Princess Protection Program (NR, 2009)

common sense media says

Sweet Disney tale has great messages about friendship.


parents & educators say
  • 73% say there are positive role models
  • 73% say there are positive messages

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie centers on two exemplary teen heroines who demonstrate that friendship, character, and self-confidence are the keys to true happiness. The content is wholesome and worry-free for families, and the movie's positive messages will resonate with kids and tweens, particularly girls. Two "mean girl" characters play tricks on the main characters, but in the end they're exposed as the self-absorbed people that they are.

Educational value: Kids who watch will learn some important lessons about believing in yourself and others.
Positive messages: The movie is bursting with kid- and tween-friendly messages about self-respect, self-confidence, and good character.
Positive role models: Both Rosie and Carter are strong role models for tween girls. They learn lessons in friendship and realize the importance of looking past appearance to see who a person really is. The girls' catty nemeses play underhanded tricks to humiliate them in front of their peers (like sabotaging an attempt to hold down a job, for examle), but in the end their shallowness is exposed.
Violence & scariness: Rosie has to relocate because of a threat against her life, but there's nothing really scary.
Sexy stuff: Some mild flirting among teens.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Like everything Disney, the movie is being relentlessly marketed to tweens. But there's no product placement of note within the movie itself.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Princess Protection Program

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about the story’s themes of friendship and self-acceptance. How did Rosie and Carter help each other? How did their friendship evolve?

  • How was the girls' relationship impacted by each one’s instinct to judge the other based on appearance? Have you ever pre-judged someone incorrectly? How did you feel afterward?

  • Do you agree with the movie’s messages about inner beauty? Who in your life do you consider to have inner beauty? What do you admire about them?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Princess Rosalinda Marie Montoya Fiore (Demi Lovato) is one month away from her coronation as queen of her tiny island nation of Costa Luna when a political rival plots a takeover and threatens her life. Fortunately she's being watched out for by the top-secret Princess Protection Program, and special agent Joe Mason (Tom Verica) is able to whisk her away to the safety and anonymity of his home in rural Louisiana until the situation can be resolved. But Rosalinda's new living situation is fraught with perils of its own -- like Joe's daughter, Carter (Selena Gomez), who takes offense at playing hostess to the princess-in-hiding. Rosalinda (now under the alias "Rosie") certainly has a lot to learn about average teenage life, but the more she and Carter get to know each other, the more each realizes she has a lot to teach the other about true friendship and inner beauty.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Leave it to Disney to improve upon the classic princess story with this charming tale that features not one but two admirable young heroines (Gomez and Lovato complement each other so well that it's impossible to say whether one steals the show from the other) and outdoes itself with positive content about integrity, friendship, and the true nature of inner beauty. PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGRAM is a relatable modern-day fairy tale for tween girls learning to traverse the social minefield of peer relations.

In a surprising twist, the story skips the romantic subplot typical of many princess tales and opts instead for empowering messages of self-reliance for its young female viewers. Although much of the content revolves around a homecoming dance, the girls dismiss the popular guys' shallow attempts at getting their attention in favor of spending time with their true friends. Need more reasons to tune in? The movie is unencumbered by those pesky product tie-ins that plague many of its peers.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Allison Liddi-Brown
Cast: Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Tom Verica
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 89 minutes
Theatrical release: June 26, 2009
DVD release: June 30, 2009
MPAA Rating: NR

This review was written by Emily Ashby
 
 

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What parents & educators say

7
Based on 15 parent & educator reviews:
  • 73% say there are positive role models
  • 73% say there are positive messages

Most useful reviews by all members

catapault
parent
 
A little too sassy
My seven year old has seen this several times. It is definitely free of sex, drinking, drugs, etc. The message is pretty good about giving people a fair chance and concentrating on inner not outer beauty. My main issue (as with all Disney tween/teen shows) is the sassy attitude of the character "Carter". I do not want my 7 year old to act like a spoiled brat teenager. I really hate that there is so much of this in Disney shows aimed towards the tweens. I work hard to get my daughter to treat me with respect and I definitely don't need a Disney movie to work against me.

Cutipie82637
teen, 14 years old
 
Prehaps..................................
Just another disney movie about fame money and the other crap. Please don't pull something this bad on disney. The old disney movies were good, the new ones just SUCK!

waldengirl
kid, 10 years old
 
Good movie
I think the movie tells about true friendship.Plus making it princess related makes it fun!

rebma97
teen, 14 years old
 
typical dcom, but not bad
like most dcoms, the plot was predictable, but in some ways it was different. Just like other dcoms too, it's pretty clean; no profanity, VERY little amont of sex, and barley any violence

Nicki213
kid, 12 years old
 
Amazing, Spectacular
Rosy is a definite role model. She is not a stuck up princess and she teaches Carder not to push people away just because they care how they look. She made Carder a princess and not just bait girl, Rosy opened the eyes of everyone around her. Amazing, Spectacular

parakeet
kid, 12 years old
 
I love the movie! This movie is all about the true meaning of friendship. It's also about helping people. An ordinary girl and a royal princess learn about friendship.

