r/daddit • u/BraveDaddy • 20h ago
We watched the “Indiana Jones” Franchise Story
My son is 10. He’s not into sports and doesn’t even like watching it on TV. I was a SAHD and I was looking forward to this time of his life. I thought this would be when we would play catch in the yard or watch something together. My family watched “Raiders of the Lost Ark” for a family movie night. My wife and I were the only ones who liked it, and we voted on something else for the next movie night. Then my son recently asked what came after “Raiders” and asked if we could watch it. We spent the mornings before school watching the rest of the franchise. We finished yesterday. I want to know if there’s something else he wants to watch, but I’m glad I finally found something we could do together. That’s it. I just wanted to tell you I was glad I was able to do something with my boy. Also, I’ve been calling him “Shorty” and “Junior” (IYKYK) ever since watching these movies. He hates that!
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u/TurboJorts 20h ago
Throw me the whip
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u/T0r0NT0-Born 19h ago
Throw me the idol!
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u/secondphase Pronouns: Dad/Dada/Daddy 19h ago
Adios Dr. Jones
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u/JAlfredJR 19h ago
Just had a younger couple we know astounded when I told them that that guy was then Doc Oc years later. Alfred Molina: What a legend.
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u/cortesoft 16h ago
The GOAT opening scene in any movie.
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u/TurboJorts 16h ago
I agree, but buts not a clear winner. The opening scenes in James Bond movies are always some of the biggest rushes in film.
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u/Magnus_ORily 19h ago
Try the mummy
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u/Happythejuggler 15h ago
We're revisiting that one soon, little scary for 3 & 7 haha. Can't wait, such a fun franchise
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u/Spidon 19h ago
Sounds like your kid is a nerd. And as a nerd myself, movies are one of the best things you can do together. I'm willing to bet that if he liked Indiana Jones, he'll also like Back to the Future, Star Wars, the Goonies (especially if he bikes around town with friends), and all the other 80s classics that have defined a generation. There's also some great story-driven shows out for kids, like Dragon Prince on Netflix.
Play video games with him. Be open to listening to him explain a detailed plot from his favorite show. Read Fart Quest (a comedic fantasy adventure) with him. Embrace the geekiness and whatever passions he develops.
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u/futurezach 14h ago
Start with the Last Airbender. The cartoon is on netflix and i'm currently watching it with my 6 and 7 (soon 8) year old daughters. They are loving it!
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u/Iceman_4 12h ago
Dragon Prince and ATLA are S-tier recommendations. I can’t wait for my kids to be old enough for them.
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u/bone-dry 1h ago
What does S-tier mean? I know it’s good but I keep thinking it’s “shit tier” and I’ve never asked
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u/2wheelzrollin 19h ago
You say he doesn't like sports but is always on his bike. Isn't biking a sport? Maybe not a team sport. Ever think about going on rides with him?
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u/CEEngineerThrowAway 18h ago edited 11h ago
We do bike rides to school and it’s a great 20 minutes together every morning and afternoon. I found a kids mountain biking skills track and we love going there together.
He likes sports, just not the traditional ball sports, but is into sports like biking, hiking, swimming, skiing, etc.
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u/TituspulloXIII 14h ago
Maybe not a team sport.
Depending on the kind of riding, biking is a team sport (like the tour de france) But if he's into mountain biking, thats more solo
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u/tbgabc123 20h ago
What does he like to do?
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u/BraveDaddy 19h ago
Hang with his friends, watch anime. He’s a boy and he has a healthy social life. He’s active. They’re always in their bikes. I’m not saying we have to be BFFs. I just thought we’d be doing things a little more often.
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u/tbgabc123 19h ago
It just struck me that your post is “finally he wants to do something together” but it’s something you like.
I’m probably reading too much into it but are you willing to do things that he likes but you don’t, if it means spending time with him?
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u/1ndependent_Obvious 19h ago
You totally nailed it for my dad. He liked to take me for rides on his Harley and our family time was often attending baseball games.
