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Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade

Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade

Family · Comedy · Animation · 2003

Everyone's favorite fourth graders have graduated! It's an all-new school year for the kids — and the gang hits the fifth grade running! But they're stopped in their tracks when they discover some unwelcome changes — no pizza, no playground... no lockers! And to make things worse, their teacher turns out to be the cantankerous Miss Finster! It's all too much for T.J., who is determined to find a way to stand up for what the gang believes in and improve the school they love! The fifth grade brings out the best in everyone... even Miss Finster and Principal Prickly!

Movie details

Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade

“Wow ... fifth grade! But what good is practically being a grown-up when the teacher's a big sourpuss?”

2003 Family · Comedy · Animation 1h 2m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Everyone's favorite fourth graders have graduated! It's an all-new school year for the kids — and the gang hits the fifth grade running! But they're stopped in their tracks when they discover some unwelcome changes — no pizza, no playground... no lockers! And to make things worse, their teacher turns out to be the cantankerous Miss Finster! It's all too much for T.J., who is determined to find a way to stand up for what the gang believes in and improve the school they love! The fifth grade brings out the best in everyone... even Miss Finster and Principal Prickly!

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Howy Parkins

Written by

Bart Jennett · Elijah Aron

Rickey D'Shon Collins

Rickey D'Shon Collins

Vince (voice)

Jason Davis

Jason Davis

Mikey Blumberg (voice)

Myles Jeffrey

Myles Jeffrey

T.J. Detweiler (voice)

Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson

Gretchen (voice)

Courtland Mead

Courtland Mead

Gus (voice)

Pamela Adlon

Pamela Adlon

Spinelli (voice)

Allyce Beasley

Allyce Beasley

Miss Grotke (voice)

Court is in session

Put Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.