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Parents' Guide to

The Incredible Mr. Limpet

By Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Classic, silly Don Knotts fish-in-water fantasy.

Movie G 1964 99 minutes
The Incredible Mr. Limpet Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

davidmal770
davidmal770 Parent of 7 and 10-year-old
November 5, 2011
age 12+

Paints a picture of marriage I would just rather steer clear of

There is a bizarre slant to this movie; what with Don Knotts leaving his loveless marriage to become a fish - and fall in love with a ladyfish. Plus you have the friend going out dancing with his now-widow. It doesn't seem to have it's heart in the right place. Plus it's all set against the backdrop of the War. And of Limpet longing to be both a fish and war hero. I think it was interesting for its time, but that time has passed.
JENIFER77777
JENIFER77777 Adult
January 6, 2022
age 18+

Nice

Nice film and I don't agree with the reviewer here that there is something wrong with Ladyfish simpering. I like girls who do that.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the 1964 live action/animation film THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET, Don Knotts plays Henry Limpet, a fervently patriotic but laughably unhealthy accountant whose bad eyesight and poor balance keep him from enlisting in the Navy. Since the film is set in 1941, that's a big deal. So instead, Limpet loses himself in the world of his fish and in his fantasies of one day becoming one of them (he carries around a book called The Theory of Reverse Evolution). But when he's lured into the water off Coney Island, a remarkable thing happens. He gets his wish, and suddenly he can serve his country in a way he never dreamed possible, helping foil U-boat attacks by the Nazis.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

This has everything a good children's movie should: celebration of imagination, a lovable main character with which kids can identify, some silly and fun songs, and cartoons. Throw in some explosions and espionage, and you have a film kids will love and that adults may remember fondly from their own childhoods. And adults may get a kick out of the truly X-Files-ish moment when Stickel (Jack Weston) and Harlock (Andrew Duggan) pull out the file on Mr. Limpet 20 years later.

So what's not to love here? It's a small gripe, but worth mentioning: Ladyfish, Henry's underwater love interest, is a simpering idiot. Unlike Henry's caustic human wife (Carole Cook), who has her own likes and dislikes, Ladyfish (Elizabeth MacRae) purrs out her words, offers herself to him on their first meeting, and seems to have no desires of her own except to be with him -- something worth pointing out to girls watching with you.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about finding the right niche for you. Could Henry be as happy as a man as he was as a fish? Would it be fun to be a fish? What important equipment are humans missing?

Movie Details

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