Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Animated adventure has bullying, scares, potty humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
100% Wolf
What's the Story?
In 100% WOLF, Freddy (voiced by Ilai Swindells) expects to turn into a werewolf on his 13th birthday but instead finds out he's a poodle. Shunned by his family, Freddy must make new friendships to save his pack from an evil plot.
Is It Any Good?
While the visual design is occasionally inspired, with its confusing tone and occasional mean streak, 100% Wolf is unlikely to become a classic. The characters constant bickering soon irritates, and the potty humor falls flat. But it's perhaps when handling the aftermath of a child losing a parent, that the movie is found really lacking. Such a theme is not uncommon in kids' movies. But 100% Wolf just delivers a downer, with none of the hope or sensitivity seen in movies like The Lion King.
The treatment of Freddy by his own family when he turns into a poodle on his 13th birthday, is also nothing short of cruel. There's also a grim undercurrent of toxic masculinity, with Freddy forcibly dyed pink and mocked for not being a "wolf." Acceptance -- the central message the movie clumsily tries to get across -- comes last minute, by which time Freddy's cocky "mic-drop" personality has grated so much it's barely a happy ending. A failure to understand emotions, comedy, or tone results in a movie that's 100% missable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the scary scenes in 100% Wolf. What scared or upset you? Do you think it was meant to be scary? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?
Discuss the rivalry between the werewolves and dogs. Why do you think these similar species disliked each other so much? Can you think of any groups in real life that are in conflict in a similar way?
Talk about the treatment of Freddy by his family. How do you think Freddy felt? Why is it important for us to accept each other for who we are?
Discuss some of the examples of bullying in the movie. Have you ever encountered bullying in real life? How did you deal with it?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 1, 2020
- Cast : Ilai Swindells , Jane Lynch , Jai Courtney
- Director : Alexs Stadermann
- Inclusion Information : Indigenous Movie Actor(s) , Polynesian/Pacific Islander Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Viva Pictures
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Book Characters , Animals
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : rude material, language, action and brief cartoon nudity
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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