Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Barney and friends explore their imaginations through song.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Barney's Great Adventure: The Movie
What's the Story?
Cody (Trevor Morgan), Marcella (Kyla Pratt), and Abby (Diana Rice) visit their grandparents (George Hearn and Shirley Douglas) on a farm. Marcella and Abby imagine their Barney doll into life, and even though Cody is a skeptical older brother, together, they discover a magical egg, and they embark on a quest to find out what is inside this egg, and this journey takes them to a bird sanctuary, a circus, and a parade.
Is It Any Good?
BARNEY'S GREAT ADVENTURE should prove enjoyable to kids familiar with the television show. And while not as adult-friendly as offerings from the Muppets or Sesame Street, the movie will serve as an alternative for parents wearied of watching the show over and over. Songs are abundant (including, yes, "I Love You, You Love Me"), the scenery is colorful and lush, the acting is competent, and the scenes of the kids' imaginations coming to life and the adventure they undertake with Barney should keep younger kids fully engaged. Grandparents are treated with respect, and the discussions of how adults use their imaginations should provide worthwhile conversations.
It's not a masterpiece by any stretch, thanks in part to some loose ends, and there are some scenes parents may find questionable (Cody stepping in animal dung, for instance), but all-in-all, Barney's Great Adventure is an enjoyable experience for younger kids, and relatively less excruciating for parents who have seen the TV show one too many times.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how everything that anyone has ever made was first imagined by someone. What's a time you imagined something and made it come true?
How is life on a farm different from other places?
The kids learned about the mysterious egg by reading about it in a book. What are some things you could learn about in books?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 30, 1998
- On DVD or streaming : March 28, 2006
- Cast : Trevor Morgan
- Director : Steve Gomer
- Studio : Universal Studios
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 77 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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