Spark: A Space Tail – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Spark: A Space Tail

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2016

25%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A teenage space monkey fights an evil overlord in this 2016 animated film that even kids will find hard to sit through.

13%

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Spark: A Space Tail

movie

PG, 2016

25%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A teenage space monkey fights an evil overlord in this 2016 animated film that even kids will find hard to sit through.

13%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: this movie is bad. Like, really bad. A 13% on Rotten Tomatoes, 22 on Metacritic, 4.4 on IMDb—critics and audiences agree this is a skip. The premise is generic (teenage monkey in space fights evil overlord), the execution is apparently worse, and there's zero creative spark (pun intended) to make it worth your time.

It's safe for young kids, sure, with standard cartoon action and no concerning content. But 'safe' doesn't mean 'good,' and this falls squarely in the 'why does this exist?' category of animated films. There are dozens of better space adventures, better animal hero stories, and better ways to spend 90 minutes with your kids.

The only silver lining? It's free on multiple platforms, so if your kid somehow insists on watching it, at least you're not out $20. But you're definitely out those 90 minutes you'll never get back.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media says 6+, and that tracks for content safety. But honestly? Even 6-year-olds have better options. This is the kind of movie that ends up on in the background while kids play with their toys instead of actually watching.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Standard good-vs-evil adventure story with a teenage monkey hero and friends working together. The premise suggests themes of cooperation and fighting tyranny, which are positive. However, without detailed content information and given the poor critical reception, execution likely falls flat. Common Sense Media's age 6 rating suggests age-appropriate tone, but the movie probably lacks the emotional depth or character development that would elevate it.

Imaginative

Space-based adventure with a monkey protagonist and a kingdom to reclaim offers some imaginative premise. However, the abysmal critical scores (13% RT critics, 22 Metacritic, 4.4 IMDb) strongly suggest derivative, uninspired execution. The concept of 'Planet Bana' and animal heroes in space isn't particularly original, and reviews indicate the film fails to bring anything fresh to the animated space adventure genre.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it for age 6, suggesting standard animated action without inappropriate content. As a kids' animated space adventure, likely contains typical cartoon action/peril but nothing graphic or disturbing. The evil overlord villain setup is standard fare. No red flags for unexpected violence, scary content, or inappropriate material for the target demographic.

Enriching

With such universally poor reviews (13% critics, 34% audience, 2.5/5 Letterboxd), this film clearly fails to deliver meaningful entertainment or enrichment. The basic 'reclaim the kingdom' plot offers minimal depth. No notable creative talent, no awards recognition, and critically panned execution suggest this provides little cognitive engagement, emotional growth, or memorable takeaways beyond being background noise.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Space adventure setting might appeal to young kids who love anything with rockets and planets
Animal characters and simple good-vs-evil story are easy for young viewers to follow
Themes of friendship and working together to overcome adversity are present
It's available on multiple free streaming platforms, so at least you won't waste money on it

⚠

What to Watch For

Universally panned by critics and audiences alike—this is genuinely not good
Standard animated action/peril appropriate for age 6+ but nothing to worry about safety-wise
Kids will likely get bored; the 13% Rotten Tomatoes score tells you everything you need to know
If your kid asks to turn it off halfway through, that's probably the right call

Conversation Starters

"What would you do if you had to save your home planet from a bad guy?"
"Which friend in the movie—Chunk or Vix—would you want on your adventure team?"
"Do you think Spark was brave or just lucky? What's the difference?"

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