the exotic setting and lovable characters will keep you invested.
10. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 6.9 / 6.4 | 86 / 71 | Starz, Netflix, Tubi, CTV |
The movies follow an eager scientist who navigates through the challenges of his inventions, all the while trying to save the world (or his city, at the least). This is a quirky movie that is both fun and meaningful and will entertain your kids with its outlandish humor. While the first movie is notably better, both movies are great to watch with the whole family.
11. Arthur Christmas
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.1 | 92 | Starz, Netflix |
Santa’s clumsy son Arthur takes his kooky grandfather on a hectic journey to replace a little girl’s present that had been misplaced. I have watched this almost every Christmas for five years now, and each time I find myself delighted by the characters and laughing at the ridiculous situations, they get themselves in. Arthur Christmas is a great choice for family movie night since the humor will land across the board.
12. Miracle on 34th Street
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.9 | 96 | Starz, Disney+ |
This family comedy is the all-time classic Christmas movie that everyone has to watch at least once. When an old man is institutionalized as insane for claiming to be Santa Claus, a young lawyer decides to represent him and convince the court he is actually Santa.
The film is a perfect choice for a family movie night because of its timeless message. It will delight your entire family and will leave you filled with joy and hope in the human race on cold, winter nights.
13. Akeelah and the Bee
| IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Where to Watch |
| 7.3 | 85 | Starz |
Akeelah is a young girl from South Las Angeles who goes against her mother’s wishes to follow her talents in hopes of getting to the National Spelling Bee. The movie has a captivating plotline that follows the main character as she navigates through her home life and school life, and has both an inspiring and intelligent message. If you are looking for more of a motivational movie, this is a perfect choice for family movie night.
