* AccidentalAesop: "Don't let your personal baggage influence your strategy." It's pointed out several times that many of Benedict's struggles and setbacks stem from his insistence on using Third Street School as a base of operations--solely because he's still bitter about losing his job as principal of the school. But if he hadn't tried to carry out his plan in a public elementary school in the middle of a heavily populated town, he probably would have had a much easier time keeping his plan secret...and it probably would have worked.
* AdaptationDisplacement: After ''Recess'' was cancelled, many fans were introduced to the show through the film from seeing it on video/DVD or on TV. Unfortunately, this has caused many young children to come upon reruns of the show ([[KeepCirculatingTheTapes if it does air again, anyway]]) and think it's based on the film (though they'd be forgiven for thinking such a thing, since Disney [[WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries frequently]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1992 makes]] [[Franchise/TheLionKing television]] [[WesternAnimation/TaleSpin ser]][[WesternAnimation/JungleCubs ies]] [[WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries based]] [[WesternAnimation/HerculesTheAnimatedSeries off]] [[WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand of]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan their]] [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries animated]] [[WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool films]]).
* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The backgrounds in the film are very well-made and detailed, compared to the series, and they look ''great''.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: ''The entire soundtrack'', composed largely of awesome '60s pop and psychedelia.
** Special mention to the background music that plays whenever T.J. has a plan... a beefed-up, more badass version of the regular BGM.
** The background score was really nice in the show, but the movie's background score is ''really'' impressive.
** The movie closes on easily the best song, Creator/RobertGoulet (as Mikey) covering Lemon Pipers' "Green Tambourine."
* CultClassic: While not as commercially mainstream as other Disney films, for a certain generation who grew up with the film, it's one of Disney's best animated movies, especially in the 2000s when Disney's regular animation department was going through an AudienceAlienatingEra.
** And for said certain demographic, it's considered '''the''' film to watch at the end of the school year.
* FirstInstallmentWins: Out of all three ''Recess'' films, the others being ''WesternAnimation/RecessTakingTheFifthGrade'' and ''Recess: All Growed Down'' [[note]]Although that one consisted of three previous episodes, an origin story, and wraparound material, it's still a movie according to Disney[[/note]], this one is the most well-known and well-received among ''Recess'' fans and the only one to get a theatrical release.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** Benedict's plot in the movie is to increase standardized testing and get rid of recess in order to improve grades in American schools. Fast forward fifteen years to the present and the American government in many states has received much criticism for placing more focus on standardized testing than actual applied learning and not allowing recess in some areas.
** During his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to TJ, Prickly says that, at one point in the school year, he got busted by the FBI because TJ informed them that Prickly was working with the Chinese as a double agent, [[DisproportionateRetribution all because he was giving the students a speech about personal hygiene]]. This can bring to mind the scandals involving college professors leaking intel to China.
** As a child viewer, Miss Finster taking such glee in selling back ice cream to the district for chalk and erasers comes off as typical KidsVersusAdults conflict, with the adult valuing something boring over something fun. As an adult viewer, particularly one familiar with the American school system, the need to get funding for basic supplies necessary for teaching makes a lot more sense. In a bad way.
* HilariousInHindsight: This [[WebVideo/CriticalRoleCampaignThree wouldn't be the last time]] a character played by Creator/AshleyJohnson dealt with a villain who wanted to mess with a moon during a major astrological event.
* MemeticMutation: "Hello, boys!"
** "BOMBARDMENT!"
* MoralEventHorizon: Though at first Dr. Benedict simply wished to get rid of recess, he decides to destroy summer vacation. And those paying attention will quickly put together that it won't end there; see NightmareFuel above.
* {{Narm}}:
** Right after T.J. and Principal Prickly's guard disguises fail T.J. yells "RUN!", but is still oddly smiling, possibly due to an animation error.
** When the gang discusses the song Becky taught them back in her nicer days, their almost awestruck expressions and remarks before they go into song are hilariously awkward.
** One of the early trailers (seen on the ''Film/AirBud: World Pup'' VHS) has a scene where the kids are about to break into the school with T.J. saying "Cover me, I'm going in", which is obviously recycled from the first episode. This is especially conspicuous because T.J. had a different voice actor in season one.
* SignatureScene:
** Everyone who's seen this movie remembers the "Green Tambourine" sequence from the credits.
** Principal Prickly's GrowingUpSucks speech for older viewers as it deeply resonates with how they also miss their own childhood days.
* {{Squick}}: The fact that Dr. Benedict ''still'' has the hots for Muriel Finster, despite the blindingly obvious fact of [[IWasQuiteALooker how much she's changed with age]]. Fortunately for the kids, [[ShutUpHannibal it's a good thing that Finster rightfully refuses to hear a word from him about it,]] considering that she is fully aware that ''his'' ''EvilPlan'' [[UnrequitedLoveLastsForever already established just how insane he was]].

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