 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Schoolhouse Rock!
- Review Date: July 16, 2007
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1977
Common Sense Media says
Classic, clever, kitschy songs that teach.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that these mild and warm-hearted songs about grammar, math, history, and science are almost universally fun and smart, and likely to keep kids riveted. Mostly, the cast is diverse and girls are shown as strong and equal to the boys. There are a few exceptions, however: In one song on the number 12, a man is said to have 12 wives, just as he has 12 camels. A song on taxes features scantily clad women in a chorus line. A few of the scenes might be scary for particularly young children, like when a man steps out of his skin to show his bones, or when cartoon people are shocked by electricity. It's also important to note that the songs on American history are reflective of text books from when parents were kids, exploring only the European-American experience.
What's the story?
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! is a series of songs designed to educate and entertain. Many parents will remember these few dozen cartoon music videos on everything from how a bill becomes law to counting, which originally aired in between Saturday morning cartoons. In fact, many parents can probably recite the fun ditty "Conjunction Junction" by heart. And that's exactly the point. By using snappy tunes and silly animation, these songs are designed to be so catchy that they sear themselves into the viewer's brain and suddenly they're learning. All the favorites are here, including "Conjunction Junction," "I'm Just a Bill," "Electricity," "Three Is a Magic Number," and "Interjections." This collection also features the series on how the body works: songs about circulation and feeding your body right.
Is it any good?
There are a few duds here. Most of the songs on money seem a little off-base somehow. While one song explains the virtues of living within your means, another song on where all your parents' money goes explains that there's never any money left over. It's a little confusing.
While the songs on the American Revolution and American histories are classics, it's glaringly obvious in retrospect that they only cover European immigrants. "The Great American Melting Pot" doesn't include the slaves brought here against their will, or the Asian immigrants who arrived on the West Coast instead of the East. The song about women's rights is glaringly white. You won't find the whole picture here, so it's up to parents and newer history books to fill in the gaps.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about their own history in America. How does it compare with the history that the songs describe? Kids are likely to develop favorite songs, and those songs may encourage them to find out all they can about their subject matter.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Educational and funny.
I love schoolhouse rock. It's funny and educational at the same time. Perfect to teach kids in elementary school.
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AGE
Never has learning been so fun
The songs in this show are so catchy you can't help but memorize what they're teaching you after a while. This is the ultimate in educational shows. Kids not doing well with multiplication? Well, this show has at least 20 songs dealing with that. Wanna teach kids about verbs? Show them the song about that very subject matter. I would recommend this for every child, and there's even some stuff for adults, such as a song about how to succeed in the stock market.
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| Studio: | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment |
| Director: | Tom Warburton |
| Cast: | Bob Kaliban, Lauren Yohe |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 283 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 18, 1977 |
| DVD release date: | August 27, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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