The Naked Brothers Band: Polar Bears (NR, 2008)

common sense media says

Eco-message buried in overly flirty behavior.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this full-length feature from the Naked Brothers Band, comprising tweens and young teens, is heavy on romance and flirtation that some families may feel inappropriate for their kids of the same age. While the characters are altruistic in their efforts to raise money to help save the endangered polar bears and assist their friends in post-Katrina New Orleans, the message is heavy handed and takes a back seat to the romantic machinations of the band members. Straightforward footage of New Orleans' continued devastation may require some discussion and explanation for younger kids.

Positive messages: Perhaps to counteract the nonstop flirting onscreen, the movie tries for a heavy-duty message that somehow links polar bears, Hurricane Katrina victims, and Santa Claus. The band holds a charity concert to benefit the environment, and one character makes repeated humorous attempts to clean up his bandmates' environmental footprint. Band members travel in a luxury bus largely absent of any parental supervision, but take a tour of Katrina-ravaged New Orleans and end up staying in a temporary trailer with a displaced resident.
Violence: Boys get into a wrestling match over a girl.
Sex: For a movie aimed at tweens, it's top heavy with flirting, romantic scheming, and public displays of affection between cast members. A boy pinches a girl's bottom to prove he's a "bad boy," but receives a thorough scolding from the girl instead. Platonic co-ed wrestling matches are understandably misinterpreted, and the main character pines over his love interest throughout the movie. A young couple kisses and embraces, and are shown cuddling on the floor with one character in a sleeping bag.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: The Naked Brothers Band is a Nickelodeon staple, so the movie will cross-promote their TV show and Web site presence.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on The Naked Brothers Band: Polar Bears

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about Alex's sudden obsession with polar bears and saving the environment. What are the things that you do as a family to help the Earth? Which of Alex's suggestions seem far-fetched, and which could you try? Families can also talk about the level of affection on display between the characters; how does that compare to your own family's expectations for behavior with members of the opposite sex?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND: POLAR BEARS, members of the band featured on the Nickelodeon show of the same name travel by bus to New Orleans to stage a charity concert to help the polar bears, spurred on by Alex (Alex Wolff) after he inadvertently views An Inconvenient Truth. While in New Orleans, the bandmates bunk down with family friends displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Miscommunication between the band and a vindictive mob of reporters, not to mention between romantically minded friends, plague the kids and call their good intentions into question.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
This movie can be credited for its effort to focus young fans' attention on global warming and the ongoing plight of the people of New Orleans, though explanations of just how kids can be benefit these causes are skimpy. The young brothers who star in the show, Alex and Nat Wolff (Nat Wolff), write and perform the songs in the movie with endearing sincerity, capably backed by their young cast/bandmates. The treatment of the band by an aggressive press corps may make for interesting family conversation about the limits to privacy and media objectivity.

But in the end the main story is romance between tweens, and that may make some families uncomfortable. Boys and girls alike are shown posturing to attract the attention of the opposite sex, and when the dust finally settles there's kissing and hugging that seems overly mature. Perhaps it's a function of the fact that there is virtually no reliable adult supervision around the "megastar" kids who travel in a luxury bus and don't appear to attend regular school. When one character says she will hold off on love "until I'm 13," the adult audience will heave a sigh of relief.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Nickelodeon
Director: Polly Draper
Cast: Alex Wolff, Allie DiMeco, Nat Wolff
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 67 minutes
Theatrical release: June 6, 2008
DVD release: June 17, 2008
MPAA Rating: NR

This review was written by Nancy Davis Kho
 
 

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What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

horrorlover
kid, 12 years old
 
This isnt a show for kids
This isnt a show for kids there for it needs ro be rated PG13, a boy and a girl kiss then sleep with each other in a sleeping bag, (note the boy is 12 and the girl is 15) they also use words like sucks oh my god and stupid and the show needs to stop the songs are about stupid things and they are not a real band and are trying to teach kids under the age of 8 not to beleav in santa

