Hot Rod

  • Review Date: November 25, 2007
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 2007
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Awesomely dumb slapstick is for teens and adults only.
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

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that, like Jackass and The Dudesons before it, Hot Rod is a nearly nonstop cavalcade of stunts, pratfalls, and injuries. However, Rod never gets seriously hurt, and teens may be tempted to attempt several of the stunts. The movie also talks about the death of Rod's father and the animosity his stepfather holds for him, which may be difficult for teens who have been through the same. There's also lots of profanity, crude humor, and drug-related jokes.

  • Rod and friends engage in intensely unsafe stunts. Denise tells a racist joke about a taco fighting a grilled cheese sandwich. Rod's stepfather belittles him every chance he gets.
  • Tons of comic pratfalls and failed jumps and stunts, including: a ramp fails and Rod falls directly onto the apex of the next ramp, crumpling to the ground; Rod falls down a hill Homer Simpson-style, repeatedly hitting his head and back; Rod and his stepfather have several fights involving Rhodesian fighting sticks, punches, kicking, beating and even Chinese fighting stars; Rod asks his friends to hold him under water for 40 seconds and nearly drowns; Rod plays human piñata for a child's party and several kids and his brother Kevin beat him with bats; he's hit several times by cars; he luges down the street and crashes into an RV, breaking the window; then the owner comes out and beats him severely; Rod flies off his bike and crashes badly, with bone-breaking sound effects and nearly dies. There's also a graphic joke about Dave injuring himself where a piece of metal sticks out of his temple.
  • Rod and Denise kiss three times. Rico recalls a dream in which the wives of wizards "all want to have sex with" him.
  • Lots of swearing, including "s--t," "f--k," "badass," "s--thead," "ass," "hell," "dickhole," "goddamn," and "p---y." Characters refer to their "choad" and Jonathan calls condoms "dong bags."
  • Characters mention Dr. Pepper.
  • Rod and his buddies all drink constantly, from beer to hard alcohol. Rod goes grocery shopping and leaves with a shopping cart heaping with liquor bottles. Dave drops acid, with disastrous (and funny) results.

What's the story?

Rod (Andy Samberg ) believes himself to be the son of a deceased stuntman who used to test stunts for Evel Knievel. All he wants is to live up to his dad's legacy and kick his gnarled stepfather, Frank's (Deadwood's Ian McShane), butt. When Frank falls ill, Rod can't accept that Frank might die without getting the chance to win one fight against him. So he sets about to earn the $50,000 Frank needs for surgery so he can live long enough to lose to Rod's mighty assault.


Is it any good?

 

If Jackass, Napoleon Dynamite, and the Saturday Night Live viral video "Lazy Sunday" had a love child, HOT ROD would be it, in all its dumb, dirty glory. And like any completely gratifying summer comedy, Hot Rod is far better than the sum of its parts. Somehow Andy Samberg, the co-writer and SNL castmember, manages to soften up the extreme violence of Jackass, capture the doofus anti-hero of Napoleon Dynamite, and liberally apply the nerdy awesomeness of "Lazy Sunday." There's a reason he's an "Interweb" superstar.

There are so many fun references here, from the power ballad while Rod "punch-dances" out his rage at Frank's illness to the synchronized dancing Dave (Bill Hader) and Rico (Danny R. McBride) do in the convenience store parking lot to "Two of Hearts." It's even somewhat smart. Sure, there's the overly ironic moments that just get self-referential -- like when Barry Pasternack (fellow SNL cast member Chris Parnell) notes the conveniently tidy sum Rod needs to raise for Frank's surgery -- but there are also many clever moments. When Rod sees the crowd's reaction to his awesome stunts, you can almost see how stars of those YouTube videos must feel when they realize people aren't laughing with them.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

Families can talk about the appeal of dangerous stunts like those Rod attempts and at which he usually fails. Unlike shows like Jackass, this is fictional, and teens don't see the physical effects these stunts have on the people who attempt them. Why are the stunts, in particular, and violence, in general, funny in this movie?


This review of Hot Rod was written by
Teen, 16 years old
April 19, 2011
 
Great Slapstick Comedy- 10/10!
Awesome movie-Can never stop laughing when Rod falls down the hill countless times! Great soundtrack, funny plot, and Andy Samberg make this movie a winner!
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Educator
August 30, 2009
 
awesome!!!!!
this movie is hilarious! it mad me laugh many times. the only bad thing about this movie is that the language is a little strong but otherwise its awesome
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Teen, 15 years old
July 21, 2009
 
Very Good
This was a great movie. There is non-stop swearing and violence. Some sexual content. And kids should not try the stunts. But the main point of the movie is positive
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Teen, 16 years old
July 6, 2009
 
Funniest movie i have seen....
I loved it... Slapstick comedy, was so funny... in some parts my friends and i rewinded it five times to watch one part... haha im lauging out loud even thinking about it!!! A lot more kid friendly then most of The Lonely Island's work...

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Teen, 13 years old
April 13, 2010
 
Lots of Slapstick
I stumbled across this on HBO the other day, what a funny movie it is. However, a lot of it is so stupid. It's a love/hate film with a lot of slapstick and language.
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Teen, 15 years old
September 20, 2009
 
This movie is way too funny

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Kid, 11 years old
September 9, 2009
 
older tweens+ also very very funny
iffy for 12: COMIC VIOLENCE, CRUDE SEXUAL HUMOR, SMOKING DRINKING AND DRUG REFERENCES AND SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, AND DANGEROUS STUNTS NOT TO BE RE-ENACTED
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Parent of 9, 11, and 15 year old
June 27, 2009
 
perfect for all ages
I love this movie SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!! i wish i could buy every copy of it for my own to privately distribute :) I watched it with my kids and we learned many good lessons and values to keep us big and strong, like Broccoli, but a movie. I
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Adult
July 8, 2009
 
Ok for older kids but not tweens
I was surprised that no one mentioned the use of a certain term to express mail excitedness or the brief but very noticible computer video of two dogs mating that was being watched by the younger brother. I would have found that information helpful. Ok for older kids who will find it to be like Napoleon Dynamite but with stunts.
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Teen, 17 years old
February 5, 2011
 
14 and up.
Hilarious and underrated!

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This review of Hot Rod was written by
Studio:Paramount Pictures
Director:Akiva Schaffer
Cast:Andy Samberg, Chris Parnell, Isla Fisher
Genre:Comedy
Run time:88 minutes
Theatrical release date:August 2, 2007
DVD release date:November 27, 2007
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:crude humor, language, some comic drug-related and violent content.

This review of Hot Rod was written by
 

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