Shopkins: Chef Club

Movie review by Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media
Shopkins: Chef Club Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 4+

Cute toys' silly adventures fun but serve as one big ad.

NR 2016 44 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 13+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 4 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

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.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Shopkins: Chef Club is the first Shopkins DVD release from Moose Toys (Australia), the toy company that created and markets a vast array of brand merchandise, including dolls and play sets, books, web videos, trading cards, and related products directed at very young consumers. This 44-minute video, which follows several "seasons" of two-minute YouTube webisodes, promotes these very small (one-inch-by-one-inch) toys, most of which give life to everyday grocery items ("Apple Blossom," "Kooky Cookie," "Nina Noodles"). In this story, a group of the Shopkins auditions for membership in the mall's Chef Club. Most of the characters and the recipes they follow relate to sweets ("a chili, chocolate, leaning tower of licorice" and "gum gum fruit stuffed with gum gum fruit"). A smattering of messages (for examples, discouraging cheating and cautioning against a frantic need for compliments and approval) is introduced, and there's nothing really objectionable about the story itself (no villains or scares). Little kids will be engaged and will like the comic but slight characters. Parents who are considering the Shopkins brand for their kids should be aware of the company website's description of their product: "Let's go shopping! Shopkins are the super cute, small characters that live in a BIG shopping world! There's hundreds of Shopkins to collect from all sorts of fun themes! So grab your shopping cart and start -- because once you shop, you can't stop! Collect them all and build your Shopkins world."

Community Reviews

Parent_of_3
Parent_of_3 Adult
August 3, 2019
age 13+

Profanity Noted in Closed Captioning

I did not preview this movie given its "Y" rating (gee, shame on me!), but my 9yo daughter was playing it for her 3yo sister. Unfortunately, the older daughter spotted profanity not too far into the movie. At 19:05, if your closed captioning is on, you'll notice a "damn it" present when a girl is frustratingly attempting to open a hidden door. They muffled the words in the audio, so unless you saw the CC, you wouldn't really hear it. I wanted to warn parents of hearing-impaired children in particular. The producers should fix this before distributing again.

This title has:

Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In SHOPKINS: CHEF CLUB, the three central human characters, Jessicake, Donatina, and Bubbleisha, assemble teams of their little Shopkin grocery-item buddies, including Kookie Cookie, Libby Lips, Cheeky Chocolate, and Miss Sprinkles, to join the local cooking academy, the Chef Club. Peppermint, the Club's leader, wants each team to create four fantastical recipes (including Upside Down Ruby Huby Soup and Spaghetti-and-Meatballs with Popcorn) to become members. Not all the Shopkins are comfortable in a kitchen, so chaos is unavoidable. Despite exploding spaghetti sauce, a fuddy-duddy gum-gum tree, a daring cookie rescue, and a monumental cleanup job, the Shopkins work together to make their club membership a reality. Peppermint proves to be right all along -- cooking is an adventure, and it's best when friends do it together.

Is It Any Good?

Commercially motivated cuteness teamed with everyday products assures that most kids will respond to another toy brand, another invasion of "collectibles," and another routine cartoon. What 4- or 5-year-old wouldn't laugh at exploding spaghetti sauce, characters based on snacks, sweets, and makeup, and a kitchen covered wall to wall with spilled food? It's surprising that given an opportunity to provide some simple truths about healthy eating and smart consumerism for even the youngest kids, this brand mainly focuses on what kids already love but is not always best for them. With its colorful silliness, generic music, and a little obvious messaging, Shopkins: Chef Club is harmless (except for the very young who aren't ready for one-inch-by-one-inch dolls) but unremarkable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the fact that Peppermint's goal for the Chef Club was to promote friendship in Shopkins: Chef Club. Did she succeed in her goal? What is the purpose of a club?

  • How does a company benefit when they release certain dolls or toys for a limited amount of time, labeling them "rare," "ultra rare," or "special edition"?

  • What did Bubbleisha learn about getting compliments from others? There are rewards received both from doing a job well and getting thanked for it. Which is most important to you? Why?

  • How is this movie designed to make you want to buy things?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

Themes & Topics

Browse titles with similar subject matter.

  • Cartoon picture of luggage and a map
    Adventures
    See all
  • Cartoon hands high fiving
    Friendship
    See all

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate