 | 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. |
Mouse Hunt
- Review Date: August 11, 2005
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1997
Common Sense Media says
A vivacious, clever slapstick comedy.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that children will identify with the fuzzy little mouse, as the Smuntz brothers try to kill it, so there may be some fear when the brothers almost kill it several times with a variety of implements, including a nail gun. The mouse fills the house with gas later and blows the brothers sky-high.
What's the story?
In MOUSE HUNT, Nathan Lane and Lee Evans are hapless brothers out to rid their house of a very shrewd mouse in this vivacious and clever 1998 movie. Anyone who's dealt with mice on the loose in their home knows how pesky they can be. That's part of what makes Mouse Hunt fun; you can't help pitying the poor Smuntz brothers, who go to wild extremes trying to rid themselves of an elusive rodent. Kids will side with the mouse, of course, because it's cute and furry and performs some spectacular stunts (thanks to convincing and sparingly used computer-generated effects).
Is it any good?
Although something of a Home Alone retread, it has far more brains, heart, and style, which will endear it to adults as well as young viewers. Take heed of the PG rating for excessive cartoon-style violence. About two-thirds of the way through it takes an excessively cruel turn, when the mouse floods the house with gas fumes and blows the brothers sky-high. Kids will eat it up, but parents may wince.
Casting Christopher Walken as an exterminator is just one of many inspired touches that gives this movie its adult appeal. William Hickey is also fine -- in one of his last performances -- as frail old Rudolph Smuntz, whose somber portrait keeps changing expression after he passes on.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why we laugh at cartoonish violence.
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AGE
I liked it, exept my one concern was when Lars and April almost get into having sex, even though it doesn't show it, also Lars is so stunned he drops the material he is using to cover which is most likely his penis, which clearly states his penis is showing in mid air. Obviosly it is not that bad but in a way, there still is sex in this movie (technically).
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AGE
Too much violence and bad language
I love Nathan Lane and thought this would be fun for my 7-yr-old, especially after checking the CommonSense review. Well, she and her friend laughed, but I was cringing the whole time. Not only is there too much violence and mayhem, but I thought I heard a bunch of swears (worse than S.O.B.) the CommonSense folks must not have heard. And it wasn't actually all that funny.
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AGE
Disappointing
I was looking forward to having my 6 year old see this movie based on the Common Sense Review. I was very surprised by the language and sexual innuendo. The violence was cartoon-like. Some of the language used: "Son of a b....", "basta.." There was a scene of Lee Evan's wife stripping down to a negligee and seducing him. Lee Evans speaking about how he and his wife "made love like animals". Later a scene with Nathan Lane gladly fondling a ladies breasts. How this was marketed as a kids flik is beyond me. The 6+ age rating given by this website is ludicrous.
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AGE
Toss it!
Not for families with children at all- this movie is awful. My kids were offended, my husband was appalled and I was horrified. Definitely not a good movie for kids. Sexual situations, lingerie and animal cruelty that sent one of my kids from the room. It was shown to my kids at a family get together, I wish I'd double checked on it and the 6+ rating is so very far off. Avoid this movie.
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AGE
not for my child
This movie was a library rental and HUGE disappointment. It started out well enough. The mouse is cute and outsmarts everyone that tries to get rid of him. (thought seriously, as dumb as the adults were, this isn't a huge leap). But between the sexual overtones, man's hands down women's blouses, foul language, etc. etc. we had to fast forward a lot of the film. (and this was in the children's section of the library) DISGUSTING.
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Kid, 8 years old
December 12, 2010
AGE
should be rated R
it should be rated R Im 7 and I cryed! the people who rate this movie probaly do not even watch it! I could not even watch the whole thing!
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AGE
mouse hunt rocks
awsome and funny i loved the mouse. It was sortta like tom and jerry I'm going to get that movie and make shure my pet girbil dos'nt see it[or he will do it to us]
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AGE
Senseless cruelty and destruction far from funny
There is barely any plot. The movie consists of a string of violent pratfalls as humans are outwitted by a rodent. Dispect for animals (a cat gets it too) is a wrong message for kids and adults alike. The senselss distruction of property adds nothing to the pratfalls and the hurt and pain inflicted by the mouse on its pursuers is unnecessary and distressing.
I don't believe that every movie needs to have a "moral" but passing this hateful cruft off as comedy is wrong. Sometimes violence and destruction have a place in movies: I personally enjoyed "Apocalypse Now" and "La Femme Nikita" but I knew what I was getting into and no one was pretending that they were "family fun."
Passing this movie off as "family" and "comedy" is sugar-coating the poison. That makes it all the more dangerous. If it had been packaged as a dark thriller in which mayhem is exacted by a psychopathic mouse, I would have gone for it.
The highlights of the movie (on DVD): The trailer showing the mouse doing incredible shadow puppetry, and the excised scene where Lee Evans is trying to track down the source of a squeek. Even in that scene, the character gets hurt.
Avoid this movie.
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| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Gore Verbinski |
| Cast: | Christopher Walken, Lee Evans, Nathan Lane |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 97 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 19, 1997 |
| DVD release date: | July 6, 1999 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | language, comic sensuality and mayhem |
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