Aquamarine – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Aquamarine

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2006

52%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A sassy mermaid recruits two tween BFFs to help her land a lifeguard—peak 2006 Disney Channel energy, for better or worse.

53%

6.5

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Aquamarine

movie

2006

52%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A sassy mermaid recruits two tween BFFs to help her land a lifeguard—peak 2006 Disney Channel energy, for better or worse.

53%

6.5

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53%

6.5

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, Aquamarine is harmless. It's the definition of safe, wholesome tween entertainment from the mid-2000s—think Lizzie McGuire meets The Little Mermaid's less interesting cousin. Your 9-year-old might enjoy it during a sleepover, especially if they're into mermaids.

But let's be real: this movie has aged like milk. The fashion is cringey, the dialogue is peak 2006 Disney Channel, and the entire plot revolves around helping a mermaid win over a lifeguard to prove love exists. The production quality and pacing feel sluggish compared to what kids watch today.

The friendship themes are genuinely nice, and there's zero concerning content. But with a 5.5 on IMDb and lukewarm reviews across the board, this is strictly for nostalgia watches or kids who will literally watch anything with a tail and scales. It's not bad, it's just... extremely forgettable and dated.

Age Fit

Best for ages 8-12, particularly kids in their mermaid-obsessed phase. The tween friendship dynamics and innocent romance work for that sweet spot, but older kids will find it painfully dated and younger ones might not connect with the teen themes.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Models friendship and loyalty between the two teen girls who help Aquamarine. The core message about believing in love and helping others is positive. Some mild romantic pursuit themes and typical teen drama, but overall emotionally healthy with cooperative problem-solving. Pacing is appropriate for the tween audience without being overly chaotic.

Imaginative

The mermaid-in-the-real-world premise offers some fantasy elements and whimsy, but the execution is fairly formulaic mid-2000s teen rom-com territory. Limited creative expression opportunities for viewers—it's more passive entertainment than something that sparks building or exploration. The 'proving love exists' quest has some imaginative appeal but doesn't break new ground.

Safe

Very safe content for the tween demographic. Common Sense Media rates it for age 9+. No violence, gore, death, or inappropriate content. The romantic elements are innocent crush-level material. No surprise disturbing content—exactly what you'd expect from a 2006 family fantasy comedy. The main 'conflict' is proving love exists to a mermaid's father, which is about as low-stakes as it gets.

Enriching

Limited enrichment value beyond basic friendship themes. The movie touches on loyalty and believing in yourself, but doesn't go deep. Entertainment value is modest—mixed critical reception (53% RT critics, 62% audience) and middling scores across platforms suggest it's watchable but not particularly memorable or meaningful. Doesn't offer much in terms of cognitive growth, ethical complexity, or lasting takeaways.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Celebrates genuine friendship between girls without making it catty or competitive
Completely safe viewing—no content surprises, perfect background movie for a lazy afternoon
The mermaid-discovers-land premise has some fun fish-out-of-water moments
Might appeal to kids going through a mermaid phase (they all do eventually)

⚠

What to Watch For

The 2006-ness is REAL—fashion, dialogue, and pacing feel very dated to modern viewers
Romantic subplot centers on winning over a teenage boy, which is the entire plot engine
Entertainment value is limited—this won't hold attention like modern animated or high-production family films
Might be too young/boring for kids over 11 who are used to Marvel-level production

Conversation Starters

"If you could be a mermaid for a day, what would you want to do on land?"
"The girls helped Aquamarine even though she was different—have you ever helped someone new feel welcome?"
"Do you think the movie's idea of 'proving love exists' makes sense? What does love mean to you?"
"Would you rather live in the ocean or on land if you had to pick one forever?"

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