Does social media imitate life, or does life imitate social media? Like the old “chicken or the egg” conundrum, it seems to be a circular argument with instances and evidence for both situations. One example of this is the 6-7 viral trend that has infiltrated schools and youth culture worldwide. Though exact or literal interpretations of this phenomenon vary, the most common meaning is that to say something is 6-7 is to say it is average. It is so good that it’s not bad, but it’s also so bad that it’s not exceptional.
Throughout cinema history, there have been many kids and family movies that have fallen into the 6-7 gap. Afterall, not every children’s movie can be a Beauty and the Beast or Lion King. These noteworthy films are not the worst kids’ movies of all time by any means, but they’re also not the best either. Landing in the middle zone of mediocrity, but not abscurity, these are the 10 most 6-7 family movies of all time.
10
‘The Pagemaster’ (1994)
Four years after Macaulay Culkin stole audiences’ hearts as the vivacious and rebellious Kevin in Home Alone, he got to stretch his acting range by playing a nervous, shy, and introverted individual in The Pagemaster. The plot of The Pagemaster has Culkin as Richard Tyler, a timid boy who seeks shelter from a storm inside a library. Soon after meeting the librarian (played by Christopher Lloyd), Richard stumbles and falls. When he hits his head and goes unconscious, he slips into an animated fantasy world where books are sentient and can talk to him. In his animated form, Culkin is joined by Patrick Stewart, who voices Adventure, Whoopi Goldberg, who voices Fantasy, and Frank Welker, who voices Horror.
The Pagemaster is somewhere between fun and inspiring, or terrifying nightmare fuel for kids. Although The Pagemaster has excellent voice acting and animation, most of the references will largely go over kids’ heads. Unless viewers are familiar with the literary works mentioned, like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or Moby Dick, the movie will fail to connect with the audience. Unfortunately, the most predominant books referenced in The Pagemaster are mature works, and few kids will understand the references. The Pagemaster does well at expressing the thrills and chills that can come from reading a good book, but it picked the wrong books to include.
9
‘Turning Red’ (2024)
Pixar has given the world of cinema some memorable and celebrated hits like Toy Story 3, Inside Out, and The Incredibles. However, one significant box office flop was 2024’s Turning Red. This animated coming-of-age movie uses an allegory of a young girl turning into a giant red panda to parallel getting her first period. Turning Red was an ambitious venture for Pixar, which changed up its signature animation style to create a new look for the film. Unfortunately, it wasn’t charming enough to win over audiences, and the film cost the studio over $160 million in losses.
Being too cartoony to look like Pixar and too Pixar to be a cartoon, Turning Red’s graphics left audiences visually confused. The storyline is also very niche, and unless you can relate to being a teenage girl going through puberty, there’s little else left in the movie to connect with. For those who can relate to the film, in many ways, it was a forerunner for K-pop Demon Hunters in its quirky animation, emphasis on female friendship, and admiration for boy bands.
8
‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ (2005)
An updated take on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Willy Wonka is an eccentric chocolatier who has a hidden agenda when he offers a tour of his candy-making factory to a group of children chosen at random in a sweepstake. Directed by Tim Burton, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ends up feeling like an awkward mashup of Burton’s signature style and an attempt to be whimsical.
It is difficult for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to shine with the Gene Wilder film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory being so iconic. It would always and inevitably be compared to the OG, and sadly, it doesn’t measure up. Fans of Dahl’s book will get enjoyment out of this interpretation, but for new or less avid aficionados, it brings nothing of note to the table.
7
‘The Legend of Ochi’ (2025)
A24 has been racking up stashes of accolades with hits like Ex Machina, Lady Bird, Hereditary, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. The proficient studio has earned both critical and public praise for its unique stories, original presentations, and gripping visual styles. In 2025, A24 took a stab at a corner of the cinema it has yet to conquer: children and family films.
The movie, The Legend of Ochi, follows a teenager named Yuri (Helena Zengel) who is being raised by her eccentric and unstable father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe). Maxim has become obsessed with elusive creatures called ochi who dwell in cavernous mountains nearby, and his intentions are hostile. When Yuri finds an abandoned baby ochi, she cares for the little being and is determined to return it to its kind.
The Legend of Ochi feels more like a slow-burning suspense than a true family film. The use of practical effects was ingenious, but the mise en scène is too abstract and gritty to feel attractive or inviting to young children. The slower pace will most likely feel boring to younger kids as well. Teens and fans of the A24 aesthetic should check The Legend of Ochi out, as it lives up to the studio’s visual forte, and Stranger Things fans will enjoy watching Finn Wolfhard in a different project.
