Movies for Children to Inspire Play with Various Themes

[Playmoholics]

Thanks for the ideas! Those are indeed wonderful classics 

[Coyote]

Nice selections! 
This book
http://www.chrisvandusen.com/books/a-camping-spree-with-mr-magee
 + 3237 + 7503 + A Bear = fun time for Maggie!

[Klickus Mobilius]

Great movies, all of them!

The Adventures of Robin Hood is one of my favorite movies of all time!  A lot of fun!  I must admit I was in love with Olivia de Havilland.   

Another great swashbuckler is The Three Musketeers, but I don't know if there is a version that is appropriate for all ages.  I haven't seen all the versions.  The ones I have seen have some risque scenes.

[tonguello]

My favorite was Disney's Swiis Family Robinson!!!! I LOVED that movie when I was a child. The golden era of Disney's life action movies!!! 
Great movies for inspiration!! Thanx for sharing!

[Wesley Myers]

At Sword's Point (1952)

France, 1648: Richelieu and Louis XIII are dead, the new king is a minor, and the Duc de Lavalle is in virtually open rebellion, scheming to seize power. As a last resort, Queen Anne summons the heirs of the original Musketeers to her aid...including Claire, daughter of Athos, who when she chooses can miraculously pass as a boy, and wields as fine a sword as any. All their skills will be needed for a battle against increasing odds. One for all and all for one!

This musketeers movie is less risque than most made recently.  It's not perfect, but it is much better than most.  At the time it would have been made for an older youth and adult audience.  Tame compared to most movies made today and a bit more appropriate than newer ones for a younger audience.

imdb.com - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044380/

movie clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGhCuXaKnM8


Themes - Magic Castle / Fairytale Castle and Knights

[tlc]

We recently streamed the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" when Amazon offered it for $0.99.  My daughter loved it so much that we watched it 2 times in 24 hours.  I thought about how to create a play experience with Playmobil and decided on the Barbarian Fort and the new small blue dragon.  She is smitten!

It doesn't hurt that the dragon reminds her of her favorite poem "The Tale of Custard the Dragon" by Ogden Nash.

So, I submit that literature (even poetry!) have crossover into the Playmobil world.

tlc

[Wesley Myers]

Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2009)

Barbie stars as Corinne, a country girl from Gascony who dreams of being a Musketeer, protectors of the French royal family, just like her father, D'Artagnan. Now seventeen, Corinne asks her mother to let her go to Paris to become one. Though worried about the dangers, her mother supports her and gives Corinne her blessing, as well as a letter to Monsieur Treville, the captain of the Musketeers and an old friend of her father's.

The next day before leaving, Corinne's mother reminds her about what her father use to say: "True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it's impossible." Hugging her mother goodbye, Corinne sets off for Paris with her kitten, Miette, and Alexander, D'Artagnan's old horse.

I know what some of you are thinking - yes this is a barbie movie and yes this is a Playmobil forum.  However, this, like the other Barbie movies is actually good fun for the little girls.  It will also allow us to justify buying those medieval buildings and musketeer and pirate figures to our wives (yeah, I know, there are no pirates in here, but would our wives really know that?).  It also goes great with the Playmobil Fairytale and Magic Castles.

imdb.com - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1484922/

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmksws0y1ik&feature=related

Themes - Fairytale Castle and Magic Castle and Knights

[playmofirth]

I agree with "The Adventures of Robin Hood" - a classic film and a great fit with much of the Playmobil range.  I bought the old Merry Men sets so my kids could play at Robin Hood.

Unfortunately I cannot think of any good King Arthur movies suitable for the under 12s.  "Excalibur" was fun but wasn't suitable. Neither was "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".  My son, aged 8 at the time, like "A Knight's Tale" and we had the jousting sets out for a month or so after he saw it.

Romans are badly served.  All the old roman epics are rather turgid and "Gladiator" is too violent.

"How to Train Your Dragon" is a great kids film and allows a chance to mix the vikings with the range of dragons.

I know the Pirates of the Caribbean has increased interest in pirates.  It is a shame they slipped into self indulgent nonsense so quickly.

Playmofirth

[bonniebeth]

Unfortunately I cannot think of any good King Arthur movies suitable for the under 12s.  "Excalibur" was fun but wasn't suitable. Neither was "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".  My son, aged 8 at the time, like "A Knight's Tale" and we had the jousting sets out for a month or so after he saw it.

There's a REALLY old movie with Bing Crosby in it called Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court that I can remember watching when I was very little. It wasn't violent; it was funny and had singing in it, but I don't remember too well because I haven't seen it since I was a kid. I say that, but now I'm humming one of the songs, so I guess I do remember!

As for Romans, I watched Ben Hur all the time because my older brother loved it, but I don't really recommend it for kids neccesarily. It's very long, and sometimes a bit intense for a very young child (I was slightly traumatized by certain scenes). But it will certainly generate interest in roman chariots and galleys.

[WarriorOfToys]

I would like to point out, that the new Robin Hood movie,
(though it is probably not something you would show your kids)
is completely horrible!
The acting and stuff was good, as were the costumes, (they were period)
But the historical content was mud.
So many things wrong with it right from the get-go.