What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to PAW Patrol first
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 2010
Series
Journey to the enchanted land of Equestria, where unicorn Twilight Sparkle and her pals have adventures and learn valuable lessons about friendship.
The sides of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- A unicorn studying friendship
- Six pony friends in Equestria
- A lesson learned in each episode
Good for you if
- you want a cartoon to watch with young children.
- you like Twilight Sparkle and her friends sorting out their quarrels.
- you want gentle, colorful adventures with a happy ending.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated series.
- nine seasons is too much for you.
About: friendship · kindness · magic
Bolt 2008
Film
Bolt is the star of the biggest show in Hollywood. The only problem is, he thinks it's real. After he's accidentally shipped to New York City and separated from Penny, his beloved co-star and owner, Bolt must harness all his "super powers" to find a way home.
The sides of Bolt
- A TV dog who thinks his superpowers are real
- A trip across the country to get home
- A cynical cat and a hamster in a ball
Good for you if
- you want a dog adventure to watch with children.
- you like a stray cat and a hamster becoming a dog's family.
- you laugh at a hamster who believes every word of a TV show.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at a heartwarming pet reunion.
About: identity · loyalty · home
Bluey 2018
Series
Bluey is an inexhaustible six year-old Blue Heeler dog, who loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures, developing her imagination as well as her mental, physical and emotional resilience.
The sides of Bluey
- A six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy
- Bandit and Chilli, parents who join every game
- A family house in Brisbane
Good for you if
- you want something parents and small children both enjoy.
- you like seven-minute episodes of warm family play.
- you like a kids' show that can catch you off guard and make you cry.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated series.
- you need stakes and danger to stay interested.
About: play · parenthood · childhood

The Story of Heidi 1979
Anime
Heidi is five years old when her aunt Dete, who has raised Heidi since her parents' deaths four years earlier, takes the orphaned Heidi to live with her formidable grandfather in the Swiss Alps. The American feature-length adaptation of Heidi (1974), the Japanese anime series produced by Zuiyo Eizo.
The sides of The Story of Heidi
- An orphan girl sent to her grandfather in the Alps
- Goats, meadows and a mountain hut
- Her friend Peter the goatherd
Good for you if
- you want a warm, gentle story of mountain life.
- you're looking for something to watch with young children.
- you love Alpine meadows and goats.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch cartoons.
- you find 1970s animation dated.
About: family · friendship · homesickness
Lady and the Tramp 1955
Film
Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, meets up with a mongrel dog who calls himself the Tramp. He is obviously from the wrong side of town, but happenings at Lady's home make her decide to travel with him for a while.
The sides of Lady and the Tramp
- A pampered cocker spaniel
- A street dog from the wrong side of town
- Spaghetti shared by candlelight
Good for you if
- you like a love story told through two dogs and a plate of spaghetti.
- you want a short, gentle classic for children.
- you want something warm and low stakes.
Bad for you if
- you find 1950s Disney animation dated.
- you don't watch animated films.
About: love · class · home

Hamtaro 2000
Anime
The cute and cuddly pet of 10-year-old Laura, Hamtaro is a small hamster with a big sense of adventure! Join Hamtaro and the adorable rodent rascals who captured the hearts of millions of children the world over.
The sides of Hamtaro
- A hamster sneaking out while his owner is at school
- A clubhouse of hamster friends
- Small adventures in a quiet town
Good for you if
- you want something gentle to watch with young children.
- you like tiny adventures that always end well.
- you want a cartoon with nothing scary in it.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch cartoons.
- you need stakes to stay interested.
About: friendship · curiosity · home
Nobita is followed by a stray dog on his way home and decides to help it find its original owner with the help of Doraemon. They find out that the dog is actually a prince in its homeland in Africa.
The sides of Doraemon: New Nobita's Great Demon - Peko and the Exploration Party of Five
- A stray dog who is really a prince
- An expedition into the African jungle
- Nobita and his friends with Doraemon's gadgets
Good for you if
- you want an adventure to watch with children.