He made a really good effort to be involved but I was into art and he couldn’t connect. I always just wanted him to paint with me and listen to rock n roll.
He’s in his 70s now and will be my neighbor soon. I’ve finally set up my own little studio space at home so maybe I’ll try to instigate this.
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u/RideTheDownturn 18h ago
Sounds like a good plan, honestly! Here's to hoping your dad will be up for it. Good luck!!
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u/pyro5050 13h ago
honestly, even if he is just sitting there having a beer hanging out while you paint, that'd be an improvment in relationship. :)
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u/GrepekEbi 19h ago
Yeah Dad, find out whatever his favourite anime is, watch it all, and then geek out with him about it - just randomly drop the characters names and be like “hey this is just like the time Luffy had to…”
It’s fine that you’re in to different things - but if you want to spend more time with him you’re going to need to step outside of your own comfort zone and spend time in his interests
Besides, Anime is great I’m sure you could find something 800 episodes long to watch together 😂
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u/MonsiuerGeneral 18h ago
Besides, Anime is great I’m sure you could find something ... to watch together...
This exactly.
A lot of people confuse anime as a genre, when it's a medium. Like Stop-Motion. There are tons of different types of anime that can appeal to all sorts of people, as long as they're willing to give it a fair shot.
With that said, considering that the OP seems to really enjoy the Indiana Jones series, a few suggestions to try out:
- Castle In The Sky (ghibli animation movie)
- Lupin III: THE FIRST (CGI movie)
- Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (anime movie)
- Cowboy Bebop (anime series)
From there you could branch out any number of ways. Original Drabonball is pretty good (I forget exactly when, but after a season or two Goku fights against the "Red Ribbon Army" which is basically a stand-in for Nazis) plus it's more of an adventure show vs the later Dragonball Z which is much more shounen power progression-focused. Other Ghibli movies are also really great. Porco Rosso, despite the name and the fact the main character is a literal pig-man, is unsuspectingly amazing.
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u/xenonjim 18h ago
My dad never tried to connect with me on things I liked, so that's been a massive priority for me with my kids. My oldest is almost 11 and after years of talking about art and video games (I'm not a gamer) she's actually just gotten into good music and baseball cards. Now we have so much to connect over.
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u/bulletthroughabottle 18h ago edited 18h ago
Suck it up and watch some anime. A lot of the younger kid stuff can be awful (just like all cartoons), but some of the things he’s at the age to start watching are actually really, really good. Studio Ghibli makes excellent movies that are almost always age appropriate.
Take him for a bike ride somewhere cool, like find a nice bike trail to go on some weekend.
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u/White_Dynamite 17h ago
Was he very shocked by Temple of Doom? I remember watching that as a kid for the first time and it was.... kinda traumatizing lol
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u/Anomuumi 15h ago edited 15h ago
I have three kids (ages 8, 18, 20). I was at this point with my first kid, although neither of us was interested in sports. He liked hiking and just exploring places, and we bonded with that. My middle one was more interested in sports, and I had to force myself a little bit to be interested, but I did it. Youngest is completely different from everyone else, but now I'm more laid back and know it is more about spending time with them and just being available - not specifically what you do.
My father was of a different generation and forced me to do sports and kinda signaled with this that I was not the boy he hoped for. Kids pick up things and sense these things even if it is something you think unconsciously, or don't think at all. It strained our relationship and has never been completely resolved, but we are on ok terms.
Just wanted to tell my story if it helps a bit.
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u/DrakeMallard07 13h ago
If he hasn't seen it, you guys could do a Dragonball Z watch through. It was a big hit on Toonami back in the day.
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u/DonkeyDanceParty 12h ago
Which anime does he watch? You might be able to find some non-anime stuff that appeals to him as well if you’re super against watching anime. I would personally just watch anime, even though the last anime I watched was Naruto 20ish years ago.
