People who are giving 10/10...come on now...this doesn't compare to Inside Out, Zootopia, Toy Story, Lion King etc
Was it terrible...no but it was missing something. Yes the message was good but could have been delivered more powerfully and the best part was definitely all the musical scenes. So at least a 6 is fair.
174 Reviews
Nothing outstanding here...
paul_haakonsen16 July 2019
I sat down to watch the 2019 animated movie "UglyDolls" with my nine year old son, as he had been wanting to see it for some time.
Now, usually I do like animated movie, but "UglyDolls" just never caught on with me. The storyline was just too bland and unimaginative, and the entire character gallery was just rubbish.
I will say that the animation itself and the CGI was quite good, so the movie does harvest some points there. And it also scores some points for some good voice acting. But the rest of the movie was just less than mediocre.
Even my nine year old son, whom had really been looking forward to watching this animated movie, wasn't particularly thrilled or entertained by the outcome of the movie. It was just not outstanding and it lacked comedy elements to spice it up.
Furthermore, there was just way too much singing in this animated movie for my liking. It felt like you were sitting through another Disney animation.
All in all, "UglyDolls" is a less than mediocre animated movie. However, I am sure that it will find a home with the younger audience perhaps around 6 years old or so.
Now, usually I do like animated movie, but "UglyDolls" just never caught on with me. The storyline was just too bland and unimaginative, and the entire character gallery was just rubbish.
I will say that the animation itself and the CGI was quite good, so the movie does harvest some points there. And it also scores some points for some good voice acting. But the rest of the movie was just less than mediocre.
Even my nine year old son, whom had really been looking forward to watching this animated movie, wasn't particularly thrilled or entertained by the outcome of the movie. It was just not outstanding and it lacked comedy elements to spice it up.
Furthermore, there was just way too much singing in this animated movie for my liking. It felt like you were sitting through another Disney animation.
All in all, "UglyDolls" is a less than mediocre animated movie. However, I am sure that it will find a home with the younger audience perhaps around 6 years old or so.
more Uglyville would help
SnoopyStyle8 August 2019
Uglyville is where all the discarded defective dolls are gathered. They live a happy life with limited knowledge of the bigger world. Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) dreams of being a little girl's doll. She and other Uglydolls escape to the Institute of Perfection where dolls try to be more perfect in order to be placed with perfect children.
With Chinese financing and some good voice talent, this movie has a chance at being the next Trolls. It's got the bright colors and pop forgettable songs. The problem seems to be that it doesn't the fun energy. It also doesn't have JT pushing it. The bigger problem is moving away from Uglyville. It seems to be a fascinating place and a much more fun place to explore than the Institute of Perfection. While I appreciate the premise of being individuals and accepting your imperfections, that place drains the fun out of the movie. That's the crux of the problem. It's not much fun.
With Chinese financing and some good voice talent, this movie has a chance at being the next Trolls. It's got the bright colors and pop forgettable songs. The problem seems to be that it doesn't the fun energy. It also doesn't have JT pushing it. The bigger problem is moving away from Uglyville. It seems to be a fascinating place and a much more fun place to explore than the Institute of Perfection. While I appreciate the premise of being individuals and accepting your imperfections, that place drains the fun out of the movie. That's the crux of the problem. It's not much fun.
Horrid, Hollow, and Boring
irishboy1411 May 2019
This is one of the ugliest most generic films I've seen. The only sellable aspect to this film is the plethora of voice actors shoved in regardless if they can voice act (this film was heavily advertised between "the Voice" because two of the judges star in it, and are the worst actors in the movie).
The story is a stock "being ugly is okay" plot that most TV cartoons would be embarrassed to use this day and age. The visuals suck because the environments are bland & the character designs are horribly ugly.
The voice acting is bad because no one tries to emote or throw their voice to sound different. It's as if they only had the celebrities for 5 minutes so they just ran through the dialogue and only used 1st takes.
