We turned this movie off within the first half hour. The kids are RUDE, CRUDE and obnoxious ... it's not even funny. And they're just starting sixth grade? Unbelievable. Also, despite there being no sex, there is blatant sexuality, which I feel sends inappropriate message to young children who have not yet learned about the birds and bees. The main character has the hots for an very tall older girl, who sticks her chest way out and wiggles over to him ... and we turned it off when a female science teacher, with her hips swaying seductively, slinks to the cabinet to get a bottle of pheremones, "nature's dating service," she says in a deep, sexy voice with cartoonish sexy music playing in the background. That's just a little too much for my kids, who are just starting fifth, fourth and third grades.
Max Keeble's Big Move
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Slapstick humor and fun premise kids will love.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6 and Up
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
This review of Max Keeble's Big Move was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie has some crude humor, including a jockstrap, vomit, whacking someone in a sensitive area, and some schoolyard language. Kids do foolish and dangerous things, including riding a bicycle down cement steps, sucking helium, breaking into school at night, putting chemicals into a character's breath spray, and operating machinery. Kids are harassed by bullies in various ways, including a "swirlie." One of the bullies is black, but so is the friendly manager of the animal shelter.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about why some kids act like bullies and why other kids let them. Some adults can act like bullies, too. The movie makes it clear that Max's father has to learn how to deal with a bullying boss. What is the best way to respond to a bully? When should you ask adults for help? The janitor tells Max that "any kid can make a mess -- it takes a man to clean it up." And Max tells the kids that they should not bully the bullies when they get the chance because that would make them bullies, too. Families may want to discuss this in light of America's consideration of the response to terrorism.
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More on Max Keeble's Big Move
What’s the Story?
Max Keeble (Alex D. Lindz) is filled with hope on his first day of middle school, but things just refuse to go right. The school bully, who telegraphs each day's victim by emblazoning the name on his t-shirt, has selected Max as his starting point. His dream girl is a foot taller than he is and barely knows who he is. The animal shelter near the school is about to be shut down. An evil ice cream truck driver is after him. When Max finds out that his family is going to move to Chicago in just two days he is angry and sad until it occurs to him that this presents an opportunity for revenge without consequences. Before anyone can catch up with him, he'll be gone. Max and his friends Megan (Zena Gray) and "Robe" (Josh Peck) set up a variety of pranks and enjoy them very much. But then it turns out that Megan and Robe do not have the "plausible deniability" Max promised. And that Max is not moving after all.
Is It Any Good?
I smiled a couple of times and can even say I enjoyed myself, but MAX KEEBLE'S BIG MOVE is clearly a movie that no adult will ever be able to get the way a kid does. An adult is going to sit there and say, "Wait a minute! Why doesn't he just tell his parents?" or "No principal ever acted like that!" But a kid knows that none of that matters, any more than it mattered that no kid could ever string up the booby traps of "Home Alone." This movie is just for fun, and it fits the bill.
Kids all around me laughed happily at the slapstick humor, especially the scenes with the evil principal, Mr. Jindraike (Larry Miller) and the cafeteria food fight. They loved seeing the school's two bullies (one throws kids in the dumpster, one takes their money) get their just desserts. Lindz has a lot of personality and he keeps us rooting for Max.
Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Director: Tim Hill
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/4/2001
MPAA Rating: PG for bullying and brief crude humor
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/4/2001
MPAA Rating: PG for bullying and brief crude humor
Our Members Say
See 8 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
Crude, rude, disappointment. Total "garbage in.
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I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
a waist of time....
first of all, max likes a girl who is about two years older and is like the cn tower to him. second, there should be a positeve view of minoritys. dont ask me, but i have an IQ of over 200. third of all, rolemoddels, rolemoddels, rolemoddels, a short, rude tween who thinks he's such a hot shot and still gets into trouble. also, he adressed himself as a "playah" i mean, who would have a crush on him? he is a RETARD (no affence). o, did a get you? the only movie alex d linz did good in was home alone 3. wach drawn together or anime. or, wach a good movie. when i was waching it when it was relesed in canada (i'm from canada) i brought my gameboy. my YOUNGER brother looooves the movie. i detest it. when i saw it, the nexy day, at my grade 10 history class, i got pulverised and was made the laughing stalk. not the movie i would recomend for ages 8 and up. i found the movie boring, lame, and embarising because when i saw it, i was 8 and he was 12 yet short and dumb. jeeze. i was popular in grade seven. the second time i saw it, was this year. all i can say is i hate it, it got me unpopular! i had to sit with the freshmen and the geeks! MY FRIENDS TEASED ME ABOUT IT! jeez, they don't know about kids like us. he didin't tell his parents about it untill the last couple of minuts. he also drove an adult peace of machenery. and immatated, rudly, asian people and there form of speach. jeeze, i hate max keeble.
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
it was okay, i guess.
i'm in collage, iv seen this movie when I was in middle school. it dosin't capture anything about popularity, the geeks, jocks and the popularity triangle. kids like max are just stupid. when i was in middle school, i TOLD my family about being bullyed. how can a 4 foot 12 year old drive a bulldozer? the kung fu scene makes fun of east asian people. a bully is african amarican. the script is lame. i hate max keeble!
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I rate this title on and give it
A Cute Kid's Flick, but Cute just Doesn't Cut It...
MAX KEEBLE'S BIG MOVE is fine for kids. The child actors are okay, and the principal is funny. Kids will love the food fights, juvenile behavior, and Home Alone-style booby traps. But I wasn't impressed. There's no sex. Violence is mild, with a few pratfalls into garbage cans and food-strewn cafeteria floors. Bullies are rampant in Max's school, but they aren't frightening or menacing. Language consists of some mild schoolyard names: "sucker", "loser", etc. The film carries age-old messages: know who your real friends are, apologize, and be a good friend. But that just doesn't cut it. I appreciate low content levels and good messages as much, if not more, than the next guy, but this just isn't the best movie ever. Fine for kids, but not that great for adults.
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I rate this title iffy and give it
Acceptable
It was 'acceptable'. I watched it on Disney Channel last night. I am 12 yrs old, and it fits the 6yrs+ range. It didn't have any bathroom jokes or anything gross. So, overall, it was good.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 33% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
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