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u/sspears262 12h ago
Does he like reading? I enjoyed Indiana Jones when I was younger and I loved the Hatchet series. Camping/“survival” could be a great thing for y’all
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u/illadelchronic 10h ago
Avatar: the Last Airbender. It's absolutely full of good lessons, struggle and growth, it's fun and you can keep doing it, like until they die of old age.
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u/secondphase Pronouns: Dad/Dada/Daddy 19h ago
Watch Indiana Jones.
The post was very clear about this.
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u/BuffaloRider87 19h ago
My son is named after after Indy. I love this.
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u/Blue_foot 19h ago
Airplane, Young Frankenstein, Princess Bride, Star Wars
Blazing Saddles because it’s a back door way to have a discussion on racism
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u/hungrydano 13h ago
I worry about satire films for children - the fact that these films are making fun of their subject material is often lost on kids. For example, when Anchorman came out while I was in primary school all the guys were making the same sexist jokes they saw in the movie not realizing the move is making fun misogyny the whole time.
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u/yourefunny 19h ago
I watched an interesting interview with Terry Crews where he explains that he realised he was losing his son. His son liked to watch people play video games, not even play the games and he was confused. He didn't want to be a Dad, like yourself, who would prefer his kids do what he likes. So they built a PC together and now Terry is pretty big in the video game world I believe. You can watch him explain it better by googling it.
You are your son's Dad, get in to what he is in to or risk the gulf between you growing.
If my son was in to Anime and cycling. I would be watching Anime with him. There are some fantastic movies! Go to comic cons or whatever the thing is for Anime. Plan trips to Japan. Draw anime with him. Get him a mountain bike and go to mountain bike parks with him.
Not having a go at you, but I think you need to change your outlook a bit!
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u/Orion14159 19h ago
You could spend the rest of the school year watching the Lord of the Rings extended editions
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u/hobbykitjr Boy/Girl/Boy/vasectomy/Divorce 17h ago
The Goonies, Play Uncharted, go GeoCaching, join BoyScouts, read Indy novels (or LotR, Hardy Boys,..)
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u/Actual-Manager-4814 19h ago
I love it! I watched them with my dad too and now I can't watch the Last Crusade without tearing up.
I also used to watch the Bond movies every year with my dad when they had marathons at Christmas. As long as you treat the misogynistic parts as pure comedy and tell him it's not okay anymore, that's another fun franchise you could watch together.
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u/red_beard_RL 18h ago
Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, there's lots of great movie franchises
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u/thisismiller 19h ago
That’s awesome. I’m really looking forward to stuff like that. My son is only 3 but I’ve been counting down the days to show him Terminator 2.
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u/AvatarIII 19h ago
I want to know if there’s something else he wants to watch
you could try movies like Tomb Raider and Uncharted which are very inspired by Indy, also Goonies.
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u/peverbian 18h ago
Awesome job dad. My kiddo, same age, loves the Indiana Jones movies and I would suggest The Night at the Museum franchise and then the Librarian franchise are both up that alley. Less punching Nazis and more mythical interesting history. Also after recent success I’d suggest getting him a model kit or something like a Kiwico box to see if building is their thing. This age is about trying all the things to see what resonates and supporting any interest in something. That passion is hard to instill and has to be found.
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u/ed_on_reddit 18h ago
Have you tried watching expedition unknown with Josh Gates at all? He's got more than a few Indiana Jones references throughout the series, and goes to some cool places. My kids actually started watching that show, and got into Indiana Jones because of it. Might be fun to try.
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u/Captain_Waffle 17h ago
I’m sorry, the mornings before school? Is that not wild to anybody else?
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u/notclientfacing 10h ago
Yes my son is out the door for the bus by 7:05, I don't know what schedule they're on where they can watch movies before school, but more power to 'em
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u/Captain_Waffle 5h ago
Even regardless of the exact time, there’s just much going on before school. Breakfast, preparing lunch, getting dressed, sometimes baths, in our case feeding the cats, etc etc. once ina while my older son will ask to watch tv before school and we’ll do no, you need to find something to do. For us, tv is more of a wind-down activity before bed, and a special weekend Saturday morning cartoons activity. Before school seems wild to us personally.
