As school lets out for the summer TJ Detweiler wants to hang out with his friends, but they are all going away to summer camps. But, when riding by his school, he stumbles onto an evil former principal’s plan to end summer vacation forever in “Recess: School’s Out.” Detweiler must collect his friends and team up with the principal and the teachers to help save summer vacation.

This is a fun kids movie from the early 2000s. Andrew Lawrence provides the voice of TJ Detweiler once again showing the strong relationship between Disney and the Lawrence brothers. The plot is, of course, absurd for any adult trying to jump in and watch it, but “Recess” was always a lot of fun for kids and this movie is no different. TJ Detweiler basically tries to be a kid version of James Bond, trying to stop a villainous plot. And, his friends from Third Street Elementary are up to the challenge of helping him and their principal.

It’s really cool seeing how the principal and teachers care just as much about summer vacation as the kids. As a kid, I never appreciated how much the school staff needed the break, despite my own mother being a teacher. Looking back, she needed that time off during the summer to recharge so that she could instill knowledge in the next group of third graders she taught. It’s also a reminder that despite being grown up, adults still like to do some things that remind them of their childhood.

I love this group of kids from Third Street Elementary because they are so completely different but still friends. TJ is a bit of a trouble maker, but he’s got friends who are bookworms, jocks, rule followers and glee club worthy singers. It’s a better representation of school than you see on most shows. While each of these people will have friends within their own extra curricular groups, they are still likely to have friends across the board, especially at this young age. It’s a reminder that no one should be put into a box just because of a label.

I remember watching this movie when I was younger, but I didn’t exactly remember the plot. I was aging out of Disney Channel things by the time this one was made and it was more background noise than something that I had to watch. But, it was fun. I hope everyone who watches it enjoys it.

Ranking: 3 stars out of 5

What did you think of “Recess: School’s Out?”

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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