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The 10 best free family films on Amazon Prime Video

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Hoping to gather ’round the TV for a fun family movie night? Look no further than Amazon Prime Video.

The streaming service is loaded with popular titles for viewers of all ages. Whether you’re searching for a superhero origin story for the tweens, longing for a comedy for the young ones, or looking for a fantasy that’s guranteed to please them all, Prime Video has got you covered.

Check out at all the best family-friendly films streaming free with your Prime Video subscription below.

1. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: Filmstore / Shutterstock

This stunning fantasy film tells of a fifteen-year-old Viking named Hiccup who hopes to become a dragon slayer even though he’s considered to be too weak. However, after befriending a mysterious Night Fury, he starts to question his tribe’s age-old tradition of dragon hunting.

How to Train Your Dragon is beautifully animated, heartfelt, and surprisingly layered. It’s one of those stories that will enchant mature viewers just as easily as it will captivate the kids. And though you’ll have to look elsewhere for the equally lauded movie sequels, you can start the adventure on Prime Video.

How to watch: How to Train Your Dragon is now included free with Prime Video.

2. The Avengers (2012)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: Marvel Enterprises / Kobal / Shutterstock

Just because you don’t have Disney+ doesn’t mean you can’t stream Marvel’s first big ensemble superhero smash film.

In The Avengers, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) come together to defeat Loki, the God of Mischief, after he attempts to conquer the world with the power of the Tesseract.

If it’s been a while since you’ve watched the opening Avengers installment, it might time to revisit. It has all the best features of a giant blockbuster movie including showy special effects, an engaging cast, and a high-stakes story. It’s the perfect way to finish off your summer of streaming.

How to watch: The Avengers is now included free with Prime Video.

3. Shrek (2001)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: Filmstore / Shutterstock

A fairytale parody that is hilarious from the moment it plays Smash Mouth’s “All Star?” Yes, please.

In case you didn’t grow up with Shrek yourself, the movie is about an ogre who makes a deal with the evil Lord Farquaad after his peaceful existence is impeded on by an eccentric group of fairytale characters; If Shrek can bring Princess Fiona back to Farquaad so she can become his bride, the ruler will send Shrek’s new neighbors out of his swamp. However, many obstacles including a “fierce” dragon, a snarky Robin Hood, and his own self-doubts lie in the way.

Though Shrek’s visuals were clearly brought to life nearly two decades ago, its fast-paced humor and compelling message withstand the test of time.

How to watch: Shrek is now included free with Prime Video.

4. Troop Zero (2019)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: sundance institute

If you’re needing something funny and fresh, take a trip to this Amazon Studios original movie.

Set in 1977 Georgia, Troop Zero follows a girl (Mckenna Grace) who hopes to one day make it to outer space. After learning that the winner of a Birdie Scout talent show will get to be recorded on NASA’s Golden Record — which will be launched into the sky via Voyager — she gets together a group of misfits to strive for the prize.

The comedy-drama film is full of charm and, though the story is simple, it’s well-acted. After all, it has Viola Davis and Allison Janney in supporting roles. So who could complain?

How to watch: Troop Zero is now included free with Prime Video.

5. Rango (2011)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: Blind / Kobal / Shutterstock

If an animated Western sounds fun to you, Rango is your movie.

It follows a pet chameleon (Johnny Depp) who, after falling out of his owners’ car in Nevada, winds up in the sleepy town of Dirt. Here, he quits blending in and steps up as the outpost’s newest sheriff.

The film’s voice-work is top-notch, as is the creative premise and riveting animations. This had it scoring multiple awards, including Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.

How to watch: Rango is now included free with Prime Video.

6. Shaun the Sheep – The Movie (2015)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Is the Shaun the Sheep Movie really that good? Yes. Yes, it is. Just ask the film’s 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The stop-motion adventure comedy sees the titular sheep taking his flock to the city in hopes of bringing their amnesiac farmer back to Mossy Bottom Farm.

It’s simple, it’s innocent, and it’s lots of fun. Shaun the Sheep proves that you don’t need heavy dialogue — just charisma — to make an animation film feel lively.

How to watch: Shaun the Sheep – The Movie is now included free with Prime Video.

7. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: Paramount Pictures / Bad Robot / Kobal / Shutterstock

Need a family film better suited for tweens and teens? Don’t look past Star Trek Beyond.

This sci-fi installment has the crew of the USS Enterprise crash-landing on an uncharted planet after being attacked by the lizard-like Krall (Idris Elba) and his swarm. This has Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and their crew members searching for a way to fight against the aliens and get away.

Star Trek Beyond is well-acted and directed, visually impressive, and loaded with energy-filled action sequences. This makes it easy to stay entertained, even if you haven’t seen the films that come before this one.

How to watch: Star Trek Beyond is now included free with Prime Video.

8. The Secret of NIMH (1982)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: Filmstore / Shutterstock

There’s a special kind of warmth to Don Bluth animations — like The Land Before Time and An American Tail — that leaves them enchanting years after their initial release. And Bluth’s directorial debut, The Secret of NIMH, does not deviate from these familiar feelings.

The dark fantasy has field mouse Mrs. Brisby seeking help from a colony of rats after her son falls ill with pneumonia. Its multifaceted themes, artistic visuals, and compelling narrative makes it a stand-out.

How to watch: The Secret of NIMH is now included free with Prime Video.

9. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

Image: Marvel / Paramount / Kobal / Shutterstock

The Avengers isn’t the only Marvel film camping out on Prime Video. There’s also Captain America, which has Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) attempting to stop Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) from world domination right after he buffs up with a dose of “Super-Soldier Serum.”

The 1940s setting helps separate the film from other superhero hits of the 2010s, and its story is engaging for viewers of all ages.

Also, Chris Evans. Chris Evans. Need we say more?

How to watch: Captain America: The First Avenger is now included free with Prime Video.

10. Ernest and Celestine (2012)

The 10 best free family movies on Amazon Prime Video

You probably haven’t seen Ernest & Celestine. The film was released in France in 2012, and though it received an English dub in 2014, it was overshadowed by other animation films — like Frozen — which was still riding high off of its success at the time.

However, just because Ernest & Celestine is not a grand CGI animation doesn’t mean it’s worth skipping over. Because with storybook-like visuals and a friendship-filled story, the movie gives off the feelings of an old-fashioned film you’ll want to cozy up to.

The comedy-drama sees a world in which, separated by fear, the rodents live underground and the bears live aboveground. However, instead of eating Celestine (Mackenzie Foy) after stumbling into her, musician bear Ernest (Forest Whitaker) teams up with the mouse to complete their varying agendas. Unfortunately, this also forces them to run from the police together.

How to watch: Ernest and Celestine is now included free with Prime Video.

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