Sherina is a little girl who is smart, energetic, and loves to sing. She lives in Jakarta with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Darmawan (Mathias Muchus and Ucy Nurul). However, Sherina has to leave her friends when her father accepts a job as an agronomist, at a plantation in Lembang owned by Ardiwilaga (Didi Petet). In her new environment, she quickly adapts and acquires some new friends. However, she becomes the target of the class bullies, consisting of a boy named Sadam (Derby Romero) and his two friends. Sherina cannot accept such treatment and she gathers her classmates in a struggle against Sadam. It turns out that Sadam is the son of the owner of the plantation Sherina's father works at, and together they have to thwart the attempts of a cunning businessman named Kertarajasa (Djaduk Ferianto), who wishes to buy out the plantation to complete his development project.
In 2017, the film was adapted into a theatrical production.
Take a closer look and you will find the following tropes:
- Anywhere but Their Lips: Sherina kisses Sadam on the forehead before she's forced to leave him to escape on her own.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: Raden is a Javanese nobility title. Also a case of Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep".
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Downplayed as she's not really doing the manipulation on her own and is under Kertarajasa's order anyway, but Natasya acts like a friend to Mr. and Mrs. Ardiwilaga when she convinced them to sell the plantation so they can get the money for the kidnappers.
- The Bully: Sadam starts out as a bully, being the spoiled son of a plantation owner.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Kertarajasa would resort to kidnapping to get the land he wants.
- Dragon-in-Chief: Mr. Raden, the leader of Kertarajasa's kidnapping crew.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Sherina is gleeful when she discovers that Sadam's mom calls him Yayang (Honey).
- Fire-Forged Friends: By the end of their adventures, Sherina and Sadam have become friends.
- "I Am" Song: Kertarajasa sings a boastful song about himself while tango dancing with his assistant. Also a Villain Song.
- I Will Only Slow You Down: Sadam's asthma got relapsed the next day after he and Sherina escaped from the kidnappers. To make matters worse, the kidnappers found their hideout at the same time. So he forced her to leave him and reach their parents to tell them everything about the kidnapping and the mastermind, Kertarajasa.
- Last-Name Basis: Sherina and Sadam's parents are only known by their respective surnames.
- Mean Boss: Mr. Raden insults his henchmen a lot when their kidnapping attempt goes awry. To be fair for him, he's Surrounded by Idiots.
- My Beloved Smother: Mrs. Ardiwilaga spoils Sadam a lot.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: One of the kidnappers had a photograph of Natasya without knowing who she is until Mr. Raden told them that she's their boss's lover. Sherina overhears this, and then she also found a letter from Kertarajasa and Natasya detailing the kidnapping plan. She took the letter so she can give it to Mr. Ardiwilaga after she escaped letter to let him know that Kertarajasa and Natasya are the mastermind behind his son's kidnapping.
- Scenery Porn: The mountainous scenery of Lembang is lovingly shown off in Sherina and Sadam's hiking scenes.
- The Smurfette Principle: Natasya is the only female among the villains.
- Unholy Matrimony: Kertarajasa and Natasya.
- "The Villain Sucks" Song: "Jagoan" ("Badass"), sang back and forth between Sherina and Sadam with their respective entourages, is Sherina standing up to Sadam and tearing him down.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Mr. Raden and his second-in-command begrudgingly admit to each other that while they may be willing to kidnap children and hurt them to apprehend them, they can't bring themselves to beat or kill the children.
