Musical has big lesson, huge heart that all ages will love.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
very little
Wilbur's friends are upset about him opening his own clothing store and try to pressure him to stop. At one point one of them yells at him, making him tumble backwards and fall. He responds by telling her, "You hurt my ... feelings."
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Main themes place importance on self-expression, standing up to peer pressure, and not being afraid to share your individual gifts with others. One song's refrain is "if something hurts someone, don't do it; if it's fun, get to it." More nuanced lessons include not being able to run away from your problems ("If I go away, will the problem go too?") and accepting ideas that are different from your own ("Change doesn't have to be a crisis, it can be an opportunity").
Positive Role Models
a lot
Main character Wilbur is a nonconformist who stands up against peer pressure for what he believes in. He also models high emotional intelligence by telling those yelling at him that they hurt his feelings. The colony is a matriarchal society led by queen Grand-Mah. She proves to be a wise ruler who is open to new ideas, proclaiming that "change doesn't have to be a crisis, it can be an opportunity" but also to be sure your actions aren't hurting anyone.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Characters are all naked mole rats but they come in a variety of shades from beige to dark brown, giving the impression of many ethnicities, and are described as being from "around the globe." They are a matriarchal society led by their venerable grandma who originally dug their underground colony. At one point, it cuts to live-action footage of different real-life families watching from home; the majority are people of color. Much of the cast, including the main character, are voiced by people of color.
Teaches basic facts about naked mole rats, e.g., they live underground in tunnel colonies and have a queen. Sneakily defines words like "epidermis," "oxymoron," and "proclamation" using humor and song. References famous paintings when the moles are doing a musical number in the "Moleseum." One scene mixes live action with animation to give young viewers an example of a live musical theater performance.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience is a rock 'n' roll story with a significant message for today's audiences. It's based on the hit children's book, and subsequent live musical, created by Mo Willems. As the title would suggest, the naked mole rats talk about being naked proudly and often (in a completely nonsexual way, of course). The main character, Wilbur (voiced by Jordan Fisher), is a nonconformist who stands up to peer pressure for what he believes in. He also models high emotional intelligence by telling those who briefly yell at him that they hurt his feelings. The characters are all naked mole rats, but they come in a variety of shades from beige to dark brown, giving the impression of many ethnicities, and are described as being from "around the globe." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience
This is an unexpectedly lovely movie. Coking in at under an hour, it’s the perfect length for the littlest of littles. The story is wholesome and fun (as is true of all Mo Willems work). My kids are obsessed with the rock músical music. We’ve had multiple viewings in our house since it came out a couple weeks ago.
Just because it has positive messages doesn’t mean it’s any good
We loved the book. It’s fun, quirky, and has a great message. We were excited for this animated special and were even more excited when we saw Common Sense had given it 5 stars. Watching it was a huge disappointment! None of my kids made it through the special. They were so bored. It does such an awkward, clunky job of trying to expand the story, apparently just to fill time. I found the music unbearable to listen to. This special might be fine as something harmless to put on for a toddler or preschooler, except that if you have to overhear the music yourself, you’d probably be better off putting on something else anyway! Sesame Street, Mister Rogers Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, and many others have higher quality specials with great music that abound with similar positive messages. I’m shaking my head at the 5-star reviews of this mediocre adaptation.
What's the Story?
NAKED MOLE RAT GETS DRESSED: THE UNDERGROUND ROCK EXPERIENCE is a rock 'n' roll parable with a significant message for today's audiences, based on the hit children's book (and subsequent live musical) created by Mo Willems. Wilbur and all his fellow naked mole rats in the colony have always been, well ... naked. The colony is a matriarchal society led by a queen, Grand-Mah. Wondering what other possibilities are out there, Wilbur discovers a love for clothing and style. When word of his new passion turns the colony upside down, can he proves to everyone that there's no need to be just like everyone else?
This raucously fun special strikes the perfect chord by preserving Willems' charmingly simple illustrative style while delivering musical numbers that are supremely satisfying. Giving the genius of Mo Willems the 3D-animated treatment for the first time is no small task, especially when there's already a successful live musical to live up to, but Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience does it with apparent ease. As any fan of Mo Willems would expect, it's clever, funny, and tenderly endearing, and there's even a trademark cameo in there too. As in his books, the humor here is playfully varied, using word play, site gags, and subverted expectations around every turn -- basically everything young kids will love. Mix that with ridiculously good lyrics, melodies, and vocal performances, and every minute of this story is kept fresh and enthralling. Which is a very good thing, because there are important themes of self-acceptance, open-mindedness, and standing up to peer pressure layered into all the silliness. This is a special you'll want your kids to watch again and again.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about courage and how it feels to stand up to peer pressure and be true to yourself. Role-play with your kids some scenarios where they can practice being courageous.
Talk about Grand-Mah's message "If something hurts someone, don't do it; if it's fun, get to it." How is this an example of empathy? Does this include hurting yourself?
Did you notice that you learned anything new watching this? How does the special use music and humor to teach? Is this a fun way to learn?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