- you like a gang of kids sticking together far from home.
- you want a warm, safe story with a happy end.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you won't read subtitles to follow Nobita and Doraemon in Japanese.
About: courage · friendship · loyalty
Monsters, Inc. 2001
Film
Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.
The sides of Monsters, Inc.
- Monsters scaring kids for energy
- A little girl loose in the factory
- A big furry guy who melts
Good for you if
- you like a funny duo who argue like a married couple.
- you want something sweet for the whole family.
- you like a big blue monster who becomes a kind of father to a toddler named Boo.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a love story. Mike's dates with Celia keep getting cut short.
About: fear · friendship · care
Big Hero 6 2014
Film
A special bond develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
The sides of Big Hero 6
- A boy genius and a soft robot
- A team of nerds turned heroes
- A brother's legacy
Good for you if
- you like a huggable robot who takes everything literally.
- you like a family film about grief.
- you want something warm and fun for all ages.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you'd rather skip superhero fights. The second half turns into a long battle with a masked villain.
About: grief · friendship · invention
Toy Story 2 1999
Film
Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggen, owner of Al's Toy Barn kidnaps Woody. Andy's toys mount a daring rescue mission, Buzz Lightyear meets his match and Woody has to decide where he and his heart truly belong.
The sides of Toy Story 2
- Woody stolen by a collector
- A rescue across the city
- A cowgirl's song
Good for you if
- you like toys on a road-crossing mission.
- you like a song about being forgotten by a child.
- you want a short, warm film for all ages.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you like patient films. This one races from a yard sale to an airport baggage hall.
About: belonging · friendship · growing up
Toy Story 4 2019
Film
Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, devoted to taking care of his kid—whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But after Bonnie creates a reluctant new toy called "Forky", a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends challenges everything Woody believes about loyalty, purpose, and what it truly means to be a toy.
The sides of Toy Story 4
- A spork who thinks he's trash
- An antique shop and a lost doll
- Woody's choice
Good for you if
- you like a toy who keeps throwing himself in the bin.
- you grew up with Woody and are ready to be moved by him once more.
- you want a warm family film.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you or your kids scare easily. Creepy ventriloquist dummies roam an antique shop.
About: purpose · letting go · friendship
The Aristocats 1970
Film
When Madame Adelaide Bonfamille leaves her fortune to Duchess and her children—Bonfamille’s beloved family of cats—the butler plots to steal the money and kidnaps the legatees, leaving them out on a country road. All seems lost until the wily Thomas O’Malley Cat and his jazz-playing alley cats come to the aristocats’ rescue.
The sides of The Aristocats
- A family of Parisian cats
- A greedy butler after their inheritance
- Jazz-playing alley cats
Good for you if
- you like a jazz band of alley cats swinging through Paris.
- you want a gentle, low-stakes rescue story.
- you want a short classic to watch with young children.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you find 1970 animation dated.
About: family · kindness · home
Trolls 2016
Film
After the monstrous Bergens invade Troll Village, Princess Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and overly-cautious, curmudgeonly outcast Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends. Their mission is full of adventure and mishaps, as this mismatched duo try to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done.
The sides of Trolls
- Princess Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born
- Branch, a grumpy outcast
- Bergens who eat Trolls to feel happy
Good for you if
- you like pop covers and Justin Timberlake's Can't Stop the Feeling.
- you want something bright and loud to watch with young children.
- you want a cheerful story where everyone sings by the end.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at a film about finding the happiness inside you.
About: happiness · friendship
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us 2018
Anime
A young athlete whose running days might be behind her, a compulsive liar, a shy researcher, a bitter old woman, and a little girl with a big secret—the only thing they have in common is the annual Wind Festival in Fula City. The festival celebrates the Legendary Pokémon Lugia, who brings the wind that powers this seaside city. When a series of threats endangers not just the festival, but all the people and Pokémon of Fula City, it’ll take more than just Satoshi and Pikachu to save the day! Can everyone put aside their differences and work together—or will it all end in destruction?
