Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 10+
The antics of the half-siblings avoid reality in a mediocre comedy.
Not present
Based on 1 parent review
What is the story?
DRAKE & JOSH GO HOLLYWOOD is a 2006 made-for-TV movie centered around the characters from the popular Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh. The story opens with the stepbrothers’ parents going on a 10-day cruise, leaving the boys to take their younger sister Megan (Miranda Cosgrove) on a flight to Denver to visit a friend. When an accident sends Megan to Los Angeles instead, Drake (Drake Bell) and Josh (Josh Peck) hop on a plane to find her, but a chance encounter lands the guys in hot water with a counterfeiting ring and turns Megan into an unlikely savior hero. Meanwhile, Josh makes a big break in the music industry for Drake and his band, but can the boys escape their captors, recover the celebrity’s stolen car and make it to the studio in time for a live TV performance?
Is it good?
Drake & Josh Go HollywoodIts surreal predicaments provide big laughs for kids whose comedy radars aren’t captured by the story’s general implausibility. It won’t matter to them that in the real world teenagers couldn’t fly the friendly skies without credit cards and multiple IDs, or that 11-year-old Megan would be grabbed by Child Protective Services the moment she disembarked unaccompanied. These oversights don’t occur to children when the film makes the seemingly limitless freedom of the characters so tempting.
But while there’s nothing harmful about making it up, the subliminal messages your kids are getting from this particular content are far from great. If the experiences of these characters are to be believed, then it makes good sense for a teenage girl to trust a series of strangers instead of getting mad at her brothers or contacting her parents; using the family’s “emergency only” credit card for a fancy hotel suite and limousine transportation is justified if you can blame your siblings; and the consequences of grand theft auto depend on the car owner’s sense of humor. Conclusion? This movie is good for some laughs Drake & Joshbut it does not attempt to bridge the gap between fantasy and real life for children.
Talk to your kids about…
-
Families can discuss safety and emergency response. Children: Do you know what to do if you get lost? Who can you trust for help? What information do you need to know in times like these?
-
Children: How important is it to you that TV shows or movies reflect real life in some way? How does watching TV help you relax? What shows have you watched that make you think about things in a new way?
-
How do the characters’ relationships compare to your own in your family? Can you relate to Megan’s frustration with her brothers? What are the common problems that arise between you and your siblings?
Did we miss something about diversity?
Research shows a connection between children’s healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in the media. That’s why we’ve added a new “Different Representations” section to our reviews, which will be published continuously. You can help us help children