Open Season

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Animated animal buddy flick is crude but funny.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is rife with bathroom humor involving toilets, poop, farts, spit, snot, and underwear. Younger kids will laugh at the obvious stuff and won't get the edgier humor aimed at older audiences. That said, some little ones might find the hunting-themed images -- guns, deer strapped to the front of trucks, hunters swarming the woods for fresh meat -- a bit disturbing. On the plus side, the movie might encourage older kids to put themselves in Boog's paws and consider what life is like outside their own neighborhood.

  • Characters break into a convenience store and binge on junk food; characters laugh at others' misfortunes; lots of bathroom humor involving toilets, butts, farts, spit, snot, underwear, and defecating. On the plus side, the main characters develop self reliance and self respect over the course of the movie, which also has messages about friendship, loyalty, and finding peace in a violent world.
  • A truck gets blown up with a propane gas tank; running gag about rabbits being abused (tossed about, thrown against windows); a character has acorns fired at him; wild scene involving characters going over a waterfall; slapstick violence throughout.
  • Double entendres involving sex, flirting.
  • "Butt," "bummer," "hairless pink pahookey."
  • Chevy trucks, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, candy items.
  • Boog is tempted by candy; characters are shown "high" on sugar and coffee ("It's like freedom in a cup!"); some smoking and drinking among characters.

What's the story?

Martin Lawrence voices Boog, a domesticated 900-lb. grizzly bear who lives in a comfortable garage complete with a cozy bed, his own teddy bear, three square meals a day, and a TV he uses to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Though he refuses to admit it, Boog is a "pet" bear; his owner is a kooky, loveable park ranger named Beth (Debra Messing). One day while out and about with Beth, Boog sees a mule deer strapped to the front of a hunter's truck. The deer, named Elliot (Ashton Kutcher), is actually alive, and begs Boog to untie him. Once free, Elliot barges into Boog's comfortable garage pad and quickly decides that the bear needs to be freed from "captivity." He lures his rescuer outside with a candy bar, and the two soon end up hopelessly lost in the woods. Boog has no bear skills whatsoever, so Elliot assures him that he knows the way back ... unfortunately, he doesn't have a clue. Meanwhile, hunting season is just around the corner.


Is it any good?

 

From some of the folks behind The Lion King and Monsters, Inc. comes an animated flick about the oddest of couples, inspired by the work of cartoonist Steve Moore. Yes, the wacky-sidekick plot is tiresome, and if you're downright sick of CGI animal movies, you're not alone. But OPEN SEASON does have some funny moments. Lawrence and Kutcher have great chemistry, and the movie's messages about friendship, loyalty, taking care of each other, and finding peace in a violent world never go out of style.

With each adversity the bear and the deer face in the woods, Boog learns something about self-reliance, and Elliot gains newfound self-respect. Sure, it's been done before. But with a lively cast, colorful animation, and a storyline that moves along quickly, there are worse ways to spend a couple of hours. If you can get past the crude humor, Open Season is pretty funny. Parents may be bored, but kids will love it.


What families can talk about

Families can talk about the importance of putting yourself in others' shoes. What if you went from a comfortable life -- like Boog's -- to having to fight for survival? Maybe that's a little weighty for kids under 10, but they'll get the message that it's good to nurture friendships and lean on each other through tough times. Families can also discuss the practice of hunting. Why do some people love hunting and others hate it? Why does hunting have to be regulated?


This review was written by Jane Boursaw
Kid, 10 years old
May 14, 2010
 
animal vs humen fights

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Is that a Curse word in the main menu???
I could swear I heard a curse word in the main menu. when the small animals comes across the top of the menu sign, one is riding the other. I think one of then says " get off my tree you F***ing squirrel". Am I hearing things? Please let me know!!

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Not what expected
Crude gutter behaviour and actions. It did nothing to improve the film and certainly would not have hurt the film if they kept it G rated. I find it very disturbing that producers nowadays feel like they have an open license just because the movie is a cartoon. They should know better.

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Kid, 13 years old
June 25, 2009
 
I like it
I liked this part one much better than the other one.

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Parent of 12 year old
July 29, 2010
 
its ok for 6 and over

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Kid, 13 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Teen, 14 years old
January 8, 2010
 
I hated it, but little kids might like it. Overall, it's pretty lame.
Ok, I don't agree with CSM. This movie is NOT funny. Boring and lame, this movie has violence just to get more viewers. The violence isn't that bad, just some guns (animated of course). I personally hated it, but some little kids might like it, so I rated it 2 stars. Actually it's 1.5 stars. HA ha! Ok don't see this movie, or else you'll experience one of the worst animated movies ever. Most animated movies fail, but some don't, like Up, for example.

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Parent of 5 year old
September 11, 2009
 
Too much violence for younger boys
Although I can't exactly pinpoint what it is about this movie, my 3 year old son always starts acting up after watching this movie. He has made mention of the guy with the gun.

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Teen, 15 years old
October 2, 2009
 
Good movie about a bear being released into the wild. Shaun the Hunter may scare young kids, but really something they will enjoy. Character figures are a bit crude though, they all look square.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 

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This review was written by Jane Boursaw
Topics:wild animals
Studio:Sony Pictures Animation
Directors:Anthony Stacchi, Jill Culton, Roger Allers
Cast:Ashton Kutcher, Gary Sinise, Martin Lawrence
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:99 minutes
Theatrical release date:September 28, 2006
DVD release date:January 30, 2007
MPAA rating:PG
MPAA explanation:some rude humor, mild action and brief language.

This review was written by Jane Boursaw
 

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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