Movies like Thunderpants (2002)
The best movies like Thunderpants (2002) are The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), Planet 51 (2009) and The Absent-Minded Professor (1961). If Thunderpants hooked you with its comedy and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRon's Gone Wrong (2021)7.8/10 from 2,105 votes
- NewestHenry Danger: The Movie (2025)Released 2025
The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
Roy Fleming is a small-town kiddie-ride operator who is deathly afraid of heights. After learning that his father has signed him up for the space program, Roy reluctantly heads for Houston, only to find out upon arriving that his job is as a janitor, not an astronaut. Anxious to live up to the expectations of his domineering father, Roy manages to keep up a facade of being an astronaut to his family and friends. When NASA decides to launch a layperson into space to prove the worthiness of a new automated spacecraft, Roy gets the chance to confront his fears.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlanet 51 (2009)
When Earth astronaut Capt. Chuck Baker arrives on Planet 51 -- a world reminiscent of American suburbia circa 1950 -- he tries to avoid capture, recover his spaceship and make it home safely, all with the help of an empathetic little green being.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
Bumbling professor Ned Brainard accidentally invents flying rubber, or "Flubber", an incredible material that gains energy every time it strikes a hard surface. It allows for the invention of shoes that can allow jumps of amazing heights and enables a modified Model-T to fly. Unfortunately, no one is interested in the material except for Alonzo Hawk, a corrupt businessman who wants to steal the material for himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA.R.C.H.I.E. (2016)
A recently orphaned 15-year-old who has moved to a small town to live with her uncle befriends a robotic canine with super strength, x-ray vision and the ability to talk and the pair take on a military complex, bullies, kidnappers, romance and the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHenry Danger: The Movie (2025)
Henry Hart meets a superfan—eager to fight crime with Kid Danger—who comes into possession of a device that can open up alternate realities. Facing a wild ride, Henry will need his best friend Jasper and his new superfan sidekick to find his way out or be stuck in another dimension forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRon's Gone Wrong (2021)
In a world where walking, talking, digitally connected bots have become children's best friends, an 11-year-old finds that his robot buddy doesn't quite work the same as the others do.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPhineas and Ferb: Star Wars (2014)
Phineas and Ferb become the galaxy's unlikeliest last hope when they must return the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLeroy & Stitch (2006)
Lilo, Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley have finally caught all of Jumba's genetic experiments and found the one true place where each of them belongs. Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley are offered positions in the Galactic Alliance, turning them down so they can stay on Earth with Lilo, but Lilo realizes her alien friends have places where they belong – and it's finally time to say "aloha".
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation (2022)
Looking for a much-needed break, Finn arranges a surprise vacation for his friends Rey, Poe, Rose, Chewie, BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO, aboard the luxurious Halcyon. However, Finn's plan to have one last hurrah together quickly goes awry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpaceCamp (1986)
Andie Bergstrom, an astronaut eagerly awaiting her first trip to space, runs a summer camp for teenagers with her NASA-employed husband, Zach. One night during an engine test, Andie and four teenage campers are accidentally shot into space. Together, the group -- which includes Kathryn, a pilot-in-training, and Tish, a ditz with a perfect memory -- must work together to operate the spacecraft and return home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisTwo by Two: Overboard! (2020)
Two misfit castaways struggle to reunite an unorthodox family, out-run a volcano, and negotiate a peace deal on a creaking Ark.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrater (2023)
After the death of his father, a boy growing up on a lunar mining colony takes a trip to explore a legendary crater, along with his four best friends, prior to being permanently relocated to another planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Man in the White Suit (1951)
The unassuming, nebbishy inventor Sidney Stratton creates a miraculous fabric that will never be dirty or worn out. Clearly he can make a fortune selling clothes made of the material, but may cause a crisis in the process. After all, once someone buys one of his suits they won't ever have to fix them or buy another one, and the clothing industry will collapse overnight. Nevertheless, Sidney is determined to put his invention on the market, forcing the clothing factory bigwigs to resort to more desperate measures...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisD.A.R.Y.L. (1985)
Daryl is a normal 10-year-old boy in many ways. However, unbeknown to his foster parents and friends, Daryl is actually a government-created robot with superhuman reflexes and mental abilities. Even his name has a hidden meaning -- it's actually an acronym for Data Analyzing Robot Youth Life-form. When the organization that created him deems the "super soldier" experiment a failure and schedules Daryl to be disassembled, it is up to a few rogue scientists to help him escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005)
