 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Disaster Movie
- Review Date: August 31, 2008
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Crude, dumb spoof isn't worth your time or money.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this crude parody is from the same directing team responsible for Date Movie, Epic Movie, and Meet the Spartans. Like all of those movies, this one features a seemingly endless list of celebrity impersonations and reenactments of scenes from other popular films. Expect strong language ("s--t," "a--hole," etc.) and comedic violence. There are a couple of scenes of women in bikinis or lingerie, a shot of Beowulf's naked behind, and tons of sex-based jokes and references. As for commercialism, the entire film could be regarded as an ad for all of the movies and celebrities it references.
What's the story?
DISASTER MOVIE loosely follows the plotline of Cloverfield, one of the dozens of popular movies being targeted here. While at a party, an unknown catastrophe strikes Manhattan, endangering the lives of Will (Matt Lanter), his ex-girlfriend Amy (Vanessa Minnillo), and random other friends, including Juno-esque pregnant teen Juney (Crista Flanagan) and a Giselle-like (but really crazy) Enchanted princess (Nicole Parker) who actually lives in the sewers. As they attempt to survive falling asteroids, twisters, and other life-threatening phenomena, Will and company bump into many celebrities and re-enact scenes from scores of other movies.
Is it any good?
Unlike the classic genre parodies of the '70s and '80s that left audiences nearly out of breath from laughing so hard, this decade has brought us a series of successively less bearable, virtually unwatchable "comedies" from directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. What they make isn't even comedy; it's more like a parade of popular movie characters and celebrities stitched together with punchlines so eye-rollingly predictable that most seventh-graders could have written them.
The actors themselves, a few of whom are MADtv veterans, aren't to blame. None of them is well-known enough -- with the exceptions of Carmen Electra and Kim Kardashian, both of whom have their ample "actorly" assets on display -- to turn down a film role. The fact that Lions Gate keeps giving Friedberg and Seltzer a platform for this dreck is the real disaster.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether this film is really a parody of disaster movies. What characteristics of that genre is it making fun of? What other things does the movie mock? Why do you think the filmmakers included so many pop-culture references? Are the celebrity impersonators and sight-gags from other movies funny? Do you think anyone will find any of it funny decades from now, when half of the references will have been forgotten? Does any of it go too far? Are there better examples of spoofs?
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AGE
Disaster Movie is a DISASTER
This was a TERRIBLE movie. It did have some clever things like the head on, the chipmunks and the song at the end but other than that it was probably the worst movie i've ever seen. Save 80 mins of your time. Theres a lot of better spoof movies out there.
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Kid, 12 years old
December 4, 2010
AGE
defintley not for kids
Not really a good movie. There is only a couple parts that are funny.the one that i liked the most was the head-on part
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Kid, 12 years old
September 27, 2010
AGE
great social satire!
The laughs just keep on coming! The comic violence is nothing to be afraid of, and if there's anything you should be concerned with, it's that your kids will laugh so hard they'll end up with resparatory failure! highly recommend it!
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AGE
Haha
Hilarious movie! Crude but good. Some messages say stand up for what you think is right while others say when you have a f*ght do it n*ked! Also some potty mouthing going on and some gay, and straight themes... Hope I helped
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AGE
not that bad as it sounds the chimpunk bit is wierd
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Directors: | Aaron Seltzer, Jason Friedberg |
| Cast: | Crista Flanagan, Matt Lanter, Vanessa Minnillo |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 29, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | January 5, 2009 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | crude and sexual content throughout, language, drug references and comic violence. |
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