To Know Before You Go:
Movie: Ugly Dolls
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 5+ (Acknowledging some language and some kinda creepy doll imagry)
Running Time: 1 hour and 27 minutes
Release Date: 5/3/2019
Stars: 2 1/2 out of 5
Themes: Uniqueness, Beauty, Perfection, Friendship, Dreams, Musical Numbers
Parental Warnings: While there was nothing in particular that stood out to us, parents should know that there are some kinda creepy doll moments (which will probably freak out the adults, who grew up with grandma’s porcelain dolls watching them, more than the kids) as well as a few bad/rough words (EG: Imbecile) and messages about body image that need to be discussed.
Quick Summary:
Follow Moxie and her friends as they discover who’s opinions matter and what it really means to be beautiful. Parents should know that it’s an entertaining movie- but the messages, especially those about body images, need to be discussed outside of the theater. The previews were hysterical and the message had amazing potential. But instead of leaving the theater feeling happy and humming new tunes, I felt like I had just watched a really good hour long toy commercial. One that made me tear up and laugh- but a commercial- not a great story I was invested in. And while there were plenty of positive messages to go around- I’m inwardly groaning about some kids using ‘ugly’ as a ‘kind’ word now.
Is it worth seeing?:
Personally, I would not take a group of kids or my kids to see this in the theater unless they realllly wanted to. Safe to save this one for it’s Netflix release. While the all star voice cast, great music and truly funny moments were great- the overall message of the movie did not quite reach what it seemed to intend to. It felt more like a hollow commercial using the ‘you’re beautiful’ message as a way to sell you something. I wanted to leave the theater feeling happy, encouraged and humming new tunes- and I didn’t. But it was fun and cute. And there were several redeeming messages and lotssss of funny moments!
Discussion Questions:
1) Is it OK to call someone else ugly or for you to be called ugly? What do you do when that happens?
2) Moxie’s special tuft on her head ended up being super useful. What’s something unique about you that you like?
3) Do you like dreaming and thinking about things that don’t seem possible? What are some things you want to try to do?
4) What did the Ugly Dolls do to welcome new people to their village? Can we welcome new people to our teams, groups and classes like that?
5) Are your friends helpful like Moxie’s? What about you- are you a helpful friend?
Reviews: Thoughts from the Princess, Ranger, and Elf
Our general consensus is listed in the summary above- so what we’re going to do here is break down the positive messages and the messages that weren’t quite positive enough.
Positives:
-Credit song talks about how broken can be beautiful (but the movie really doesn’t)
-The ending was great and made us tear up
-While a LOT of the movie was spent saying ‘you’re unbreakable’. It SHOWED that words do matter and hurt. And that the way to get over hurt is to encourage each other, embrace yourself, and keep going.
-Working with a group and encouraging your friends is always better than trying to hide who you are and going it alone.
-The people of Uglyville realllly welcomed and embraced newcomers!
-There will always be people who feel like they need to be negative to hide their own insecurities. Haters will always be around. There will always be people prettier, better, and more on top of it than you. But your dreams, opinions, and effort still matter.
-The laughs were plentiful for kids and adults
-While we didn’t love all the lyrics, we were definitely dancing to the music.
Negative:
-The plot was incredibly predictable, even for a kids movie
-There was a greater focus on ugliness and what makes you unique making you who you are rather than reinforcing the idea that you are beautiful just as you are, your unique and boring parts.
-One of the most catchy songs was about hiding who you are and faking it to make yourself feel better. And I thinkkkk the point they were trying to get across was that it doesn’t work and you should just embrace your flaws and ‘let your freak flag fly’. It didn’t quite get there though.
-There was a lot of potential for the movie to share the ‘you’re beautiful and valuable just as you are’ message and it didn’t ever quite get there.
-It was frustrating to see a lot of unnecessary negative elements, like kidnapping or debating whether bad words were really bad words.
-‘Ugly’ was considered a kind thing to say for part of the movie and a mean one for the other half which is a really confusing message for younger kids.
Once again:
A fun movie with some great elements. But if I want to watch a fun animated musical this summer with positive messages I’m going to be reaching for something like Trolls or Frozen over this movie any day.
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