Documentaries for kids

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In the coming weeks, two new docs will challenge the notion that unscripted flicks bore kids (not to mention their parents). Babies (May 7, PG) peers into the lives of four infants growing up in disparate environments around the globe, and The Lottery (June 8, PG) spotlights the system that grants lucky Harlem students entrance to acclaimed charter schools. Of course, these flicks aren’t the first documentaries to captivate kids. The following rentals arguably contain as much emotion, comedy and cinematic artistry as many fiction-based blockbusters.

Spellbound
This competition thriller follows the 1999 National Spelling Bee. Little bookworms are likely to identify with the master wordsmiths during the final rounds, as the kids furrow their brows in a bid to recall their training in front of national TV cameras (hello, test anxiety!). The stakes of the bee will have viewers of every age holding their breath. Rated G.

The King of Kong
A David vs. Goliath collision of gaming skill and ethical will is confined to the screen of a Donkey Kong arcade game. For years, outsider Steve Wiebe and reigning champ Billy Mitchell have been vying for the Donkey Kong world record in heated clashes, honing their skills while hectoring the gaming community in a bid to discredit one another. Young Wii addicts will thrill to see the duo reunite for one last tournament standoff, where there’s a whole lot more on the line than just a video game score. Rated PG-13.

Every Little Step
A gripping film for aspiring tween performers, Every Little Step goes behind the curtains of Broadway’s 2006 A Chorus Line revival to marvel at actors on the cusp of making their dreams come true. The film captures nervous throngs lining up for the casting call and the breakout audition of Jason Tam (who brings the director to tears with the show’s most memorable monologue). Be forewarned: The hopefuls curse and openly discuss sexuality. Thankfully, though, the naughtiness is largely overshadowed by the compelling theatrics of the tryouts. Rated PG-13.

Baraka
One of the most beautiful films (and Blu-ray releases) ever conceived, Baraka basks in the wonders of the world—from the natural to the manmade, the sacred to the scary. Free of language, the film is a montage of vistas and soaring musical compositions, so it’s perfect for both toddlers delighted by exciting visual stimuli, and sophisticated tweens eager to expand their knowledge of the world. Jungles, cities, waterfalls, forest fires, war machines, religious ceremonies; Baraka sees—and honors—it all. Not Rated.

March of the Penguins
The residents of the Central Park Zoo’s penguin house have nothing on the stars of this film. Chronicling the brutal ordeals endured by Antarctica’s emperor penguins in their annual trek inland to procreate, this Academy Award winner shows how the black-and-white birds shelter their eggs and watch over their young throughout the winter. Kids recognize devoted parents—human or not—when they see them; after a viewing, tykes as young as four may (at least momentarily) appreciate the ways in which their own moms and dads care for them. Rated G.