BEST KIDS ROBOT MOVIES
The robot movie genre has gotten pretty competitive recently and its hard to know which one you can safely show to your kid. They run the gammut of being cute to being outright violent. Having children 4-12 its hard to know which robot movie is actually appropriate for my kids. Marketing robot movies to kids has been around for a long long time. From the early days of “Lost In Space” to the more contemporary Transformers franchise. Here we will be listing the best robot movies for kids, and which ones you can safely watch with your whole family. Plus we’ll review them all, letting you know which ones are more violent or have inappropriate language for the little ones.
HERE IS OUR SHORT LIST of 10 Robot movies for kids. Scroll down for full reviews and the giant list of over 21 family friendly robot movies for kids of all ages.
NextGen (2018)
PG (should be PG-13) | 107min
AGES 6+
Rotten Robot 80%
ANIMATED
PROS: GREAT ANIMATION
WARNING: BLEEPED OUT CURSING, VIOLENCE
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
This animated robot buddy childrens movie stars a rebellious girl and a runaway combat robot unite to stop a madman's technological plan for world domination.
PARENT REVIEW
Warning, there is a scene where they obviously say the F word and $hit and try to bleep it out. This happens a few times. Seriously, this is marketed as a kids movie, but a little editing would have solved that issue. The movie is also pretty violent with lots of explosions.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
PG | 102min
AGES 6+
ROTTEN ROBOT: 90%
ANIMATED
PRO: SUPER CUTE MOVIE, GOOD WRITING
WARNING: MILD VIOLENCE AND DEATH
ROBOT REVIEW
Kid prodigy Hiro lives in the city of San Fransokyo. Next to his older brother, the teenage Tadashi, Hiro's closest companion is Baymax, a robot whose sole purpose is to take care of people. When a devastating turn of events throws Hiro into the middle of a dangerous plot, he transforms robot Baymax and his other friends, Go Go Tamago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred into a band of high-tech heroes.
PARENT RATING
An awesome super hero type animated movie with tons of action. The story main plot is about brotherhood and the hero’s brother tragically dies early in the film. This might be hard for more sensitive younger kids. There is a scary supervillain and lots of wang bang boom. The positive is that our kid hero has a robot sidekick whose main objective is to heal. Its generally a positive message for kids.
Star Wars: Episode IV : A New Hope (1977)
PG | 120 min
AGES 7+
ROTTEN ROBOT: 90%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: ITS A CLASSIC
WARNING: SCARY WITH SOME VIOLENCE
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
The original star wars movie that started it all! The Imperial Forces hold Princess Leia hostage. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, work together with the their robot buddies R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess, help the Rebel Alliance, and restore freedom and justice to the Galaxy.
PARENT REVIEW
This is the original star wars movie with some robot action, but be warned the movie might disappoint some kids due to its much older and dated special effects. The movie is actually quite scary for kids, including lots of gunfights, Darth Vader choking someone, and lots of minor characters are injured. There is a little foul language (such as “hell” and “damn”) but that is pretty easy to understand considering its a classic science fiction kids robot movie.
WATCH STAR WARS
Treasure Planet (2002)
PG | 95 Minutes)
Ages 7+
ANIMATED
Rotten Robot: 70%
PROS: FUN ADVENTURE
WARNING: MILD VIOLENCE AND SOME DEATH
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
The legendary "loot of a thousand worlds" inspires an intergalactic treasure hunt when 15-year-old Jim Hawkins stumbles upon a map to the greatest pirate trove. The plot is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" - this film follows Jim's fantastic journey across a parallel universe as a cabin boy with a robot buddy.
PARENT REVIEW
This swashbuckling pirate movie has tons of adventure and a fun robot sidekick. The kid hero is constantly put in trouble and there is plenty of suspense and explosions. Some characters die but there is lots of funny gags to make up for it. This kids robot movie also has good role modeling, a positive message and a little fart humor.
WATCH TREASURE PLANET
Wall-E (2008)
RATED G | 103 MINUTES)
AGES 5+ | Rotten Robot: 90%
ANIMATED
PROS: SUPER CUTE AND ARTISTIC
WARNING: LONG ARTISTIC INTRO MAY BORE
YOUNGER AUDIENCE
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
WALL-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class, is the last robot left on Earth. He spends his days tidying up the planet, one piece of garbage at a time. But during 700 years, WALL-E has developed a personality, and he's more than a little lonely. Then he spots EVE (Elissa Knight), a sleek and shapely probe sent back to Earth on a scanning mission. Smitten WALL-E embarks on his greatest adventure yet when he follows EVE across the galaxy.
