Recess: School's Out is fun! The Recess Gang's last summer as grade school students has arrived and TJ wants to make it the best ever, but the rest of the Gang, looking toward their future, have opted to improve themselves at summer camp. Without his friends the days drag by until TJ realizes something strange is going on in their empty school building. Only Principal Prickly will listen to him when TJ describes the uniformed men and weird lights he's seen at the school, but when Prickly goes to investigate he's mysteriously abducted. Now the only way to find out what's happening is for TJ to reunite his friends, but will even they believe him in time?

One of the better kid's shows on television, both in terms of production standards and in providing moral lessons, Recess follows natural leader TJ, athletic Vince, tomboy Spinelli, gentle giant Mikey, brainy Gretchen and newbie Gus during their schoolyard adventures. In Recess: School's Out the cartoon story serves as the backdrop for a more serious, and moving, message about the dreams of youth and how, as adults, those dreams can go awry. As the Gang becomes more serious about pursuing their dreams we see Principal Prickly and his assistant, Miss Finster, in flashback as young adults who have yet to lose the idealism of their own dreams. Comparing the children's yet to be filled dreams against the backdrop of the adult's unfulfilled ones added a poignant touch to an otherwise hilarious animated film. And trust me, Recess: School's Out is funny as the Recess Gang along with their schoolmates the Ashley Girls, the Diggers, King Ralph and the terrifying Kindergarten Class take on mercenaries, ninjas and mad scientists. The bad guys never stand a chance. The soundtrack of 60's rock is both appropriate and fun; especially a wonderful 60's style music video at the end in which each character, dressed in 60's attire, takes part in a beautiful rendition of "My Green Tambourine" against a psychedelic background. Weird sounding? Yeah, but very, very cool.

Recess: School's Out is one of the better kid's films to come around in a while and I strongly recommend that parents take a time out to see it with their kids.