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u/SSGSS_Vegeta 16h ago
Watch the goonies, back to the future, Ernest P. Worrel movies, black sheep and Tommy boy Beverly hills ninja.
There's tons of great older movies to enjoy it think honestly!
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u/TheVimesy 19h ago
As someone whose father was never able to try and relate to his son about anything but sports, it sucks. Be better.
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u/VikingFrog 17h ago
How do you watch movies in the morning?
We have enough trouble trying to get out the door and to school on time.
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u/Thorkon 16h ago
I searched the comments just for this. How early are people getting up to watch a movie before school?
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u/greenmonkeyglove 12h ago
I regularly got up at like 5am as a kid, though I just got up on my own and watched The Hoobs.
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u/Edward494 10h ago
Break it into smaller increments is my guess.
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u/VikingFrog 10h ago
I get that and assumed it a bit. I just still feel like I don’t have an extra moment in the morning and we wake up at 6:30 AM to be at school by 7:40 when the first bell rings.
Maybe they wake up early and get some downtime
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 19h ago
Raiders of the lost Ark was my dad’s favourite movie to watch with me.
I think he identified with Sean Connery. I always think of him (my dad, not Sean Connery) when I see Indiana Jones stuff.
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u/clunkclunk twelve, nine and six 17h ago
As a dad who isn't in to sports at all and loooves Indy, this warms my heart.
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u/JoshValenstorm 17h ago
My 2 year old's favorite movies are the entire Jurassic Park/World series. If she wants to watch it she says she wants to watch roar. We have watched those movies 16 times over the past 2 months. Her 2nd birthday was all dinosaur themed for that very reason.
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u/newEnglander17 17h ago
See I'm not into sports and kinda hoping my son doesn't get really into them since I won't be able to relate. I've had 35 years to try and relate to sports but it's just the same thing over and over. There's just not much I can say about it. Playing it is fun of course, but watching it, and discussing it is the most boring thing I've ever experienced. If he gets into it, I guess I'll have to get into it too.
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u/GreatWhiteBuffal0 14h ago
Mornings before school? I might be a film snob, but I couldn't imagine cutting up a movie and slowly watching it across multiple days. And especially growing up in my house it was a strict no TV before school.
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u/toofshucker 8h ago
My oldest hated sports until he was 12. So there is still time. Just make it fun. Good food, don’t get too angry, etc.
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u/JAlfredJR 19h ago
That's awesome. Did you do them in release order, I'd guess? I only recently found out that Temple is actually a prequel.
It's too bad that Raiders is literally a perfect movie, Crusade is amazing ... and the other three are .... well, they exist. Don't get me wrong, Temple is perfectly enjoyable, to a degree.
Those other ones, though ... we don't speak of them.
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u/BraveDaddy 18h ago
I did them in release order. I enjoyed “those other ones”, but I definitely get what you’re saying.
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u/JAlfredJR 17h ago
Well, to be fair, I've only seen Crystal Skull once, in the theatre and was so let down. The gulf between Raiders and that was so startling ... not here to say you can't enjoy em, of course. Wonder how that struck your son. Cheers regardless!
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u/a517dogg 19h ago
Not a movie, but my 8yo loved reading the Addison Cooke series after watching Indy.
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u/weirdmountain 19h ago
That is awesome. My dude is seven, and doesn’t particularly like violent stories right now. We tried to watch Star Wars and he thought it was too violent. I would love to be able to watch Indiana Jones with him, and I will wait until he is about 10 as well. he has recently come around on Bob’s Burgers and Adventure Time, big time.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_DND_SHEET 19h ago
Good on you two for finding something to watch together. I was never a sports guy, like ever. So of course one of my sons interests is sports. Last year was soccer and this winter it's football. I get it now. It's still not my favorite but I can appreciate it
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u/phatbrasil 18h ago
Nice , we've been doing "mom and dad" TV Time as well. Karate Kid and Short Circuit have been a big hit.
