Adventure Time

After the demise of Blockbuster, Movie Gallery and other outlets, it seemed like the traditional video rental business was going the way of the dodo bird. Luckily, Murfreesboro and several hundred other cities around the U.S. still have an alternative to Redbox: Family Video. Family Video runs like the video rental stores you grew up with and and has a diverse catalog of new and old releases.

If you’re a local cinephile, you probably already know about their location at 1208 E. Northfield Blvd. or their Manchester and Lebanon locations. However, parents around the area should be aware of one of the Family Video stores’ best features: free kids’ movie rentals. For no cost, you can swing by and pick up one of their many DVDs of children’s films and TV series, all while checking out their catalog of already low-cost rentals. Next time you need some family entertainment fast, consider one of these titles available in the kids’ section in the front of the store.

Adventure Time
Adventure Time is one of the most imaginative and clever animated series currently on TV. This Cartoon Network series follows Finn the Human, a young boy with a sense for adventure, and his sidekick, Jake the Dog, a wisecracking pooch who is Finn’s best friend in the world. The series takes place in the Land of Ooo as the two battle the Ice King, visit the Candy Kingdom and interact with a cavalcade of of interesting characters, like the bass-playing vampire Marceline and the crazed Lemongrab, who has a lemon for a head. It’s silly and imaginative, and it’s written in a way that viewers old and young can enjoy.

Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series took the silliness out of the lighter version of the Dark Knight the previous generation grew up with. While still a family show, it just simply takes Batman seriously. Strong direction by Brice Timm, top-notch writing from Paul Dini and the like, landmark voice work from Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill and rich animation that is far beyond anything ever seen on Super Friends lead this show to be one of the most, if not the most, revered onscreen adaptation of the Caped Crusader. While grownups can appreciate those details, kids will still love the action and adventure of Batman taking down the Joker, Penguin, Riddler and other dastardly fiends.

Cars
Despite being seen by many as the low mark for Pixar, Cars is still a strong animated outing from the creators of Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is set to win the Piston Cup championship when he gets sidetracked in a small town full of unique makes and models, just as the rusty tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), the far-out Volkswagen van Fillmore (George Carlin) and the grumpy old-time racer Doc Hudson (Paul Newman). Families that are into NASCAR will love the references to the sport, including cameos by Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip. But any kid who loves to play with Hot Wheels will be thrilled with Pixar’s world of talking vehicles.

Cyberchase
Parents looking for something a bit more educational need look no further than the PBS series Cyberchase. Three kids are sucked into cyberspace—which literally is a mix of technological backgrounds and outer space—to help save the world from the villain known as the Hacker, a typically grand-evil-scheme-planning bad guy voiced by Christopher Lloyd. What makes it educational? Well, along with robot bird friend Gidget, the crew travels to different sites to prevent various disasters using math. Topics such as fractions, area and estimation all play roles in foiling Hacker’s various plots.

The Lion King
How can you not love the heartbreaking tale of the lion Simba and his father, Mufasa? Often seen as Disney’s most timeless ’90s animated feature, The Lion King gives viewers a look into the world of the African animal kingdom, as Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick) looks to reclaim the Kingdom his father (James Earl Jones) once ruled from his devilish uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons). Along the way, he meets Timon & Pumba, a meerkat and warthog duo that leads the most memorable musical number of the film, “Hakuna Matata.” Seriously, if your children haven’t seen this classic, head over to Family Video and let them love it as much as kids did back in 1994.

Honorable Mentions:

Alice in Wonderland

The Aristocats

The Berenstain Bears

Digimon

Hercules

The Land Before Time

Sleeping Beauty

Scooby-Doo

Superman: The Animated Series