Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, peril, bullying in Finding Nemo knock-off.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sea Level 2: Magic Arch
What's the Story?
In SEA LEVEL 2: MAGIC ARCH, Delphi is a young dolphin who is dismissed as a "dreamer" by the other inhabitants of Fish Town. He has feelings for a pink fish named Mia, who is involved with Alpha, a "Dolphcathalon" champion who works as a guard for Octavian the octopus, the officious leader of Fish Town and Mia's father. One day while swimming on the far reaches of Fish Town with his friend Zane, Delphi discovers a "Magic Arch of Transformation." He swims into it, discovers another dimension, and returns as a turtle. He manages to change back, but knows that he must alert Octavian to this discovery before the wicked Moray eels find it and use it to become bigger and stronger. As Delphi tries to reach Octavian, he's continually stopped by Alpha because Delphi doesn't know the password required to be granted an audience with Octavian. Meanwhile, Mia has gone missing, and the Moray eels are amassing into an army determined to conquer Fish Town. Now, with the help of all the sea creatures of Fish Town, Delphi and Alpha must set aside their differences, stop the eels, and rescue Mia.
Is It Any Good?
This movie is basically a cheap knock-off of Finding Nemo and Finding Dory. The characters look suspiciously like better-known Pixar characters (without looking too much like Pixar characters to attract the attention of Pixar lawyers). When the slow and convoluted storyline drags a little too much, it's nothing some obvious references to Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark won't fix. While Sea Level 2: Magic Arch makes some comments on the importance of teamwork to accomplish great things like stopping an army of evil Moray eels, the sentiment is as uninspired as everything else about this movie.
While there's a small chance that younger kids will identify with Delphi and his friend Zane as they try to prove their mettle to their peers, they're just as likely to be confused by the many story threads. While there's a semblance of a central story, there's also something about a mystical turtle, an election, and a missing fish father. There are also extraneous characters who only seem to exist because the writers thought they were being clever (a stingray named Uncle Ray, for example). Sea Level 2: Magic Arch is in the tradition of the many other Pixar copies that seem to exist to fool parents and grandparents into thinking that they're renting a Pixar movie instead of a pale imitation that's far less entertaining.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about low-quality movies that are copies of more popular movies. Why do you think copycat movies like Sea Level 2: Magic Arch are made?
Did the violence and peril seem necessary to the story, or did it seem like it was put in to make the movie more exciting? Why?
How does the movie show bullying? Do you know people in real life who act like Alpha? How does Delphi deal with Alpha's behavior?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 29, 2020
- Cast : Stephen Ochsner , Daniel Medvedev , Liza Klimova
- Director : Vasily Rovensky
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- Run time : 82 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mild language and action
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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