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 1h 2m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★6.6TMDB · 96★6.8IMDB · 1,935

FamilyComedyAnimation

Synopsis

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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!

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

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Cast

Rickey D'Shon Collins
Vince (voice)
Jason Davis
Mikey Blumberg (voice)
Myles Jeffrey
T.J. Detweiler (voice)
Ashley Johnson
Gretchen (voice)
Courtland Mead
Gus (voice)
Pamela Adlon
Spinelli (voice)
Allyce Beasley
Miss Grotke (voice)
April Winchell
Miss Finster / Mrs. Detweiler (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Howy Parkins
Writers: Elijah Aron, Bart Jennett
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 62-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Recess Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Denis M. Hannigan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rickey D'Shon Collins and Jason Davis and Myles Jeffrey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Wow ... fifth grade! But what good is practically being a grown-up when the teacher's a big sourpuss?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0382937 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 96 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Howy Parkins directs. Denis M. Hannigan scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 62-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 23 years ago.
3Part of the "Recess Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Original score by Denis M. Hannigan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Rickey D'Shon Collins and Jason Davis and Myles Jeffrey carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Wow ... fifth grade! But what good is practically being a grown-up when the teacher's a big sourpuss?".
7IMDB entry: tt0382937 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 96 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Original score: Denis M. Hannigan
Runtime: 62 min · 1h 2m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade (2003)
IMDB rating: 6.8/10 · 1,935 votes
MPAA: G

Part of

Recess Collection

The film collection follows the "Recess Gang," a group of young friends using creativity and resourcefulness to tackle school and neighborhood challenges. Central themes include friendship, teamwork, and courage, as the gang protects recess, prevents summer break cancellation, stands against bullying, and navigates daily life changes. These films appeal through childhood nostalgia, charming animated characters, and a blend of comedy, adventure, and drama. Each movie emphasizes the joy and innocence of childhood, the importance of unity, perseverance, and standing up for what's right. The vibrant animation and dynamic character designs enhance the captivating adventures.

Also by

Howy Parkins

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-07-12
★ 5/10
Thankfully better than 'Recess: All Growed Down', but 'Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade' is still a bit of a chore to watch. This again features a couple of different stories, though to be fair their integration into the film is much improved if still a bit messy. The cast are as they've always been, solid but not exactly memorable. Animation-wise it's decent. This is more on the level of 'Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street', yet still miles off 'Recess: School’s Out'. I simply don't understand why they didn't create three unique stories for these sequels, as they did for the original production. Compiled stories are, in my opinion, lazy. Not a series of films that I'll be revisiting, but they are ones that have pretty respectable ratings across a few platforms so it seems I'm in the minority. Each to their own, as always!

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