Much like the Emoji movie, this film feels like a cash grab. It wasn't created because someone had a story they wanted to tell, it was created to suck the money out of gullible parents wallets as well as advertise for children.
Skip this abomination, almost anything else is better worth your time.
The story is a stock "being ugly is okay" plot that most TV cartoons would be embarrassed to use this day and age. The visuals suck because the environments are bland & the character designs are horribly ugly.
The voice acting is bad because no one tries to emote or throw their voice to sound different. It's as if they only had the celebrities for 5 minutes so they just ran through the dialogue and only used 1st takes.
Much like the Emoji movie, this film feels like a cash grab. It wasn't created because someone had a story they wanted to tell, it was created to suck the money out of gullible parents wallets as well as advertise for children.
Skip this abomination, almost anything else is better worth your time.
Lackluster in every possible aspect
er_ouz19 July 2019
UglyDolls is the story of a bunch of defective ("ugly") dolls who were rejected from the assembly line, but are now trying to find a way through QA (quality assurance) and out to the world. On their journey they need to confront bigotry and obstacles from the perfect dolls.
The story itself is ok, and could make for a good movie, but unfortunately the movie is amazingly lackluster in every sense of the word and in every field: the songs are mostly dull and unmemorable (though some are better then others). Humor is scant to non-existant, many of the characters are flat and non-descript, and the environment (apart from UglyVille) is non existent, meaning most of the time the characters are acting on flat solid color backgrounds or in minimal environments with little detail. For me, this lack of care (or budget) for visuals is what hurt this movie the most, making the world unappealing and dull.
This is not a horrible movie, plot holds up, acting is ok, and while most elements are mediocre or sub-par, non are outright bad.
That being said, I really wouldn't recommend the movie very much unless you have nothing else to watch, and don't come with high expectations,
The story itself is ok, and could make for a good movie, but unfortunately the movie is amazingly lackluster in every sense of the word and in every field: the songs are mostly dull and unmemorable (though some are better then others). Humor is scant to non-existant, many of the characters are flat and non-descript, and the environment (apart from UglyVille) is non existent, meaning most of the time the characters are acting on flat solid color backgrounds or in minimal environments with little detail. For me, this lack of care (or budget) for visuals is what hurt this movie the most, making the world unappealing and dull.
This is not a horrible movie, plot holds up, acting is ok, and while most elements are mediocre or sub-par, non are outright bad.
That being said, I really wouldn't recommend the movie very much unless you have nothing else to watch, and don't come with high expectations,
Humanity reaches its low point.
mpost-1616011 April 2020
Imagine you found out that your God made you massed produced your species from one sole genetic sequence with no variation. But no that's not you yet. You possess some awful mutation and were meant to be terminated. Yet somehow were saved from death by some miracle, thus to live a life with no purpose. Then you discover that you must pass some test to prove your worth to live. only in a life trapped as some rugrats drool catcher.
This toy story/matrix/gattica/highschool musical does this story, only with B rated computer animation. Plus throw in a few overpaid singers that don't act and open with what felt like a 30 min song to start the movie.
i don't know if it really sends the message i want to my kids. I get the whole imperfect is perfect storyline and what it means. But to find out that those imperfections were meant to be thrown away in the first place from its maker doesn't send the right idea. As a matter of fact you actually first introduced the idea of "beings as ugly" in my 4 year olds head. So thanks for that.
However this movie would make a great crazy dark sci-fi plot if you make it live action and some cool dystopian CGI world, if done right.
Adorable, fun, and ugly!
towfflelad7 May 2019
This movie, while admittedly not perfect, has an amazing lesson and is very inspiring to young kids. It has talks about very relevant topics with kids going into their middle school years and trying to learn who they are and how to accept themselves. It's very fun, not too serious, and deserves a much higher rating.
