Recess: School's Out
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: February 16, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
43
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
10
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
San Francisco ChronicleWesley Morris
It's fun, it's kind of somber and it succeeds in making you think about how you might be squandering middle age. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldChristine Dolen
If your kid is a fan of Disney's "Recess," one of the hotter properties on ABC's Saturday morning cartoon lineup, the new inspired-by-the-TV-show movie, Recess: School's Out, will be quite a hit.
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Refreshingly subversive.
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The movie's great fun, particularly for kids used to that satirically hard-edged kind of kid show. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It's fast-footed and fun. "Rugrats in Paris" had charms for grownups, however, Recess: School's Out seems aimed more directly at grade-schoolers. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
A reasonably entertaining cartoon feature.
63
Chicago TribuneLoren King
An amusing and entertaining animated feature, and it's harmless enough for the elementary-school set. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Creator producers Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere have come up with some unexceptional children and underdeveloped adults. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Seems to have been made entirely for people who were kids during the Johnson administration. Read full review
50
Film.comSean Means
For 8- to 12-year-olds and the grownups who love them, Recess is a pleasant Saturday-matinee diversion. The fact that it doesn't aim to be anything more is, in its own way, a blessed relief. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
The result is passably speedy on the level of other TV retreads that seem miscast on the big screen. Read full review
42
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Pretty silly stuff, designed to appeal more to older kids and adults than the toddler brigade. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineFrank Lovece
The movie's uninspired animation (including primitive, blocky computer imagery) doesn't help, nor do its astonishingly stereotyped characters. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesMiles Beller
Complacent yet competent animation kids will enjoy despite its mundane nature. Read full review
40
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
A cute send-up of preadolescent stereotypes. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
The film never gets too far beyond disposable youth fare, best consumed like mouthfuls of sugary cereal. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
It boasts none of the studio's high-gloss animation. That said, Recess is not without its charms. Read full review
31
Mr. ShowbizMichael Atkinson
The movie is so slovenly in its animation and graceless in its writing that few viewers over the age of 9 are likely to notice. Read full review
30
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
The unfortunate thing is that children will probably waste their summers indoors watching "Recess" over and over again. Read full review
20
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Animation is dull and characterless, and vocal talent has evidently received blanket direction to, when in doubt, shout. Read full review
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