Alpha and OmegaMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 36 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 8+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

60

Variety |
Not without charm and bearing easy appeal to very young viewers. Read full review
50

San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Hartlaub
The sexual tension is thick between the woodland creatures in Alpha and Omega, an animated children's film with a plot that has more in common with "The Blue Lagoon" than "Bambi." Read full review
50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) | Stephen Cole
If you have kids who are easily frightened, bring them to Alpha and Omega, a 3-D movie with training wheels. Kids may not like it, but they'll never fall off the ride. Read full review
50

Boxoffice Magazine | Amy Nicholson
Parents with restless, animal-loving children may as well throw it a bone. Read full review
50

The Hollywood Reporter |
Abounding in dumb jokes that kids are bound to like but sometimes too scary for very young viewers, the movie -- also going out in 2D -- takes too long to find its footing and at best is proficient, not exhilarating. Read full review
50

Entertainment Weekly | Adam Markovitz
Underwhelming in the style of most off-brand CG, Alpha and Omega is livened by pretty Rocky Mountain backdrops and leadened by stock characters and the wolves' weirdly prissy behavior. Read full review
40

Arizona Republic |
Occasionally cute but not much else, Alpha and Omega is an animated flick that doesn't leave much of an impression. Read full review
40

Time Out New York | Nick Schager
A dog in wolf's clothing, Lionsgate's drab, anthropomorphic animal saga does little more than reconfirm the preeminence of Pixar. Read full review
40

The New York Times | Mike Hale
This talking-animal tale - has old-fashioned backgrounds that occasionally achieve a touch of grandeur, but that's about the best that can be said for it. Read full review
38

USA Today | Scott Bowles
Alpha and Omega is one of those rarities in the modern era of Hollywood animation: bad. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Alpha and Omega on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 8+ Wolf tale is all about romance, innuendo-filled jokes.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this 3-D animated animal adventure (which stars the voices of popular actors Hayden Panettiere and Justin Long) includes many allusions to romance and even some sexually tinged double entendres ("was it good for you?" after howling, etc.) -- which younger kids won't understand, but tweens and teens probably will. While there's not much in the way of language, the movie does feature a few violent scenes in which snarling wolves are about to attack each other and one sequence in which the main wolves have to run away from angry bears chasing them (all of which iis made more intense by the 3-D). On the plus side, there's a girl empowerment theme and a positive message about marrying for love rather than duty, but families sensitive to innuendo may be put off by all the grown-up references.

Families can talk about the movie's overall message about relationships and social status. What does the movie have to say about falling in love?
What does it ultmately take to unite the packs? Why do the packs have to work together to survive? What does this teach us about wolf culture?
The movie includes references to romantic relationships and some grown-up jokes. Is it OK to insert grown-up themes in a kids' movie (even if really young kids can't understand them)?

The good stuff

Educational value: Kids learn that relationships should be based on love rather than status and a bit about how wolf society is structured -- though it's not 100% accurate (in real life, omega wolves are often terrorized and forced to disperse, and they would never be allowed to mate, much less with an alpha).
Positive messages: Kate's character shows that the alpha female is powerful and important to the pack; she's not secondary just because she's female. Marrying for love is demonstrated as the ideal and is presented as more important than marrying for familial duty or societal obligation (though selfless Kate is willing to do whatever is necessary to unite the packs). Kate and Humphrey and Lily and Garth also teach kids that you should base friendships and relationships on personal compatability rather than cultural status or popularity.
Positive role models: Several of the characters act courageously: Kate, Humphrey, Lily, and the two chief alpha wolves. The goose and the duck are loyal friends to Kate and Humphrey. The alpha wolves are able to adapt to their offspring's decision to "marry" someone outside of "pack law." Kate is a strong female character.

What to watch for

Violence and scariness: A few scenes show snarling wolves posing aggressively, like they're about to attack. In one case, it's just a couple of wolves versus a couple of wolves, but toward the end of the movie, it's two entire wolf packs about to go to war, and they look fierce and frightening. Humphrey and Kate have to evade three angry bears. A stampede nearly kills some wolves (but they're saved). The mother alpha makes humorously off-putting threats about ripping anatomical parts off and shoving them down throats. The 3-D version of the movie makes these potentially frightening images more intense for younger viewers.
Sexy stuff: Lots of sexual innuendoes and jokes that will go over very young kids' head but that worldlier tweens may understand. For example: "was it good for you" after a male wolf shows off his howling skills; "check out her moves"; "she's hot"; "you can't 'howl' together"; and a drawn-out gag about an "alpha" male's limp, unimpressive howl. There are also continuous jokes about who can mate (although the word is never used as a verb) and why alphas and omegas can play together as kids but can never be together (it's the "law of the pack").
Language: Language includes "butt," "dumb," and "oh my God."
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue

Common Sense Media An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Alpha and Omega Movie Ratings + Reviews

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Alpha and Omega Featured Trailers + Video Clips

Trailer: Alpha And Omega (2:27)
Alpha And Omega: Mountain Slide (0:50)

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