Don't Bother
hendrik-8883130 July 2019
When you see people rate a movie like this 10/10 then you know there is something dodgy going on. So they really rate this movie higher than Ice Age, Incredibles, Toy Story, Zootopia and others? Come on, really? 5/10 is already a stretch for this movie. Even the acting of the dolls were sub-par, low budget quality. It was one of the most boring, weird and and just plain stupid movies i have seen in a long while. Not even the so called message could save this disaster. If you are under 12 then you might enjoy the movie, but for the rest of you, stay away. You have been warned.
As if the story elements were plucked from a hat
davittennis3 October 2019
It appears that the well of ideas for animated movies is running dry. I went and saw this with my 6yr old son and I am happy that he was entertained but as much as I tried to see it from his naive perspective I couldn't help being shocked by it's bizzare but somehow familiar regurgitated cutesy nonsense with a fairly shallow message to justify my $20 spent. It has elements of Toy Story (the original) and innumerable big hit kids movies thrown together so haphazardly that at times it defied its own storyline in an attempt to surprise and entertain.
Cute little movie to take your kids out to
ilikeanimation5 May 2019
This isn't going to wow the adults (although the songs are surprisingly good imo), but the little ones will enjoy it a lot. It also has a message of that adults may think of it as cliche, but children could take it to the heart.
Positive message in the movie
ilovefoodcoma4 May 2019
This movie definitely gives a positive message to the kids. Don't let your appearance/looks define who you are. Don't give up your dreams even though you are lack of something. Most important don't judge a book by its cover. This movie is not the best animation but for sure good message through out the movie.
Worst thing in the history of anything.
Jgfum31 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is so, so bad, that i don't even know where to begin.
This movie is a musical. You can clearly see it, since they break into singing at least every 5 seconds. The songs are also really bad, not catchy and really irritating to listen to.
The protagonist's motivation is solid, but it isn't really convincing. In Uglyville (terrible name) they have everything. A nice house, nice neighborhood, good food and so on. Still, she wants to go to the "real world." The antagonist, Lou, has no motivation. I can't think of a single reason as to why he's a villain. Also, the plot twist relating to him at the end was pointless. It brought nothing, it didn't solve any problems, it was there for the sake of having a plot twist. Some of the characters were also pointless.
The character design is atrocious. They don't reflect their personality at all. Also, the dolls aren't even ugly, which is the whole point of their appearance. Once they are supposed to look "pretty", they look even uglier than before.
The dialogue is horrible, the characters are annoying, the tone changes all the time. Sometimes the humor is absurdist, where nothing makes sense (not funny). Sometimes the humor is "normal", I guess (not funny). Sometimes the movie has a serious tone, which doesn't work, since I don't care about the characters. The mood is also ruined by a bad joke or one-liner.
Sometimes the movie just brought's something up when it's convenient. Like when the protagonist gets kidnapped, a random toaster appears out of nowhere to explain the situation to her friend. When the portal to greatness gets destroyed, all of the characters simply put the glass peaces together, even though they don't know, if it will fix anything. Spoiler, it does.
All and all, nothing makes any sense, everything about this movie is wrong. Just don't watch it.
This movie is a musical. You can clearly see it, since they break into singing at least every 5 seconds. The songs are also really bad, not catchy and really irritating to listen to.
The protagonist's motivation is solid, but it isn't really convincing. In Uglyville (terrible name) they have everything. A nice house, nice neighborhood, good food and so on. Still, she wants to go to the "real world." The antagonist, Lou, has no motivation. I can't think of a single reason as to why he's a villain. Also, the plot twist relating to him at the end was pointless. It brought nothing, it didn't solve any problems, it was there for the sake of having a plot twist. Some of the characters were also pointless.
The character design is atrocious. They don't reflect their personality at all. Also, the dolls aren't even ugly, which is the whole point of their appearance. Once they are supposed to look "pretty", they look even uglier than before.
