The Absent-Minded Professor

  • Review Date: July 15, 2003
  • G
  • Genre: Classic
  • 1961
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Family entertainment at its best.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that younger kids will go for all of the crazy, bouncy action (there's a good dog in it, too), while aspiring athletes will love the Flubber-enhanced basketball game. This is family entertainment at its best -- the movie is sweet, clever, and laugh-out-loud funny.


What's the story?

In this Disney classic, absent-minded college professor Ned Brainard (Fred MacMurray) keeps forgetting to show up to his own wedding but manages to create an amazing substance called Flubber. Like rubber with wings, Flubber can make an object bounce high up into the sky. Brainard's invention results in many comical situations, including a UFO sighting and a basketball game that's out of this world.


Is it any good?

 

Unlike the dreary 1997 remake, Flubber, which sacrificed the human element for more showy and ultimately less pleasing special effects, THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR is a masterpiece--yes, a masterpiece!--of Disney storytelling magic. Director Robert Stevenson keeps the pace lively and the laughs abundant. Parents might furrow their brows when the professor rigs a basketball game by ironing Flubber to the soles of the home team's shoes. But the payoff is huge once those players take to the court, bounding high over their taller opponents' heads, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

As the title character, Fred MacMurray is irresistible. He's not a nutty professor (that was Jerry Lewis). He's just a simple man of science dedicated to bettering the American way of life. His unflagging sincerity and kindheartedness warm you to him immediately. You want him to succeed. You want him to outwit greedy Alonzo Hawk and save the college from bankruptcy. And for crying out loud, you want to see him finally get to that altar with Betsy and get hitched. On all counts, you won't be disappointed.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about real inventions that are almost as amazing as Flubber. Also, do you think something like Flubber will really ever be invented? What are some recent inventions that would astound Professor Ned Brainard?


This review was written by Scott G. Mignola
Parent
June 26, 2010
 
This movie has all kinds of goofy action and funny characters. Nothing offensive about it. A true family movie.

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Parent of 4 and 6 year old
January 29, 2011
 
Mostly family fun, watch the language and gun violence.
Inappropriate language: Shut up, idiot, stupid. Very blatant and easy for the kids to infer usage. Violence: there is a scene where the professor is shot at (with a gun!) and it hits the side view mirror. Also, a commander in the army threatens to shoot the car out of the sky with missiles.

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Adult
May 26, 2010
 
One of Walt Disney's best classics! A must see for children and adults alike!

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Teen, 14 years old
July 28, 2010
 
Better than the remake. One of my favourite live action classic disney movies.

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Kid, 6 years old
January 29, 2012
 
A Classic, Silly Fun, All White
Our six year old loved it, and her parents enjoyed it too. The "flubber" jumping effects worked because they weren't realistic in the way modern effects try to be. The movie does portray a strange mythical all white America. Not a person of color to be seen in the entire film which could off putting, especially to children of color. Subtle jokes about Congress and the military Joint Chiefs at the end still hold up today.

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Adult
March 24, 2012
 
Good.
This movie was very funny! It had a lot of action as well.I recomend it.

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This review was written by Scott G. Mignola
Topics:magic and fantasy
Studio:Walt Disney Pictures
Director:Robert Stevenson
Cast:Fred MacMurray, Keenan Wynn, Nancy Olson
Genre:Classic
Run time:96 minutes
Theatrical release date:March 16, 1961
DVD release date:January 14, 2000
MPAA rating:G

This review was written by Scott G. Mignola
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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