Arlo the Alligator Boy Parent Guide

Abandoned as a baby, half human and half alligator Arlo (Michael J. Woodard) has spent his life living in a swamp with his adoptive mom, Edmee (Annie Potts). On his 15^th birthday, Arlo learns from Edmee that he was born in New York City to a father named Ansel Beauregard (Vincent Rodriguez III). Searching for his place in the world, the perpetually optimistic Arlo sets out on an adventure to find his dad. Along the way he’ll meet new friends, learn some lessons, and evade capture by a couple of greedy con artists who want to turn him into a tourist attraction (Jennifer Coolidge and Flea).

I’m going to be honest here: I’m not entirely sure what I just watched. This is a really weird movie, and that’s saying a lot for media aimed at young kids. That said, I mostly enjoyed myself! First, I really appreciated the animation style. I love 2D animation, and there are some beautiful sequences here, as well as some surprisingly cinematic ones. Arlo the Alligator Boy is a musical, and it has some of the best film music I’ve heard in a while. Each song is catchy, well written, and beautifully sung. I’m honestly thinking of downloading the soundtrack; it’s that good!

Where the film really shines is in its messaging. The story includes messages of friendship, belonging, being your true self, accepting differences, and staying optimistic. The overall metaphor, about not hiding your true self, is broad enough that it can apply to almost anything a child is going through, and I think that kids will be able to relate to it from a variety of angles.

As far as content goes, Arlo is relatively clean. There’s some mild cartoon violence and a few frightening sequences, plus a couple of adult jokes that will go right over kid’s heads. Aside from that, I was surprised to find some instances of stereotyping, which is odd for a story all about acceptance and being yourself. The characters that live in and around the swamp are all depicted as uneducated, violent, and poor, with a few illiteracy jokes thrown in for emphasis. On the other hand, the elites of New York are shown as vapid, shallow, and silly. It contradicts the film’s overall message and might be a good prompt for a conversation with your children about not judging on appearances.

All that said, I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. It’s definitely aimed at younger audiences, so don’t expect your tweens or teens to be interested, but I think that Arlo the Alligator Boy is a solid choice for some fun, colorful entertainment. Just be prepared for a huge helping of weirdness.