The dialogue is horrible, the characters are annoying, the tone changes all the time. Sometimes the humor is absurdist, where nothing makes sense (not funny). Sometimes the humor is "normal", I guess (not funny). Sometimes the movie has a serious tone, which doesn't work, since I don't care about the characters. The mood is also ruined by a bad joke or one-liner.
Sometimes the movie just brought's something up when it's convenient. Like when the protagonist gets kidnapped, a random toaster appears out of nowhere to explain the situation to her friend. When the portal to greatness gets destroyed, all of the characters simply put the glass peaces together, even though they don't know, if it will fix anything. Spoiler, it does.
All and all, nothing makes any sense, everything about this movie is wrong. Just don't watch it.
Epic Fail
peter_schaeffer5 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This move is bad. Sadly 'bad' only has three letters. Maybe something more like 'execrable', 'horrific', or 'fantastically vile' would be more appropriate. Actually, I lean towards 'epic', as in epically bad.
Actually, this movie is a Rorschach test of a sort. Basically, do parents love their kids enough to sit through this piece of drek. The answer to that question is Yes, they do. On the way out of the movie I suggested (rather loudly) that any parent who takes their kid to this movie has earned the 'Hero Parent of the Millennium' award. Several people (total strangers) came up to me and agreed with me. It was that bad.
Some people might try to argue that this is a sold zero star movie. I disagree. I think this film dreams of being a zero star movie and never comes close. Sadly, we don't have a way to rate movies with negative stars. Perhaps this movie will inspire a new rating system with negative stars.
Now in all fairness, the CGI was impressive and the music wasn't that bad. Still, watching this movie is taking one for the team (your kids).
I suggest bringing earphones and listening to a good video. 'Super Volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest' comes to mind. A number theory video might help here.
Actually, this movie is a Rorschach test of a sort. Basically, do parents love their kids enough to sit through this piece of drek. The answer to that question is Yes, they do. On the way out of the movie I suggested (rather loudly) that any parent who takes their kid to this movie has earned the 'Hero Parent of the Millennium' award. Several people (total strangers) came up to me and agreed with me. It was that bad.
Some people might try to argue that this is a sold zero star movie. I disagree. I think this film dreams of being a zero star movie and never comes close. Sadly, we don't have a way to rate movies with negative stars. Perhaps this movie will inspire a new rating system with negative stars.
Now in all fairness, the CGI was impressive and the music wasn't that bad. Still, watching this movie is taking one for the team (your kids).
I suggest bringing earphones and listening to a good video. 'Super Volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest' comes to mind. A number theory video might help here.
The Most "Ok" Movie of 2019 Yet
garethfirexd3 May 2019
Not great, but then again, also not made for me
Mr-Fusion2 May 2019
I don't know how "UglyDolls" made it to theaters instead of just dropping on Netflix, but then again, I'm not in marketing. What unfolds is ninety minutes of bright colors, lots of noise and tired gags. And it's a long ninety minutes.
But the kids in my theater (my 9 year-old included) really liked it. My daughter enjoyed herself, even being moved at one point. And Kelly Clarkson is impressive in her own right.
Best I can offer is actually wait til it's on Netflix, then the ticket price won't sting. But it's harmless.
But the kids in my theater (my 9 year-old included) really liked it. My daughter enjoyed herself, even being moved at one point. And Kelly Clarkson is impressive in her own right.
Best I can offer is actually wait til it's on Netflix, then the ticket price won't sting. But it's harmless.
Ugly Dolls Beautiful Story
awhite-105418 December 2019
Ugly Dolls may not have done well in Box Office but it has a beautiful story for kinds to learn. It includes great songs and great voice overs for each character, especially ones that children know and can relate to. Go in this movie with a open mind and wonder what the director is trying to betray before judging it so harshly.
This...
andregarfo4 August 2019
UglyDolls Review
Magow-Intermean4 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye.