PARENTS REVIEW
Young viewers often get restless during Wall-E’s more artistic first half hour of atmospheric (dialogue free) exploring. This kids robot movie has a positive message about environment, positive roll models, minor violence and a tiny bit of romance. The movie has its share of action, including weapons, explosions, and robot fights but the general environmental message of recycling is pretty fantastic!
WATCH WALL-E
Transformers Prime Beast Hunters :
Predacons Rising (2013)
NR | 65min
AGES 8+
ANIMATED
PRO: NOT MUCH
WARNING: ROBOT VIOLENCE AND CONFUSING PLOT
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
Autobots, Decepticons, Predaking and Predacons form an unlikely alliance to battle a resurrected Unicron.
PARENT REVIEW
This movie is basically another way for hasbro to start selling their toys again. There is tons of action and battle in this movie, with lasers and explosions. The voices might be a little scary for younger audience and the story isn’t particularly easy to follow, since it picks up after the third season of the tv show. On the plus side, there is no foul language, but generally this movie doesn’t have any educational or positive messaging for younger kids.
WATCH TRANSFORMERS
Iron Giant (1999)
PG | 86 MINUTES)
Age 6+
ROTTEN ROBOT 95%
ANIMATED
PROS: FAMILY FAVORIT!
WARNING: DEPICTS SMOKING
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
In this animated adaptation of Ted Hughes' Cold War fable, a giant alien robot (Vin Diesel) crash-lands near the small town of Rockwell, Maine, in 1957. Exploring the area, a local 9-year-old boy, Hogarth, discovers the robot, and soon forms an unlikely friendship with him. When a paranoid government agent, Kent Mansley, becomes determined to destroy the robot, Hogarth and beatnik Dean McCoppin (Harry Connick Jr.) must do what they can to save the misunderstood machine.
PARENTS REVIEW
The Iron Giant is a fun animated kids movie with plenty of action, positive role models and fun friendly buddy messages. There is a little bad language with the word “hell” and one character smoking that reflects a 1950’s mentality. This is a fun movie for children 6-7 years old and up!
WATCH IRON GIANT ROBOT MOVIE
Robots (2005)
PG | 91 min
AGES 6+
ROTTEN ROBOT 64%
ANIMATED
WARNING: MILD SEXUAL HUMOR
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
In a world of sentient robots, striving young inventor Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor) wants to work for the avuncular Bigweld (Mel Brooks), whose Bigweld Industries makes spare robot parts. But Bigweld has just been deposed as company head by the villainous Phineas T. Ratchet (Greg Kinnear), who wants to make all robots submit to profitable forced upgrades. In this animated adventure, Rodney and his friend Fender (Robin Williams) go underground to fight Ratchet's evil plans.
PARENT REVIEW
Generally this movie is about following your dreams and never giving up in the face of adversity. Parents should know: This movie contains little foul language, little sexy stuff, positive messages, and positive role models. This movie has some animated violence and excitement with a little potty language and some fart jokes. Some of the jokes have sexual humor, like jokes about cross-dressing and getting a dog “fixed”.
WATCH ROBOTS
Short Circuit 2 (1988)
PG | 110min)
AGES 8+
ROTTEN ROBOT 54%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: CAMPY
WARNING: MILD PHYSICAL ACTION
Robot Synopsis
A live action sequel to the original Short Circuit. This movie stars Johnny 5, a fun-loving military robot who is rescued from being destroyed. His friend Ben struggles to sell a few toy replicas of Johnny and then must scramble to make more when Sandy Banatoni orders 1,000 for her department store. With Johnny's help, Ben begins making the gadgets, but his plans are endanered when thief Oscar Baldwin steals Johnny.
Parent Review
This robot movie is kind of garbage, but kids seem to enjoy its juvenile humor. Ii’s a sequel to the original Short Circuit and we are listing it here instead of the first version because it has fewer explosions than the original. The physical action is pretty cartoonish and no serious injuries occur. Though the main robot character gets pretty beat up (which could be a little scary) he pulls through and shares messages of honesty and valuing friendship.
