How Wonderful is Wonder Park?

The words we speak have power. In this day and age, we are so caught up with vision boards, words of affirmation, positive thoughts, and making our dreams a reality, but are we really doing that for our kids? Are we helping them to bring their dreams to life? Or are we pushing them to work harder, and achieve more than we did so they can get into the best colleges? Have we forgotten how to let our children be little? One little spark is all it takes to make a difference, and maybe that spark can be found in a simple movie like Wonder Park. In this Christian Review of Wonder Park,  I will tell you the good and bad from a mom’s perspective. If you would like to know how I do movie reviews, read here!

Wonder Park Synopsis: 

From Paramount Studios: “Buckle up for an epic adventure where anything is possible! A young girl named June with a big imagination makes an incredible discovery – the amusement park of her dreams has come to life. Filled with the world’s wildest rides operated by fun-loving animals, the excitement never ends. But when trouble hits, June and her misfit team of furry friends begin an unforgettable journey to save the park. Action-packed and brimming with laughs, Wonder Park is a ride the whole family will love.” Rated PG. Runs 1 hour, 30 minutes. 

Wonder Park an animated movie that brings big dreams to life. June (Sofia Mali) is a dreamer and creator, and her mom (Jennifer Garner) is the fuel that fires those dreams. She encourages her daughter to dream big and to keep creating. Her dad, played by Matthew Broderick, is a little more down to earth and keeps the family grounded.

When June takes things a little too far by venturing out into the neighborhood to create an awesome coaster, her mom realizes her potential and gives her structure and guidelines to develop that imagination without injuring herself or others. Building models of the park, and using stuffed animals to create a true Wonderland, June and her mom have endless fun.

When June has to deal with a family crisis, she decides to grow up and leave the childhood Wonder Park behind. But when she stumbles upon the product of her imagination, June must find a clever solution to bring the park back to life.

Movie Review Wonder Park: What Parents Need to Know

The Good:

This movie is full of hope, fun, and imagination. The number of truly inspiring lines is amazing. As a Christian watching this movie, the message of light being more powerful than the darkness was prevalent. I couldn’t help but feel that whoever wrote this screenplay understood “perfect love cast out fear.” 1 John 4:18 And that perfect love can be found in Jesus. The movie showcases so eloquently how light destroys evil. 

June’s mom talked to her about her light and not letting anything put out that light. I was ready to start singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”

The diversity of characters in this movie is wonderful to see. June’s neighborhood consists of families from many different cultures; the neighborhood kids all play together.

Additional items worth mentioning: June is a very imaginative girl. When June speaks things into her monkey’s ear, he views it as hearing a voice from beyond. He then creates those things. Do you hear the voice of God? I truly believe we can all hear the voice of our Creator. Also, the words that we speak have power. This is a very important lesson to teach our children at a young age. Their words can literally mean the difference between life and death. “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” Proverbs 18:21 MSG 

The Bad:

This movie deals with some themes that may be hard for families to deal with. June’s mother gets sick and must leave for an extended period of time. (To find out if June’s mother lives or not, see below). It is never revealed what is wrong with her, and I believe they leave it open for several reasons, but the assumption is cancer. 

While June’s mother getting sick can be a negative for many families, it also can be helpful for others. 

When June stumbles onto the real-life Wonder Park it is in a state of disrepair. Crazy zombie-like miniature chimps have taken over the park and attack everyone. June’s park was run by “real-life” versions of her stuffed animals, and they fear that they will become extinct if the chimps take over everything.  

Looming over the park is a dark cloud that keeps growing.  Is this a metaphor for cancer that June’s mom has, or is it growing because of fear? Fear is a very real presence in this movie. The movie showcases the stages of grief that June is going through. This may be hard for some children to handle.

Language: “What the chuck?” Why do movies have to say things like this?

One of the animals in the movie says, “I burn for you” to another animal.

June has her friend fake getting sick to create a diversion so she can run away. 

Recommendations for Viewing:

What I think I like most about this movie is the way June’s mom interacts with her. Even in situations when most parents would overreact and squash a little girls spirit, her mom reacts with love, compassion, and ingenuity. Recognizing the difference between creativity or scientific experimentation versus being malicious, harmful, or evil is important in our roles as parents. My hope and prayer is that I haven’t squashed creativity in my children, however, I know that I have not always fostered it. 

