Iffy for 16+
Big-screen SNL skit explodes with crass humor, sex, blood.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that MacGruber is an action/comedy based on a series of Saturday Night Live sketches. During the transition to the big screen, the creators have added tons of foul language (everything from "f--k" to plays on the word "c--t"), extreme violence (including blood splatter and throats ripped out by hand) played for laughs, and sexual behavior that include some nude male bottoms and some graphic sexual noises. The movie also includes a good deal of gay humor, such as a brief kissing scene between two men played for laughs, and a couple scenes where MacGruber graphically propositions other men as a misguided bargaining tool. It's one of those movies whose goal is to make the audience laugh through increasing levels of shock, rather than actual jokes.
- Families can talk about the movie's extreme violence. Was it necessary? Did it make you laugh, or did you feel squeamish? How did the humorous nature of the movie temper the violence?
- How did the movie's sex scenes and sexual references affect you? Did they make you uncomfortable? Did they make you laugh? Why?
- Is the movie a parody? If so, what was it parodying? What makes a good (and bad) parody?
The good stuff
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Messages: MacGruber is not meant to be a message movie -- it's filled with crass humor, sex jokes, constant profanity, and non-stop violence. But it's all a big joke, so viewers are not meant to take it seriously. Also, MacGruber is on the side of the good guys, even if his motives are mostly personal.
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Role models: MacGruber is a flat-out terrible role model (though viewers would be hard-pressed to look to him as one). He exhibits endlessly stupid behavior, which is all part of his odd charm. He's not a team player, and often risks the lives of his teammates ahead of his own.
What to watch for
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Violence: The movie is filled with gory violence, all played for humor. For example, MacGruber is an expert at ripping people's throats out, which he does, several times, with nothing left to the imagination. There are innumerable guns, bullets fired, and dead bodies. Blood is sprayed and smeared. There are explosions, with characters caught inside and burned. Vicki graphically digs a bullet out of MacGruber's thigh. A nuclear warhead is at the center of the plot.
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Sex: The bottoms of two male characters are occasionally on display, and more than once with celery stalks sticking out. (The men are naked, but their genitals are not visible.) There are also two loud sex scenes, with no nudity (other than male hindquarters), but very graphic all the same. They involve graphic thrusting and language. Additionally, strong sexual language is heard throughout the movie, including a gay joke, reference to "date rape," and MacGruber telling an explicit story about a college girlfriend. An older woman who is posing as an artist's model is seen partly naked (one breast exposed), and some sexy pictures are seen on a wall.
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Language: Extremely strong language is used throughout, starting with dozens of uses of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as "asshole," "dick," "vagina," "God," "Goddamn," "bastard," "retard," and "butt." Characters are seen extending the middle finger. Additionally, the villain played by Val Kilmer is named "Dieter Von Cunth," and characters get no end of enjoyment saying his last name again and again.
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Consumerism: Stuck in the 1980s, MacGruber drives a Mazda Miata and listens to a Blaupunkt stereo (the latter of which is mentioned by name several times). Several mentions of Molsen beer, Coors Light appears in one shot, as does Tazo tea. There's also a reference to a product called an "incredi-mop," which doesn't appear to exist in real life.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: The heroes casually drink beer in one scene.
Fan Reviews provided by
3
Macgruber by JpRIzM
Is funny if you like spontanous jumps beetween seriousness and silliness. I thought the acting was solid considering the charecters but the dialog went overboard somtimes and parts that could have been funny were exagererated. Its starts off really good and slowly gets dumber and dumber. I liked the first half but my gf fell asleep almost instantly. These kinds of movies have a small demographic but are great if it hits your funnybone. Definetly a hit or miss movie.
3
I so wish i hadn't seen this... by lovestalentmoviefan
....but because of Ryan Phillipe and Kristin Wiig,alas,I went. Phillipe did his part well,The movie is just so beneath him,or what I thought of him. After I saw him use the celery,my opinion went down. Wiig is too good for this as well. Have to say her perf in the coffee shop saved the day for me though. I had given this a no,but will change to soso. Too inane to even write anymore about. WARNING--DO NOT SPEND MONEY AT THEATRE!
2
Very few saving graces on this one by birac
Wiigs acting,and good soundtrack made this palatable,but,personally,I wouldn't go again for free. SPOILER ALERTS...sex with ghost of dead wife in the graveyard is just one example of how tasteless and too far this embarrassment of a movie went.Kilmer,Wiig and Ryan P. must be feeling desperate or something. I really might have enjoyed it a little if the lead was almost anybody else,say Jeremy Piven or Steve Zahn. trust me. spend no money,waste no time.
1
Five Word Review by lisalisa223
awful! Vulgar mindless pointless sucked
1
Five Word Review by wjb123
lousy crap terrible bad awful
2
Missed the mark by fanfmov73
Good concept. I thought it would be a spoof of the hit long-running TV show of a similar name. But a spoof involves some intelligence. This didn't relate to the TV show and was mostly all physical, slapstick humor, done crudely. It had a few bright moments, mostly lines thrown out by Mac's "team members." That's the only reason I didn't give it the worst possible mark. I would say it's a DVD rental, at best. And if you aren't a fan of crude bodily function humor, you should skip this one.
3
SNL by Rillo
Had some funny moments, but I think I could have enjoyed this movie just as well on my big screen back home........
1
Five Word Review by Funnyman6869
Horrible Crap Garbage refund terrible