# "Little kid befriends giant monster" movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780 "2016-12-28T16:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/1 "2016-12-28T16:29:31Z")
How many times has this theme been used? The first two that came to mind were **The Iron Giant** , and that more recent one where the monster looks like a gigantic Sean Penn. Now comes **A Monster Calls** , featuring a character who looks (to me) a bit like the tree guy from **Guardians of the Galaxy**. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/2 "2016-12-28T16:41:26Z")
And they just remade “Pete’s Dragon.” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/3 "2016-12-28T16:43:16Z")
There are the (very) little kids that sing to Mothra. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/4 "2016-12-28T17:07:00Z")
For every one of these, the tales of the 10,000 children EATEN by monsters are never told… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/5 "2016-12-28T17:10:51Z")
_The Neverending Story_ ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/6 "2016-12-28T17:14:57Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > For every one of these, the tales of the 10,000 children EATEN by monsters are never told… ☹ Monsters don’t eat people – people eat people. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/7 "2016-12-28T17:19:42Z")
[_Destroy All Planets_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamera_vs._Viras) > [@](#): > > [A] Boy Scout troop is visiting an aquarium to the scientists working on a small two-man submarine. Masao and Jim, two of the scouts manage to talk their way aboard the sub. While in the water they spot Gamera who engages in a little race with the boys. However, their hijinks come to an end when the second alien vessel envelops the both of them in a super-catch ray. Gamera help the boys to escape but it remains trapped in the force field while the aliens scan his memory-waves. They learn of Gamera’s one weakness, his soft spot for children. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/8 "2016-12-28T17:20:33Z")
Sully from _Monsters, Inc._ might not be giant by adult standards, but he’s still a heck of a lot bigger than the little girl. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/9 "2016-12-28T17:32:52Z")
There’s the **South Park** episodes where Cartman befriends Cthulhu. It was really quite charming, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/10 "2016-12-28T17:40:47Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > Monsters don’t eat people – people eat people. Purple people. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/11 "2016-12-28T17:42:22Z")
And the South Park mention brings to mind what (parts) of the SP story arc was parodying–_My Friend Totoro_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/12 "2016-12-28T18:11:40Z")
There are all those loathsome Godzilla movies and Gamera movies where little kids befriend the _kaiju_. You could arguable include (although they’re not necessarily_giant_ monsters) **Space Children** (1958) **Tobor the Great** (1954) **The Invisible Boy** (1957) **Dinosaurus** (1960 – kid befriends a caveman AND a brontosaurus!) and, of course, the MST3K classic **Extraterrestrial Visitors/Pod People** (1983) Also, it wasn’t kids, but you could include **son of Kong** (1933) and **Mighty Joe Young** (1949 and 1998) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/13 "2016-12-28T18:30:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Purple people. One-eyed, one-horned, _flying_ purple people. It’s no wonder they all starved. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/14 "2016-12-28T18:51:12Z")
Gigantor the Space age robot. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlWaTAZUxUQ) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/15 "2016-12-28T18:56:16Z")
The best of these will always be _My Neighbour Totoro_. Although I am curious what movie the OP is referencing about the Giant Sean Penn… ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/16 "2016-12-28T19:06:38Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > The best of these will always be _My Neighbour Totoro_. > > Although I am curious what movie the OP is referencing about the Giant Sean Penn… I found it: [BFG](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1fZg0hhBX8). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/17 "2016-12-28T19:10:01Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Although I am curious what movie the OP is referencing about the Giant Sean Penn… I believe he means [Yongary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_E4dcbd67s). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/18 "2016-12-28T19:28:51Z")
Ok, little boys have bullies- (or they are bullies in a few cases). Imaginative smart kids seem more likely to get bullied. So they (as I did) dream of having a BIG friend who will take care of that nasty bully and teach him a lesson. The Hulk, Kung-fu are also TV series that bring this out. Bullies are taught lessons when they bully the wrong guy. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/19 "2016-12-28T19:30:37Z")
“Brenda” from Rod Serling’s “Night Gallery.” (OK, the monster wasn’t exactly a ‘giant,’ but it was a lot bigger than the kid–and just wanted a friend.) ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780/20 "2016-12-28T19:32:34Z")
One that I really like is **The Water Horse**. It’s much more recent than most mentioned so far. > **[The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Water_Horse:_Legend_of_the_Deep)** > > The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (stylised on-screen as simply The Water Horse) is a 2007 fantasy drama film directed by Jay Russell and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on Dick King-Smith's children's novel The Water Horse. It stars Alex Etel as a young boy who discovers a mysterious egg and cares for what hatches out of it: a "water horse" (loosely based on the Celtic water horse) which later becomes the fabled Loch Ness Monster. The film also stars Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin and Dav... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-kid-befriends-giant-monster-movies/775780.md?page=2)