Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dutch sci-fi mystery has some peril, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Captain Nova
What's the Story?
CAPTAIN NOVA is a 37-year-old astronaut (Anniek Pheifer) sent back 25 years in time to try to save the earth from environmental disaster. When she lands, she is 12 years old again (her younger self is played by Kika van de Vijver). A boy her age named Nas (Marouane Meftah) finds her crashed spaceship and is enlisted by Nova's intelligent drone to help her, despite the military fast on their trail. Nova's mission is to find the man responsible for drilling in the North Pole, which inadvertently accelerates global warming, and stop him. What she encounters along the way, and the dismissive manner with which people treat her as a child, surprise her, as will the changes to her life when she returns.
Is It Any Good?
You have to suspend disbelief to enjoy this Dutch sci-fi mystery, but young viewers who do that could enjoy it and also pick up some healthy environmental messages. There are just a few too many unanswered questions, or unexplained actions, in Captain Nova to make this film anywhere near believable for older audiences. But as a kid-centered genre movie, it has some positive lessons about bravery, standing up for one's beliefs, empowering kids, and taking care of our environment. Some of the humor even manages to translate, like a freeze-gun that kids say puts adults on pause, giving them time to ponder their lives and careers. Some plot twists in both time frames offer added human drama.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of time travel, as seen in Captain Nova. Do you believe time travel could be possible, and, if so, could someone from the future appear in our time?
What did you think of the portrayal of the future and some of the equipment Nova has -- did it feel 25 years in the future? Why or why not?
Nova and Nas are dismissed as climate activists. Do you think the film is sending a message about giving more credence to what such activists are saying? What other environmental messages does the film have?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 1, 2022
- Cast : Kika van de Vijver , Marouane Meftah , Anniek Pheifer
- Director : Maurice Trouwborst
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Activism , STEM , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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