 | 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. |
Howard the Duck
- Review Date: May 18, 2009
- PG
- Genre: Science Fiction
- 1986
Common Sense Media says
Superhero spoof is awful -- and edgier than you remember.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that though this PG film derives from a Marvel Comics superhero spoof, it's in sort of a no-duck's-land of an audience demographic, with the animal-costumed main character and childish sci-fi (and rock and roll) attitude mixed with satire, violence, and PG-13 raunch better appreciated by grownups. Howard smokes and drinks and reads the duck equivalent of pornography -- we have clues that he's sexually active with a number of lady ducks and nearly has a sex scene with the scantily-dressed human heroine. There is light swearing, and police-as-dumb-goons prevail among the stereotypes. Younger kids might be disturbed by the villain's monster mutations.
What's the story?
Howard T. Duck comes from a remote Earth-like world where humanoid ducks have evolved like human beings, right down to parallel waterfowl-centric culture -- a movie hit titled Breeders of the Lost Stork, for example. Accidentally dragged to Cleveland, Ohio (badly played by southern California), via the humans' deep-probing observatory laser-scope, the wisecracking flightless bird bumblingly tries to fit in with our society, becoming manager of an all-female rock band and gaining a "girlfriend" in the form of lead singer Beverly (Lea Thompson). When the same laser-probe materializes a sort of space demon that possesses a scientist (Jeffrey Jones), Howard turns unlikely hero to save Beverly and her fellow "hairless apes" of this planet from doom.
Is it any good?
Whatever appeal the original character held got left behind on the funny pages by this version produced by George Lucas, of all people (some commentators thought he just owed somebody a favor), with all the glitz money could buy -- as much as $50 million, by some estimates. But HOWARD THE DUCK is just one big empty bird-dropping, with obnoxious characters, tinny 1980s synth-pop music, heavy drinking/partying, death rays, monsters, repetitious and thrill-free car-chase scenes, bad-taste gags (a few revolving around the potential of human-duck lovemaking), merciless avian puns -- maybe Tim Robbins got cast solely on the basis of his last name -- and the underwhelming title character.
Howard is so clearly a little-person actor in a near-immobile duck mask and suit that one appreciates all the more how well Jim Henson's Creature Shop brought personality and movement to the equally gonzo Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a few years later. in their live-action films. Neither hitting the target for the kiddie element or grownups (as the comics character did, at least to a point), Howard the Duck laid an egg at the box office, and remains a cautionary reminder: Despite later exceptions, not all superhero-based epics are super-quality, and George Lucas could do a lot worse than Jar Jar Binks.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Howard the Duck as a satire of superhero mythologies, and how "serious" Marvel characters such as Spider-Man even made guest appearances in the printed version. Have kids read the original Howard the Duck comics (now in book form, some compilations more risqué than others) to appreciate the spoofing as it was intended. Ask them if they enjoy their comics characters served as big jokes, like the Adam West TV Batman, or completely straightfaced like the X-Men and Iron Man. Impress kids with your superhero knowledge (or just look pretty geeky) by saying that the character of She-Hulk also became something of running spoof for the Marvel writing staff.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Kid, 12 years old
January 16, 2011
AGE
Why George Lucas? Why?
For a kids movie this is simply shocking. It contains condoms, drinking, smoking and possibly doing drugs in a bar. Horror elements and is all round one of the worst films I've seen.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
So cheesey....... IT'S GOOD
I saw this when I was 5 and feel in love, I thought this was one of the coolest movies ever (until my cousin broke the VHS) and now the DVD has come and I give my full review.
You got to love it or got to hate it. I thought it was so funny how the film treated itself so seriously (come on, you can't say quack fu with a straight face). I still watch it whenever I can, so it's great for younger kids, but it gets a bit iffy with the sex (Beverly almost has sex with Howard, Beverly finds a condom in Howards wallet, see couples making out at a bath house, etc.)
But if you remember this from your childhood, by all means watch it
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Screwed Up
Howard the Duck is horrible with alcohol references, violent content (references to The Exorcist: the scariest movie in the world.), sexual content up the roof and some (brief) moderate cussing. Why wasn't this rated PG-13? Again, the rating is screwed up even though there WAS a PG-13 rating back then.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
This Should Have Been Rated PG-13
This Movie Has PG-13 Stuff In It!This Movie Is Ok
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
I recommend this movie to no one.
I remembered this movie from my childhood when I saw it on tv recently and I couldn't believe my parents allowed me to watch this. Not even just a tv edited version, but we had the vhs. There is nothing about this movie that would make me recommend it. It has bad language, the female lead falls for the duck and almost has sex with him, there is a lot of violence. IDK, I can't imagine anyone wanting to see this movie.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
If you thought Lucas' Jar Jar Binks was stupid just take one look at this stinker
Disgustingly awful superhero spoof. It's violent, may scare younger viewers, full of sexual stuff (condoms, duck breasts and a woman hinting about having sex with a duck), bad language, drinking, smoking, drugs and a really bad role model. This is a movie you must skip.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
stupid but good
good movie but not for everybody no one under 10 should watch it because of stuff like beverly and howard about to have sex finding a condom in a wallet ect. but swearing isnt that bad 12+ should be ok
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
I'd give this a 1...
Except that this movie was actually supposed to be bad, so it's almost passable in that sense. The only issue I had with this film was that while it certainly did its job... it was boring, and I mean really, really boring.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
read this
i saw this omg wtf this was pg in the 80,s i wonder what rated r was anyway in one seen a FEMALE duck is in the bathroom taking a bath and showed her breast in another seen beverly finds a condom in howards things a playboy magazine and well everything i saw this when i was 4 i did not see the ducks brest or know what was going on i saw this recently and i kept saying oh my god off for ages 14 and down if it did,ent have so much sex it would be a good famliy movie
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 10 years old
February 12, 2011
AGE
what the heck.
the worst movie on earth. why did gorge lucas make this. this film makes apsaletutley no sense.who would ever want to see this . it should be rated R not for the content,but how porrly made this film was.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Topics: | adventures, space and aliens |
| Studio: | Universal Studios Home Entertainment |
| Director: | Willard Huyck |
| Cast: | David Paymer, Jeffrey Jones, Lea Thompson, Tim Robbins |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Run time: | 111 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 1, 1986 |
| DVD release date: | March 10, 2009 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
