Norm of the North parents guide

Norm of the North Parent Guide

Though youngsters might grasp the idea that protecting the earth is good, they may not understand the adult problems that dominate most of the story. Some scenes may be scary for the very young.

Overall C+

When a polar bear named Norm (voice of Rob Schneider) discovers that a land developing company plans to put human houses in his Arctic homeland, he heads to New York City to confront those responsible.

Release date January 15, 2016

Violence B-
Sexual Content B+
Profanity A-
Substance Use B+

Why is Norm of the North rated PG? The MPAA rated Norm of the North PG for mild rude humor and action.

Run Time: 86 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Believe it or not, Norm of the North has a few things in common with The Emperor’s New Groove. Both animations feature big, softhearted protagonists and scrawny, conniving antagonists, as well as plots that involve destroying traditional homelands. The two also include a scene where an evil villainess answers an unwelcomed wake-up call with the line, “This had better be good.” But whereas the Emperor’s script was so good it surpassed expectations, the bad writing in Norm can be described as disappointing at best.

In this Arctic tale, Norm (voice of Rob Schneider) is a polar bear with the unusual talent of being able to speak human. While he and the other bears, caribou, seals, whales and lemmings, are used to putting on big dance numbers (yup, really) to entertain casual tourists that visit their winter wonderland, Norm becomes alarmed when he realizes some of the two-legged visitors are planning to turn his arctic wilderness into a vacation home destination. Determined to use his voice to prevent the arrival of mobile, luxury condos, the white hero and a trio of cute critters, stow away on a freighter headed to New York City.

Once in the Big Apple, Norm learns that Greene Homes, the company behind the urbanization push, is looking for a spokesperson to promote their product. So the bear pretends to be a human pretending to be a bear and auditions for the part. As anticipated, Norm and his “costume” are so convincing that Mr. Greene (voice of Ken Jeong) and his marketing manager Vera (Heather Graham) give him the part – and, he hopes, a chance to tell the public why they should leave the Arctic alone.

Of course things don’t work out quite as planned. And nor do the intentions of this screenplay. Its biggest fault is that this children’s film is all about adult problems. Although some youngsters might grasp the idea that protecting the world’s natural spaces is a good thing to do, how many of them are going to understand—let alone be entertained by—greedy land developer schemes, global environmental issues, corruption in the government, life/work balances and the unhealthy state of public school? And then there is the utter cartoon stupidity of how these themes are presented, along with depictions of scary villains, the use of tranquillizer guns, and scenes where animals bound by ropes are dropped into the ocean to drown. Perhaps some kids will chuckle at the potty humor – but I certainly didn’t.

So if you are looking for a heart-warming flick to share with your family, may I suggest you scrounge up a copy of The Emperor’s New Groove, because watching Norm of the North will likely leave you cold.

Directed by Trevor Wall. Starring Heather Graham, Bill Nighy, Ken Jeong. Running time: 86 minutes. Theatrical release January 15, 2016. Updated

Norm of the North
Rating & Content Info

Why is Norm of the North rated PG? Norm of the North is rated PG by the MPAA for mild rude humor and action.

Violence: Slapstick fighting and antics pervade this animation. A polar bear hunts a seal for food, but is too soft to eat it – although he does swallow some live fish. Humans are disrespectful of wildlife and natural habitats. A character is mocked and teased by his community members. Characters are crushed and chew on electrical cords with electrocution effects—no lasting injuries occur. Other characters are in peril from natural disasters and drowning. A villain with murderous intentions locks up animals. Death treats are made. Characters are shot with darts from a tranquilizer gun, and become unconscious. Characters take bribes and plot illegal deals. An unscrupulous boss manipulates his employee. A mob pushes a character down a manhole. Property damage occurs.

Sexual Content: A character dances by shaking his body and “twerking” is mentioned. Characters are comically depicted urinating, passing gas, burping and vomiting. Bird droppings land on characters. A character jokes about “coming out”.

Language: Terms of deity are used as expletives. Potty language and name-calling are also heard.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Tranquilizer guns are used to make characters fall asleep.

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Norm of the North Parents' Guide

Why do you think adult issues are addressed in this children’s film? Have you seen other movies that do the same thing? If you were to write a script for youngsters, what themes would you explore? What would you do to make the ideas understandable and entertaining for your audience?

Why do you think Vera continues to work for Mr. Green, even when she doesn’t agree with what he is trying to do? In what ways does he manipulate her? What might Vera do to change her situation?

How does this polar bear try to use his popularity to draw attention to his cause? Does that happen in real life too? What do you think about the use of celebrity endorsements to further the goals of various products, charities or political opinions?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Norm of the North movie is April 19, 2016. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Norm of the North
Release Date: 19 April 2016
Norm of the North releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD) with the following special features:
- Deleted Scenes
- Do the Arctic Shake!” Sing-Along
- That’s Funny! The Movie’s Best Jokes & One-liners
- Arctic Challenge Trivia Game

Related home video titles:

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