The maniacal baby of the Griffin family, Stewie, meets his future self. In doing this he discovers that his future image is not what he has anticipated because of a near death experience.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExplorers (1985)
Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisF.R.E.D.I. (2018)
An intelligent, lovable robot known as "F.R.E.D.I." is stolen from a secret research facility by the project's lead scientist. The robot is found by a 15 year old teenager, James. Soon the two begin to communicate and create a bond in which F.R.E.D.I. learns about teenage life and James learns about some new values.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisFlash Gordon (1980)
A football player and his mates travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHappiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (2011)
Linus is pushed to his limits when he learns Grandma is coming to visit and plans on ridding him of his childish security blanket.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLifted (2006)
When an overconfident teen alien gets behind the controls of a spaceship, he must attempt to abduct a slumbering farmer under the watchful eye of a critical instructor. But abducting humans requires precision and a gentle touch, and within a few missteps it's painfully clear why more humans don't go missing every year.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHer Best Move (2007)
15 year-old soccer prodigy, Sara Davis, has a chance to join the U.S. National Team, but she must juggle high school, romance, sports, and parental pressure while deciding her own priorities.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
One Point Twenty One (2013)
Story about one boy who confronts himself from the future.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & science fiction
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)
Rocky and Bullwinkle have been living off the finances made from the reruns of their cartoon show. Boris and Natasha somehow manage to crossover into reality and team up with Fearless Leader, an evil criminal turned media mogul with some evil plans up his sleeve. Rocky and Bullwinkle must stop the three of them before they wreak havoc.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Love Guru (2008)
Born in America and raised in an Indian ashram, Pitka returns to his native land to seek his fortune as a spiritualist and self-help expert. His skills are put to the test when he must get a brokenhearted hockey player's marriage back on track in time for the man to help his team win the Stanley Cup.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisAmerican Flatulators (1996)
In celebration of the popular "Gladiators" programs on television today, this parody joins Ben Dover and Big Bill Butts as they welcome the most noxious of our nation's competitors, The American Flatulators!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Wiggles - Wiggle House (2014)
Who’s in The Wiggles’ house? All your favourite friends, Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony, and twenty-six new songs! Join the fun of ‘The Laughing Doctor’, taste the delights of ‘Pappadum’, ’Do the Hawk’ with America’s Lee Hawkins, ‘Have a Good Day (Kia Pai to Rā)’ with New Zealand’s Robert Rakete, and so much more. So open the door to a house full of fun as we raise the roof with Wiggle House!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
The Golden Bird (1987)
"Kin no Tori" is an adaptation of the homonymous fairy tale "The Golden Bird" by Brothers Grimm. A golden apple is stolen from the King's garden. The King orders his three sons to guard the apples in turn and to find out who is the thief. When the youngest son, Hans, presents a feather that he got from the golden bird that stole the apple the king sends his three sons to bring this bird to him and so Hans' journey begins.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Bob Goldthwait: Don't Watch This Show (1986)
Bob Goldthwait presents his brand of insanity, featuring stand-up comedy, skits, TV parodies, and gags.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Deep Impact (1998)
A seven-mile-wide space rock is hurtling toward Earth, threatening to obliterate the planet. Now, it's up to the president of the United States to save the world. He appoints a tough-as-nails veteran astronaut to lead a joint American-Russian crew into space to destroy the comet before impact. Meanwhile, an enterprising reporter uses her smarts to uncover the scoop of the century.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Thunderpants?
The closest matches to Thunderpants are The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), Planet 51 (2009) and The Absent-Minded Professor (1961). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Thunderpants?
Start with The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), the closest match to Thunderpants.
What is the highest-rated movie like Thunderpants?
Ron's Gone Wrong (2021), rated 7.8/10 by 2,105 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Thunderpants?
Henry Danger: The Movie (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Thunderpants?
Yes: The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), Planet 51 (2009) and The Absent-Minded Professor (1961).
How are movies similar to Thunderpants chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Thunderpants, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.