WATCH NOW
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001)
G | 82 MINUTES)
Age 6+
ROTTEN ROBOT 70%
ANIMATED
PROS: GOOD WRITING
WARNING: LOTS OF ACTION AND POTTY HUMOR
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" tells the simple story of a 10-year-old boy and his robot dog - battling evil, rescuing his parents, saving the Earth - and returning home in time for dinner. Jimmy's always inventing gadgets to make his life in Retroville more interesting. A boy genius with real kid emotions, Jimmy sometimes fantasizes about a life on his own. But when the parents of Jimmy's hometown are kidnapped by invading aliens, he quickly discovers that things aren't so great when they're gone.
PARENTS REVIEW
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius isn’t really a movie about robots but since Jimmy is a boy genius he invented a robot dog that plays a big part in the movie! This kids movie has lots of cartoon action with plenty of explosions and an alien invasion. No one gets hurt, though the aliens dissolve into a green goo when attacked. Young sensitive kids will probably find this scary and there is a bunch of potty mouth, including “sugar booger” and “I peed in the shower”.) Besides that, there is good positive role-modeling and a positive message.
WATCH NOW
Astro Boy (2009)
PG | 94min
AGES 7+
ROTTEN ROBOT 50%
ANIMATED
PROS: NOSTALGIC, FUN, ACTION PACKED
WARNING: THEMES OF WAR, DEATH, AND VIOLENCE
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
In futuristic Metro City, a brilliant scientist named Tenma builds Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore), a robotic child with super strength, X-ray vision and the ability to fly. Astro Boy sets out to explore the world and find acceptance, learning what being human is all about in the process. Finding that his friends and family in Metro City are in danger, he uses his incredible powers to save all that he loves.
PARENTS REVIEW
This kids robot movie is for slightly older kids and best suited for elementary school kids. It has themes of loss and war with lots of cartoon violence including the death of a child. There’s plenty of wang bang boom, but the language is pretty mild in comparison.
WATCH ASTRO BOY NOW
Cody the Robosapien (2013)
PG | 86 MINUTES
AGES 6+ Tolerable But better for 10+
ROTTEN ROBOT 30%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: IT WAS A MOVIE
WARNING: SOME MILD VIOLENCE
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
A robotic boy and a human boy join forces to save their parents from the organization that funded the robot's creator. A robot kid buddy movie where the kid is an actual robot!
PARENTS
This is a pretty garbage live-action robot movie with a lot of adventure and some pretty bad writing. It is one of those “release straight to DVD” types. It’s good for younger children. This kids movie is about Henry a 12-year-old boy and Cody the Robot. It is like all the other buddy type movies like E.T., Next-Gen, or Big Hero 6 (except really not quite as good. Cody and Henry both discover that teamwork is the key to life. WARNING: This movie has some violence, a little sexy stuff, and some There are mild insults and a little violence (like punches) but it’s overall pretty tame.
WATCH NOW
ADVENTURE OF A.R.I: My Robot Friend (2020)
PG | 88min
AGES 7+
ROBOT RATING
LIVE ACTION
PROS: NONE?
WARNING: Complete Garbage
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
Another straight to DVD style live action robot kid movie about two teens who try to save a friendly robot from its inventor, a ruthless CEO who wants to turn it into a dangerous weapon.
PARENTS REVIEW
This movie is about a discarded robot who is given a second chance by two kids who love robots. Lots of adventure here, with unlikely escapes, and chase scenes. Pretty cheesy special effects make this kids movie a little campy, and the movie does depict some bullying.
WATCH A.R.I
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
PG | 113 Minutes)
AGES 10+
Rotten Robot Rating 76%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: CAMPY GOOD SPACE MOVIE
WARNING: WIERD SCENE WHERE SISTER FALLS IN LOVE WITH FUTURE BROTHER
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
This isn’t specifically a robot movie but it’s a fun kids movie with a robot in it!
After their father is called into work, two young boys, Walter and Danny, are left in the care of their teenage sister, Lisa (Kristen Stewart from Twilight fame!), and told they must stay inside. Walter and Danny, who anticipate a boring day, are shocked when they begin playing Zathura, a space-themed board game, which they realize has mystical powers when their house is shot into space. They have adventures and are chased by a villainous defective robot. With the help of an astronaut, the boys attempt to return home.
