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Aquamarine

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Girls and a mermaid learn about love. Charming.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Excellent "message" at film's end: Girls' friendship and love are more intimate, trusting, and lasting than romance.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Some stormy imagery (indicating mermaid's father's anger).
  • Sex:

    Minor kissing, flirting, worries about a date for the big party; mermaid wants to discover "true love" with human boy.
  • Language:

    Occasional use of mild language ("bitch").
  • Consumerism:

    Morton salt, teen dating magazines.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Aquamarine was written by Cynthia Fuchs

Parents need to know that the film concerns a mermaid's search for "love" among humans, and the comedy involves teenaged flirting, sexual tensions, and giddy girl behavior. Mermaid wears tight outfits, audacious girls appear in bikinis, and the "good girls" dress like tomboys. Girls read teen magazines about how to attract boys, the favorite boy is objectified in slow motion (reference to typical objectification of girls). Characters discuss sex and bodies (breasts, implants) and use mild profanity. Tense family situations include discussion of a girl's parents' drowning, another girl's parents' divorce, and an upcoming move, threatening to split up the girls' friendship. Very brief scare scene during a rainstorm.

Families Can Talk About

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  • Families can talk about the girls' friendship. How do Claire and Hailey help each other cope with extraordinary trauma and ordinary "growing pains"? How does their relationship change as they compete for boys' attention? How do they deal with Hailey's imminent move to Australia?
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More on Aquamarine

What’s the Story?

AQUAMARINE focuses on two smart, mostly sensible 13-year-olds at the end of their last summer together. Claire (Emma Roberts), who lives at a small Florida resort with her grandparents, and Hailey (pop singer Joanna "JoJo" Levesque) are discovering the joys of boys, or at least the idea of boys. They've read the magazines and memorized the instructions on how to attract a boy, but they're also daunted by their rivals, slightly older girls in makeup and bikinis. They're also distracted by two major developments: one, Hailey's mother has a new job in Australia, which means the girls will be split up at summer's end. And two, they find a mermaid in a swimming pool. This would be Aquamarine (Sara Paxton), running away from an arranged marriage. Determined to prove the existence of love (and so, avoid her father's plans), Aquamarine pursues Raymond (Jake McDorman, who shows a gift for physical comedy and making faces), the very pretty lifeguard on whom Hailey has a crush. The girls and mermaid cut a deal: if, in three days, Aqua can get Ray to say he loves her, she avoids a loveless wedding and will grant the girls a wish.

Is It Any Good?

The movie adapts mermaid rules from Splash (Aqua can grow legs during the day, but her fishtail comes back at sundown or if her legs get wet), in order to set up absurd situations (as Aqua and Ray are flirting, she has to run away as soon as the sun turns orange). As well, Aqua's "otherness" is marked by her naïve childishness, combined with physical oddities (fingernails that change color to show her emotions, live starfish she wears as earrings and who whisper in her ear that she's "smart" and "beautiful"), and a sensual maturity (Ray is quite smitten as soon as he sees her, though perplexed by her strange behavior).

True, the film leans too heavily on its "villain," the wealthy Cecilia (Arielle Kebble), to amp up the dramatic tension (as she competes for Ray's attention by lying and cheating). And true, Aqua is not so charming as the human girls, especially Roberts as Claire, who is convincing and adorable. But for all the narrative awkwardness and abuses heaped on Cecilia, the film comes up with a terrific ending, underlining the importance of the girls' friendship (including their new friendship with Aqua) over romance.

Movie Details

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Director: Elizabeth Allen
Run time: 109 minutes
Theatrical release: 3/3/2006, DVD release: 6/13/2006
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language and sensuality.

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 8
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 5.0

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Girlie but, Great

    This is a great movie but, I would suggest this movie only for girls. Because it is very girlie! It is really funny and has some "magical" moments and some sad moments but, if you have never seen it before, give it a try 'cause it's a great movie.

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Negative role models
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    great movie for anyone

    luv this movie!

  4. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0

    good for kids ages 9 and up

    i saw this movie when i was 10, and i loved it!!! even though it had a bad word and other stuff, it's ok for fairly young kids.

  5. I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative role models
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    good movie but some iffy stuff

    there are some iffy scenes like: when a girl shows off her boobs in her bikine to get the lifeguard Raymond to notice her, when 2 charecters kiss, when 2 of the main charecters fet into a big fight (just yelling not hiting), and some mild language.

  6. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    luved it : - )

    i luved aquamarine! it was a really awsome movie! there is a little bit of flirting and some bad language. but other than that it's a fantastic movie. a must for tweens and teens!

  7. I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    ANY GIRL OVER 10

    Its great.

  8. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Five Year-olds can watch this!

    Totally appropriate except for one swear and all the role models were good except Cecile and her clique. Awesome!

  9. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 4.0

    Great movie!

    This a good movie and there is NOTHING i repet nothing bad! Its also a great movie! So just get it and watch it i would of rated it G not PG!

  10. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    Not for kids under 10, but a great tween movie!

    This is my favorite movie to watch with my friends because it celebrates friendship. It's just a beautiful story. As far as content, there is some mild language and one use of the b-word, (which is pretty quiet and nonchalantly used so it is likely to go over young kid's heads) a lot of flirting and frequent use of the word "hot" and there are a few references to female body parts (particulary boobs) and girls try to get a guy to like another girl, and a french kiss at the end, and some girls wear revealing clothes. But IT IS PERFECT for tween girls!

  11. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    Mermaid rater

    This movie i loved, but kids under ten shouldn't see it some kids in the movie use words like bi***, and there is alot of flirtting.

  12. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0

    Absolutly amazing!!!

    this movie is so well done. all the actors and actresses did really well (especially Sara and Arielle)

  13. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 5.0

    Fluffy and fun

    This is a fluffy, fun chick flick that will make you laugh, cry (ok, maybe not) and (if you are a modern preteen girl) able to relate. Except for, of course the mermaid thing. Great tween-focused love story to watch with your friends a t a sleepover. P.S I am conducting ann experiment using the on/iffy/off/age button. I am saying on 9+

  14. I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 2.0

  15. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 3.0

    it was better then i thought

    Before i saw the movie i thought it was gonna be a corny cheap made movie but it was really good,it didn't have the best acting but it was enjoyable there was only 1 B word in the film but you would have to really listen to see if she REALLY said what you think she said,lol.but overall it was great

  16. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    i laughed its great

    i loved the there is so much about it i dont know where to start mearmads brillint how you should make a new movie about mermaeids called H20 with '3' mermiads love your dear friend deovon

  17. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in South Dakota
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 2.0

  18. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Alabama
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    Great

    When it comes out on DVD we will have to get it. My daughter loved it.

  19. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    I LOVE IT

    i love this movie. It's an altamite muust see.There are a couple swear words, but over all it is a good movie!

  20. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 4.0

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