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Parents' Guide to

Smelliville

By Monique Jones, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Messages of empathy, compassion pale beside gross-out humor.

Movie PG 2021 85 minutes
Smelliville Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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Is It Any Good?

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Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3 ):

Smelliville wants to entertain kids and teach them about recycling, but it might gross them out first. Kids who enjoy body humor -- i.e., fart and burp jokes -- will probably laugh, but kids who are sensitive to jokes about bodily functions may not find it as enjoyable. And adults who usually like watching animated films, especially with kids, might also get frustrated with the overreliance on gross-out humor.

That said, it does seem like the film's gross-out aspects are supposed to have a purpose. Its humor is intended to help get across a message about recycling and living greener (literally, in the case of the green Ogglies, who reside in the city dump). But the film's message about living in harmony with others and the planet is lost under the "ewwww" jokes and Max's struggles with his extreme type A mother, Lady Mayoress. Any message about recycling is saved until the end, when Lady Mayoress uses Max's plan to help the Ogglies and the town live in peace together. Perhaps if the film focused more on that theme, it would have more impact with viewers. Still, if you're only looking for diversion, this is a serviceable story about a mother and son finding common ground.

Movie Details

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