Seal Team parents guide

Seal Team Parent Guide

Kids will find this movie funny and exciting. Adults will find the plot predictable, the jokes waterlogged, and the animation subpar.

Overall B-

Netflix: Tenacious seal Quinn wants to take back the sea from the ruthless sharks that patrol the waters, so he assembles a team of misfits and tries to whip them into shape.

Release date December 31, 2021

Violence B-
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use B

Why is Seal Team rated TV-PG? The MPAA rated Seal Team TV-PG fear, fantasy violence, smoking

Run Time: 98 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Life’s hard when you’re prey. Hope is in short supply for the seals of the Cape of Good Hope, thanks to the ravenous sharks who hunt them. The seals are scared, hungry, and don’t see any way to change their deadly predicament.

The situation only alters when seals Quin and Benji head out one evening to find food. After a particularly malevolent shark named Grimes finds Benji, Quin decides that it’s time to turn the tables on the sharks and give seals the freedom of the seas. To reach his goal, he’s going to have to find friends who are “brave, stupid, or crazy” enough to join forces. Gradually he assembles a crew of seals, dolphins, seagulls, and other maritime creatures determined to hand the sharks a rare but necessary defeat.

Seal Team is an animated Netflix production that does what it’s supposed to do: amuse children while delivering some positive messages. Adults are unlikely to be entertained since the plot is predictable, the jokes waterlogged, and the animation subpar (don’t get me started on how weird and awkward the seals’ fins look). None of that matters because the audience is elementary school aged kids, who will probably find this movie both funny and exciting. I wouldn’t recommend showing it to preschoolers: there’s a fair bit of glorified violence, several scenes of threat and menace, and the off-screen death of a main character. That said, youngsters who happily watch Disney’s animated offerings will do just fine with this one.

Parents shouldn’t make the mistake of comparing Seal Team with Disney productions in any other way. It’s not smart, the soundtrack is forgettable, and it lacks the magic that transforms a kids’ film into a classic like The Incredibles or The Little Mermaid. This is a serviceable piece of family film-making and it delivers message about teamwork, admitting mistakes, apologizing, having courage, and the importance of making plans. The latter message might be appreciated by parents trying to get kids to set goals and follow schedules.

Seal Team might be swimming a direct course to mediocrity, but at least it avoids a shipwreck into full blown disaster. If parents are okay with the frequent scenes of combat and some “unstable, experimental biotech weapons”, this movie will let kids float away to an imaginary world for 100 minutes of underwater make believe.

Directed by Greig Cameron, Kane Croudace. Starring J.K. Simmons, Kristen Schaal, Sharlto Copley. Running time: 98 minutes. Theatrical release December 31, 2021. Updated

Watch the trailer for Seal Team

Seal Team
Rating & Content Info

Why is Seal Team rated TV-PG? Seal Team is rated TV-PG by the MPAA fear, fantasy violence, smoking

Violence: A mine explodes, setting off fires on a ship and driving it onto rocks. One shark accidentally almost eats another. Seals shine bright lights into the eyes of other marine creatures. A seal punches a shark. It is implied that a shark has eaten a seal off screen. Sharks repeatedly try to eat other sea creatures. A seal flips a barnacle and accidentally hits another in the head, knocking him over. There are multiple scenes of combat involving slapping with flippers, slicing with blades, and tossing creatures. Explosive devices are used. Electric eels are used as weapons. It’s implied that a shark gets caught in a ship’s motor.
Sexual Content: None.
Profanity: None.
Alcohol / Drug Use: A dolphin chews what looks like a cigar.

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Seal Team Parents' Guide

Why does Claggart blame himself for the loss of his ship? What does he learn later that changes his perspective? Have you ever blamed yourself for something that really wasn’t your fault?

What does Quin learn about leading a team? What are the most important qualities for successful teamwork?

Did you know that the US Navy has trained marine mammals to help with undersea operations? For more information, you can read the following.

PBS: The Story of Navy Dolphins

The Guardian: Licence to krill: why the US navy trains whales, dolphins, and sea lions

 

Loved this movie? Try these books…

Young children will enjoy the bright illustrations and bouncy rhymes in Louise Folger’s Under the Sea Adventure.

Elementary school readers will appreciate the knowledge to be found in Earth’s Incredible Oceans by Jess French and Claire McElfatrick.

Kids who want to learn more about seals should grab a copy of See What a Seal Can Do by Chris Butterworth and Kate Nelms. All About Seals by Ibi Kaslik zeroes in on four kinds of seals who make their homes in the harsh environment of the Canadian Arctic.

Sharks are a source of enduring fascination and there are plenty of books that can teach children about this fearsome and often misunderstood ocean predator. National Geographic has published The Ultimate Book of Sharks by Beth Carney, Brian Skerry, and Sarah Wassner Flynn. In a lighter vein, Ame Dyck and Scott Magoon have created Misunderstood Shark.

Home Video

Related home video titles:

Guinea pigs are unlikely animal heroes in G-Force. Trained in a top secret project, the tiny rodents set out to save the world from an appliance apocalypse. Domestic pets come to the rescue while fighting amongst themselves in Cats and Dogs.

An anxious clownfish searches the South Pacific for his son in Finding Nemo. The father and son join forces to help their friend in Finding Dory.

The ocean becomes a setting for adventure in Disney’s classic The Little Mermaid, in which a mermaid swaps her fins for legs and tries to win a prince’s love. Luca sees a sea monster discover life on land.