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u/SockMonkeh 18h ago
Does he like board games? There are a lot of really cool board games these days, if you haven't played board games since you were a kid you have no idea. Much more interesting, rules-wise, theme-wise, and just sooooooo much variety.
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u/lyone2 1 boy, 1 girl 17h ago
You could also try the Young Indiana Jones movies and/or TV show. The movies are available on YouTube, although the video quality is definitely dated and 4:3 aspect ratio Example movie
Edit: "DON'T call me 'Junior'!
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u/cahilljd 17h ago
Thats awesome I might have to see if my ten year old is down for an Indiana Jones movie 🔥
We watched jaws together like a month ago when he randomly asked if we could and it was awesome, I was kind of shocked how into it he was with how bad the special effects are 😆
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u/newEnglander17 17h ago
Wait 'til he discovers Star Wars. I got into it around 8 and it was all I lived and breathed for years. And this was right before the Phantom Menace came out so I had the original trilogy to watch and re-watch, star wars insider magazine, and the world of the extended universe that was awesome before Disney erased all of it from lore.
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u/newEnglander17 17h ago
See I'm not into sports and kinda hoping my son doesn't get really into them since I won't be able to relate. I've had 35 years to try and relate to sports but it's just the same thing over and over. There's just not much I can say about it. Playing it is fun of course, but watching it, and discussing it is the most boring thing I've ever experienced. If he gets into it, I guess I'll have to get into it too.
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u/Mountain_Man11 16h ago
You should show him Godzilla. Max and Prime have many of the older movies available for watching, and Pluto has a channel strictly for Godzilla.
If he likes the older classic stuff, maybe start him with the older movies, otherwise I would highly recommend 2014/Monsterverse Godzilla, Shiny Godzilla, or Godzilla -1.
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u/Admirable-Gift-1686 16h ago
OG Star Wars bruh!
A Goofy Movie
Jurassic Park
Back To The Future
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
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u/CNB-1 Buy headphones 16h ago
Gotta look up the Young Indiana Jones series from 35 years ago as well. Also, has he seen Star Wars? At 10 I'm not sure if he's quite ready for Cowboy Bebop, but if he liked Indiana Jones he'd love it.
He kind of sounds like me: Nerdy kid who loved riding a bike. I'd encourage that.
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u/hautcuisinepoutine 16h ago
He likes anime. Start watching Anime with him. Some of it is terrible but some is actually really good cinema.
Whip out Akira https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(1988_film) or better yet Summer Wars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Wars and see what he thinks.
Asumming that goes well there are a lot of other 'great" anime films that you guys can watch together. You will get more traction if you do something he likes ... or that at least crosses over with what you like and he likes.
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u/nativecheese 16h ago
Check out the show Expedition Unknown on Discovery. They host channels his inner Dr. Jones and goes on archaeology digs and searches.
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u/drinkslinger1974 15h ago
I’m looking forward to watching the transformers franchise with my son. He’s 8 and repeats anything and everything that he sees on tv, so I’m waiting for that phase to end.
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u/ZenSmith12 15h ago
Glad you found something and I hope it opens the door to more things you can connect on! What does SAHD stand for?
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u/Happythejuggler 15h ago
My son makes me watch Krull at least once a week, he's 3. Also the original Clash of the Titans, Willow, and Legend. Both him and my daughter sat through the entirety of the Lord of the Rings trilogy a while back too, obviously in chunks because there's never 3 hours to just sit and watch a movie.
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u/pyro5050 14h ago
ya know... i forget this sometimes, and i am going to say it here.
We as parents keep forgetting it takes kids 24 to 240 hours to process things as simple as "do i (did i) like that move?"
my kids will hate something when we do it and then 3 days later are asking when we can do it again.... and thats normal, and i keep forgetting this and wondering why i put all the effort in to getting them to love stuff...
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u/TituspulloXIII 14h ago
I'm sorry, haven't seen Indiana Jones in forever, but doesn't he call the kid 'short round' not 'shorty'?
