To mark the release of The Garfield Movie, we have put together a list of fun-filled animal-animations for you to enjoy with all the family. Read below for our age ratings and content advice.
The Garfield Movie
very mild threat, violence, language, rude humour
A self-indulgent cat is drawn into a dairy heist to help his long-lost father in this animated comedy adventure. Threat and violence are generally comic and slapstick in nature, with slightly scary moments quickly resolved.
violence
Scenes of violence include a villainous guard using a cattle prod to electrocute heroes, and a cat eating a bird. A cat also uses food-stuffs to fight his rivals, firing meatballs and sprinkling chilli flakes in their eyes.
threat and horror
Scenes include a villainous cat threatening heroes with her claws, an extended sequence of a cat avoiding cheese-related dangers like a giant grater, and an action set on a fast-moving train. However, the action is often fantastical, stylised, broken-up with moments of comedy and ends reassuringly. In one sequence, characters jump onto a moving train.
language
There is use of very mild bad language ('butt').
rude humour
There are comic kisses and references to dating. A character lands in a pile of manure, and there are references to a pound being 'stinky'.
theme
A theme of the film is the estranged relationship between a father and son. There is a reassuring ending, but brief references are made to feeling rejected and abandoned.
flashing/flickering lights
This work contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.
Sing
very mild bad language, threat, rude humour
A koala named Buster Moon organises a singing competition to save his struggling theatre, bringing together a diverse group of animal contestants who discover the power of chasing their dreams.
Threat and horror
Characters are sometimes placed in danger. For example, a lighting rig is accidentally dislodged and falls to the theatre stage, although no-one is hurt. In another scene, a large, elaborate aquarium stage set shatters and water rushes through the theatre, sweeping the audience into the street. Although characters panic, it is quickly established that everyone is safe. A running storyline concerns a mouse character who is pursued by a gang of bears he has cheated in a card game. Although often seeming to be on the point of being eaten by the bears, the character always finds a way to save himself.
Language
There are uses of 'butt', 'jerk' and 'jeez'.
There is also rude humour with a bison character passing wind repeatedly because he is nervous about performing on stage.
Madagascar
mild language
Some animals escape from a New York zoo and find themselves in Madagascar. Slapstick violence, mild threat and some rude humour occur in a comic context and are unlikely to upset even very young children.
Language
There is use of 'hell', 'screw up', 'butt' and 'jeez'.
There is mild rude humour including fart gags and references to 'poo' and 'pee. There is also mild threat and violence.
Happy Feet
scary moments
In a world in which penguins find their mates through song, a penguin who cannot sing learns to tap dance instead. Scenes showing characters in dangerous situations are brief and unlikely to upset even very young viewers.
threat and horror
There are scenes in which the central penguin character is chased or threatened by predators, such as seals and eagles, although he always gets away.
language
There is a scene in which a character tells another to "Go f....", before finishing the sentence with "forth and multiply". There are also some very mild terms such as 'heck' and mild insults such as 'fatty'.
sex
There are some very mild sex references, such as references to penguin mating season and 'going forth and multiplying'.
Ice Age
very mild threat, rude humour, language
ICE AGE is a US family animated adventure, set in a frozen prehistoric world, in which a sabertooth tiger, a sloth, and a woolly mammoth find a lost human infant, and try to return him to his tribe.
threat and horror
Characters are occasionally placed in danger from natural events such as volcanoes erupting, and flooding. However, the danger passes quickly and none of the characters are harmed.
language
There is very mild bad language ('jerk').
rude humour
There is infrequent very mild innuendo and toilet humour.
The Secret Life Of Pets
mild action, rude humour
Max the dog is not happy when his owner takes in a stray but the two dogs must work together to stop the plans of an evil bunny. Mild scenes of action and some rude humour are unlikely to upset even very young children.
Threat and horror
Mild action sequences show characters running away from various baddies, such as dog catchers and cats. A fluffy bunny beats up a person. There are a couple of comic fight scenes between animals. There is mild threat from snakes. There is a scene in which characters are trapped in a van which is sinking into the water, but they are quickly saved.
Theme
Rude humour includes sight of a minion's bottom when his dungarees come off, and a few jokes about poo.
Finding Nemo
mild threat
A clownfish sets out to rescue his son when he's caught in a net and taken to an aquarium. Some scenes of danger are brief and reassuringly resolved, meaning this film is suitable for all ages.
threat and horror
Scenes of mild threat include meeting a shark with lots of sharp teeth, encountering an angler fish who tries to eat a character, and getting lost in a swarm of jellyfish. One fish also finds himself in danger when he tries to escape from a rotating fan and from a large trawler fishing net.
language
There is use of very mild bad language ('butt'). There is also one implied, but unspoken, use of 'shit' when a fish in an aquarium says that they are "swimming in our own..." and another fish tells him to 'Shhhh’.
theme
There is a sad scene near the beginning of the film when one character realises that all of his young family have been taken away by a shark.
