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Parents' Guide to

Dadnapped

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

TV movie blends outrageous fun, positive messages for kids.

Movie NR 2009 86 minutes
Dadnapped Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 8+

Not good for 6-year-olds!

This went way over my 6-year-olds head. The main characters are old enough to drive and the plot was far beyond his maturity level. He didn't get the humor so the comic violence and scary situations were a bit disturbing for him. Very disappointed that we wasted time watching this.
age 8+

Tame and a little lame, but OK

This is and feels like a made for TV movie...flat acting, simple plot and plenty 'fade to black' scenes for commercials to be inserted. Having said that, the movie was OK. The plot may be a bit hard to grok for younger viewers, but the arsenal of visual gags, goofy situations, and general messy and slimey mayhem (lots of colorful sludge is thrown about) are sure to please. The acting is exaggerated (especially by the villans), but story and heroine are redeeming: believe in yourself, know that your parents love you even if they don't always show it in ways you obvious to you. My 5 and 7 year olds loved the movie, but they couldn't exactly say why. My guess? The slime-fest at the end where the bad guy gets slimed by an army of angry teens.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (17 ):

Chock full of wacky characters, outrageous antics, and elaborate schemes, DADNAPPED practically oozes kid-pleasing content. Though the story centers on abduction and what's technically a hostage situation (the perpetrators force Neal to write his "last novel," implying that he'll meet an untimely end), there's no tangible danger and very little force from the bumbling bad guys -- which gives the movie a playful feel that even kids will be hard-pressed to miss. As for weapons, the kids' cheese-spewing plastic guns are hardly realistic (though they still manage to help save the day).

While zany improbability antics are the movie's foundation, the story also shows a lot of heart. Melissa's feelings about taking a back seat to her father's work -- and his popular character -- are very relatable for kids, and the strong messages about communication and self confidence stand out from the otherwise silly content. Parents may not enjoy the juvenile humor themselves, but they can rest assured that Dadnapped is a worry-free choice for their grade-schoolers.

Movie Details

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