Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Home Alone knockoff has heavy slapstick violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When their parents leave them alone for a trip into the city, brother-sister duo Peter (Josh Grolman) and Shannon (Jenna Dover) must look after themselves and stay out of trouble. But trouble finds them when a gold heist takes place nearby and the thieves need a place -- the siblings' farm -- to lay low for a minute, leaving the two kids to work together to stay safe until their parents return.
Is It Any Good?
Even with talking farm animals, PETS doesn't come quite near the achievement of a movie it nods heavily to, Home Alone. But it pays its dues entertainingly enough with incompetent thieves, slapstick violence, and lots of remarkable ingenuity on the part of children left home alone to defend their turf, all with an Australian flavor.
Though this knockoff drags a bit, it has fun with a Dick Tracy-era setting, and, for kids who like adventures and farm animals, there will be lots of silly, pratfall-driven laughs and an all-too-brief but fun evil villain played by George Hamilton. Parents, however, may find themselves longing for a more original version with less filler that hits all the right notes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about working as a team in a pinch. Have you ever had to work with a friend, sibling, or family member to solve a big problem? What happened? What did you do?
Do you have siblings? If so, do you get along? What do you do to have fun together?
The kids in the movie are very clever at using household items to set traps to stop the intruders. Have you ever made art or toys out of household items? What sorts of contraptions did you make? What materials did you use?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 9, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : December 9, 2002
- Cast : George Hamilton , Jenna Dover , Josh Grolman
- Director : David Lister
- Studio : Allumination
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Run time : 82 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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