AnnieTigerChucky
teen, 17 years old
 
A great movie about the environment and an amazing story behind the show!
"Polar Bears," a three-part episode and final TV Movie directed, written, created, and executive produced by Polly Draper (star of "thirtysomething") who is also the mother to the show's stars Nat and Alex Wolff -- as the boys write and perform all the music in the series. The boys' dad Michael Wolff (band-leader of "The Arsenio Hall Show") who is the co-executive producer, music supervisor, and music producer (as well as playing the boys' dorky father who plays the accordion). The series is part documentary and part rock-mockumentary musical comedy. In "Polar Bears," the band-mates deals with dating and girls -- the same for the rest of the series. What makes "Polar Bears" different for all the other TV movies and episodes is that it has to do a lot about global warming and the environment, where the band heads down to New Orleans (where they actually filmed it, and Mr. Wolff's native home) at the end the band raises money from their concert and donates it to a charity. Make sure to tune in to the 5 new songs!

96grlpowrCE
teen, 16 years old
 
This is one of my must-see summertime moves... :S
This movie was outstanding, in my opinion. I saw it the summer after 6th grade and instantly loved it. Some of the best songs from Season Two appear in this movie. It was very funny at times and at others pretty emotional. I didn't get much out of the eco-friendly subplot, but the rest was great! I highly reccomend this.

slashrocks
teen, 16 years old
 
It SUCKED!! :(
it was the most peice of crap ever, they're a bunch of wanabe kids who don't have girlfriends and by the way they act they're never going to get them. the don't even write their own songs the producers do, and they suck. I wouln't reccomend this B***s**t movie for any child or adult.

funky400
teen, 14 years old
 
Polar Bears is a great movie! It has no violence or anything. I liked it!

naked bros ...
kid, 11 years old
 
i laughed
i think it was a great movie it teachs kids to help the enviroment by the way the curse of santa is upon u

rhianna
kid, 11 years old
 
i laughed!
i can help people so if you need help tell me send it to lyndsey_flannery@yahoo*

billionmax
teen, 14 years old
 
WORST SHOW EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
in introduction i have 2 words. it sucks. it is the worst show ever. in this movie there is a kissing seen with the 2 teens having there bodys pressed together. a girl also get pinched in the but by a boy who is trying to prove he isn't scared. otherwise you dont have much to worry about. but eitherway if your thinking of buying it or rent it it is really not a good movie. :)

tyyy
kid, 12 years old
 
it a good show
it's a great tv show.

uglyisbeautiful
teen, 14 years old
 
Good for some kids, stupid for others
Alright, I watched this with my two little brothers and they laughed at some jokes and snored in other spots. Plot, sure it's all about the environment, but it truly fails to entertain. As the show is about a kids band, there is music with catchy tunes. I found it was appropriate for kids 5 and up.

Dancediva
teen, 15 years old
 
please.... no more!
this was even worse then the show and the last movie!! it was very stupid and all their song sound alike. the ony reason the're on telivision is because their mom's a big- time producer!!

ILUVMEAT
teen, 17 years old
 
Can the worlds dumbest series get any worse?
Just when I thought It could not get any worse on Battle of the Bands, it went down to a -0 star for me ( thats exageration for totaly stupid. Nat is caught with another girl alone, by rosalina and is thought of to be cheating. In the end, he reveals it, incidentaly when rosalina is in the room. The embrace eachother and kiss. Nat is a little young for that at age 12. They should just end the retarted series.

def
adult
 
it was boring!
it was boring!

iiitsCARO
teen, 18 years old
 
ok come on
there copying the betels with the were more popular then santa and also the wresiling mach looks...wrong . there just trying to be too adult .....

the_truth_is_teen
teen, 15 years old
 
Wow
ok, I personally being 11 years old think this ia garbage, 10 year olds wont watch it; more like age 5, so yea, I think it should be like 7 up its aimed at lil kids and VERY preteen

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