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Next Day Air

(2009, Rated R, Drama, Starring Mike Epps, Donald Faison, Wood Harris)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 16.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Violence overshadows humor in urban action comedy.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    No role models here: The characters are all remorseless, opportunistic criminals who engage in multiple illegal activities -- theft, smuggling, drug dealing, and murder, just to name a few. Although the cast is laudably diverse, the minority characters are still portrayed stereotypically as gangsters and thugs.

  • Violence:

    Violence includes a huge climactic shoot-out that leaves many characters dead. A couple of deaths are particularly gruesome -- one guy is stabbed, and another's throat is slit after being tortured. Lots of gun-toting and gun-waving. At least a dozen guns are shown.

  • Sex:

    In one brief scene, two women kiss, and then one is shown topless. One of the main characters is a sexily dressed woman who's always wearing tight outfits.

  • Language:

    So many "F" bombs that there's no way to keep count. The "mother" of all "F" words is also said very frequently. Other words include "s--t," "bitch," "ass," "p---y," "son of a bitch," "a--hole," "dick," "bastard," "oh my God," and "goddamn."

  • Consumerism:

    Not many brands featured/mentioned besides Cadillac Escalade. 

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The plot revolves around bricks of cocaine. Many characters smoke cigarettes and marijuana, and a couple of them have to try (i.e. snort) the cocaine, but their goal is more to check its purity instead of getting high. The protagonists drink as well.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Next Day Air

Parents need to know that although the trailers for this movie make it seem like a comic caper, it's actually a violent film that earns its R rating. There's a huge stand-off where all the major players shoot at each other -- and most of them die. Scenes also show a character being tortured and/or killed and others being threatened at gun and knife point. Characters swear constantly ("f--k" is used more times than you can count), smoke cigarettes and weed, and even snort cocaine. And then there's the scene in which two women undress (one is shown topless) and kiss each other. (At least the consumerism is limited to one character's fixation on Cadillac Escalades.)

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how the movie depicts minorities. Is it stereotypical and/or offensive that all the criminals are Latino and African American? Do you think any of the characters are intended to be role models? Families can also discuss how humor is handled in the movie. Are there more jokes or more violence? Does the movie's tone affect the impact of the violence? Parents may also want to discuss the casual drug use among the characters. What are the consequences of drug use in real life?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    SLUMDOG
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    bloody profane violent black comedy

    beware like observe and report this is a sinical black action comedy. trust me one of the joke's involves a man's thrut being slit. there are lots of f bombs but if you saw observe and report you can hendle this film if you like the humor there's plenty to enjoy in this comedy that will make you never want to use fed-ex again . if you get past the sick brutal on par with crank violence please go this this very funny film

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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