Millions of dolls are manufactured every year for kids to play. But what happens to those that are less than perfect? The ones who aren't perfect enough to hit the stores because of their irregularities go to Uglyville where all the rejected dolls are sent to live. One plucky doll named Moxy, played by Kelly Clarkson, believes that she will get chosen to be someone's doll eventually. She convinces her friends to join her in search of the big world, but instead, they come across the Institute for Perfection where dolls go through a series of tests to be paired with the right child.
Although its core idea is that we should accept one another despite our differences, 'UglyDolls' squanders this timeless lesson and reduces it to a film that doesn't know how to engage with its audience. Breaking into song at every occasion it gets to maximise the talents of its voice cast is the logical approach, but the tracks are neither well written nor composed to make them memorable. They end up becoming a drag, and it doesn't help that the rest of the plot isn't exactly innovative either. Add voice acting that's uninspired with almost every actor seemingly phoning in their lines. In this sea of weak performances, Janelle Monae makes a genuine attempt to make her character Mandy stand out, but her role is relatively small to make a significant difference.
To make matters worse, the animation and character design are both less than stellar. Although the 'ugly dolls' are made to look endearing enough, the 'perfect' dolls come across as poorly rendered video game ripoffs. The environment designs aren't memorable despite the limited areas the film is set in. The biggest blunder is the film's screenplay that goes all over the place as it's unable to keep its target audience in focus - it veers between catering to kids and then to adolescents, with its group dynamics, and the constant peer pressure to look a certain way. Sadly, this ends up being - and there's no joy in making this pun - an ugly mess.
Although its core idea is that we should accept one another despite our differences, 'UglyDolls' squanders this timeless lesson and reduces it to a film that doesn't know how to engage with its audience. Breaking into song at every occasion it gets to maximise the talents of its voice cast is the logical approach, but the tracks are neither well written nor composed to make them memorable. They end up becoming a drag, and it doesn't help that the rest of the plot isn't exactly innovative either. Add voice acting that's uninspired with almost every actor seemingly phoning in their lines. In this sea of weak performances, Janelle Monae makes a genuine attempt to make her character Mandy stand out, but her role is relatively small to make a significant difference.
To make matters worse, the animation and character design are both less than stellar. Although the 'ugly dolls' are made to look endearing enough, the 'perfect' dolls come across as poorly rendered video game ripoffs. The environment designs aren't memorable despite the limited areas the film is set in. The biggest blunder is the film's screenplay that goes all over the place as it's unable to keep its target audience in focus - it veers between catering to kids and then to adolescents, with its group dynamics, and the constant peer pressure to look a certain way. Sadly, this ends up being - and there's no joy in making this pun - an ugly mess.
Generic and boring
robbertapps5 May 2019
Accept yourself
Aliraluna3 May 2019
Wow this movie is amazing. Behind the beautiful colors, animation and story lies great and real messages about our society and how most of us are constantly fighting against social standards. It trully gives me hope that one day I will be able to accept completely myself as these beautiful "ugly" dolls do.
It's a solid 6.
Lee-Broad8 March 2021
The message is positive and the songs are catchy. I think some of the ratings given by adults are unfair.
I'm not sure where how it's been rated 'severe' for violence. It's a kids cartoon, not The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Any frightening scenes and violence in this film are certainly no worse than some of the scenes in Disney films.
My daughter was 4 when she first saw this, she's quite sensitive and didn't show any signs that she was disturbed by what she saw.
If your child can handle the gore-fest that is Snow White, then they will be just fine with this film.
Hot Garbage
moviemnic30 May 2020
The most pandering, in your face message paired with bad voice acting, terrible songs and the most visually uninteresting animation I've seen in a while. Muted colors contrast against the bright colors of the ugly dolls which should be striking but everything blends together in a big grey mess. I though that the color palette of Zack Snyder's movies seem dull but wow. Not quite as bad as the emoji movie but quite close. Avoid at all costs.
Waste of money
kivamore16 June 2019
Not worth the time
flyeres31 July 2019
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews