Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Stylish 3-D computer animation, good characters.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie, while rated G, may be too scary for younger kids. It also has some crude bodily function jokes which were a big hit with the kids at the screening I attended. I asked a bunch of them after the movie what they liked best, and all agreed that it was the scene with all the burping. The movie has some smart female characters, including Jimmy's mechanic mother, and kids of different races are friends and support each other.


What's the story?

When other kids bring toys for show and tell, Jimmy Neutron brings a shrinking ray. The kids at school laugh at him and tease him about being short, except for his friends, Carl (overweight and asthmatic) and Shane (a passionate fan of some action heroes called Ultra Lords). When their parents forbid them to go to a theme park on a school night, Jimmy and his friends sneak out. The next morning, their parents are gone, leaving mysteriously identical notes saying that they've gone to Florida. At first, the kids are thrilled. But after a day of doing everything they are not allowed to do, the kids are scared and lonely. Some slimy green aliens encased in egg-shaped flying capsules kidnap all the kids' parents so they can feed them to a monster shaped like a chicken with three eyes. Jimmy builds rockets to take them all into space, rescues the kids when they are captured and put in the dungeon, frees the parents, and arranges their escape.


Is it any good?

 

Style and substance are well-suited in JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS, a 3-D computer animation story about a 6th grade whiz kid who can build a satellite communications system out of a toaster and create a robot dog that when told to "play dead" blows itself up and then puts itself back together. The animation is done by computer. Instead of going for the more lifelike textures of the Pixar movies, this has the intentionally stylized feel of a computer game. That fits the story's tone, somewhere between the "Tomorrowland" 1950's ideal of the future and today's world of cell phones and headphones. Jimmy's spaceship and the alien planet owe more to Flash Gordon and the Jetsons than to contemporary rocket science and astronomy.

The music, too, has songs that will be familiar to parents (The Ramones and The Go-Go's) along with today's teen dreams (N'Sync, The Backstreet Boys, and Aaron Carter). The movie drags a bit in the middle, and adults may find themselves checking their watches. But most kids, especially those from 8-12, will find it fun, if forgettable.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about why kids make fun of each other for being different. If the parents in your family disappeared for a day, which rules would your children break? How does Jimmy learn from his mistakes?


This review was written by Nell Minow
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Teen, 17 years old
September 24, 2009
 

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Adult
July 26, 2009
 
perfect ages
this is to vilont and too vilont for kids ages 1-4. But if your child is atleast five and likes jimmy neutron to some degree you should defenetly suggest this movie to them. But kids who are 10 and older wont enjoy it all that much enless they love jimmy neutron.

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Teen, 16 years old
December 30, 2010
 
Almost everyone 7 and older can watch this, but some students do wrong things
I recently saw this movie and liked to repeat some parts over and over because I'm creating a story about my friend. Some role models were not good because one guy went up the down escalator, one kid fat after a cotton candy contest, and another kid having a knee really hurting.

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Kid, 13 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Teen, 14 years old
March 7, 2011
 
Jimmy Neutron: Movie Genius
This is one of the first movies I remember. And frankly, I'm overjoyed that I do! This movie is a classic and is very entertaining, and making this into a show was another smart move by Nickelodeon (back in the days it wasn't like Fox Network). It was creative and I guess I'm glad to hear that Disney is remaking the story, and it's called Mars Needs Moms. I found this movie to be very entertaining and I think kids of this generation will too!

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
I thought that this was a very cute movie. There is silly bodily humor, but kids love that stuff. Jimmy Neutron is a boy genius and he's very fascinated with science and inventing new gadgets and machines. Aliens from outer space have contacted him and they kidnapped all their parents! After the kids find out they celebrate and wreak havoc all day long and then when night time comes along they realize that they miss their parents and want to devise a plan to get them back. I like the message that even though mom makes you eat your vegetables, it's still always nice to have her take care of you when you tummy hurts, and even if dad makes you get your homework done, he'll come to tuck you in and read you a bedtime story before you go to bed.

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Parent of 7 year old
March 29, 2010
 
OK for 5.5yr old
Watched this with my 5 year old. He liked it. I talked with him about what he thinks the earth would be like with no parents. First he said fun and then said sad.

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Kid, 11 years old
November 4, 2010
 
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Not much to talk about. The Yokian King and Ooblar aren't good role models. But the kids have a good message and are good role models. Jimmy Neutron is a brainy kid and he talks about learning as well.

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This review was written by Nell Minow
Topics:adventures, space and aliens
Studio:Paramount Pictures
Director:John A. Davis
Cast:Debi Derryberry, Mark DeCarlo, Megan Cavanagh
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:82 minutes
Theatrical release date:December 21, 2001
DVD release date:July 2, 2002
MPAA rating:G

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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