6
‘Mary Poppins Returns’ (2018)
Another remake of a classic film that no one really asked for was Mary Poppins Returns. The original movie is so memorable, not only because of its innovation in blending live action with animation, but also because of the tumultuous journey it took to get there. The 1964 film Mary Poppins featured Julie Andrews in the title role and has long been held as one of the best live-action family movies ever made.
In 2018, the most infamous on-screen nanny returned with Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. Similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mary Poppins Returns brought nothing new to the story. It felt like a lackluster rehash of the same character types, without a clear moral conviction or message to convey. Despite it obviously not living up to the first film, Mary Poppins Returns has some wonderful music numbers and is a fun watch, as long as you take it for what it is and don’t expect it to be on par with the original.
5
‘Quest for Camelot’ (1998)
It wasn’t the best design idea for the animators behind Quest for Camelot to blatantly rip off the look of their heroine from a well-known Disney character. Kayley, voiced by Jessalyn Gilsig, is obviously meant to look like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and audiences and critics took notice. Despite this apparent homage to a Disney film, Quest for Camelot has some unique strengths that make it engaging to watch.
The plot follows Kayley as she tries to return the sword Excalibur to King Arthur (Pierce Brosnan) so their kingdom will be saved from the villain named Ruber (Gary Oldman). Quest for Camelot has some high-profile Hollywood stars in the cast, including Oldman, Brosnan, Cary Elwes, Céline Dion, Gabriel Byrne, Jane Seymour, and Eric Idle. The musical numbers are engaging, and there are some fun comedic moments in Quest for Camelot that are sure to give viewers a chuckle.
4
‘The Magician’s Elephant’ (2023)
Netflix is becoming a powerhouse when it comes to creating original content. The streaming giant has released some fantastic original animated movies like KPop Demon Hunters, Klaus, and Over the Moon. Like every animation studio before it, with so many successes, there are bound to be projects that don’t shine as bright as their peers. One such example is The Magician’s Elephant.
Based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, The Magician’s Elephant is a story about a boy named Peter (Noah Jupe) who is searching for his long-lost sister. When a fortune-teller suggests that an elephant is the key to finding her, an intriguing and whimsical tale unfolds in this fun fantasy film. Giving subtle Frozen vibes at times, The Magician’s Elephant is a great watch for any family movie night. It might not be the best animated movie Netflix has ever done, but it is still a good movie and has plenty of strengths and charm.
3
‘Oliver & Company’ (1988)
An animal reenvisioning of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Oliver & Company is a vivacious and musical sampling of Disney magic. An all-star cast includes Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Cheech Marin, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dom DeLuise, Robert Loggia, and Bette Midler. In the movie, the little lost kitten Oliver (Lawrence) falls in with a group of street-wise dogs and their human owner, Fagin (DeLuise), after he is abandoned on a city corner.
All of the cast give committed character performances, and Oliver & Company has some thrilling action sequences as well. It is an electric movie that hums with the excitement of living in New York City. Though not remembered as being one of Disney’s greatest animated movies of all time, it is one of its best and has an urban and sassy pizzazz all its own.
2
‘Scooby-Doo’ (2002)
Translating an animated work into live-action is tricky, ask Disney. Production companies run the risk of disconnecting an established fan base or failing to interest a new one. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was a hit TV cartoon that featured a talking dog and four friends as they solved spooky mysteries together. In 2002, James Gunn, along with Craig Titley and William Hanna, penned a script for a live-action adaptation that starred Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, and Neil Fanning.
Gunn revealed in a Facebook post that his original vision for Scooby-Doo was going to be an unhinged R-rated horror film. While this version would have been interesting, it is a far cry from the kid-friendly cartoon and eventual live-action movie. While it is definitely not an Academy Award winner, Scooby-Doo is a super fun and slightly spooky movie that families can appreciate. It is a perfect popcorn movie that viewers don’t have to overthink; just enjoy. Scooby-Doo has a cult following of devoted fans and was one of Peacock’s top 10 most-streamed movies last summer.
1
‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ (1971)
Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson were established family film stars in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Putting them together in a movie seemed kismet, and the movie was Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Walt Disney had a famously difficult time securing the rights to P.L. Travers’ character Mary Poppins. While he worked tenaciously to make Mary Poppins a reality, he kept Bedknobs and Broomsticks as a backup in case an agreement couldn’t be reached.
There are many similarities between Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. A woman charged with caring for children has supernatural powers. The heroes go on a fantasy adventure that involves traveling to an animated realm, and there are toe-tapping musical sequences. Though it never eclipsed Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a superb fantasy movie in its own right and a Disney classic. With a 66% critics’ score and a 73% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it is quite literally a 6-7 masterpiece.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
- Release Date
-
October 7, 1971
- Runtime
-
117 minutes
- Director
-
Robert Stevenson
- Writers
-
Bill Walsh, Don DaGradi
