The Casagrandes Movie
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fast-paced movie based on TV series has cartoon violence.
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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The Casagrandes Movie
Community Reviews
Based on 6 parent reviews
The "Summer of 12" lands pleasantly with stellar Indigenous representation
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What's the Story?
In THE CASAGRANDES MOVIE, Ronnie Anne (voiced by Izabella Alvarez) has just turned 12 and is looking forward to celebrating her "Summer of 12" at the local over-12-only extreme skatepark with best friend Sid (Leah Mei Gold). Instead, her mom (Sumalee Montano) surprises the family with a trip to visit family in Mexico. What's intended as a family vacation timed with a local fire celebration turns into a real adventure when Ronnie Anne accidentally unleashes a frozen tween demigod, Punguari (Paulina Chávez), whose own actions long ago left her parents frozen and unleashed a dangerous creature from the underworld. Now it will be up to Ronnie Anne and Punguari to save them all.
Is It Any Good?
Funny and fast-paced, this film is aimed at young viewers and should please fans of the series. The positive portrayals in The Casagrandes Movie are welcome. In this day of bitter public anti-immigrant sentiment directed at the US/Mexico border (which is sketched in a drawing showing only a line on the otherwise indistinguishable land as the Casagrandes family drives south), it's powerful to celebrate a proud Mexican American family on screen, especially through child-friendly animation. The film shows the close-knit and loving family experiencing a natural connection to their roots in Michoacán. Its bold and brassy tween female leads and their moms and abuelas forge a supportive, matriarchal network. If parents can sit through the cartoon violence, they might enjoy some of these messages and the sillier asides as well.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the legend of the gods and demigods and the tradition of the New Fire celebration seen in The Casagrandes Movie. Does your family celebrate any cultural traditions or mythical tales and figures?
In what ways is this film about mothers and daughters? Besides Ronnie Anne and Punguari, what other mother-daughter pairs are there and what do we know about them?
How does the film differ from the series? Why would the producers make a movie about a TV series?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: March 22, 2024
- Cast: Izabella Alvarez , Sumalee Montano , Paulina Chávez
- Director: Miguel Puga
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Sports and Martial Arts , Friendship
- Run time: 84 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 21, 2024
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