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L.O.L. Surprise!: The Movie
By Jennifer Borget,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Toy-themed movie is cute but unexciting; heavy on marketing.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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L.O.L. Surprise!: The Movie
Community Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Oof
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What's the Story?
In L.O.L. SURPRISE!: THE MOVIE a little girl named Ava (Ayla Rae Neal) gets pulled into her magical dollhouse and transformed into "Queen Bee" to learn about making movies from her L.O.L. Surprise! doll friends. While learning about special effects, green screens, casting, costuming, and sound effects, Ava also learns to overcome her fears of change before she moves to her new home. The story follows Queen Bee and her friend Royal Bee (Paris Anderson) as they work on filming the ending of their fabulous movie. Along the way the queens encourage their "little sis" to face her fears and learn the wonders of moviemaking. The colorful story follows them through four alternate endings, each with different lessons and special effects. Which will Queen Bee choose to finish their movie with?
Is It Any Good?
The lighthearted story features a warm message and the colorful, diverse characters from the L.O.L. Surprise! universe. Big Sis Royal Bee is stylish and fabulous with her golden afro, and it's endearing to see her take Ava, aka Queen Bee, under her wing. But the story feels a little disjointed and sometimes slow with its segmented alternate endings. Kids and parents alike may enjoy the lessons about overcoming fears and working together. Younger L.O.L Surprise! fans will enjoy seeing their favorite characters on the scene, but the older crowd, or those unfamiliar with the franchise, might see it as an obvious marketing ploy and find it too cheesy to enjoy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Ava being scared to move to a new home. What is a big change you've had to make in your life? What made it challenging? What helped you get through it?
The characters show a little of what goes into making a movie. What's something you found interesting about the movie-making process?
The movie highlights makeovers as a way of expressing yourself. What are some ways you like to express yourself?
How did the filmmakers use the story to promote L.O.L. Surprise! products? What kind of impact can this advertising have on kids?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 8, 2021
- Cast: Ayla Rae Neal , Paris Anderson , Ashley Nichol , Sonya Krueger , Sabrina Fest
- Directors: Lauren Ciaravalli , Alex Kamb
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Asian actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Superheroes , Adventures , Friendship
- Run time: 47 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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