Parents' Guide to

Can of Worms

By Tracey Petherick, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Nerdy teens battle aliens in harmless Disney sci-fi fun.

Movie NR 1999 90 minutes
Can of Worms Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Can of Worms Movie: Scene #1
  • Can of Worms Movie: Scene #2
  • Can of Worms Movie: Scene #3

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In CAN OF WORMS, teenager Mike Pillsbury (Michael Shulman) is a computer-science nerd who has never felt he belongs on Earth and has built a satellite dish to communicate with the galaxy. When his blossoming friendship with cheerleader Katelyn (Erika Christensen) is sabotaged by the school's football star he reaches out to outer space for help, which comes in the shape of a talking dog, Barnabus (voiced by Malcolm McDowell). It turns out his message has served to tell the universe that Earth has reached a certain level of technological prowess and no longer falls under the Intergalactic Protection of Primitive Life. Cue the arrival of lots of opportunistic alien creatures, including the evil Thoad (Brian Steele) -- an intergalactic poacher who is abducting all life forms until he finds a perfect specimen. Now it's down to Mike and his friends to save planet Earth and free all of Thoad's alien -- and human -- hostages.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (2 ):

From the kitschy opening credits to the garish animatronic aliens, this feels like a cult 1980s movie -- despite being made by the Disney Channel in 1999. But once you get beyond the dated synthesizer music and rubbery puppets, you'll find an entertaining coming-of-age sci-fi yarn. It's a combination of typical high school angst -- failing at football, liking the popular girl -- and preposterous space fantasy. Even the laughable special effects just add to the fun.

The extra-terrestrials who aren't trying to abduct everyone are witty and amusing (an intergalactic lawyer who offers to help Mike sue planet Earth; alien media agents in a bidding war to get Mike on their books) while Barnabus the talking dog -- brilliantly voiced by McDowell -- brings a comedic gravitas to the chaos. The teenage cast does a good job of balancing nerdiness with charm, and Mike has a couple of great scenes that bring to mind the manic energy of Doc Brown in Back to the Future. In many ways the overall message here is "be careful what you wish for." But dig beneath the kitschy surface and Can of Worms is also a lesson in appreciating what you've got, even when you feel like you don't belong.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Can of Worms explores the theme of feeling as if you don't belong. Mike thinks he might be from outer space, but in what ways can people experience these feelings in real life? How can you help people feel a part of something?

  • Did you find any of the alien creatures scary? How to choose a scary movie for your kid.

  • Are Mike and his friends good role models? If so, in what way? What character strengths do they display? Can you think of a time when you've had to demonstrate such traits?

  • Talk to your kids about the special effects in the movie. Did they feel dated? How did they compare to movies made today?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

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.

See how we rate