10 Forgotten Nickelodeon Movies That Deserve Another Look

Nickelodeon has produced dozens of great features over the decades, and these are some of the best that one rarely hears about anymore. While the Nickelodeon name has largely become associated with cartoons, the company actually has a surprisingly diverse slate of content, with films in different formats, both live-action and animated, that appeal to every age group.

While Nickelodeon launched as a channel in the 1970s, it wasn’t until the 1990s that it got involved with producing feature films with Nickelodeon Movies. This started with Harriet the Spy in 1996, and the Kenan and Kel-starring Good Burger in 1997. They expanded on many of their animated series with theatrical releases and created new franchises as well.

The studio has had big hits and misses alike. While features like Paw Patrol: The Movie played well to their audiences, others like Monster Trucks failed to connect. Handling of the new Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender has recently been worrisome, but a look back at how Nickelodeon has produced its features shows they know what they are doing.

To this day, the IP most largely associated with the Paramount subsidiary is the shows and movies of SpongeBob SquarePants​​​​. SpongeBob has been a phenomenon in children’s television since launching in 1999, and continues to air new episodes all these years later. With that said, even details about that brand’s history are worth looking at in greater detail.

Charlotte’s Web (2006)

Charlotte’s Web feels like a product of its time in all the best ways. With a great performance by Dakota Fanning at its center and a who’s who of celebrity voices, including Julia Roberts, Robert Redford, and Oprah Winfrey, the film is a strong adaptation of the classic novel by E.B. White.

An exceptional family film, Charlotte’s Web unfortunately did not attract much attention in theaters and has since been nearly forgotten. Still, the film is an emotional affair, looking at a beautiful relationship between a pig and a spider.

With great CGI animation that still mostly holds up today, the film remains a must-watch. Beautiful, emotional, and accessible, this movie is one of the sweetest films that Nickelodeon has yet made, and is one of the best kids’ movies of the 2000s.

Clockstoppers (2002)

One of the harder films to justify on this list, earning only a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Clockstoppers is a surprisingly special entry in Nickelodeon’s early live-action canon. Directed by Jonathan Frakes and produced by Gale Ann Hurd, the film’s story revolves around a gadget that can stop time.

The film embodies the 2002 aesthetic in a way that has become comfortingly nostalgic, and Jesse Bradford and Paula Garcés give accessible performances at its center, allowing the film’s premise to be satisfyingly explored.

Silly, light, and frothy, Clockstoppers gave a great glimpse into the direction that the Nickelodeon brand was heading, and remains a surprisingly strong entry in the studio’s storied history.

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001)

Credit: Nickelodeon/Courtesy Everett Collection

Shockingly, it seems that the popularity of this 2001 film has actually been subsumed by the animated series that followed, to the extent that many forget where Jimmy Neutron himself came from. This animated science fiction comedy was a huge hit upon release, and remains one of Paramount’s best.

Set in Retroville, 10-year-old genius inventor Jimmy and his friends must team up to save their parents after they are abducted by aliens. The film is a hilarious romp, and even if the animation has become somewhat dated in the intervening years, the story more than makes up for it.

Jimmy Neutron is a great character, and needs to make a comeback of some kind. Despite plans being discussed for another movie, even as recently as 2023, nothing has yet come together.

Rugrats In Paris: The Movie (2000)

Movies spun off from television series are a great way to expand a franchise, but they also generally limit their audiences. While Rugrats was enormous through the 1990s and into the 2000s, the series’ popularity has since died out, which has drawn little interest to films like this one in recent years.

This is disappointing because Rugrats in Paris is a strong feature that is surprisingly emotional. The best parts of the cartoon and its characters are expanded on for this big-screen adventure, and the animation is strong.

Of all the early spinoff films that Nickelodeon put together, Rugrats in Paris might be the strongest. Even divorced from the TV series, the movie deserves more attention today.

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

Young adult fantasy adaptations were enormous in the 2000s, following the massive success of Harry Potter and Twilight. Series like Percy Jackson and The Chronicles of Narnia were able to find various levels of success, but others like The Spiderwick Chronicles were largely overlooked.

While this adaptation was able to turn a small profit, it should have done better. Starring Freddie Highmore, the film saw a haunting conflict emerge against the evil Mulgarath, and did a great job adapting the popular book series for the big screen.

With all kinds of Spiderwick books released, it is disappointing that The Spiderwick Chronicles never spawned a movie franchise. Still, this chapter stands alone and remains among Nickelodeon’s best fantasy films.

Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging (2008)

Boasting one of the strangest titles of any Nickelodeon film, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a wonderful tween comedy that follows Georgia Nicholson, a 14-year-old girl attempting to find a boyfriend.

Based on the book series by Gurinda Chadha, the film does a great job of connecting with a young teen audience, discussing all of the very real challenges of girlhood with humor and heart. The film also features a young Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the protagonist’s love interest.

Angus might have limited appeal, and some, especially in the West, may have been turned off by its unusual title. Still, this is a strong film and holds up incredibly well today.

Dora And The Lost City Of Gold (2019)

Dora the Explorer is one of the longest-running kids’ shows, but that association unfortunately did a disservice to this film. While the series has been massively popular, it is squarely aimed at preschoolers, with little to offer to audiences more than seven or eight years old.

That is not the case for Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Taking the character and premise of Dora, but inserting her into an Indiana Jones-like adventure with humor, heart, and exciting adventure, the new movie did a great job in making the Dora franchise and character into something much bigger.

Unfortunately, the confusing appeal of this film, starring Isabela Merced, has led to it being severely underappreciated. The movie’s content has connected with all kinds of viewers who have given it a chance; it should be much better known.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

It is difficult to conceive of a SpongeBob movie being forgotten today, but that is largely the case with this 2004 feature. As the franchise has continued through the years, it has made a push for updated animation styles, moving into CGI and live-action hybrids, and leaving the traditional animation for the small screen.

The SpongeBob SquarePants movie was a phenomenon upon release, but of all the SpongeBob movies, it is now the least discussed. This is disappointing because the film is hilarious, charming, and full of memorable moments.

There are several great songs in the movie, including “Now That We’re Men,” and “I’m a Goofy Goober,” all of which contribute to making this arguably the best SpongeBob movie yet.

Rango (2011)

Rango is one of the best cult movies of the last century, and has become beloved by a very small subset of audiences. Most general viewers, however, have forgotten the Gore Verbinski animated feature entirely.

A western comedy about a chameleon, the film featured a strong voice cast including Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, and Abigail Breslin. It even went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, a well-deserved accolade for the project. With no franchise to follow, however, Rango quickly faded from memory.

With a more adult bent than many films Nickelodeon has produced, the film feels like such a unique entry in the studio’s canon. Steeped in film history, Rango remains a must-watch in 2026.

The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)

The Adventures of Tintin was supposed to be the start of a huge collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. The former helmed the first film, while the latter produced, and the pair intended to swap roles on a planned Tintin sequel. With a plethora of Hergé comics to draw from, there was great potential for a huge franchise.

The film was incredible, too. Strong voice and motion capture performances from the likes of Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell, and Andy Serkis worked to accurately recreate images from the beloved comics, crafting a beautifully unique visual style upon which a compelling mystery unraveled.

Arguably the best film that Nickelodeon has produced, it is a travesty that Tintin only grossed $77 million domestically. Looking back on the studio’s history, while there are many near-perfect Nickelodeon movies, Tintin stands high above as a benchmark for other studios to follow.