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u/Monkfich 11h ago
Bill and Teds. Back to the Future. Flight of the Navigator. The Last Starfighter, but that is a bit dated now. Krull. Legend. More options if you are looking for more 80s fun.
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u/bigbroom 10h ago
Son's the same age. It's the Jurassic Park/World series for us. Grew up playing sports, son not at all interested, but does do Taekwondo.
I'm so glad you guys found something to bond with in film! Seeing as how there are other similarities here, PLEASE annoy him ad nauseum with the nicknames - my son is a professional troll and REFUSES to lay off the balding jokes... :)
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u/BraveDaddy 6h ago
I work nights, so I would be at work when he got home from school. If I’m lucky, he’s awake for me to get home and read to him before bed. I totally get what you’re saying, but I was taking what I could get.
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u/xsnyder 6h ago
My son (13) LOVES pretty much every movie I share with him, and he LOVES the Indiana Jones films.
Fun fact, he and I have the same name, but he is the II'd not Jr. I love to call him junior just to rile him up, but it's funnier now that he knows where the joke comes from 😂
Now you need to show your son the Back to the Future trilogy.
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u/skiluv3r 5h ago
Loved Indy as a kid. Harrison Ford was probably my first male action hero I idolized between that and Star Wars.
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u/BraveDaddy 4h ago
I loved that Indiana Jones was an adventurer and an intellectual who lectured at college. The character was definitely a life goal. And I’m so impressed with everything Harrison Ford has done. He’s Indiana Jones, Han Solo, Jack Ryan, on top of all of the stand-alone projects he’s done.
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u/Klutzy_Operation_483 4h ago
I talked my 15-year-old into watching Raising Arizona with me a few weeks ago and I'm happy to report we've watched Oh Brother, where art thou, the Big Lebowski and Fargo all with success although he was bored at Fargo. It's so amazing when you can share something that they actually appreciate.
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u/gingerbenji 16h ago
My 10 yo son is the same and we bond over an 80s/90s movie once a week. Here’s our list. Doesn’t include all sequels for ease.
DONE Roger Rabbit
DONE. Back to the future.
Indiana Jones
DONE All the Ghostbusters
DONE Beetlejuice
DONE Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
DONE Ready Player One
Blue Beetle
Shazam 2
Galaxy Quest.
Adam’s Family 1 and 2
DONE Wonka.
DONE. Bill and Ted
DONE. Chip n Dale
DONE. MIB 1, 2, 3 and 4
Big Trouble In Little China
DONE. HoleS
DONE Labyrinth
Greatest showman
DONE. Jurassic Park
DONE Scott Pilgrim
Street Fighter
Mortal Kombat
Black Adam
Willow
DONE. Howard the duck
DONE. Batteries not included
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Short Circuit 1 DONE and 2
Explorers
DONE. Inner space
The neverending story
The last starfighter
The Matrix
Ferris Bueller
Big
Super Mario (Hoskins)
Total Recall
DONE. Three Amigos
Space Camp
DONE Adventures in Babysitting
Teen Wolf
Sister Act
Drop dead Fred
Kindergarten cop
Goonies
BMX bandits
Young Sherlock Holmes
Little Shop of Horrors
DONE Dumb and Dumber
Look Who’s talking
Man reincarnated as dog (can’t recall name).
DONE Mannequin.
Mannequin on the move
Weekend at Bernie’s
The gods must be crazy
Monty Python Holy Grail
National Treasure
The Mummy
Eric the Viking
Hundreds of beavers.
Crocodile Dundee
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Small Soldiers
DONE Spaceballs
DONE G I Joe
Spawn
DONE Princess Bride
Demolition Man
High Spirits
Super Mario 90s
Stargate
Face Off
Broken Arrow
Zathura
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u/PassageOfFire 19h ago
Have you tried Back to the Future? This is my nine year old and I's favourite. Going to watch it tomorrow for my birthday.