As kids get older, however, they start to lose the imaginative spark – especially as TV and video games take over. It’s rare that you hear adults talk about how watching "Fantasy Island" or playing Asteroids changed their life. On the other hand, films and books that really tap into the imagination when kids are young, like Star Wars and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars novel series, inspire meaningful innovation once those kids grow up. Perhaps John Carter, with its creatures that look like they came from a 6th grader’s doodles (and I mean that as a compliment) rather than a frightening Super 8 or Cowboys vs. Aliens type of extraterrestrial, will lead today’s teenagers to tap into their creativity and become tomorrow’s innovators.

 

In addition to John Carter, here are three other imaginative films for families:

 

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. Theodore Geisel’s creativity was limitless.  The Lorax delivers a serious message to children, presented in a vibrant, silly and magical style. Families thneed to see The Lorax.

 

 

 

 

 

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Through the works of Jules Verne and other literary greats, two families find themselves working together to escape an island where traditionally big creatures are small and small creatures are big. The 3D is used to make the movie more thrilling and fun.

 

 

 

 

The Secret World of Arrietty. It’s not the creatures that are small in Arrietty, it’s the people. The film presents a world in which "Borrowers" are the size of insects but have to survive in our human-size world. Imagination and beauty come together in an animated movie that can truly be called "art."

 

 

 

To see what kids think about John Carter and other movies, go to www.KidsPickFlicks.com , where all kids are movie critics.