About.com Rating

Bottom line: This first ever Disney Junior Original Movie, Lucky Duck, delivers a cute story that will be just exciting enough, but not too exciting, for young preschoolers.

TV Rating: TV-Y
Genre: Childrens
Network: Disney Junior
Premiere Date: June 20, 2014 Disney Junior (7:00 p.m., ET/PT) and Saturday, June 21 on Disney Channel (9:00 a.m., ET/PT)

 

Lucky Duck - Synopsis

In this all new Disney Junior movie for preschoolers, a rubber ducky gets tossed off the factory conveyor belt for having a broken squeaker.

The little duck finds himself back in a crate full of regular toys though, and this stroke of luck inspires his name, Lucky (voiced by Christian Borle). Soon, Lucky is off on a voyage which he hopes will lead to a kid who will love him.

But there's trouble aboard the ship when the other toys reject Lucky and cast him out of the crate. He meets two other "rejects," a girly hippo with mis-matched eyes named Flo (voiced by Megan Hilty) and a frightened turtle named Snap (voiced by Tom Cavanagh).

When a storm causes all the toys to be thrown overboard, Lucky and his new friends must band together to figure out how to find their way to land and a kid who will love them. Lucky's seemingly endless optimism sees them through, but when the situation gets so grim that even Lucky can't see the silver lining, the toys must decide whether to give up or keep paddling.

Lucky Duck - Review for Parents

With the success of Disney Channel Original Movies for older kids, it's no wonder an all new movie for Disney Junior has set sail.

Feature-length episodes of preschoolers' favorite shows are always hugely popular, but will a movie featuring all new characters paddle it's way into little kids' hearts?

The main characters in Lucky Duck, three tub toys who get lost at sea, have distinct personalities that will certainly be relatable and loveable for young kids. Young preschoolers will also enjoy the adventurous plot and the simple yet well-sung songs that advance the plot and deliver positive messages.

A couple moments of peril could be briefly frightening for some very young children. In particular, one scene finds a boy and his father in trouble on the high seas, and the boy has to come to his dad's rescue. The toys are in peril throughout the movie, but this is mostly mild peril and the toys have each other to lean on. Lucky's optimism also reduces the intensity of the situations. Most young kids will probably not be too overly frightened or concerned about the toys' safety.

A couple of toys insult each other using mild name calling. One toy is called a "reject," and another toy is deemed to be "stuck-up."

The overall message of the show centers around the idea that being different makes us beautiful, but there are also strong lessons about the importance of friendship, having a hopeful outlook and believing you can succeed. Young kids will likely enjoy the movie and identify with the characters. There are even a couple small moments of clever comedy which will put a smile on parents' faces as well.

*Kids who like Lucky Duck might also enjoy: Toy Story, Backyardigans feature length movies, Horton Hears a Who