Wild adventures paired with lovable and fearless protagonists have been the basis for almost every popular Nickelodeon television show. Viewers rooted for these characters to solve the complicated mysteries, mind-bending puzzles, or even defeat their despicable enemies. Often, these characters didn't qualify for their assigned mission.
Nickelodeon branched out to develop long-running animated and live-action shows, but the network also created animated and live-action movies. In 2022, Nickelodeon will release the film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank about a dog named Hank that undergoes martial arts training. The film premieres on July 15, 2022, but until then viewers can check out a few highly-rated Nickelodeon movies, and some movies that earned an Academy Award.
'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' (2019) - 6.1/10
Many viewers might recall watching cartoons and shows aimed at teaching them important lessons. For instance, in the 2000 animated television series, Dora the Explorer, young viewers followed seven-year-old Dora as she solved puzzles and other mysteries along with her pals. The 2019 movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold centered on the teenager Dora (Isabela Merced). Her parents wanted her to attend high school like every other "normal" teenager her age rather than venturing into the jungle.
During one of her class trips, a group of treasure-hunters ordered Dora to locate the Lost City of Gold, the same city her parents were trying to find. The movie relies on self-aware humor alluding to the 2000 TV series. About 30,582 IMDb users scored Dora and the Lost City of Gold a 6.1 out of 10. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is available on YouTube, but this won't be the only live-action Dora the Explorer as there are plans at Paramount Plus to create a live-action TV show.
'PAW Patrol: The Movie' (2021) - 6.1/10
The TV series PAW Patrol, which debuted in 2013, received its first film, PAW Patrol: The Movie in 2021. Similar to the TV series, PAW Patrol: The Movie, features Ryder (voiced by Will Brisbin) and his team of dogs known as the PAW Patrol. The PAW Patrol sprang into action whenever someone called them and asked for their help. In the movie, they were called to stop the mayor of Adventure City and his plans for destroying the city.
The film introduced its pups at the beginning and a short introduction for the viewers who didn't watch the TV series. Approximately 5,948 IMDb Users ranked PAW Patrol: The Movie a 6.1 out of 10. PAW Patrol: The Movie is available on Paramount+. While PAW Patrol: The Movie debuted in 2021, Paramount announced the sequel to the film Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie to release in 2023.
'The Spiderwick Chronicles' (2008) - 6.5/10
Moving to a new home is never easy, even for the Grace family. Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) inherited the Spiderwick Estate, a mansion located in Maine. She moved into the home with her twin sons, Jared and Simon (Freddie Highmore), and her daughter, Mallory (Sarah Bolger). The children accidentally found hidden rooms inside the home where they discovered artifacts and relics that explained their family's history.
In most films, the fantasy creatures were shown as friendly beings; however, The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) presents them as the enemies of the story. Approximately 95,315 IMDb users rated The Spiderwick Chronicles a 6.5 out of 10. The Spiderwick Chronicles is available on YouTube.
'Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events' (2004) - 6.8/10
In 2017, Neil Patrick Harris starred in the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events, where he played Count Olaf. Years before the series debuted, Jim Carrey played the lead role in the movie. A tragic house fire forced Violet (Emily Browning), Klaus (Liam Aiken), and Sunny Baudelaire (Kara Hoffman and Shelby Hoffman) to live with their relative, Count Olaf. Count Olaf demanded that the Baudelaire children follow his rules and fulfilled his wishes regardless of how bizarre they were.
Carrey played a total of three different characters in the film. Carrey was almost unrecognizable in these character transformations. The film won an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Achievement in Makeup. About 207,598 IMDb Users ranked Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) 6.8 out of 10. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is available on Vudu.
'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' (2004) - 7.1/10
Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence) hatched the ultimate plan to not only destroy Mr. Krabs' reputation but make him the most powerful civilian in Bikini Bottom. He stole King Neptune's crown leaving King Neptune completely helpless (not only did the crown give him authority, but it also covered his bald spot). King Neptune demanded that SpongeBob find his crown in Shell City and return it to him in a matter of six days.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) was based on the TV show SpongeBob SquarePants. The film centered on SpongeBob's hero's journey. SpongeBob transforms from a "kid" that might have collected several employees of the month awards to a man who isn't afraid of danger. About 89,669 IMDb Users ranked The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 7.1 out of 10. The animated film is available on Amazon Prime Video.
'Rango' (2011) - 7.2/10
A green chameleon wearing a red Hawaiian shirt named Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp) spent most of his life in an enclosed glass tank. He longed to see the rest of the world, hoping to make a name for himself. After an unfortunate car accident, Rango lands in the Mojave Desert in the city called Dirt. Rango had to worry about outlaws, gangs, and a hungry red hawk.
While most of the animals warned Rango that he wouldn't survive in this town, he clumsily tries to learn from his mistakes throughout the film. Rango (2011) won an Academy Award in 2012 for "Best Animated Feature Film of the Year." Based on approximately 260,790 IMDb users, Rango scored an average of 7.2 out of 10. The animated Western movie, Rango, is available on Hulu.
'The Adventures of Tintin' (2011) - 7.3/10
The Adventures of Tintin series aired for three seasons, from 1991 until 1992. Each episode of the series followed Tintin, a reporter, and his white Fox Terrier, Snowy, as they investigated a multitude of cases around the world. The detective pair earned their first feature film, The Adventures of Tintin, in 2011. This time Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) and Snowy were investigating a lost ship known as "the Unicorn," and they weren't the only ones searching for this ship.
Before the movie and the TV series, The Adventures of Tintin started as a European comic created by Hergé, whose original illustration style appeared at the beginning of the film. According to IMDb, about 229,590 IMDb users scored The Adventures of Tintin a 7.3 out of 10. The film included dramatic moments that left viewers on the edge of their seats. The Adventures of Tintin is available on Hulu.
'Mad Hot Ballroom' (2005) - 7.4/10
Among Nickelodeon's catalog of movies, one film mainly focused on telling an authentic story. In New York, school-aged students from both wealthy and poor neighborhoods learned the art of ballroom dancing. However, the film didn't focus on their classes and training, but also on their perspectives on learning the dance. Their practices led to the final competition where they competed against other elementary school dancers.
Marilyn Agrelo directed Mad Hot Ballroom (2005). The documentary followed an observational mode where she captured the children's conversations with each other. Mad Hot Ballroom earned an average score of 7.4 out of 10 from about 3,475 IMDb Users and is available on YouTube.