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Recess: School's Out
Walt Disney Pictures


8.3

based on 20 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 18 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: G for General Audiences

Starring Allyce Beasley, Dabney Coleman, Rickey D'Shon Collins, Jason Davis, Ashley Johnson, Andrew Lawrence, and Courtland Mead (Voices)

The school year is finally over, and T.J. Detweiler is looking forward to a fun-filled summer. Boredom quickly sets in, until T.J. uncovers a scheme to do away with summer vacation! (Disney)

GENRE(S):	Family/Kids
WRITTEN BY:	Jonathan Greenberg
DIRECTED BY:	Chuck Sheetz
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: August 7, 2001 Video: August 7, 2001 Theatrical: February 16, 2001
RUNNING TIME:	84 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

Based on the television program "Disney's Recess."

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

San Francisco Chronicle Wesley Morris

It's fun, it's kind of somber and it succeeds in making you think about how you might be squandering middle age.

Miami Herald Christine Dolen

If your kid is a fan of Disney's "Recess," one of the hotter properties on ABC's Saturday morning cartoon lineup, the new inspired-by-the-TV-show movie, Recess: School's Out, will be quite a hit.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Refreshingly subversive.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

The movie's great fun, particularly for kids used to that satirically hard-edged kind of kid show.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

A reasonably entertaining cartoon feature.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It's fast-footed and fun. "Rugrats in Paris" had charms for grownups, however, Recess: School's Out seems aimed more directly at grade-schoolers.

Chicago Tribune Loren King

An amusing and entertaining animated feature, and it's harmless enough for the elementary-school set.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Creator producers Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere have come up with some unexceptional children and underdeveloped adults.

Film.com Sean Means

For 8- to 12-year-olds and the grownups who love them, Recess is a pleasant Saturday-matinee diversion. The fact that it doesn't aim to be anything more is, in its own way, a blessed relief.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Seems to have been made entirely for people who were kids during the Johnson administration.

USA Today Mike Clark

The result is passably speedy on the level of other TV retreads that seem miscast on the big screen.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak

Pretty silly stuff, designed to appeal more to older kids and adults than the toddler brigade.

Los Angeles Times Miles Beller

Complacent yet competent animation kids will enjoy despite its mundane nature.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

The film never gets too far beyond disposable youth fare, best consumed like mouthfuls of sugary cereal.

LA Weekly Paul Malcolm

It boasts none of the studio's high-gloss animation. That said, Recess is not without its charms.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

A cute send-up of preadolescent stereotypes.

TV Guide Frank Lovece

The movie's uninspired animation (including primitive, blocky computer imagery) doesn't help, nor do its astonishingly stereotyped characters.

Mr. Showbiz Michael Atkinson

The movie is so slovenly in its animation and graceless in its writing that few viewers over the age of 9 are likely to notice.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

The unfortunate thing is that children will probably waste their summers indoors watching "Recess" over and over again.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Animation is dull and characterless, and vocal talent has evidently received blanket direction to, when in doubt, shout.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Hamza S. gave it a10:
I really loved it. This is really a very nice movie!!!

Bailey J. gave it a10:
Recess is the best move ever . it is so soso so so so so so so so good you should make more movise. i love the movise and show of recess i watch it every day .i am so glad it's comeing on form 6am to 12pm. i am recess biggest fand ever form bailey.

Cindy M. gave it a 10:
Its brillant and cool like tj.

Mike A. gave it a 10:
Best movie I've ever seen.

Felicia G. gave it a 10:
Wow this is really the One of the Best Movies ever A lot agree. It's Funny!!! And so Cool! Since Im a kid(teenager) I should know that this is really a good movie for kids! Whoever does not like it they probably aren't a kid at heart !!! :-)

R.S. avalon gave it a 3:
This is not very entertaining it is boring and dwells on a bit!

Maree R. gave it a 10:
Considering I am already a huge fanatic about the series the rating may seem a bit biast, but if you have only seen this movie once, then I highly, highly suggest you watch it again. And again. I watched this movie at least 3 times until most of the subtle funniness came out in full effect. At first it seems a little disappointing from the excellence of the series, but once you see it more than once, it just seems to become funnier and funnier. Final comment: Go watch it again! Now!

Recess: School's Out Walt Disney Pictures

Recess: School's Out
Walt Disney Pictures