Want to show your kids and teens the movies you watched when you were their age? We’ve rounded up a list of 1980s films below so can do just that! Although your kids and teens won’t get the full movie experience you did (you know, the one when you had to actually go to Blockbuster to pick out your movie from the new release wall), they will still get a feel for what your generation was like.
Note: Please use discretion and check out the IMDB parent guides in the links provided. Some movies may include swearing, violence or other moments you may find objectionable.
1980
- Herbie Goes Bananas (Rated G)
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Rated PG)
1981
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Rated PG) An archeologist named Indiana Jones encounters different obstacles in order to find the Ark of the Covenant. He must fight off enemies, overcome deadly booby traps and outrun a giant boulder.
- The Fox and the Hound (Rated G)
- The Great Muppet Caper (Rated G)
- Time Bandits (Rated PG)
1982
- Annie (Rated PG)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Rated PG) A child and an alien develop a strong friendship after the alien is left behind on Earth by his family. The government catches wind of it and the boy and his new friend must escape to get the extra-terrestrial back home.
- Grease 2 (Rated PG)
- Mazes and Monsters (Rated PG)
- Rocky III (Rated PG)
- The Dark Crystal (Rated PG)
- The Last Unicorn (Rated G)
- The Secret of NIMH (Rated G)
- TRON (Rated PG)
1983
- A Christmas Story (Rated PG)
- Mickey’s Christmas Carol (Rated G)
- Mr. Mom (Rated PG)
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Rated PG) From lightsaber fights to family drama, this action-packed movie has a bit of something for everyone. Watch as Luke Skywalker tries to prevail against all odds.
- The Outsiders (Rated PG)
- The Right Stuff (Rated PG)
- WarGames (Rated PG)
1984
- Beat Street (Rated PG)
- Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (Rated PG)
- Cloak & Dagger (Rated PG)
- Footloose (Rated PG)
- Ghostbusters (Rated PG) Three scientists get called on to get rid of all paranormal activity in New York City. This ’80s classic is known for its cool ghostbusting gadgets and special effects.
- Gremlins (Rated PG)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Rated PG)
- Sixteen Candles (Rated PG)
- The Karate Kid (Rated G) An outsider from Jersey moves to California with his mom and gets picked on by the kids at school for being different. Things change when his mentor, Mr. Miyagi, teaches him how to defend himself.
- The Last Starfighter (Rated PG)
- The Muppets Take Manhattan (Rated G)
- The NeverEnding Story (Rated PG)
1985
- Back to the Future (Rated PG) A California teen is accidentally thrown back in time and has to make sure he doesn’t change history while he’s there, or he might never get back to the future.
- D.A.R.Y.L. (Rated PG)
- Explorers (Rated PG)
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Rated PG)
- Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (Rated PG)
- Rainbow Brite and the Star Steeler (Rated G)
- Return to Oz (Rated PG)
- Rocky IV (Rated PG)
- Starchaser: The Legend of Orin (Rated PG)
- Teen Wolf (Rated PG)
- The Black Cauldron (Rated PG)
- The Care Bears Movie (Rated G) An evil spirit is trying to cast a spell to undo all the good that the care bears do. In this animated film, the care bears must come together with their new friends to save Care-a-lot.
- The Color Purple (Rated PG-13)
- The Goonies (Rated PG) A misfit gang of treasure-hunting teens encounter many difficulties while trying to save their home from foreclosure. There are secret caves and traps along the way.
- You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Rated G)
1986
- An American Tail (Rated G)
- Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (Rated G)
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Rated PG-13) Every kid wants to play hooky from school sooner or later. Ferris Bueller is determined to get his day off and goes to great lengths to get it.
- Flight of the Navigator (Rated PG)
- Hoosiers (Rated PG)
- Labyrinth (Rated PG)
- My Little Pony: The Movie (Rated G)
- Pretty in Pink (Rated PG-13) This “Brat Pack” film takes a look into high school life back in the ’80s. A teenage girl has to decide if she will leave the people who have always been there for her in order to gain popularity.
- Short Circuit (Rated PG)
- SpaceCamp (Rated PG)
- The Adventures of Milo and Otis (Rated G)
- The Great Mouse Detective (Rated G)
- The Karate Kid Part II (Rated PG)
- The Transformers: The Movie (Rated PG) This cartoon movie takes place in the future of 2005. Join the robots to defeat the bad guys, the Decepticons.
- The Worst Witch (Rated G)
- Top Gun (Rated PG)
1987
- Adventures in Babysitting (Rated PG-13) Chris, a high school student, is babysitting three kids when her friend calls her for help. She ventures to downtown Chicago to help her friend – with kids in two – and many bizarre things happen along the way.
- Batteries Not Included (Rated PG)
- Dirty Dancing (Rated PG-13)
- Ernest Goes to Camp (Rated PG) Ernest, a handyman gets a job at the local summer camp. When none of the other counselors want to take on the position for some juvenile delinquents, Ernest does.
- Harry and the Hendersons (Rated PG)
- Moonstruck (Rated PG)
- Spaceballs (Rated PG)
- The Brave Little Toaster (Rated G)
- The Chipmunk Adventure (Rated G) This epic adventure cartoon takes the Chipmunks and the Chippettes around the globe. They don’t know that they’re helping jewelry smugglers, though. Find out what happens to them in this flick.
- The Princess Bride (Rated PG)
- Three Men and a Baby (Rated PG)
1988
- Beetlejuice (Rated PG) A dead couple call on a man named Beetlejuice to help them scare out new tenants in their house. Unfortunately, Beetlejuice has other plans in mind.
- Big (Rated PG) Every child wishes they were a grown-up so they could do whatever they want. When this 12-year-old’s wish comes true, he realizes how hard adult life actually is – and begs to be a kid again.
- Big Top Pee-wee (Rated PG)
- Ernest Saves Christmas (Rated PG)
- Funny Farm (Rated PG)
- Mac and Me (Rated PG)
- Oliver & Company (Rated G)
- Purple People Eater (Rated PG)
- Short Circuit 2 (Rated PG)
- The Great Outdoors (Rated PG)
- The Land Before Time (Rated G)
- The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (Rated G)
- Vice Versa (Rated PG)
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Rated PG)
1989
- All Dogs Go to Heaven (Rated G)
- Babar The Movie (Rated G)
- Batman (Rated PG-13) This masked crime fighter must defeat the infamous Joker to save the city.
- Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Rated PG)
- Cheetah (Rated G)
- Dead Poets Society (Rated PG)
- Field of Dreams (Rated PG) A farmer builds a baseball diamond on his field and some ghosts of the greatest players make their way out there to play. His view of reality and fiction becomes tainted.
- Ghostbusters II (Rated PG)
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (Rated PG)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Rated PG-13)
- Look Who’s Talking (Rated PG-13)
- Little Monsters (Rated PG) This movie takes on a whole new meaning of having a monster under your bed! Maurice the monster welcomes a young boy named Brian into the monster world under his bed.
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Rated PG-13)
- Say Anything (Rated PG-13)
- Steel Magnolias (Rated PG)
- The BFG (Rated G)
- The Little Mermaid (Rated G)
- The Wizard (Rated PG)
- Troop Beverly Hills (Rated PG) This troop leader is unlike any other you have seen before. This divorcee wants to do something meaningful with her life so she joins her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. She takes them on adventures and they take her on some, too. This hilarious movie will have you wishing you had a troop leader as kooky as her.
- Uncle Buck (Rated PG)
What’s your favorite flick on this list of 1980s films? Tell us in comments.