Jaded
parent of 6 , 8 , 10 , and 12 year old
 
Nice message re friendship, some typical Disney stuff I don't like
My girls (7-10) enjoyed this movie. Nice message showing that a rich "royal" girl is not supposed to be just focused on shopping, beautiful clothes, hairstyles, fun, etc. but that as a princess she should be HELPING others. However, that message was hard to see in the early part of the film bc the princess is (nicely) acting like people around her are her servants, "excusing" them from her presence, expecting them to get/do things for her etc. As with most Disney movies, the teenage girls in the movie tend to be skimpily dressed. Low cut tops/dresses, tight clothing, miniskirts etc. But that is hard to get away from with most movies these days. The initial storyline itself is kinda of silly. The opening scene shows the princess with her parents in a royal courtyard of sorts, and the military leader goes on attack with a coupe whilst the princess is whisked away by trusted friend who is from the Princess Protection Program. I thought, why not take her mother, the Queen away too? (since the fate of her mother becomes important in a later decision). But then, this is Disney, this is fiction! Just not very realistic. Most of the movie does not focus on that aspect anyway, but rather focuses on how the trusted friend's teenage daughter relates with the Princess who comes to live with her. Some of the scenes are petty too, showing other teenage girls so caught up in their own looks/pretty girl status that they are quite hateful to the Princess & her friend. But then, that does echo what we see in real life sometimes. I didn't like a couple (brief) scenes showing boys fawning over certain girls, likewise with certain girls expecting some of the boys to do their bidding. The best part is the positive message of being kind & humble. The Princess ends up being a good role model for girls watching this film because she is never mean or spiteful (even her early expectations do not seem arrogant, just what she is used to), she is always kind, she is self-confident even when others try to make a fool of her, and not vengeful. She shows that she was brought up to be thoughtful & considerate.

BieberFeverLove
teen, 14 years old
 
Not the Best
This was one of the worst movies Disney has ever made! It was boring and had too much teen flirting and violence in the beginning. The way Carter treated Rosalinda in the beginning was also not a good role model for other kids. The mean bully girls were also another bad influence. Although the end became better at times it had a true meaning about friendship but overall there was no point and was truly a big waste of time.

Moviegirl1015251
kid, 10 years old
 
I have watched this movie and i like it. It is a really good movie. If you don't like the movie don't watch it.

Abbyrae11256
kid, 13 years old
 
Chic flick!!
I like this movie alot it has a good story line. More of like a chic flick , but of course in every movie there is a mean girl. The girls are actally really mean so good and bad role models.

MovieFan777
teen, 16 years old
 
Charming DCOM is Delightful
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato star in this wonderful comedy about royalty, friendship, and kindness.

 
meh
I personally don't see the thrill in these crappy Disney films. They do nothing for me. Just another scam to get money off parents because a popular star is in it

LovaticsSmile
teen, 15 years old
 
Amazing friendship and storyline!
This is an adorable movie, the friendship between Demi and Selena shows through the movie and every little girl wants to be a princess and this movie shows them how and also teaches kids that things are more important than some of the things they care abou. Demi and Selena work well together and Demi's song 'two worlds collide' is a beautiful uplifting song to finish the movie with!

awsomeman2
kid, 13 years old
 
princess protection program is a great movie with kid and tween friendly messages good for your kid girls who want to be a princess

henwhit
parent of 10 year old
 
When disney started advertising PPP, i thought it would be another one of those made for TV movies that looked better then it was. I was very shocked when i saw it for the first time. I liked the characters of Carter, and Rosy, the plot was pridictable and overdone but still good. I thought the bad guy, who is trying to take over roseys crown, could have been scarer and eviler but it is a childs movie so for the age group they were targeting, that could slide. Over all i was very impressed with this movie.

 
Little girl princess story good for the young
The movie is ok in my personal opinion. My daughter watched it and liked it but didn't love it. It's for clean fun for kids and overall it's cheerful. I also like what "adventure writor" said about disney. If you don't like it just don't watch it. But it's good for kids.

nada mehlba
teen, 13 years old
 
pr
good

EricaKnowsBest:)
kid, 11 years old
 
All ages, best disney movie.
Best disney movie for all ages!

LittleRatersGirl
kid, 13 years old
 
I really like this movie i watched it like 3 times!

Adventure Writer
teen, 17 years old
 
Good for young girls, some tweens, maybe even teens: Positive
I did not watch the whole thing, as it didn't really hold my interest. Why? Let us simply say this is not what teenage guys watch. @corneater: Disney is unlike other companies, I will admit to that. Moreover, they are a major corporation, making plenty of money out of this... HOWEVER, these "cheasy" movies are loved by little kids, tweens, even teens. Both girls are quite talented. I have seen many cheesy movies, and this is not one of them. These aren't adult blockbuster movies, you can't expect the world from these, but it's great for kids. "lets just say the girls that were supposed to be mean.....aren't like realistic high school mean girls!" Many parents want to protect their kids, which I fully agree with. One may disagree in parental practices, but CommonSense-wise, Real World= Bad, Protection from Real World= Good. Little kids don't need to learn about death, destruction, war, and blood. Understanding comes with age. They do not need to see what real bullies are like, Disney tones things down to the point where kids can safely watch their movies without any of that negative content that may be found everywhere else on TV. I do not agree with many things regarding Disney, but we're not here to discuss the company, we're here to review this video and say if it's appropriate for kids. In addition, adults may find this movie cute as well, though as has been shown, opinions vary. If you like the princess-fantasy-genre, there you go! Thanks, and enjoy!

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