Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Review

Educational value:   Because Jimmy is a "genius," kids are introduced to a number of scientific terms: meteor shower, asteroid, atmosphere, rocketry, etc.  

Messages: Jimmy's behavior proves that it's valuable to be smart. Parents make rules because they love and want to protect you. Jimmy and his friends pay dearly for sneaking out of the house to attend an amusement park opening. The statement "What your parents don't know won't hurt 'em" is cleverly contradicted. Some clearly stated messages: Don't talk to strangers; be careful what you wish for; and don't be hard on yourself.

Role models:  Jimmy and two friends are mocked for their differences (Jimmy is short and maybe too smart, one boy is a chubby and has asthma, and the third is obsessed with superheroes). Gradually, they earn the respect and admiration of their classmates. Lots of ethnic diversity. Female characters are smart, brave, and show that being female does not limit their abilities. Parents are loving and reliable, despite sometimes being slightly clueless. The only teacher is ditzy but brave. 

Violence and scariness:  Comic action throughout. Jimmy's inventions constantly get him into trouble: He falls, vehicles explode; he is unwittingly responsible for an alien invasion. The heroes are endangered by: a meteor shower, an alien abduction of all the kids' parents, shock-inducing spears, an all-out air battle that pits the alien spaceships against the kids' jerry-rigged amusement park rides and includes explosions and electric bolts. Alien lifeforms are green and frog or slug-like. They utter threats like "You all must die" and then cackle. Jimmy's robotic pet dog is captured and menaced by the aliens. A worm, a plant, and the main monster all have fangs or pointed teeth and threaten to devour their victims. 

Sexy stuff:  Mention of puberty. Girls flirt with a bad-boy type. 

Language:  Mild potty humor ("my pants are almost dry," says a boy after being scared) and the expressions "kick buttock," "holy cow pie," "sugar booger," "I peed in the shower." 

Consumerism: TV Land television channel is visible in one scene. This 2001 movie was followed by the TV series, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2002 through 2006. 

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue