Princess Protection Program

Movie review by Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media
Princess Protection Program Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Sweet Disney tale has great messages about friendship.

NR 2009 89 minutes
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 23 reviews

Kids say

age 6+

Based on 54 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Stands out for and .

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.

Community Reviews

catapault
catapault Adult
August 11, 2011
age 10+

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.

This title has:

Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
salem-m
salem-m Adult
July 5, 2021
age 5+

Dumb and insulting

I'm not sure why the reviews say this movie has such a positive message because it doesn't. It's awful. Selena Gomez's character is a huge brat. She does nothing but bad mouth Demi Lovata's character who clearly is a fish out of water, and what does Selena's character do about it? Just complain about how Demi's character can't be normal. She spends all of maybe 10 seconds trying to help her, but them immediately returns to complaining. So for the next movie lets put Carter in Rosie world. Tell her nothing, treat her badly for not knowing how that world works, and then complain the whole time about how she can't be normal. Sounds fair, right? Not only is this movie stupid, it's insulting.
1 person found this helpful.
See all 23 parent reviews

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?

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.) The movie 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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

Movie Details

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