| Audience: | Mature High Schooler |
| MPAA Rating: | Rated R for crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity. |
| Profanity: | Extremely strong and crude language used by adults and child |
| Nudity/Sex: | Very explicit and vulgar sexual references and situations, nudity, very explicit discussion of sex with children |
| Alcohol/Drugs: | Drinking, drugs, character is a recovering drug abuser |
| Violence/Scariness: | Comic violence, fantasy battles, swords |
| Diversity Issues: | None |
| Movie Release Date: | November 7, 2008 |
It takes some brains to make a good dumb comedy. Paul Rudd, who has been the best thing in too many films that ranged from dumb, to awful, to wildly uneven, has co-created a film that manages to insult the intelligence of its characters without insulting the intelligence of its audience too badly.
I could have done with less emphasis on the inherent hilarity of hearing an angry little kid use bad language and make sexually precocious comments and some of the double entendres were so nudge-nudge obvious they were closer to single and a fraction. But some good lines and sharply observed characters make it above average for its genre.
Rudd and Seann William Scott play Danny and Wheeler, who work for a company that sells a soft drink called Minotaur by visiting schools for a phony "don't do drugs" talk that is really just a way to push their soda. Wheeler wears a Minotaur suit and Danny half-heartedly tells the kids to drink Minotaur instead of doing drugs and then they drive off in their Minotaur-obile. This is all just fine with Wheeler, a walking id who just wants to get high and have sex. But Danny once wanted more from life and when his increasing bitterness causes his lawyer girlfriend to leave him, seeing the Minotaur-obile towed away is just one indignity too many. He objects, leading to arrests, leading to community service at Sturdy Wings, a Big Brother-style place run by a former drug addict (Jane Lynch). Each is assigned a "Little." Wheeler gets a precocious kid (Bobb'e J. Thompson) who swears all the time and accuses everyone of racism and child abuse. He is also way too fascinated with feminine anatomy, a trait they manage to bond over. And Danny gets Augie ("Superbad" McLovin's Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a cape-wearing nerd whose life revolves around a Medieval-ish role-playing game
Director David Wain manages the tricky balance between having some fun with the conventions of the genre without getting mean about it. Yes, everyone learns a few lessons about self-respect and relationships (and sword-fighting) but when they do it in medieval role-playing gear inspired by a rock band, it's a lot of fun to watch.
Parents should know that this film has extremely crude humor, homophobic epithets, gross-out comedy, a prison rape joke, very explicit sexual references and situations, nudity, very strong language used by adults and child, an adult speaking to young children about sex, drinking, drugs, and comic violence.
Family discussion: Why did Augie like himself better in the role-playing game? Why did Danny stay in a job he didn't like?
If you like this, try: "American Pie," "The 40 Year Old Virgin," and Darkon, a terrific documentary about people who love role-playing games.
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Go you, Nell! I am a 20 year old woman and just finally understanding why my parents acted the way they did. I always felt like they just didn't want me growing up and that they didn't understand me and how "mature" I was. Now, though, I understand that no matter how mature I thought I was, and no matter how many f words got dropped in the hallways, they loved me enough to say no. My parents shielded me and helped me to stay young and pure of heart for as long as possible. I fought against them for it with all my will, but now I so appreciate them for it. They knew that they couldn't shield me from everything and that doing so wasn't the greatest idea anyways, but they just didn't want me to get over exposed to things that would hurt my heart and my innocence. They knew that innocence isn't coming back once it's gone. It saddens me to see 15 year olds comment on the internet thinking that they know everything like I once believed. I wish they could see from their parents' eyes. I still wish I could see from my parents' eyes. But now I am free to make my own mistakes and learn on my own. I just wish children would wait longer to decide they are smarter than their parents. Wait long enough to realize that they will never be.
I love your comment, Brianna! You remind me of the great line from Mark Twain: "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned."
Your parents clearly did a great job and they are lucky to have you, as I am sure they know. Thanks for the comment and please return often.
I agrre with you Nell! Its rediuclous that parents allow their kids to watch this kind of trash. Its pathetic enough that adults watch it. To me.. anyone ammused by something like this and willing to waist 2 hours on it is less intelligent than average. yes thats a harsh jedgment but too bad thats how I think.
As a 20 year old female I find this movie vulgar and pointless. It is insulting to women and kids with special needs. Women are only seen as one thig in this movie. It makes me sick. It is so sad that so much money is put into glorifying drugs and sex in this manner. I am really sick of what society is potraying in media as "funny." This movie isn't funny. Its ruthless,vulgar, pointless and sexist.
I truly rely on your site for insight into movies that may/may not be what I'm willing to expose my children to... keep up the great work!! :)
Thanks a million Tashina! You made my day. If you ever have any questions or comments or suggestions, let me know!
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