Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fantastic slumber party fare with problem-solving kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Boathouse Detectives
What's the Story?
Since Anna's (Anna Harris) father's death, her stepmom Shannon (Stacee Riekof) has been trying to get custody of her from grandma (Maureen Eastwood) so she can steal Anna's inheritance. When Shannon meets a gullible lawyer and he helps falsify papers, Shannon tells Anna to get ready to move to Europe. In desperation, Anna ties a note to a birthday balloon so she can find her grandma and escape. Lucky for her a boy finds the note near his boathouse clubhouse and shows it to his friends. They start to work right away trying to decipher who Anna is and save the day.
Is It Any Good?
Let's be clear: the four stars is for kids, especially kids between the ages of 7 and 10; don't miss the window, parents, because there's so much for this age to love about BOATHOUSE DETECTIVES. First of all, rowing a boat to your clubhouse -- so cool! And all the kids are ones you'd want to be in a club with. Ones who have cool hobbies and love animals and helping complete strangers. They're on their own solving a case with no bothersome adults in the way. They even live in that kind of quaint seaside town where you can tell parents never worry about letting their 9 year olds roam free (though always within cell phone range, of course).
For parents, there's no over-the-top gross-out moments to annoy -- okay, there's a bit of fake puke, but it's not bad. But you will roll your eyes repeatedly every time an adult hops on screen. The stepmom and dog catcher are in a tie for most overdone stereotype.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how each kid helped solve the case. What talents did they bring to the boathouse? Which talents would you bring?
Families can also talk about how this family movie is different from many they've seen recently. For starters, where's all the gross-out humor? Did you miss it?
Adults are pretty stereotyped here. Why do you think that is? Would the movie feel as light and humorous if the mean stepmom seemed more real and less silly?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 15, 2011
- Cast : Anna Harris , Mason Johnson , McKenzie Richards
- Director : Eric Hendershot
- Studio : MTI Home Video
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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