The sides of Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us
- A seaside city's Wind Festival
- Five strangers with nothing in common
- Ash, Pikachu and the legendary Lugia
Good for you if
- you want a Pokémon film to watch with children.
- you like strangers learning to work together to save their town.
- you want an adventure with no real cruelty in it.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you roll your eyes at a big message about everyone pulling together.
About: community · courage · second chances
Panda! Go Panda! 1972
Anime
Cheerful Mimiko’s small family grows when she adopts a talking baby panda and his full-grown papa. Despite Mimiko's best efforts, the appearance of Panny and Papa Bear disrupts the quiet pace of life in town, prompting zookeepers to reclaim the escaped bear pair.
The sides of Panda! Go Panda!
- A girl who adopts a baby panda and his papa
- A bamboo-loving family in a small town
- Early work by Miyazaki and Takahata
Good for you if
- you want 35 gentle minutes with a girl and two talking pandas.
- you need something sweet for very young children.
- you like Papa Panda's huge grin and unshakable calm.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you find 1970s animation dated.
About: family · kindness · independence
Toy Story 1995
Film
Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
The sides of Toy Story
- Toys that come alive
- A cowboy jealous of a spaceman
- A rescue from the boy next door
Good for you if
- you like a buddy comedy between two rivals.
- you want a short, warm film for any age.
- you like the idea that your toys come alive when you leave the room.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you scare easily. Sid's room is full of toys stitched back together wrong.
About: friendship · jealousy · childhood

Rugrats 1991
Series
Focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies' imaginations. Adults in the series are almost always unaware of what the children are up to; however, this only provides more room for the babies to explore and discover their surroundings.
The sides of Rugrats
- Toddlers on adventures behind their parents' backs
- Angelica bossing the babies around
- A backyard turned into a jungle
Good for you if
- you want a cartoon children and parents can both enjoy.
- you like Angelica's bossy schemes and Chuckie's panics.
- you want a nostalgic, low-stakes cartoon from the 90s.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated series.
- nine seasons is too much for you.
About: childhood · imagination · friendship
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea 2006
Anime
On their way through the Battle Frontier, Ash and friends meet up with a Pokémon Ranger who's mission is to deliever the egg of Manaphy to a temple on the ocean's floor. However, a greedy pirate wants the power of Manaphy to himself.
The sides of Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
- A Pokémon Ranger carrying Manaphy's egg
- A pirate after an underwater temple
- Ash and May travelling with a circus troupe
Good for you if
- you want a sea adventure to watch with young children.
- you like a sunken temple and a baby Pokémon prince of the sea.
- you want a pirate story that stays gentle.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you want real danger, and you get a soft family adventure.
About: protection · the sea · growing up
A Bug's Life 1998
Film
On behalf of "oppressed bugs everywhere," an inventive ant named Flik hires a troupe of warrior bugs to defend his bustling colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers led by the evil-minded Hopper.
The sides of A Bug's Life
- An inventive ant
- Circus bugs mistaken for warriors
- Grasshoppers who bully the colony
Good for you if
- you like a circus troupe pretending to be heroes.
- you want a gentle family film.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a family film that makes you cry. Flik's story stays light from start to finish.
About: courage · community · invention
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 2012
Film
Animal pals Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria are still trying to make it back to New York's Central Park Zoo. They are forced to take a detour to Europe to find the penguins and chimps who broke the bank at a Monte Carlo casino. When French animal-control officer Capitaine Chantel DuBois picks up their scent, Alex and company are forced to hide out in a traveling circus.
The sides of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
- Four zoo animals hiding in a travelling circus
- A French animal-control officer on their trail
- Penguins breaking the bank in Monte Carlo
Good for you if
- you like nonstop slapstick and King Julien's antics.
- you want a fast, colourful film for the whole family.
- you want an evening with nothing sad or heavy in it.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you'd rather have a patient film than a nonstop chase.
About: friendship · home · belonging