Parents' Guide to iGo to Japan

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Common Sense Media Review

Emily Ashby By Emily Ashby , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

iCarly crew delivers more wild antics.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 5+

Based on 6 parent reviews

age 6+

Based on 17 kid reviews

Kids say that while the show features a mix of humor and relatable character struggles, particularly revolving around the character Sam, it also contains moments of intense and slapstick violence which may not be suitable for younger viewers. Overall, fans express enjoyment of the comedic elements and setting, though some critiques note it can feel unrealistic and dull at times.

  • role model issues
  • humor and violence
  • suitable for tweens
  • mixed reviews
  • entertaining setting
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

In IGO TO JAPAN, webcast stars Carly (Miranda Cosgrove), Sam (Jennette McCurdy), and Freddie (Nathan Kress) are ecstatic to learn that their show has been nominated for an international iWeb award. Hoping for victory over an impressive comedy duo from Japan, the teen trio heads overseas for the competition -- but their journey is plagued by mishaps from the start. And when their supposedly friendly competitors, Kyoko (Ally Matsumura) and Yuki (Harry Shum, Jr.), abduct them and deposit them in the middle of nowhere just before the contest begins, it's up to Carly's older brother, Spencer (Jerry Trainor), and Freddie's overprotective mom (Mary Scheer) to join forces and save the day.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 6 ):
Kids say ( 17 ):

If your kids are already iCarly fans, they'll surely enjoy the crew's first movie, which offers more of the same hilarious (for tweens that is) slapstick antics. Cosgrove and McCurdy in particular continue to be a delightful comedic team, and if parents can overlook the story's notable shortage of realistic material (a misunderstanding forces the crew to fly overseas in a cargo plan and parachute into Tokyo, for instance), they might actually enjoy tuning in with their tweens for this mostly worry-free fun.

That said, be read to talk about Internet safety with your tweens after the credits roll. In particular, one scene shows Carly consenting to reservations for an overseas trip after a stranger invites her to an awards show over the Internet. While Carly's situation is spun for adventure and fun, be sure to remind kids of the very real dangers that exist online, and discuss your family's rules about surfing the Web.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the internet. What do you use the internet for? What kinds of things have you seen that you weren't looking for?

  • How do advertisers get your attention while you're online? Have ads ever enticed you to visit other Web sites? If so, which ones?

  • How does the Internet change how you can communicate with your friends? Do you think it's a good thing that anyone can post anything on the Web? Why or why not?

  • Have you ever known anyone who was bullied or intimidated by someone in this manner? Remind your kids to never consent to any offers they receive -- or give out personal information of any kind online.

TV Details

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