Sweet but mature animated love story is aimed at grown-ups.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
A lot of drinking, mostly in bars. Some characters get drunk and provoke arguments. Several people smoke cigarettes and cigars, and one person tries to get high smoking marijuana.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
A few animated conflicts, including a realistic slap-fight between two women, a car chase, and a not totally realistic drug-related shooting that leaves a man dead.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
The main message is that some people just seem to be meant together, no matter what barriers come between them. The main characters are tempestuous lovers, but behind their spats, they're crazy about each other, and their relationship transcends distance, time, and other complications.
Positive Role Models
very little
Chico isn't always the best boyfriend, letting his jealousy get the better of him, picking fights, and even straying at times. And Rita may not be the best girlfriend, either, as she leaves him behind to pursue fame and fortune. But they both eventually realize who they're meant to be with.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the Oscar-nominated Chico & Rita may be animated, but it isn't aimed at kids. It's a grown-up love story about two Cuban musicians who fall for each other hard but can't always make it work. There are some bitter arguments with plenty of swearing (mostly in Spanish, with English subtitles), some sex scenes complete with realistic cartoon nudity, and a good deal of drinking and smoking. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Visually arresting and rich with music, but love story misses mark
Ironically, for all the excitement, passion, and life that the Latin jazz soundtrack brings to Chico & Rita, the story itself is a predominately quiet one, with most action and conversations very reserved and mellow. And despite all the globetrotting and love-hate yearnings Chico and Rita share and experience, there’s not enough of an investment in the time they spend together to make us feel for the times they’re apart. Directors Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba should be credited for bringing something unique to the animation genre, but even the engaging animation and lively Latin soundtrack can’t save or elevate the muted love story that could have been. >>>>> Chico & Rita is an animated feature released by the largely kid-friendly GKIDS, but it is definitely not for children. Rita is fully nude for an extended scene, she and Chico are both nude while making love, and several women’s bare behinds are shown. In terms of violence: Chico’s girlfriend and Rita fight across Chico’s apartment floor, Chico is shot in a dream sequence, and another character is shot several times and killed. There is also drinking, smoking, profanities, and one racial slur. >>>>> READ MY FULL REVIEW AT: filmfather [dot] blogspot [dot] com.
What's the Story?
Chico (voiced by Eman Xor Ona) is a struggling piano player; Rita (Limara Meneses) is a struggling singer. In this animated film set in 1948 Cuba, they fall hard for each other and make not only a beautiful couple, but also a duo on the verge of stardom. The only thing that comes between them is themselves, as petty jealousy and drunken arguments threaten to break up them ... and their act. Can they have success and each other, or will their tempestuous relationship threaten their path to stardom?
CHICO & RITA is a love story about two people who can't be together and can't be apart; if it were live action, with real people, it would probably seem predictable and cliched. But shifting the medium to animation makes the tale seem more believable and adds an entertaining, interesting, albeit ultimately not completely satisfying, twist.
This is not a cartoon for kids, it's about adults making grown-up choices. It's charming, melancholy, and bittersweet -- with sublime music -- and you root for the characters not to make the mistakes that are clearly about to happen. In the end, they may not get everything they hoped for, but eventually they get what they truly need.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Chico and Rita's relationship. Do you think they were meant to be together? Is there such a thing? Or is it a fiction promoted by movies, books, and TV shows?
Do you think animation is the right medium for this type of story? Can you imagine the same film using live-action actors? Do cartoons have to be aimed at children?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
