How to compare....it's worse than "Elf," but certainly better then "Semi-Pro." Its message is sometimes confusing, but it's an all-together amusing movie about kids playing soccer, a little similar to "The Big Green." It has its good and bad parts.
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Kicking & Screaming
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 8. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
This sometimes-obnoxious comedy is no Elf.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 8–10
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Kicking & Screaming
Parents need to know that this PG movie includes repeated scenes of physical violence against children. Though this is staged as humor -- specifically, a function of the immaturity and insecurity of perpetrators Phil (Will Ferrell) and his father Buck (Robert Duvall) -- it's also annoying and even startling (Phil kicks his own 10-year-old son, Buck pushes another child into a pool). The soccer game scenes are mostly fun, but do include a few rough action sequences. A couple of characters are slapped, punched, and kneed in the groin, adults smoke and drink (Phil becomes addicted to coffee, and very jittery). In one scene, the kids' team emerges from a van covered in blood (following an afternoon chopping meat in a butcher's shop), and so intimidate their opponents into forfeiting the game. Phil instructs his team members to bay at the moon like dogs. One child on the team has lesbian parents, who make Phil nervous, though he does his best to be "correct."
Read our full review by Cynthia Fuchs
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the basic lesson it offers: that playing fairly and having fun are more important than winning. Though the movie spends more time on the cheating and excessive investment in competing, you might talk about how kids can play games to practice skills and enjoy each other's company. The film also demonstrates the lingering effects of an emotionally abusive parent, so you might discuss the best ways parents and children can communicate needs, praise, and affection. As well, the presence of adopted child Byong Sun (Elliott Cho) might encourage discussion of how you define families.
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Is it a good Ferrel comedy?
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Hillarious!
I love this movie. Will Ferrel and the little funny boy, are hillarious! I love this movie!
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Good... but bad in some ways!
really good but some smoking and launguage.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
kicking and screaming review by critic07
I thougt it was a hillarious laugh out loud comedy. I would recommend it if you like will ferell or robert duvall. Has tones of crude humor and a good moral: winning is not everything. A great family comedy tha has only one bad word where a kid tackles will ferell and screams "thats like a jackle from hell!"
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
kids will love it
it's a movie that kids will love ,but parents will find iffy. Launguge and violence are in it but not frequently.A sceene of smoking in the assinant coachs house and if caffine counts , he became a cosntant coffie drinker.Not much sex but it is there.Solgan for a spors shop is a bunch of men saying we got balls. May seem like much but isnt
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Funny but 9 and up
lesbian refrencs acure sometimes througout this film. Violence getsa it rough but nothing further just comic violence. Language keeps it mild but a few a words get called out.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
NOT A COMEDY!
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
i laughed
This Movie is SOOOOOOOOO Funny i just makes you laugh so hard. he is a funny! guy.
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
A winner for my 6 year old boy!
My kids may be a special case, but neither is fond of Disney movies. It's been very difficult to share my love of movies with my older son, now age 6. I would repeatedly take him to kids movies only to have to leave in the middle because he was bored or scared. This time I waited for him to get excited about a movie, and he did. He BEGGED me to see "Kicking and Screaming", finally, as a reward for some outstanding behavior, I relented and took him to see it. All the way to the theater I kept talking to him about the behavior we might see in the movie and that he should not repeat it. During the movie I would nudge him at appropriate times and say, "That's not acceptable behavior" or something like that, quick and to the point. By the end of the movie he was tapping me and telling me what wasn't allowed in real life. He really enjoyed it, and laughed and laughed and laughed at all the stupid physical humor. The best part was during the game at the end where the team finally figures out what they need to do to win the game. My little boy leaned over to me and whispered, "now they're going to win because they are working together." BINGO! A great lesson for my little guy who sometimes has trouble making heads or tails of group interactions. I wouldn't let him see this alone, by any means. But, with a heavy dose of Parental Guidance, it's a fun movie even for little kids.
- I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 11 and give it
Hated it!!!
They showed the funniest parts with the kids in the previews which made kids want to see it... but it was chocked full of adult themes - Will Ferrell's character was terribly whiney!!! Annoying... Not for kids....
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Hilarios
A great soccer/football movie with loads of "Old School" comedy
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