Parents' Guide to Meet the Small Potatoes

These misshapen brown singing stars have won over fans of all ages with their insightful songs and big imaginations that reflect their unique ways of looking at the world. In contrast, though, Meet the Small Potatoes clearly is written with the characters' older fans in mind, leaning on a clever mockumentary style (think Spinal Tap, but with food products) that younger kids just won't get. A power coup from the band's diva, the manager's attempts to get one of the Potatoes off the starch and on a protein diet, a nationwide bus tour with disastrous results, the band's pilgrimage to India for reflection and meditation -- these hilarious plot points put the exclamation point on the movie's comedy, but they're lost on kids with no experience in the nature of pop culture or celebrity status.

Of course, if your kids' affection of the Small Potatoes matches your own, there's still plenty to like in this, the spuds' first movie. They'll get to see how the characters' life journeys influenced the music they write, and they'll hear both popular and brand-new musical numbers throughout. One-on-one interviews with the singers let kids better glimpse their individual personalities, and there's also a lot of humor that doesn't require an adult's discerning eye to spot. Plus, with a little help from you, kids can draw comparisons between the band members' squabbles and reconciliation and issues they have with their own siblings or friends. For older kids, the movie can provide an intriguing look at how we embrace celebrity status and how the pressures can affect those stars.