Parents' Guide to

Under the Sea 3D

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Stunning vision of the beautiful -- and fragile -- ocean.

Movie G 2009 40 minutes
Under the Sea 3D Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 8 parent reviews

pat T.
pat T. Adult
July 28, 2016
age 10+

gratuitous

If you have a sensitive child, avoid at all costs. Scenes of predator and prey are accompanied by unneccessary loud soundeffects to hammer home the fate of the prey. Yes,children need to know about the food chain but my 7 year old was distraught at seeing some beautiful fish in 3d, devoured in front of her eyes like some sick joke. This is classified as a u?!!!!!!! Total disgrace
erinmidwife
erinmidwife Adult
December 10, 2015
age 5+

Disappointing and short attention span paced

We don't watch many movies and I picked a few shorter nature flicks for my kiddos (5,8) while they were sick. There was nothing objectionable here. There as a reference to "lovers" so that might incite questions you may or may not want to answer. The face was kind of ADD and there was no thread running through out, just jumping from tidbit to tidbit which was unsatisfying given the pace. If it were an old school style slow nature movie that wouldn't have mattered. And the default animal sex was always "he" no surprise there. Environmental message. Ultimately felt like not very satisfying eye candy.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In UNDER THE SEA 3D, filmmaker Howard Hall journeys southward to Papua, New Guinea, The Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and the waters of the Coral Triangle. His subject is the ocean and the miraculous, vibrant creatures beneath its surface. The narrator (a superbly calm Jim Carrey) and the camera follow the drama of countless living things, all engaged in the extraordinary drama of self defense and self preservation.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (2):

This is a special film with stunning footage that must have been very hard to come by and is delivered with great respect and care. From the astonishing scenes of waving fields of garden eels to the dazzling beauty of the nearly extinct leafy sea dragons and on to the playful antics of endearing sea lions, frame after frame of this lovely film will impress even the youngest audience members with its panoramic view of nature's magic and the interdependence of our planet's inhabitants. The good news for parents is that the movie is a 40-minute delight, perfect for the the short attention spans of most children; the bad news for everyone who falls under its spell is that it's only 40 minutes long. This film is highly recommended for viewers of all ages.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the variety and beauty of our natural surroundings. What does Under the Sea 3D say about our responsibility to our planet? What can we do, at any age, to respect and protect the other living things with which we share the earth?

  • Kids: What creatures most amazed you? Did it surprise you when one species worked together with another so that both would be better off? How could that have meaning in your own life?

Movie Details

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