Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Stop-motion animation is packed with positive messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Inventors
What's the Story?
In INVENTORS, two teams of scientists battle it out at their beloved CreatACon competition to invent a device that will help to improve humanity. If they fail, CreatACon will lose funding and come to an end. Team leader Liz (voiced by Angelique Chase) must find a way to work with the rogue scientist Bull (Eric Close), while rivalries, resentments, and self-doubts threaten their success.
Is It Any Good?
This is a small-scale masterpiece with gigantic implications that takes its audience on an incredible journey. From its wildly upbeat intro song ("Be cool like an inventor!") to its fully rounded characters depicted in stop-motion animated dolls (think Barbie, complete with visible bends), Inventors is a surreal, joyful ride. As the science teams work on their CreatACon projects, doll recharge breaks introduce science-fictional elements and the mystery deepens. The reveal is a revelation, with the movie taking on a whole new meaning; it can be rewatched immediately with a whole new perspective—think a family-friendly and entirely wholesome Get Out. The animation is a labor of love, and the moving story crackles with thought-provoking ideas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how teamwork was portrayed in Inventors. How did Liz and Bull learn to work together? When have you had to overcome differences with someone and work together with them? Why is teamwork such an important character strength to have?
Discuss the story behind the dolls. Did you expect that to be what was happening? What did it make you think about?
What did the movie tell you about funding for projects? How would the participants have been affected if CreatACon was ended? What did the project mean to them?
Do you think their invention would help humanity? Do you think people spend too much time on their screens when they could be interacting with others? What can people do to spend more meaningful time together?
What did you think of the animation? Have you seen any stop-motion animation movies before? How does it compare to cartoons or computer-generated graphics?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 27, 2024
- Cast : Eric Close , Tony Todd , Angelique Chase
- Director : Chip Lane
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Alarm Pictures
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : STEM
- Character Strengths : Communication , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 76 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : January 30, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate