The ‘80s brought us many iconic movies we loved to watch as kids. They used a combination of fledgling computer animation and prosthetics to create some truly wonderful special effects. The movies we watched in the ‘80s all had a distinct feel to them, and while they were a bunch of fun they hit us pretty hard in the nostalgia feels when we watch them back as adults. Not all movies age well, but these movies you should definitely check out and rewatch as an adult.
Ghostbusters
The original Ghostbusters movie was one of the funniest scary movies of all time. It combined the comedic genius of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, as well as maniacal ghosts trying to destroy New York City! We loved this movie as kids as there was plenty of action, and the ghosts were just about scary enough to have us trembling behind our popcorn in the movie theater. By casting an actor such as Bill Murray, the producers knew that there would be something for the adults to enjoy too, while the kids were freaking out about the scary ghouls. Now you can rewatch Ghostbusters as an adult and enjoy many of the hilarious one-liners made by Murray that we definitely missed as a kid.
The Goonies
The Goonies is an all-out children’s action-adventure classic. It has a bit of everything including scary monsters, pirates and an evil gangster family chasing down the heroes of the adventure. The characters in the movie were mainly children, but a few of the stars of the film turned out to be major movies stars as adults too. You can look back at this movie many people loved as a kid and enjoy the nostalgia while trying to spot Thanos or Samwise Gamgee as well as a very young Corey Feldman.
Labyrinth
The late, great David Bowie starred in the fantasy adventure Labyrinth alongside future acting royalty Jennifer Connelly. The movie is pretty much everything that was great about films in the ‘80s – the incredible special effects. There are a host of goblins, demons, and creatures all fantastically created as puppets, that as a kid you might not have appreciated and as an adult are sorely missing from modern movies. Sadly David Bowie is no longer with us, so this movie has helped immortalize the great man, allowing us to see him again in one of his most iconic acting roles, as Jareth the Goblin King.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a Steven Spielberg classic that combines adventure and sci-fi in the ultimate kids’ movie. Not only considered one of the best kids’ movies ever, it is thought to be one of the best films ever made – period. A very young Drew Barrymore meets a tiny little alien who comes from a faraway planet, and it becomes a great buddy movie. You should rewatch this movie as an adult to fully appreciate just how good it is. As a kid, you might have missed many of the key plot points in favor of staring at the funny looking alien. The movie really is a white-knuckle ride that even as an adult will have you gripped.
Uncle Buck
John Candy portrays Uncle Buck in the 1989 comedy movie that many will have watched as a kid. Candy is portrayed as a slob who lives the bachelor life but as the film develops we learn to love him. As kids, we might just have been grossed out by his antics but the older we get, the more we can relate to his lazy way of living, and might even see a little bit of ourselves in him. The movie stars a young Macaulay Culkin and the late, but always great, John Candy.
If you loved any, or all, of these movies as a kid but have been scared to rewatch them as an adult in fear of ruining your memories, then fear not, they all hold up great! You’ll spot so much more than you did as a kid and you’ll find that you love these movies in a whole new way, finding the hidden depths you failed to fully appreciate as a kid.
