Parents' Guide to

Rugrats Go Wild

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

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

Movie PG 2003 81 minutes
Rugrats Go Wild Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 4+

Based on 2 parent reviews

love2
love2 Parent of 17-year-old
September 29, 2009
age 3+

bad movie

bad movie

This title has:

Too much violence
lioness57
lioness57 Parent of 9 and 14-year-old
April 9, 2008
age 5+

Potty humor galore!

The story line was great, the animation was really beautiful , the characters were familiar and fun, and believe it or not Rugrats meets Thornberrys made for an engaging story. The only problem was that every 3 minutes there was a poop, puke, or bugger (sp? I mean snot) joke which produced "Ooh gross!" from all the kids in the audience but not a lot of laughter. Wish the creators had just stuck to the story and left out the potty humor. Just showing the characters' warts and strengths in new situations was funny enough. And the ultimate message of triumphing over adversity through personal courage, caring, and comradarie would have made this a great kids film without being too trite or sappy. The potty humor made it a tainted experience. P.S. Bruce Willis will forever be associated in my mind with smelly behinds and dog poop!
See all 2 parent 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 (2):
Kids say (7):

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

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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