All Nickelodeon Movies Ranked

(Photo by Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)

As the first parlors to exhibit films in public settings for mass consumption, it is impossible to understate the nickelodeon’s impact on cinema. These early 20th century… Oh. Wait. Wrong Nickelodeon.

As the studio to give our world SpongeBob Squarepants and Nacho Libre, it is impossible to understate Nickelodeon Movies’ impact on cinema. In these weary times of snark and cynicism (this sentence being puddin’ proof), count on the Nick to mount cheery, earnest films. Not only are they well-versed in the aforementioned cartoon spongiology, but Rugrats, the Ninja Turtles, Tintin, and the one-and-only Avatar have all called the studio home.

As The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run releases after a COVID-throttled rollout, and as Rango celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’re ranking every Nickelodeon Movie by Tomatometer!

#32

Adjusted Score: 10.641%

Critics Consensus: The Last Airbender squanders its popular source material with incomprehensible plotting, horrible acting, and detached joyless direction.

Synopsis: Suspense auteur M. Night Shyamalan takes a break from crafting original screenplays to tell this tale of a 12-year-old boy… [More]

#31

Adjusted Score: 9.125%

Critics Consensus: The initial set-up is unbelievable, the plotting is predictable and stale, and the comedy depends on repetitive pratfalls that soon get old.

Synopsis: When Frank Beardsley, a widower with eight children, runs into his high school sweetheart, Helen North, it’s as if 30… [More]

#30

Adjusted Score: 27.16%

Critics Consensus: Neither entertaining enough to recommend nor remarkably awful, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may bear the distinction of being the dullest movie ever made about talking bipedal reptiles.

Synopsis: The city needs heroes. Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder and his evil Foot Clan have an… [More]

#29

Adjusted Score: 24.79%

Critics Consensus: Unimaginative and unfunny, this tale of barnyard mischief borders on ‘udder’ creepiness and adds little to this summer’s repertoire of animated films.

Synopsis: A cow learns to walk like a man, both literally and figuratively, in this computer-animated comedy written and directed by… [More]

#28

Adjusted Score: 25.431%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When straight-laced fire superintendent Jake Carson (John Cena) and his elite team of expert firefighters (Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo and… [More]

#27

Adjusted Score: 27.049%

Critics Consensus: It occasionally shows surprising flashes of wit, but Fun Size is too safe and formulaic — not to mention unfunny — to survive comparisons to the ’80s teen movies it eagerly imitates.

Synopsis: Fun Size is a teen comedy centered on a sarcastic high school senior, Wren (Victoria Justice), who is eager to… [More]

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Directed By:

#26

Adjusted Score: 30.749%

Critics Consensus: Weak assembly of characters and story lines made this movie forgettable and silly.

Synopsis: Anything can happen on a Snow Day-and for Hal and Natalie Brandston, it does. For 15-year-old Hal, «anything» means the… [More]

#25

Adjusted Score: 30.605%

Critics Consensus: Bland, unoriginal, and lacking the wit of the TV series, Hey Arnold is a 30 min cartoon stretched beyond its running time.

Synopsis: Everyone’s favorite football-headed city kid graduates from television to the big screen in this animated comedy-adventure based on the Nickelodeon… [More]

#24

Adjusted Score: 30.839%

Critics Consensus: A pleasant diversion for the young teens, but a waste of time for anyone older.

Synopsis: Until now, Zak Gibbs’ greatest challenge has been to find a way to buy a car. But when he discovers… [More]

#23

Adjusted Score: 33.725%

Critics Consensus: Good Burger might please hardcore fans of the 1990s Nickelodeon TV series that launched leads Kenan and Kel to stardom, but for all others, it will likely prove a comedy that is neither satisfyingly rare nor well done.

Synopsis: Sunny, terminally silly farce in which comedy teammates Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell try to save a humble burger joint… [More]

#22

Adjusted Score: 35.478%

Critics Consensus: Despite flashes of inspiration, the singularly high-concept Monster Trucks shows that it takes more than monsters and trucks to create a compelling feature film.

Synopsis: Looking for any way to get away from the life and town he was born into, Tripp (Lucas Till), a… [More]

#21

Adjusted Score: 38.007%

Critics Consensus: Colorful and energetic but lacking a compelling story, Wonder Park is little more than a competently made diversion for very young viewers.

Synopsis: Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June… [More]

Directed By:

#20

Adjusted Score: 44.347%

Critics Consensus: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a slight improvement over its predecessor, but still lacks the wit or anarchic energy of the comics that birthed the franchise.

Synopsis: Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to theaters this summer to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox),… [More]

#19

Adjusted Score: 40.993%

Critics Consensus: The Rugrats franchise has gone from fresh to formulaic.

Synopsis: When the Rugrats family vacation goes awry, they suddenly find themselves on a deserted island. Hopelessly stuck in the middle… [More]

#18

Adjusted Score: 45.487%

Critics Consensus: At times hilarious, but other times offensive, Director Jared Hess is unable to recapture the collective charisma of his Napoleon characters, instead relying on a one-joke concept that runs out of steam. Sure to entertain the adolescents, however.