While this movie will not win any awards, it is a great family movie. Some children may be bored as some scenes are slow-moving. Many critics have been very negative towards Wonder Park because of the theme of a sick parent and/or death, but these are themes that children deal with – either a parent or grandparent. Wonder Park can be an excellent learning tool to teach children how grief affects us. Wonder Park is rated PG. My age recommendation is 6-8 and up.

**********SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT PROCEED UNLESS YOU NEED TO KNOW THE OUTCOME OF THE MOVIE******************

I am telling families that want to know whether June’s mom lives or dies because I believe that depending on your family situation, you may need to know this information. Please do not continue reading if you don’t want to know.

Does June’s mother live or die in Wonder Park? (Please stop reading if you don’t want to know the outcome of the movie. I warned you. So does the mom die in Wonder Park?

June’s mother returns home at the end of the movie. She is alive and well.

MORE Posts for You:

The Spark Needed to Fuel Your Child’s Imagination

Toy Story 4

Aladdin Live Action

Detective Pikachu

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I do earn from qualifying purchases.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Where Can I Find Wonder Park Streaming?

Currently, (summer 2021), Wonder Park is available to rent or buy on Amazon. It is available to stream with a subscription to Paramount+. Additionally, you can stream it on Hulu.

Where can I stream Wonder Park?

You can watch Wonder Park on VOD (video-on-demand) streaming services.

What is Wonder Park rated?

WonderPark is rated PG for some Mild Thematic Elements and Action

When Was Wonder Park Released in Theaters?

Release Date: March 15, 2019, and Streaming release date: June 4, 2019

Who is in Wonder Park?

Full Voice Cast Includes:

Young June: Sophia Mali

June Bailey: Brianna Denski

Mom: Voice of Jennifer Garner

Dad: Matthew Broderick

Boomer (blue bear): Ken Hudson Campbell

Gus (orange beaver): Kenan Thompson

Cooper (red beaver and Gus’ brother): Ken Jeong

Peanut (chimpanzee): Norbert Leo Butz

Greta (wild boar): Mila Kunis

Steve (porcupine): John Oliver

Banky (June’s best friend): Oev Michael Urbas

Aunt Albertine: Kate McGregor-Stewart

Uncle Tony: Kevin Chamberlin

Director: Dylan Brown (uncredited). Dylan Brown is a former Pixar animator and this was his directorial debut. He was involved in most of the production of Wonder Park, however, he was dismissed in June 2018 for “inappropriate and unwanted conduct.”

Screenplay by: Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec

Story by: Robert Gordon and Josh Appelbaum

Produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Using Wonder Park in your Homeschool:

Science:

Watch roller coaster videos on YouTube. See how roller coasters are made. Explore the different types of roller coasters – steel, wood, inverted, corkscrew, etc. How does a roller coaster work?

Build a roller coaster or miniature magical amusement park using parts and pieces at home such as empty toilet paper tubes, wrapping paper tubes, bendy straws, yogurt containers, or other household items.

History:

When did the first amusement park opened? Where was this located?

Who built the first merry-go-round (carrousel)? What year was the first merry-go round built?

Who built the first roller coaster? What is the tallest roller coaster?

What is the oldest amusement park in your country?

Math:

June is supposed to go to math camp. Create a math camp at home. What types of things do they do at a “math camp.” Do you think you would like math camp?

Art:

Draw a picture of your favorite amusement park ride.

June’s imagination is wonderful! Everyone has some ability to be imaginative. Discuss the power of imagination. Have your child create their own magical world. Maybe it will be a horse ranch, something based on The Lion King, or something from another animated film.

Build an imaginary amusement park with tubes and items from around the house.

Additionally, you can build an imaginary theme park in your mind and try to capture it in an AI generator.

Field Trip:

If you have never been to an amusement park, visit one for the day. Compare Wonder Park and the park you visit. If you cannot visit an amusement park, watch videos from what I consider the best amusement park, Walt Disney World.