A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Educational Value
very little
Although the movie is intended more for entertainment than education, kids may learn something about the ecosystem.
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Positive Messages
some
The movie encourages the embracing of imagination and being open to new opportunities. Empathy, compassion, and teamwork are also on display.
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Positive Role Models
some
Mr. Franz, the kids' teacher, approaches each of his students and his students' parents with the utmost kindness and sensitivity. Sita, along with best friend Wouter, show great understanding and care toward Mr. Franz when they learn he can turn into a frog. Principle Stork -- who can turn into a stork -- tries to eat Mr. Franz on occasion. Sita's mother is a hard-working single parent, although Sita feels neglected by her. Every major character and every character with more than one speaking line is White in this Dutch town.
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Violence & Scariness
some
There aren't any situations that are outright violent, but there are some situations of tense peril. A main character turns into a frog on numerous occasions, their eyes flashing green in a slightly creepy fashion. A human character steps on the frog, although they survive. Later, a human character who turns into a stork tries to eat the same frog. An actual stork is shown eating a frog for a brief moment, but neither are human characters in animal form.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
While romantically courting a fellow teacher, a character brings them some flowers. The two almost kiss before they are interrupted. Their growing romance makes up one storyline. But the romance shown is mostly made of conversations rather than being physical.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Mr. Frog is a mostly lighthearted Dutch (with English subtitles) family fantasy comedy with occasional moments of peril. Based on the book Meester Kikker, the main character is Sita (Yenthe Bos), a tween who feels like her veterinarian single mother is always more preoccupied with work than with spending time at home. When Sita and best friend Wouter (Bobby van Vleuten) discover that their teacher, Mr. Franz (Jeroen Spitzenberger), has the ability to turn into a frog, the movie's various storylines ignite into several chaotic situations. The kids show extraordinary care and thoughtfulness, and zero ridicule to the situations they find themselves in. But danger lurks in the form of Principal Stork (Paul Kooij), a stern by-the-books new teacher who also has the ability to turn into an animal, in his case a stork. This leads to some situations of tense peril. For example, Principal Stork tries to eat Mr. Franz when they are both in animal form. But there is no actual violence. With its fantasy elements, the movie builds an atmosphere that may spark some fun and interesting questions among families. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
In MR. FROG (also known as MEESTER KIKKER), Sita (Yenthe Bos) and best friend Wouter (Bobby van Vleuten) discover their teacher, Mr. Franz (Jeroen Spitzenberger), has the ability to turn into a frog. But Sita and Wouter have their work cut out in order to protect their teacher from the new principal, Principal Stork (Paul Kooij), who can also turn into an animal that may threaten Mr. Franz's very existence.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fantasy elements in Mr. Frog. How believable were they? Was this down to the special effects, acting, or both? How did the movie compare to other fantasy movies you might have seen?
The movie has examples of empathy, compassion, and teamwork. Why are these such important character strengths to have?
Discuss the relationship between Sita and her mother. How did it change throughout the movie? How did it compare to your own relationship with a parent or guardian?
The movie is set in a Dutch town. How familiar are you with the Netherlands? Did you learn anything about the country you didn't already know?
If Dutch is not a language you speak, how did you find the subtitles? Were they distracting or did you get used to them quickly? What other international movies have you seen, and how did this one compare?
