Bugsy Malone

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Jodie Foster stars in goofy kid mobster movie.
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

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while all the violence here involves cream pies and cream-loaded "splurge guns," there's still menace behind it and characters do "die" of their cream-filled wounds. There are cream massacres and cream-pie hits. There's also a great deal of sexualization of tween girls, with young girls saying that they watch their figures and dancing suggestively. Jodie Foster's character sings about how the men in the audience "don't have to be lonely."

  • Lots of kid-themed debauchery, including a bootleg sarsaparilla racket, stealing, and breaking the law.
  • Lots of comic violence with guns filled with cream. Instead of being shot with bullets, kids are "killed" with the help of semiautomatic "splurge guns." Scenes with these guns include a massacre at a speakeasy and pies in the face. Bugsy gets beaten up and robbed. Leroy boxes and punches someone out in the ring.
  • Lots of tween girls wearing sexy outfits, but no sexual behavior. Tallulah kisses Bugsy on the forehead.

What's the story?

A pre-Happy Days, Charles in Charge, and Diagnosis Murder Scott Baio stars as Bugsy, a good guy who frequents a speakeasy and falls for ingénue Blousy Brown (Florrie Dugger). But when mobster Dandy Dan (Martin Lev) employs a new "splurge gun" that targets its victims with a steady stream of whipped cream, he threatens the life and livelihood of Blousy, Bugsy, and Fat Sam (John Cassissi), the head of a mob family that still uses old-school technology of pies in the face to vanquish his foes. Can Bugsy help save Fat Sam's empire and keep his promises to Blousy, without falling prey to the advances of chanteuse Tallulah (Jodie Foster)?


Is it any good?

 

As a spoof of serious mobster movies like The Godfather, Bugsy Malone is a delight, with some excellent performances by child actors. Sure, the plot is silly, but it's meant to be. After all, what could be less scary and threatening than a gun that shoots what looks like spit balls? And it's fun to watch the whole cast degenerate into the equivalent of a food fight at the end. These are just kids, the film makes clear.

Where the film seems less clear about the age of its stars is in its treatment of the tween girls in the film. Girls who have yet to develop any curves say they're "watching their weight," chorus girls perform slightly sexy dance moves, and Tallulah sings to the men that they "don't have to be lonely." Yikes. Kids watching it may not be aware of what that means, but parents may want to talk to their young children about it.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about what it means to act like an adult. Kids: How would you act if you were suddenly told you had to be a grown-up? Girls: What do you think about the characters who say they need to watch their weight? Parents: See our tips on talking to kids about body image.


This review was written by Heather Boerner
Kid, 12 years old
May 25, 2010
 
Violence (G): Kids use splurgers to freeze each other in time. Sexual Content (PG): Little girls wearing sexy stage outfits, little smoochings. Language (G): One use of hell.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
May 16, 2010
 
Bugsy taches enemys to be freinds.
Violence(green): Children fight with whipped cream filled guns, freezing each other when shot. Sexual Content (green): Girls wear sexy outfits, Tallulah smoochs Bugsy, flirting with him, there is a realationship between Bugsy and Blousey. Language (green): One use of hell. Drugs/Tobacco/Alchohol (white): Fat Sam owns a bar where underaged drinkers drink beers and root beers.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 8 year old
January 5, 2011
 
It's Awsome
its one of my favorite movies. It fun to watch. and has a twist in it. My cousin was in a musical of it. once I saw the play I knew I was ready for the movie! age 8

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Parent of 15 year old
February 18, 2011
 
9+
Very funny, a good watch, but more for older children. Comedy gun violence, and good end message

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Kid, 13 years old
March 20, 2011
 
okay
I'm in a stage version, and have to disagree with common sense. splurges don't kill, they 'put people in their place'. but that might just have been our director's idea because we have a smallish cast. tallula flirts with bugsy, and blousey and bugsy go out for icecream, but it's really not scary or anything

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Heather Boerner
Topics:music and sing-along
Studio:Panorama Entertainment
Director:Alan Parker
Cast:Florrie Dugger, Jodie Foster, Scott Baio
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:93 minutes
Theatrical release date:May 29, 1976
DVD release date:October 11, 2005
MPAA rating:G

This review was written by Heather Boerner
 

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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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