My 6-year-old son loved this movie, even when he was 4. The villain is indeed quite creepy, but making oil the villain was quite imaginative (good discussion topic). One message was clear as crystal to me and my son--the rain forests are being cut for human convenience and use, without a care for the forest or its inhabitants. The rest of the message was clear as well, a group of different "people" can work together to stop the damage; and a previously uncaring young man learns that he can be a key to change when he returns to his normal size. The bat character grinds in the message that humans can be heartless and evil, but I don't think my son made the connection with lab testing. If you talk with your kids as or after they see this movie, you can help them understand the issues. This is a great movie that will stimulate a lot of discussion--don't let your kids watch movies in a vacuum.