There is very mild bad language ('butt'). There is also one implied, but unspoken, use of 'shit' when a fish in an aquarium says that they are 'swimming in our own...' and another fish tells him to 'Shhhh’. There is also a sad scene near the beginning of the film when one character realises that all of his young family have been taken away by a shark.
Ratatouille
comic violence, mild bad language
A rat with a passion for cooking helps a young kitchen hand in a Paris restaurant. Comic slapstick is suitable for all but a single use of mild bad language may be considered inappropriate by some parents.
violence
There are frequent scenes in which the kitchen staff attempt to kill or capture the rat, although he escapes unscathed through slapstick action sequences which balance humour and threat. There is also a moment in which a couple are seen arguing, with the woman then producing a gun, followed by a gun shot which occurs off-screen. Nobody is hurt.
language
There is a single use of the term 'bloody' when a character described Paris as "this bloody town". Other language is far milder, including 'hell' and 'God'.
sex
There are some mild sex references and innuendo, including a reference to a character 'fooling around' with another.
rude humour
A man vomits.
nudity
There is brief nudity seen in a painting.
injury detail
A man is bitten and scratched by a rat and there are some red marks on his body.
alcohol and tobacco
Animated characters drink alcohol.
Zootropolis
mild threat
In a city populated by animals, a rabbit police officer teams up with a fox to uncover a conspiracy. In spite of a comic tone, some scenes of threat and characters in danger may be too intense for the very young.
violence
Animal characters scratch at each other. In one scene an eye is scratched, leading to blindness, although the cutting is not shown.
threat and horror
Scenes of mild threat include a young animal being pushed over and scratched by another as well as characters being dangled over an ice hole and threatened with being 'iced'. Other characters are threatened by animals who have turned wild, with the creatures seen with glowing eyes as they growl and chase after others with their claws out. There is some focus on the animals snarling and scratching.
language
There is some very mild bad language with uses of 'heck', 'butt', 'bummer' and 'jerk'
drugs
There are some very mild references to drugs as a chemistry lab and hazmat suit are seen in use by a character producing an 'elixir' from plants. The elixir is not represented as a drug for recreational use.
nudity
There is a scene of comic implied nudity in which animals, who are normally seen wearing clothes, visit a spa where clothes are not worn.
injury detail
A bloody scratch is seen.
Leo
mild rude humour, threat, injury detail, language
A lizard and his turtle pal decide to escape from the terrarium of a school classroom in this warm and comic US musical animation. Rude humour features alongside positive messaging about friendship and self-acceptance.
violence
There are scenes of very mild slapstick violence, such as animal characters destroying a birthday party and a friendly lizard nearly getting sucked into household appliances.
threat and horror
A lizard has a flashback detailing how children mistreated him, including by throwing him into a swimming pool. Other mild threat often comes from a mean substitute teacher who expresses her strong dislike of children. In one scene, she throws ninja stars at them and another sees her pull a knuckle duster out of her bag. A gang of big-toothed and glowing-eyed alligators menacingly corner a scared lizard and threaten some children; a teacher subsequently throws ninja stars at one of them in order to defend her class.
language
Infrequent use of mild bad language ('fricking') is accompanied by very mild bad language ('God', 'butt', 'freaking').
rude humour
There are frequent moments of mild rude humour including poo, fart and pee jokes. A creature describes how turtle babies are made which comically confuses a schoolboy about the facts of life. The boy later states that he thought babies came out of his mother's 'butt'. A turtle wears a jockstrap and comic references are made to puberty.
drugs
A schoolgirl expresses concern that she will only get into high schools with 'drug problems'.
injury detail
A lizard's tail is cut off with a knife leaving behind a stump. It is later severed again by a hoover, however, the tail quickly grows back and there is no permanent damage caused.
alcohol and tobacco
A former teacher is described as a 'closet drunk'.
theme
Moments of very mild emotional upset come from a child crying about her beloved grandfather who passed away and experiencing anxiety due to her parents' divorce. School children demonstrate bullying behaviour but they quickly come to regret their actions.
The Jungle Book (2016)
mild threat
A young boy who was raised by wolves in India embarks on a series of adventures with his animal friends. This adaptation of the story is darker and slightly more intense than the musical version from the 1960s.
Threat and horror
The main character is chased by a tiger and an ape, and is threatened by a landslide and a forest fire. There are scenes in which animal characters are also subject to threat and attack, including brief animal fight scenes, threat from fire, and the implied death of animal characters.
Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget
mild threat
With the assistance of their flock, two chickens set out to rescue their daughter from a sinister facility in this stop-motion comedy sequel. Mild threat is accompanied by reassuring outcomes and humour.
violence
Characters fall from heights, are flung from moving vehicles, get struck by lasers, sucked into vents, electrocuted, thrown into the air by explosions, and hit with various objects, resulting in temporary unconsciousness.
threat and horror
There are repeated scenes in which an axe-wielding villain chases and swings their weapon widely at characters. A brainwashed chicken willingly travels up a conveyor belt where slicing noises are heard, and a bucket of chicken nuggets emerges. A woman falls headfirst into a nugget-making machine.
theme
There are scenes of emotional upset in which characters are separated from their families and cry.
