UglyDolls Movie Review
UglyDolls is a family friendly movie with a heartwarming message for all.
Thank you to STX Films for the advanced media screening to facilitate our UglyDolls movie review.
UglyDolls is a family friendly movie geared toward younger children but the messaging applies to teenagers and adults as well. If you have ever felt less than anyone else, afraid to show who you really are, or been pressured into becoming something you are not then this movie’s simple message will resonate within your heart.
If you are one who feels like you do not measure up to anyone then pay attention to the lyrics of Unbreakable. They were written for you.
The UglyDolls movie is a musical, declaring it a different type of movie right from the beginning. They call themselves “the movie musical event of the year” and somehow the random breaking out in song moments make sense and fitting for the moment.
Confession: I had never heard of UglyDolls before being invited to the media screening and review of their video game. While admittedly I had absolutely zero plans to see this movie, I am glad I saw it and look forward to seeing it again simply because the message it conveys needs to be heard. The world would be a better place if we all celebrated our individuality.
Beloved by children, teenagers and adults alike, UglyDoll characters are distinct for their endearing “Uglyness,” in a wonderful “Uglyverse” where differences are cheered and embraced.
Fun Fact: UglyDolls was created in 2001 when David Horvath wrote a love letter to his then girlfriend now wife, Sun-Min Kim, and she turned one of his drawings into a stuffed animal.
The voice cast is fun to listen to and the songs are catchy. The bright colors of the dolls and the environment make for a fun movie experience.
The story of the UglyDolls movie begins with a factory making toys and the assembly line rejects any toys that are not perfect. They are sent down a long chute until they are launched into Uglyville, a town where all the imperfect and rejected toys go to live. The town is perfectly imperfect which is exactly how everyone likes it.
Moxy is the main character, voiced by Kelly Clarkson, who is perky, cheerful, and just full of immense hope that today is the day she is going to be picked and loved by a child to be her special friend. Her curls, pink color, big eyes, and wonkiness make her adorable. Moxy wakes up every day and marks the calendar with “Today is the day” and it is easy to tell she has been through many, many days just like the one before. She is so hopeful and joyful that she spreads it to everyone around her and the entire town.
Ox, voiced by Blake Shelton, is a green stuffed animal who is the Mayor of Uglyville and tries to help Moxy understand her reality that her dream may never happen. His efforts are futile and Moxy is determined to make her dream come true.
Moxy is inspired by a tea leaf reading to stop waiting for the day to happen and take matters into her own hands. She devises a grand scheme to climb up to the chute where rejected dolls enter their world and discover what is on the other side.
She does not undertake the journey alone and is accompanied by her friends Uglydog, Lucky Bat, Wage, and Babo. Uglydog, a blue cyclops character, is voiced by Pitbull and is hilarious. Lucky Bat is voiced by Wang Leehom and is a red stuffed animal who pretends to be the wisest in the group. Wage, an orange baker, is voiced by Wanda Sykes and she has become a familiar voice to some of our favorite animated movies. Babo is voiced by Gabriel Iglesias, a large gray stuffed animal.
Together they end up in a new town called the Institute of Perfection. There they meet other dolls who are not like them. These dolls are perfect and are led by Lou, voiced by Nick Jonas.
A group of misfits entering a town of perfect dolls has hilarious consequences and they unintentionally wreak havoc across the town, resulting in a heartwarming story about your worth and the value of perfection.
This movie focuses on a simple storyline where the rejected band together because they are simply unloved and unwanted, the only thing is they really do not see their oddity. They live together and support each other.
The message is simple. In a world filled with “perfection” there really truly is a place for you, no matter how imperfect you may feel.
We are all imperfect. Get over it. Embrace it. Accept others. Be an UglyDoll. Let your freak flag fly. The world will be better for it.
Ugly Dolls Video Game:
Parental Advisory (SPOILER ALERT)
Ugly Dolls is a family friendly movie and we see no objectionable material in this movie.
There is one scene that may be intense for younger children. The dolls are running on a conveyor belt to get away from an eating machine, which remind us of a scene from the Toy Story movies. This scene should not discourage you from seeing the movie.
Ugly Dolls is rated PG for thematic elements and brief action.
UglyDolls Movie Review by Kids
Be sure to watch the movie review by our Plugged In Kids below.
[quote]In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye. Here, the free-spirited Moxy and her UglyDoll friends live every day in a whirlwind of bliss, letting their freak flags fly in a celebration of life and its endless possibilities. The endearingly unique residents of Uglyville occasionally look to the sky above the town, where a new UglyDoll will appear and be embraced by the community.
Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) loves her square-peg life in this round-hole town, but her curiosity about all things leads her to wonder if there’s something – anything – on the other side of the mountain which nestles Uglyville. Moxy gathers a group of her closest friends and sets off to find what’s on the other side. They discover another world – Perfection – a town where more conventional dolls are trained in protocols before they graduate and are sent to the “real” world to find the love of a child.
In Perfection, Moxy and her crew are subject to the manipulations of Lou (Nick Jonas), the perfect doll in charge of training recruits. Here, the UglyDolls will confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing because who you truly are is what matters most.[/quote]
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UglyDolls Movie
- Release Date: May 3, 2019
- Format: 2D
- Rating: PG
- Run Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Voice Cast: Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton, Wanda Sykes, Gabriel Iglesisas, Wang Leehom, Emma Roberts, Pitbull, Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, Lizzo, Jane Lynch, Ice-T, Rob Riggle
- Director: Kelly Asbury
- Producers: Jane Hartwell, p.g.a., Robert Rodriguez, Oren Aviv, p.g.a.
- Executive Producers: Robert Simonds, Adam Fogelson, Ruoging Fu, Mingyu Peng, Huixia Zhang, Luyuan Fan, Wei Zhang, Jerry Li, Shujin Lan-Shuster, Gabriel Bloch, Pitbull, Drew Matilsky
- Screenplay: Alison Peck
- Story: Robert Rodriguez
- UglyDoll Characters Creation: David Horvath, Sun-Min Kim
- Studio: STX Films
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Screenshots provided by STX Films. Used with permission.
