Comedy
Comedy movie reviews
Hotel Transylvania Review
It’s hard for a father to let his little girl go out into the world and start her own life. Dracula (voice of Adam Sandler) had an especially hard time with that; you’d think by the time his daughter turned 118 years old he’d let her go, but that wasn’t the case. It all started after his wife past away and Dracula realized that he was the sole parent of his beautiful baby girl, Mavis (voice of Selena Gomez). He was going to protect her no matter what it took; though he became a little bit too protective. Dracula believed that all humans were evil, so he turned his castle into a high end resort for monsters, hidden away from all humans, which kept his daughter safe and secluded. However, things dramatically changed when a young man discovered the posh resort, and fell madly in love with Dracula’s daughter. Dracula desperately tried to keep the young man away from his little girl, which wasn’t an easy task. Hotel Transylvania is wonderful, hilarious, heartfelt film for the whole family.
Rating: 5 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: January 29, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
I loved this movie! It’s about parents loving their kids unconditionally and wanting them to have a content life with no difficulties or worries. Dracula eventually came to realize that children need to discover things for themselves and face their own trials that life brings. Dracula said to his daughter, “the worst thing is seeing you unhappy.”
Johnny, the boy who fell in love with Mavis (Dracula’s daughter), respected Dracula and his wishes. This was hard at times because he was so in love with Mavis and wanted to be with her.
The film is very funny and sweet,though also sad in parts. Dracula’s wife died when Mavis was a baby. She left Mavis a note which described the value of love, and that it only happens once in a lifetime.
There was some potty humor as one of the monster’s continuously passed gas; one even urinated on the furniture. Kids in the theater thought that was funny.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Mavis and Johnny kiss.
- We see a pair of bees in bed on their honeymoon.
Violent Content: Mild
- Dracula tried to keep Johnny and Mavis apart, which caused some chaos throughout the film.
- When we hear the story of Mavis’ mom’s death, we see a burning building with men and women holding torches. As I previously mentioned, Dracula and the other monsters felt that humans were evil. They eventually came to realize that wasn’t true.
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drugs and alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Overall this was an entertaining, humorous film, one that parents don’t need to worry about their kids seeing. You can sit back and enjoy the show…you may even shed a tear.
Gulliver’s Travels Review
Gulliver’s Travels is an adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels. This is the story about Gulliver (Jack Black), who works in the mailroom at a New York newspaper, though he desperately wants to be a travel writer for the newspaper. He finally gets his big break when he’s sent out on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle. Hit by an unexpected storm, Gulliver is shipwrecked on the shore of a tiny island called Lilliput, and he is surrounded by the tiny inhabitants of this 18th century style kingdom. He and his new friends have many adventures as Gulliver risks his life to save Lilliput from their enemies.
Rating: Three out of five buckets
Release Date: April 19, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 5+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
In this kid friendly movie, children will be entertained by Jack Black’s character as a big, harry beast, (that’s how the Lilliputian’s described him). He is a likable character, who you feel sorry for, and want to succeed.
Even though Gulliver was not initially liked by the Lilliputians, he ended up being an inspiration to them. He introduced them to music video games, and he taught his best friend Horatio some modern day courting techniques, which was quite humorous.
Sexual Content: Mild
This was a PG movie, which I think was rated correctly. There were some passionate kisses, but nothing inappropriate. There was one scene where the princess asks her fiance why he loves her, and points to her chest. Something parents may want to know.
Violent Content: Moderate
- There were a few battles, in one scene Gulliver was hit by cannonballs on his stomach, after the battle his chest was covered with red welts, it was disgusting.
- In another scene, Gulliver was fighting with a general, who built a giant robot to defeat Gulliver. Gulliver took a lot of abuse from this robot.
Profanity: Mild
- There was some profanity, nothing too bad.
When the movie was finished I interviewed a 6 year old boy and his dad. The boy liked the movie, and the dad said he thought it was okay, but a good kid movie. That’s how I felt, the movie was just okay. However, kids seemed to enjoy it, there was nothing too inappropriate, a movie boys and girls may like. Appropriate for kids ages five and up.
Grown Ups Review
This is the story about five friends in their early forty’s who reunite at the funeral of their childhood basketball coach. After the funeral they spend the Fourth of July weekend together, with their families, at the lake house where they had once celebrated a championship basketball season. Even though these men are “grown ups” now, they don’t always act like it.
Rating: Three out of five buckets
Release Date: November 9, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
Great all star cast with Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. This group together lends itself to a comedy.
Adam Sandler plays a successful Hollywood agent. Once he and his family are at the Lake House, Lenny (Adam Sandler) realizes how spoiled his children are. Initially his kids only drank bottled water, and he couldn’t get them away from their cell phones and video games. It was refreshing to see the gradual change of his kids, they learned to appreciate nature; and that you don’t need electronics to have fun. This is a good lesson for kids.
Some adults in their forty’s will relate to these five men as they face middle age pressures, such as their career issues, marriage, parenting, weight gain and of course hair loss.
This is a PG13 rating, which I thought was appropriately rated.
Sexual Content:
- Some things parents may want to know: there were many suggestive sexual comments, some male rear nudity.
- Even though I liked “The Wedding Crashers,” and “The Hangover.” I didn’t particularly like this type of silly, potty humor, however the audience did. Some jokes were:
- One of the wives breast-fed her four year-old son, that was a continuous joke throughout the whole movie. That joke has been in many movies lately and in my opinion has gotten old.
