Common Sense Media Review
By Grace Montgomery
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Adventure tale has strong friendship message, scary scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Ribbit
What's the Story?
Ribbit (Sean Astin) is a poisonous tree frog that doesn't fit in with the other frogs in the Amazon. Fed up with feeling left out and different, he decides to head off to find out who he really is. Not willing to let him go alone, flying squirrel Sandy (Cherami Leigh) heads off to help her friend. Soon Ribbit meets the vampire bat Deepak (Russell Peters), who tells him that he's actually a human prince who just needs a kiss from a human princess to become his true form. With Sandy at his side, Ribbit searches through the Amazon to find a human princess. Though there are always new friends willing to help them, the pair soon finds themselves dogged by the hungry crocodile Kai (Sonny Franks), who would love to have them for a snack.
Is It Any Good?
RIBBIT is a near win that, unfortunately, doesn't quite hit the mark. The adventure tale has some lovely messages about friendship and acceptance, and the relationship between Sandy and Ribbit is nicely developed. The side characters also are really fun and often the best part of the movie, even though they all only pass through briefly. But Sandy and Ribbit encounter too many villains and have too many near misses on their journey, and the last 20 minutes or so throw in a whole new side plot and set of characters that feels like an entirely different movie.
Parents will love the positive messages and role models in the film, but they might be concerned by the numerous villains and scary scenes. Animal adventure lovers will no doubt enjoy the fun characters and beautiful graphics, but those easily scared by suspenseful scenes may want to skip this one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about friendship. Which qualities are important in a good friend?
Do you think you have to be around those who are similar to you to feel like you belong? Or is having supportive friends enough?
What's your favorite animal adventure tale? Why is it your favorite?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 21, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : November 25, 2014
- Cast : Sean Astin , Cherami Leigh , Tim Curry
- Director : Chuck Powers
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : KRU Studios
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : March 13, 2020
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