Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sci-fi family flick has some violence, tween taunting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
RoboRex
What's the Story?
James Miller (Kalvin Stinger) is a creative tween who is constantly coming up with Rube Goldberg-style devices in his bedroom. His life changes forever when he comes across a giant egg that has come crashing from the sky. A robotic dog with a message from the future hatches out of the egg with a message from James' future self. The dog, RoboRex, warns James that a man who will soon call himself Professor Apocalypse (Ethan Phillips) is out to rule the world by using advanced scientific plans developed by James' late mother to create an evil robotic feline named Destructo-Cat. It's up to James to stop Professor Apocalypse from using science and technology for his own foul ends and, with the help of RoboRex, save the world.
Is It Any Good?
ROBOREX (aka THE ADVENTURES OF ROBOREX) is a low-budget and mostly family-friendly sci-fi movie. Although the cheap computer animation of robotic dogs, cats, and laser explosions tends to distract from the plot, the story itself is entertaining enough to keep families with tweens entertained. There are some cheesy character tropes in the movie -- the father who doesn't believe his imaginative tween son's wild stories of robot animals from the future, the tween girl who does believe him and wants to help -- but the movie keeps the action moving at a regular enough clip to keep audiences engaged.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about science-fiction movies. How is this movie similar to and different from other sci-fi films?
How is verbal bullying and taunting addressed in the movie?
How does this movie address the untimely passing of a parent?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 21, 2014
- Cast : Ben Browder , Ethan Phillips , Kalvin Stinger
- Director : Stephen Shimek
- Studio : Phase 4 Films
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Animals , Friendship
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Some mild action.
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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