Parents' Guide to

Sid the Science Kid: Sid the Movie

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Series-inspired movie caters to preschoolers' curiosity.

Movie NR 2013 75 minutes
Sid the Science Kid: Sid the Movie Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 4+

Based on 1 parent review

mbmartin874
mbmartin874 Parent of 4 and 6-year-old
November 10, 2014
age 4+

Meh

I'm giving this 60-minute "movie" 3 stars instead of 2 because it's totally harmless - no violence or sex or shameless product placements. But this has got to be one of the most aimless films I have ever seen. I love the regular Sid the Science Kid show. This...just meanders. I thought it would at least be educational, but it's only marginally so. My 4- and 6-year-olds, zonked out from a week of school and in need of some decompression time, thought this special was fine. I was more than glad to erase it from the DVR afterwards.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In SID THE SCIENCE KID: SID THE MOVIE, Sid (voiced by Drew Massey) and his friend Gabriela (Alice Dinnean) learn that winning a worldwide science contest entitles them to an exclusive preview tour of The Super Ultimate Science Museum. There they meet the museum's eccentric creator, Dr. Bonabodon (Christopher Lloyd), and his staff of robots, including Bobbybot (Bruce Lanoil), a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence prototype who guides the kids' behind-the-scenes tour. Accompanied by a team of contest winners from China -- Yangyang (Allan Trautman) and Niuniu (Julianne Buescher) -- Sid and Gabriela explore the museum, develop new friendships, and learn a lot about teamwork when Bobbybot's programming goes haywire and they have to help Dr. Bonabodon set him straight before the museum opens to the public.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (9):

Kids are sure to be inspired by Sid's enthusiasm for learning, giving families a great incentive to build on their kids' interest with some explorations of their own. Already preschoolers' ambassador for science exploration, Sid now stars in his own feature-length movie, which has ample time for the characters to explore a variety of scientific disciplines. From astronomy to simple machines, there's something new and wondrous to discover around every corner in this museum, and the movie does a good job of incorporating and demonstrating scientific vocabulary like "hypothesis," "fulcrum," and "probability" in a way that doesn't detract from kids' enjoyment of the overall story.

Since the advent of his TV show, Sid has caught some flak for being, well, a little grating in his delivery, and there's no departure from his characteristic exuberance in this movie. What's more, there's a lot more of him to go around in this 75-minute feature than there is in his regular TV format, which might contribute to the movie seeming to plod along at times. Kids won't notice these issues, of course, and the wealth of inspiring educational content more than makes up for it from a kid's point of view, but parents might not experience the same joy in sharing this movie with their kids the way they might some of The Jim Henson Company's other offerings.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes learning fun. Kids: What are your favorite things to learn about? Do you visit museums, the library, or the great outdoors to do so? What did you learn from Sid the Movie?

  • Explore some of the scientific concepts raised in this movie. Build a simple machine to make a difficult job easier, explore the area around your home to learn about animal habitats, or spend an evening star gazing.

  • Kids: Do you ever feel like you have a hard time being heard by grown-ups or older kids? When you have an idea to share, can you? What role do you play in your family's "team"? Why is it an important one?

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.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

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