OK for kids 8+
Clueless-dad comedy is forgettable family fluff.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this Robin Williams/John Travolta family comedy from the director of Wild Hogs includes lots of sight gags and physical humor, as well as jokey references to relationships and the "birds and the bees," but it's generally family friendly. Although there's no overt sexuality aside from some flirting and a kiss between adult characters, older kids will surely understand that a central couple consummated their marriage, as short-lived as it was. The wedding night in question also includes a scene of the main characters drinking huge cocktails, and it's obvious that they're comically drunk. There's no serious violence, but characters frequently fall and/or are injured in comic ways.
- Families can talk about the movie's message about the importance of family relationships. What do characters learn about choosing between family and business obligations?
- Is Dan's reaction to the news that he's a father believable? How are older fathers portrayed in the movie? Are the grandpa and senior-citizen jokes funny or repetitive?
The good stuff
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Educational value: Not an issue
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Messages: The importance of family is demonstrated by Dan, who chooses a chance to be with his new family over a lucrative business deal. Dan and Charlie's lifelong relationship is also a good example of a loyal, unconditional friendship. But Vicki's decision to keep the twins a secret for seven years sends an iffier message.
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Role models: Dan and Charlie are good examples of unconditional friends, and Dan learns what it means to unleash his imagination and be a playful father to his kids. That said, the main characters also get drunk and sometimes behave immaturely.
What to watch for
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Violence and scariness: Comic, slapstick-style violence: Dan falls while getting a spray tan; a particularly violent game of Ultimate Frisbee leaves the protagonists bruised and battered; a character ends up with a bloody face; Dan and Charlie crack each other's joints while warming up for a game. A character is kept trapped in a gorilla's embrace.
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Sexy stuff: Charlie flirts with many women. Dan flirts with and kisses Vicki. Older kids will understand that Dan and Vicki slept together the night that they impulsively got married, which resulted in the twins. Jokey references to "the birds and the bees." One scene shows a lot of Dan's body (but no sensitive parts).
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Language: Relatively mild language: "idiot" and a few scatalogical words like "poop," "farting," and "scat."
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Consumerism: Brands featured include Volvo, Apple, and Friday the 13th.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Charlie and Dan get drunk in Miami, drinking huge cocktails and flirting with equally inebriated women. Dan ends up marrying a woman he meets that very night. The two also take many prescription pills that have odd side effects, like lack of depth perception, ravenous hunger, and a Joker-like smile.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
Best Movie I have seen in a while by The tip of the shoe lace
Ths movie was fantastic!!!!! I was laughing most of the time. There were some sad parts like when Charlies dog died but other wise it was a great movie. It was funny, sad, and really entertaining. The funniest part was when the dumb executive was traped by a gorilla. What came in a really close second was when the kids drop the pills and john and robin took different pills than they were supposed to. Lets just say they had some funny *** side effects. it was worth the money and i would see many times more. hope this helped
4
great for kids by amommyof3
Having 3 kids, I get enough of animation and goofy kiddy movies. This one had me concerned because several reviews said not for kids. My kids are 9,5, and 3. They all stayed glued to the screen, and they, along with my husband and I , laughed through the whole thing. Never more than 5 minutes without laughing. No bad language or anything questionable. Definately predictable, but who cares. Worth the money!
4
Old Dogs - Under 2 Hours! by ann_p_06
If you are a Robin Williams and/or John Travolta fan -- you will enjoy this movie.
It's got some good (not great) humor in it and the best part - the movie is under 2 hours!
It was nice to see John Travolta's wife (Kelly Preston Travolta) perform.
I had hoped that Robin Williams would be more outrageous and crazy.
The reason perhaps not to overshadow his co-star John Travolta.
The dogs (actual animals) were a nice highlight in this film!
I first thought John Travolta's wife was the other older lady who plays a "hand" model, but was gladly mistaken.
It's hard for me to accept that Robin Williams and John Travolta have gotten pretty mature now (aged)--hence, old dogs, but it was a good Saturday night movie to just sit back and enjoy.
4
This is a good movie for the whole family... by TexasBabyAngel
I didn't think this was going to be a very good movie. The characters are very like-able, and there is nothing really racy that you would be cringing watching with your kids. We were really surprised to find out that even though they did show a lot of the best parts of the movie in the previews, to see them tied together with the plot was like seeing it for the first time. The entire theater was packed and everyone was laughing out loud! I thought it was a great feel good movie, great for the whole family!
4
Old Dogs as by someone who at first thought I would hate watching it. by jamees
I am a big fan of Robin Williams when he is "the good guy". I have seen some cute trailers on TV for this movie too, but I was very skeptical of even the notion that Robin Williams and John Travolta could convince me they were real buddies, even acting, and this was just thrown together to make money with lots of star power. I sat down for my kid's sake to watch this film having been outnumbered in the voting process. I was prepared to waste 2 hours of my time. I started to laugh though and laugh some more. My kids and I started laughing so much, along with the entire audience, and my son at one point spit his drink out of his mouth from uncontrollable laughter. The relationship between Robin Williams and John Travolta was , , , , believable for me. It was so much fun to go watch this movie together. We are still joking about parts, which is what I LOVE about watching funny movies with my family. We had a moment together thanks to this movie, and I am glad that I was outvoted.
5
Old Dogs by jacque99
This movie was laugh out loud funny. I laughed so hard at times I was tearing up. John Travolta, Robin Williams did a great job and there would not have been better actors that I would have picked but them.
4
Old Dogs by cherylthebutterfly
2 lifelong friends (both bachelors) have a great business going when Dan (Robin Williams) discovers he is a dad and is charged with taking care of his twins for 2 weeks. He and Charlie (John Travolta) must put business aside to take care of the kids. Some funny situations occur as Dan and Charlie learn about being responsible for two 7-year-olds. Good chemistry between Robin and John, and of course there is a happy ending. I enjoyed it.
5
Old Dogs by syuksel
This movie was awesome! You will laugh just about the whole time your watching. The best part is that you can take your children to see it and not have to worry about them seeing something they shouldn't. Robin Williams, John Travolta and Seth Green are just perfect in their roles!
2 thumbs way way up!
5
Old Dogs by nimonge
Real nice movie for the whole family. My daughter (10 yo) had good time watching it; lots of laughs. Not recommended for young children. Real nice movie
5
Hubby & Wife by dawgsrus
This was a great movie and we almost didn't go to see it because of some of the ratings that were posted. It had great humor and great story line and even touching moments. I would recomend this movie for a date night!!