Having recently seen the newest DreamWorks film, The Wild Robot, I have been thinking about the aspect of the film that appealed to me the most. That being its tone and sense of maturity in its execution, at least for a film intended for younger audiences. Rather than focusing on lowbrow humor or constant hyperactive shenanigans, the movie focuses on atmosphere, deep character relationships, and a slower pace in its story beats. It’s the kind of film that is infrequent for mainstream animation studios in America. For every Spiderverse or Coco that feels like they aren’t talking down to their younger audience, we get a dozen Minions or Boss Baby’s that are just there to fill the time with goofy antics. Animated films from Europe and especially Asia have embraced a wide variety of genres and styles. But in America, the main focus has been comedy films with brightly colored CGI and celebrities. That’s not to say that The Wild Robot doesn’t have shades of these tendencies either. Still, it feels more lovingly crafted and artistically driven rather than going to the lowest denominator for easy money. It’s especially apparent with how the filmmakers cited Studio Ghibli films as a major inspiration for the project which thrives on emotional vibes and artistic focus. With this in mind, I feel there needs to be a conversation about the types of films we show kids and why I feel there needs to be a change of sorts regarding the current output.

At some level, I feel that kids need movies that challenge them or at the very least respect them a bit more in terms of giving them something fuller in its content. It’s perfectly fine to let them watch movies that aren’t serious and are just there to make them laugh. However, not only do I feel that the effort in comedic-centric films isn’t there right now, but that only focusing on these types of films creates an imbalance in what kids grow up with. Films like the recent Despicable Me or The Mario Movie have pushed most other animated movies out of the way in terms of visibility and success. In my mind though, they are the film equivalent of candy or a dessert. They may taste good, but they don’t have much nutrition and aren’t healthy to have all the time. Like with food or any sort of activity, balance and personal regulation with the entertainment you watch is key to fulfillment. What we lack with the current landscape of kids’ entertainment, at least in terms of what gets the most attention, is a sense of balance between the lighter stuff and material so that kids can gain new insights or interests. Allowing kids to watch films that have either slower pacing or darker tones is essential to challenging perceptions, creating an appreciation for storytelling, and potentially forming new interests.

When I grew up, I saw both Pixar and DreamWorks movies. The Pixar films I watched, such as Wall-E and Up, engaged me in terms of their story and emotion. I connected deeply with what the films were trying to say and felt that I was watching something more mature or insightful in a way. I could be more engaged with the quieter moments or with characters who faced problems that were far more adult. I did see films like Madagascar or Ice Age and enjoyed them, but I very much grew to prefer the kinds of films that felt more sophisticated to me and that gave me more insightful stories and emotions. At some level, watching films that were aimed at me but took themselves a bit more seriously made me appreciate films in general a lot more. I don’t think I would be writing this article if it wasn’t for the films I grew up with that respected me with material that was more thoughtful and made me think about their themes and ideas.

Compare that to now where, aside from the occasional film with more insight than not, most animated films feel more like hyperactive timewasters. To clarify, comedy is important in terms of forming tastes and interests and should be enjoyed by all ages. I should know given that stuff like Regular Show and Looney Tunes were essential in creating my sense of humor. However, not only should kids be challenged with new experiences outside of softer stuff, but the films that they get now feel far less passionate in their construction. To point to a recent example, Despicable Me 4, which has seen the lion’s share of younger audiences this year, feels less like a well-crafted set of jokes and more like a dull obligation. Illumination’s films aren’t bad, but they feel very sanitized with a lack of ambition with more focus on advertising and watering themselves down to appeal to the widest demographic. Even great comedic animation has a sense of risk-taking or experimentation. The Minions are the same sort of joke to appeal to everyone but don’t have anything distinctive to present because of that. I’m not saying that it’s bad to enjoy these films, but the fact that they seem to be the only ones getting most of the audience’s attention is a bit troubling. The fact that films like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or Transformers One that are a bit more dramatic and tonally heavy in their execution have to fight for relevance due to audience and even studio apathy says a lot as well since it shows that there isn’t a cultural focus on making kids films that give them more than just bounciness. Plus, I feel that, unlike comedic films with more distinctive elements, animated films that are broadly focused and less ambitious will not leave much of an impact and will probably not be remembered by many kids as they grow older. The omnipresence of the Minions in terms of marketing is honestly the only reason I feel their films will be remembered and not the content of said films.

Another element that I want to point out is that there seems to be a lack of darkness in recent kids’ films. Many say that films in the 80s set out to traumatize younger audiences through imagery and themes that were far more intense and genuinely scary. Those films have disappeared and we are left with not many avenues for kid-centric horror. However, I feel that kids need something that would scare them. Let’s face it, we are in the generation that fixated on Five Nights at Freddy’s. Kids like to be scared or to focus on creepy things once in a while. Even if they aren’t genuinely intrigued by horror, scary elements in films can challenge a younger viewer with what they can handle. Stuff that scares can also leave an impact on someone because of how they emotionally feel about it. The fact that the recent re-release of Coraline managed to make a substantial amount of money, even crossing over $200 million total in its overall gross, means that a film that challenged kids more aggressively stayed with them longer. More people are going to remember a film that is distinctive or imprints a strong emotion on them rather than the ones that were just color and noise. There’s a reason that films aimed at younger with a darker tone like The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Dark Crystal, and many others have persisted long after their release. Not to mention that films like those from early Tim Burton created a generation of kids who have always had a certain interest in similar works or the overall aesthetics of darker films even as they grew older. Hot Topic is supported by that generation.

I believe that kids are smarter and more insightful than a lot of adults give them credit for. We live in a decade where a lot of media for younger audiences seems to either be nonsense or not well put together. I haven’t even mentioned how YouTube is filled with videos that are generated to be visuals and colors for younger audiences. I feel that what kids watch at a young age is very formative to their overall tastes and sensibilities. Giving them something with a bit more substance can only help in the long term and I only feel this way because I understand this from my own experiences as a kid. Kids can handle a lot of different things and you wouldn’t be able to see that if you just give them simple and safe material. New interests can be formed, new appreciations can be created, and even broad insights can be found simply by a film unlocking something new inside a viewer. New experiences are beneficial and I hope that more parents and studios are willing to understand the intrinsic value of that.