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Parents' Guide to

The Son of Bigfoot

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

So-so adventure finds the positive in "negative" traits.

Movie PG 2018 92 minutes
The Son of Bigfoot Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 11 parent reviews

littlekorma
littlekorma Parent of 3 and 3-year-old
August 23, 2023
age 13+

Jarring using of adult language

The movie is great for older children. The word spaz and crap used repeatedly throughout I found particularly jarring. I had to keep pausing the film to assure my child that the dad hadn’t killed himself/ been killed/ wasn’t going to be killed. If I’d known what the film was about I wouldn’t have put it on.

This title has:

Too much swearing
shawn_pressley
shawn_pressley Adult
May 14, 2021
age 13+

Not for anyone's children. PG-13 at least.

Don't do it. Our 6-year old daughter picked the movie for our weekly movie night and we deeply regretted it just 3 minutes into the movie.. It was only on our watchlist because we saw "Bigfoot Family" first. That movie shows that nWave learned it's lessons. Too bad we had the learn about this movie the hard way. Ignore the "ALL" rating on Amazon and the "7+" from commonsense. This movie is not suitable for children. The moral is not worth the spitballing, spitting, name calling, bullying, disrespect, stereotyping, running away, animal cruelty, kidnapping, mafia thug, first degree murder behavior your kids will learn and witness in the process if getting to the end of this movie.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE SON OF BIGFOOT, 12-year-old Adam (voiced by Pappy Faulkner) discovers that his late father is actually alive, so he runs away from home to search for him. Adam learns that his father (Chris Parsons) is Bigfoot, who's been hiding in the woods to keep his family safe from HairCo., a pharmaceutical corporation intent on exploiting the Bigfoot DNA to create a hair restoration product. When a Bigfoot sighting is reported, HairCo.'s diabolical leader directs his team of henchmen to stop at nothing to capture Bigfoot and his genetic material. Newly reunited, Adam, his dad, and his dad's forest friends work together to save one another from becoming HairCo. lab specimens.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (8 ):

This movie doesn't offer much entertainment value to parents, but it will keep elementary-age children entertained. In the age of popular TV shows like Monster High and Finding Bigfoot, the film offers a clever conceit to explain Bigfoot and why he's in hiding, as well as what it would mean to be Bigfoot's child. Kids' imaginations will move into gear with this adventure that endows a tween with animal superpowers while putting him in the driver's seat to reunite his family and make them safe. But the story isn't particularly well written, the direction isn't smartly executed, the voice talent is unremarkable, and the computer animation is subpar.

The Son of Bigfoot touches on themes that would be interesting to explore further -- such as how Adam feels about the unusual changes going on in his body or how, the first time an estranged parent and child meet, it's often not an instant connection. And while the movie doesn't lay out a moral, some of the subtle messaging may not be a fit for every family. For instance, it presents macho-leaning opinions such as the declaration that powerful men have hair and that "every real man has a son" (young viewers may not pick up on the comedy surrounding these views). Women are sidelined, and Adam's loving mother (Lindsay Torrance) is largely irrelevant. In every aspect, The Son of Bigfoot isn't a terrible film, just outdated.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in The Son of Bigfoot. Did any scenes scare you? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?

  • How does the movie handle bullying? Does it seem like a realistic portrayal?

  • Why do you think Dr. and Mrs. Harrison decided to tell Adam his father was dead, rather than in hiding? Is there a circumstance in which lying is better than telling the truth?

  • How would you describe the movie's messages? What is it trying to teach/show kids who watch?

  • HairCo. uses animals to research their products for human use. Why do some cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries conduct animal testing? Is it always done unethically?

Movie Details

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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.

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