PARENT REVIEW
Enough foul language and violence to make this movie not appropriate for younger children. There is a teen girl who develops a crush on the main astronaut character who turns out to be her future brother. Talk about weird! That said, the movie tried to talk about brotherhood, sibling rivalry and self esteem issues.
WATCH ZATHURA
Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)
PG | 100min
AGES 7+
Rotten Robot Rating 63%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: JIM CAREY IS PRETTY HILARIOUS
WARNING: LOTS OF WAM BANG BOOM
ROBOT REVIEW
The world needed a hero -- it got a hedgehog. Powered with incredible speed, Sonic embraces his new home on Earth -- until he accidentally knocks out the power grid, sparking the attention of uncool evil genius Dr. Robotnik. Lots of evil robots about in this fun buddy movie.
PARENT REVIEW
The movie is kid targeted but has a lot fo wham bang boom. Language is pretty mild with a little sprinkling of potty mouth too. Also at one point the main character drinks a beer in a bar and they get into a big bar fight. That said, the violence is mostly robot oriented and kids are left with a feeling like everything is gonna be ok.
WATCH NOW
C.H.O.M.P.S (1979)
G | 91min
Ages 5+
Rotten Robot Review 28%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: CAMPY FUNNY
WARNING: CARTOON LIKE VIOLENCE
Robot Review
A fun live action 80’s movie robot about a teenage genius invents a robot watchdog to bail out his girlfriend's father's home-security business.
Parent Review
This movie has cartoonish violence and a few scary scenes for younger kids. There is also some minor bad language .
WATCH CHOMPS
Echo (2014)
PG | 100min
AGES 6+
Rotten Robot Rating 51%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: CUTE ALIEN ROBOT MOVIE
WARNING: SCENES WITH SENSE OF “PERIL”
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
After a construction project begins in their neighborhood, three kids, best friends Tuck, Alex and Munch, begin receiving strange, encoded messages on their cell phones. The kids decide to crack the code themselves and trace the messages to their source, a cute robot! The youths' curiosity leads them to a robotic extraterrestrial who desperately needs their help.
PARENT REVIEW
There is a little violence and a sense of peril which might not sit well with sensitive kids. At one point a kid is held against his will which could also be disturbing. The beginning of the movie has Echo the robot crashing around a bunch, but generally this is a cute alien robot movie for kids.
WATCH ECHO
Ratchet and Clank (2016)
PG | 94min)
AGES 6+
Rotten Robot 21%
ANIMATED
PROS: CUTE CHARACTERS
WARNING: GARBAGE MOVIE. BAD ROLE MODELING
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy “lombax” alien who grew up without a family. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. After stumbling upon a weapon that can destroy entire planets, they join forces with a team of do-gooders known as the Galactic Rangers. Together, they must stop the evil alien Chairman Drek from utilizing this dangerous technology. So this is basically a robot buddy movie for kids.
PARENTS REVIEW
Along the way the robot and his friend learn valuable lessons about heroism, friendship and discovering one's own identity. Though this movie has a positive message its pretty snarky and makes more sense if you have played the video game it was based on. Generally its not our favorite robot movie, but it is pretty tame for kids.
WATCH RATCHET AND CLANK
Robo Dog (2015)
90min | NR
ROTTEN ROBOT 67%
LIVE ACTION
PROS: GOOD FOR SMALLER KIDS
WARNING: LOW BUDGET
ROBOT SYNOPSIS
ROBO-DOG is a live action robot film for the whole family. When Tyler's furry best friend dies tragically, his inventor Dad creates a new dog to take his place - a ROBO DOG. Yup, this pup comes complete with mechanical powers and robotic abilities to keep everyone on their toes.
PARENTS REVIEW
The movie is essentially about an 11 year old boy who’s dog dies and gets a new robot version. There is a good relationship between the dog and boy, but the really dog death might scare some younger viewers. In addition there is some scary and cartoonish violence with silly bad guys and a weird scene where a “dog napper” appears to be molesting the dog and is a called a “pervert”. The special effects are low budget, as per usual with this genre, but its generally pretty un-offensive.