Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Short, sweet commercial for cake, candy, and line of dolls.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lalaloopsy: Festival of Sugary Sweets
What's the Story?
It's a big day for the rag dolls! The annual LALALOOPSY: FESTIVAL OF SUGARY SWEETS dawns bright and cheery. Everyone is in the midst of baking, cooking, and sampling to get ready. To add even more excitement, it's Peanut Big Top's pet elephant's birthday. The only things that could spoil the fun would be a broken candy-making machine or not enough sugar to go around. Wouldn't you know it? Whirly's candy machine gets broken. And after two of the little dolls accidentally run off with some of the precious sugar, there's a definite sugar shortage. Not to worry. Whirly, Dot, Peppy, and the gang all come to the rescue, and before you know it, teamwork saves the day, with problems solved and plenty of love to go around -- not to mention a wonderful hot-air balloon ride that's the icing on the elephant's birthday cake.
Is It Any Good?
With its bright colors, positive attitudes, and likable characters, the movie is fine for its target audience -- preschoolers and kindergarten kids -- but others will probably find it tiresome. The company that produced Lalaloopsy rag dolls, touted to encourage creativity, salute individual differences/diversity, and prove that materials can be used and reused, seems to have lost sight of those lofty goals in this DVD. The dolls are still adorable, kind, bright, and helpful to one another, but this slight, 45-minute story about the dolls' fervent preparations for a festival of sweets is bland and pointless. The filmmakers seem to have missed a beat when they introduced the concepts of "sugar-free" and "natural sweeteners" in the story. That might have led to some real alternatives for kids to ponder, but putting frosting and a candle on a cabbage doesn't make for an inviting birthday cake.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Lalaloopsy movies help sales of Lalaloopsy toys. Given the number of tie-in franchises (brands such as Barbie, Pokémon, and Monster High), how does a family decide how much is enough and how much is too much? How important is it for parents to make kids aware of the marketing strategies involved in their entertainment?
The dolls love their sugary sweets. What are your family's rules about treats? Find out, if you don't know already, how our bodies use sugar and what negative effects it can have on both kids and grown-ups.
The movie mentions some "natural" sweeteners and then shows pretend ones. What are some actual natural sweeteners?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 3, 2015
- Cast : Laura Gervais , Calista Schmidt , Marissa Tawiah
- Directors : Melissa Suber , Andrew Young
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Animals , Friendship
- Run time : 45 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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