Top 10 Banned Kids Movies

Top 10 Banned Kids Movies

Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Banned Kids Movies.

For this list, we’ll be looking at children’s films that didn’t sit too well with parents, censors, or in some cases, kids themselves.

Is there a children’s movie that’s been banned that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

#10: “Mary Poppins” (1964)

“Mary Poppins” was not banned in China because she feeds children a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. In actuality, the Chinese government made the decision to ban all mixed media, otherwise known as films and TV shows that mix animation with live-action. This was done to promote the cartoon industry in China so that more Chinese cartoons would be shown. At the same time, the British series “Teletubbies” was banned, as well as “Space Jam.” Apparently, the Chinese government wasn’t too keen on children going to fly a kite.

#9: “Barney’s Great Adventure” (1998)

It’s still unclear why this kiddie film was banned in Malaysia. The only reason ever given was that the film was deemed “unsuitable for children.” While it’s hard to figure out what exactly about Barney is unsuitable, there’s little doubt that some parents celebrated this decision. Maybe Malaysians are offended by purple dinosaurs, but it’s more likely that they are offended by this particular purple dinosaur. To this day, “Barney’s Great Adventure” is still banned in Malaysia and it doesn’t look like the ban is going to be lifted anytime soon.

#8: “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018)

When the novel “A Wrinkle in Time” was first published in 1962, it became an instant and controversial success. The main issue critics had with it was how the novel mixed religion and science. Flash forward to 2018, and Disney’s adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time” brought up that same discussion. The film was banned in China because there is a foreign film quota, which means that only a certain amount of non-Chinese movies can be released. However, it’s also likely that the movie was banned due to the very same themes that made it so hotly contested in the first place.

#7: “The Barnyard Battle” (1929)

In 1929, Disney released “The Barnyard Battle,” which was the first Mickey Mouse short to feature Mickey as a soldier. Mickey goes on to join an army of mice who are battling an army of cats. Germany wasn't bothered by the literal physical abuse Mickey underwent during training, but they were offended by the helmets the cats wore. In their opinion, the helmets resembled the pickelhaube, a spiked helmet often associated with Prussian and German military officers. Ironically, the cartoon also included the song “Dixie,” which was the rallying cry for the Confederate side of the American Civil War, so who knows when this battle took place.

#6: “Shrek 2” (2004)

While known for their adult humor, the “Shrek” films have been generally loved and memed for years. However, in Israel, “Shrek 2” was not welcomed. One of the film’s jokes includes one character threatening another one, and he implies that he will, let’s just call it spay and neuter him. In the Hebrew dub, the character said “let’s do a David Daor on him.” The real David Daor is a singer who is famous for his falsetto, and he didn’t take too kindly to being called a eunuch. He was so incensed that he convinced the Israeli government to ban the film, which they agreed to do until the joke was removed.

#5: “Christopher Robin” (2018)

Winnie the Pooh: Friend. Lover of Honey. Anti-communist rebel? Since 2013, our favorite silly ol bear has been used as a symbol of resistance against China’s communist party and the current leader Xi Jinping. Over the years, multiple memes have been created that compare Jinping to Pooh Bear due to their similar shapes. More memes began to circulate in 2018 when it was announced that there would be no term limits imposed on Jinping, which is also the exact year that “Christopher Robin” was released. As a result, “Christopher Robin” was banned. It seems that in addition to traversing around Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie has also become politically active.

#4: “Beauty and the Beast” (2017)

“Beauty and the Beast” has always had some debatable moments, but that’s not what caused controversy with the release of the 2017 remake. When director Bill Condon revealed that there would be a “gay moment,” numerous countries reacted. Russia gave the film a 16+ rating, Malaysia gave the film a PG-13 rating after an extensive investigation, and Kuwait outright banned it. Even a theater in Alabama refused to screen the movie. The controversial moment wasn’t even a minute, as it featured LeFou briefly dancing with a man.

#3: “Song of the South” (1946)

When “Song of the South” was first released in 1946, critics pointed out that the cheerful portrayal of African-Americans made it seem as though they were happy to be slaves and that it wasn’t clear when the film took place. The movie was also questioned for ignoring the actual horrors of plantation life. Despite being shown in theaters for decades after its release, “Song of the South” has never been released on home video/DVD in the US and is not available on Disney +. Splash Mountain, which is a part of multiple Disney parks, is based off of the film, although Disney has stated that they plan to give the ride “The Princess and the Frog” makeover.

#2: “Abominable” (2019)

On the surface, “Abominable” is a sweet film about a Yeti and a young girl who sets out to reunite him with his family. For Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, the appearance of a specific map was given an icy reception. The nine-dash line refers to a large section of the South China sea, which is home to important natural resources. China has laid claim over most of the area, but many other countries have also stated that parts of it belong to them. Due to this hot bed of contention, these other countries pulled or flat out banned the film because they felt that the map shown was inaccurate.

#1: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)

One of the most lovable creations of the 1980s, E.T. warmed our hearts with his big, glowing heart. In Sweden, the censorship board decided to ban E.T. for children under the age of 11 not because of E.T. himself, but because the film “portrays adults as enemies of children.” We can assume that they were referring to the mysterious government agents who show up and pursue E.T. Kids and their parents did not agree with this decision and actually protested outside of theaters to see the film, while other families lied and said that their children were of age. That’s how much kids wanted to see a movie that was made for kids.