- There were many sexual comments. The men and young boys made many suggestive comments about women.
Violent Content: Mild
- Silly slapstick violence
Profane or crude language: Moderate
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
My fourteen year-old daughter didn’t like it at all, she thought it was stupid and boring. My friend’s twelve year-old daughter said it was “dumb humor.” But my ten and twelve year old boys absolutely loved it, so did other boys in the theater. Whenever I looked over at my boys they had big smiles on their faces, while my daughter ‘s comments were,“This is not funny at all,” her comments made me laugh more than the movie.
It seemed that the audience thought this was a funny movie, they were laughing the whole time. Though when I interviewed people after the movie I got mixed reviews, but I found that most boys ages 10 and up loved it! When I was leaving the theater a man yelled out, “Give it five buckets.” So to compromise, I’m going to give it 3 out of 5 buckets. I do think boys 10 and up will find it to be fun and entertaining.
Furry Vengeance Review
“Furry Vengeance” is the story about a real-estate developer named Dan (Brendan Fraser). He moves his family from Chicago to Oregon to oversee the building of a major housing development. However, this new project threatens the homes of the local animals, so these animals, led by a raccoon, seek revenge; and that’s when all the trouble begins for Dan.
Rating: Two out of five buckets
Release Date: August 17, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: Any age
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Mild
Talking Points:
The characters are very likable. Brooke Shields character plays Dan’s loving and supportive wife. Dan is a good husband and dad, he wants everyone in the family to be happy with their move to Oregon. He tries to please his wife, son and his demanding boss.
This an appropriately rated PG movie, it’s a family friendly movie with nothing too inappropriate.
The movie is supposed to be a comedy, but I felt sorry for Dan, and didn’t find it very funny. He’s a good guy who works hard to provide a nice life for his family, but in return he receives a lot of abuse from the local animals. He’s tossed back and forth in a porta-potty by a huge bear; he’s continually being bitten and pummeled by a raccoon, he gets locked in his car with spraying skunks, and he’s also stung by a swarm of bees. The physical and slapstick humor got old.
I know that there was supposed to be a lesson for the viewers of preserving and protecting nature, but Dan get’s abused so much by the end you feel bad for him, not for the animals. I love what a reviewer from Entertainment Weekly said, “I’m not convinced that repeated assaults to the groin, bee stings to the eyes, raccoon pee in the mouth, or skunk stink sprayed head to toe is the way to teach ecological balance.”
Even though I didn’t care so much for the movie, it was a family friendly movie, and the kids in the theater seemed to like it. I interviewed three boys ages 6 to 8, they all enjoyed it, though my 10 year old son thought it was okay. I’m going to give it 2 buckets out of 5. I think it’s appropriate for kids ages five and up.
Fun Size Review
It was going to be a great Halloween for Wren (Victoria Justice) and her best friend April. The two high school seniors were invited to THE party of the year… life was good. However things changed when Wren’s mom told her she had to take Albert, her 10 year old brother, out treat-or-treating. Wren’s dad had recently passed away, and her mom wasn’t handling things well; she was dating a 26 year old party boy. Being the responsible girl that she was, Wren listened to her mom and took Albert out on Halloween night. That’s when the adventures began as Wren, her best friend, and her little brother went out trick or treating. Fun Size is a comedic film for teenagers.
Rating: 3 and 1/2 buckets out of 5.
Release Date: February 19, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 14+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent Content: Mild
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Talking Points:
Wren was the rock of the family after her father died. Joy (Wren’s mom) didn’t handle things quite as well; she started dating a 26 party boy, while Wren remained grounded and tried to help the family.
Albert, Wren’s younger brother, loved to play pranks on people; something you many not want your kids emulating.
There are some humorous parts to the film, but a lot of odd parts as well. We see a newly widowed mom enjoying her” boy toy” in front of her kids, we see two very quirky lesbian moms giving parental advice, and we see a young boy doing pranks throughout the film, while hiding from his sister.
Sexual Content: Moderate
- There are several sexual references throughout the film.
- Joy’s (Wren’s mom) boyfriend slept overnight. We see him the next morning walking around in his boxers, while Wren and her little brother are eating breakfast.
- A teenage girl was trying to decide what to be for Halloween, though she said it had to be sexy!!!
- We see suggestive dance moves at a party.
- One boy touches another girls chest at a party. The couple end up sleeping together on the couch. Even though we don’t see anything, the next morning she’s disheveled…it’s implied that they’ve had a sexual encounter.
- A guy strips and runs down the street naked. We see a blurred guy running down the street.
- A guy at a party asks a group of girls which one would like to make-out, they all raise their hands….so does a boy.
Violent Content: Mild
- Two bullies threaten to beat up the two nerdy boys.
- A character accidentally sets an apartment on fire.
- A very large man throws a guy on the floor, and smashes him through a door.
Crude or Profane Language: Moderate
- “Sh–,” “a–,” “h—,” “d–n,” and “b–ch” are all said a couple of times, even by some adolescents.
Drugs and Alcohol Content: Moderate
- We see teens drinking beer and hard liquor at the Halloween party.
- We see character’s drinking Jell-O shots.
- We see another character drinking a bottle of alcohol while getting out of his car.
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Overall this is a movie that teens may enjoy, however parents need to be aware of the teenage drinking and moderate sexual content in the film.