Synopsis: Jared Hess (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) directs this bizarre comedy starring Jack Black as Nacho, a young man who works… [More]

#17

Adjusted Score: 44.419%

Critics Consensus: Despite a promising turn by newcomer Yara Shahidi, Imagine That is another pedestrian family comedy that squanders Eddie Murphy’s comedic talents.

Synopsis: A powerful financial executive whose career was sent spiraling down the drain due to sudden lack of confidence finds the… [More]

#16

Adjusted Score: 49.529%

Critics Consensus: Hotel for Dogs may appeal to children and dog lovers, but it’s ultimately contrived, predictable, and simplistic.

Synopsis: When their new guardians forbid 16-year old Andi and her younger brother, Bruce to have a pet, Andi has to… [More]

#15

Adjusted Score: 49.089%

Critics Consensus: Harriet the Spy is a rapid-fire mystery movie that doesn’t have much to offer beyond the two decent lead performances.

Synopsis: Welcome to the spyhouse: The beloved novel by Louise Fitzhugh arrives on the screen as a study in prepubescent torment,… [More]

#14

Adjusted Score: 61.281%

Critics Consensus: Charming characters; loads of fun for kids and adults.

Synopsis: Based on the popular Nickelodeon TV series Rugrats, this is the first full-length feature animated movie to star the little… [More]

#13

Adjusted Score: 71.263%

Critics Consensus: Surreally goofy and entertaining for both children and their parents.

Synopsis: Something nefarious is afloat in the depths of Bikini Bottom: King Neptune’s crown has been stolen, and the prime suspect… [More]

#12

Adjusted Score: 76.354%

Critics Consensus: Although it softens the nasty edges of its source material, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is a gothic visual treat, and it features a hilariously manic turn from Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf.

Synopsis: The best-selling series of subversive children’s books from author Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) come to the screen in this… [More]

#11

Adjusted Score: 73.11%

Critics Consensus: Based on two of British writer Louise Rennison’s popular books, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a pleasant and funny tween comedy, comfortable for UK audiences as well as stateside crowds.

Synopsis: Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha continues to explore the world of precocious adolescent girls with this tale of… [More]

#10

Adjusted Score: 75.928%

Critics Consensus: What Jimmy Neutron lacks in computer animation, it makes up for in charm and cleverness.

Synopsis: This animated feature from Nickelodeon is the story of ten-year-old genius inventor Jimmy Neutron, whose penchant for gadget-creation gets him… [More]

#9

Adjusted Score: 81.345%

Critics Consensus: Drawing deep from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Steven Spielberg has crafted another spirited, thrilling adventure in the form of Tintin.

Synopsis: Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures Present a 3D Motion Capture Film The Adventures of Tintin directed by Steven Spielberg from… [More]

#8

Adjusted Score: 78.082%

Critics Consensus: When the Rugrats go to Paris, the result is Nickelodeon-style fun. The plot is effectively character-driven, and features catchy songs and great celebrity voice-acting.

Synopsis: The adorable Pied Pipers of diapers return in this cartoon charmer, which finds the toddlers frolicking in Paris. But the… [More]

#7

Adjusted Score: 82.783%

Critics Consensus: Kids will be entertained by the straightforward plot and cute animals, and adults will be charmed by how quiet and humble the production is, a fine translation of E.B. White’s genteel prose.

Synopsis: E.B. White’s classic children’s story comes to the screen in this live-action adaptation with an all-star voice cast. Fern Arable… [More]

#6

Adjusted Score: 81.973%

Critics Consensus: The Wild Thornberrys Movie brings its beloved clan to the big screen for an animated adventure that should prove entertaining for all ages.

Synopsis: World-traveling documentary filmmakers Nigel and Marianne Thornberry have come to Africa with their family–precocious Eliza, rebellious Debbie and adopted wild… [More]

#5

Adjusted Score: 84.435%

Critics Consensus: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water won’t win over many viewers who aren’t fans of the show, but for the converted, it’s another colorful burst of manic fun.

Synopsis: SpongeBob SquarePants, the world’s favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet.(C) Paramount… [More]

#4

Adjusted Score: 86.362%

Critics Consensus: The Spiderwick Chronicles is an entertaining children’s adventure, with heart and imagination to spare.

Synopsis: Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom)… [More]

#3

Adjusted Score: 87.665%

Critics Consensus: This heartwarming documentary will win audiences over, as the sheer charm of precocious, enthusiastic children learning to dance resonates from the screen.

Synopsis: This is a profile of several New York City’s public school kids and their journey into the world of ballroom… [More]

#2

Adjusted Score: 91.094%

Critics Consensus: Led by a winning performance from Isabela Moner, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a family-friendly adventure that retains its source material’s youthful spirit.

Synopsis: Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner) for her… [More]

#1

Adjusted Score: 94.951%

Critics Consensus: Rango is a smart, giddily creative burst of beautifully animated entertainment, and Johnny Depp gives a colorful vocal performance as a household pet in an unfamiliar world.

Synopsis: Rango is a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet, while facing a major identity crisis. After all, how… [More]

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Rotten Tomatoes