Parents' Guide to Rugrats Go Wild

Movie PG 2003 81 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 5+

Fun meet-up of Rugrats, Wild Thornberrys on deserted island.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 5+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 5+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 6+

Based on 8 kid reviews

What's the Story?

The two worlds of the popular Klasky/Csupo Nickelodeon series come together when the Rugrats get shipwrecked on a deserted island and meet up with the Wild Thornberrys in what turns into a mildly pleasant mix of malapropisms and pop culture references, diaper humor, snippets of rock classics, a little adventure, and a message about cooperation, taking care of each other, and the importance of family.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 3 ):
Kids say ( 8 ):

This animated tale is pleasant for the kids and not too painful for their parents. The voice of Bruce Willis adds enormous charm and energy to the story, and as soon as he is on board, we know that any day-saving that needs to be done will be in good hands.

The story shows the different ways people react when things go badly. At first, the adults blame one another, but then they select a leader and begin to cooperate, which prompts a question about how we choose our heroes. In another worthwhile plotline, Debbie Thornberry lets her parents know that she wants to spend more time with them.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Angelica wants so badly to be able to boss people around and why it's so hard for her to be kind or generous.

  • How do you think this Rugrats movie compares with the Rugrats TV show?

  • Why is it fun to see the world through babies' eyes?

Movie Details

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