Rat Race (PG-13, 2001)

common sense media says

Vulgar and lowbrow, but very funny.

parents & educators say

29% say sexual content is an issue
29% say language is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this PG-13 movie has some vulgar humor, including bathroom jokes, a weird proposition made to a prostitute, an offensive porn movie title, and a cross-dressing man. A multiply-pierced woman flashes her breasts as a way of flirting with a man she does not know (nothing seen).

Violence: Comic peril and violence, no characters hurt; skeleton.

Sex: Reference to pornography, prostitute, character flashes her breasts (off screen).

Language: Some crude language, potty humor.

Consumerism: Not applicable.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Drinking.

Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about Brecken Meyers's statement that "Good things take time, but great things happen all at once." Why does money make people take such foolish risks? Who were you rooting for? Why? Compare the amount at issue in this movie with the amount that people were racing for in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World." Why is it so much more?

What's the story?

In RAT RACE, casino owner Sinclair (John Cleese) has a plan to attract the really high rollers -- a race between creatures who can think, plan, and lie -- humans. Six randomly selected customers of the casino are each given a key to a box in a Utah train station. Inside the box is $2 million, and the first one there gets it all. The six include Rowan Atkinson as a narcoleptic Italian, Cuba Gooding, Jr. as a disgraced football referee, Whoopi Goldberg as a woman just reunited with the daughter she hasn't seen since she was a baby, Brecken Meyer as a conservative lawyer who always plays by the rules, Jon Lovitz as a father on vacation with his family, and Seth Green and Vince Vieleuf as small-time con artists. Along the way, they meet up with the prettiest helicopter pilot in the world (Amy Smart), neo-Nazis, real-life superlawyer Gloria Allred, a rocket car, a truck driver delivering some very important and fragile cargo, and a bus full of Lucy impersonators. There is a lot of good, old-fashioned, hit-on-the-head humor, but it's like a Road Runner cartoon -- everyone bounces back without a scratch in the next scene, ready to get right back into the game.

Is it any good?

Rat Race is a loving salute to the spirit of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, a splendid salute to slapstick that featured just about everyone who happened to be in Hollywood in 1965. Rat Race is outrageous, cheerfully vulgar, undeniably lowbrow, and very, very funny. Director Jerry Zucker, shows the sure hand with sight gags that brought us Airplane!. While this one does not have that movie's surreal moments of comic ecstasy, its stronger narrative coherence and more interesting characters make it almost as satisfying.

All of the performances are delights. Kathy Bates's brief cameo as a woman who really likes squirrels and Amy Smart's expression when she dive-bombs her cheating boyfriend (Dean Cain), Vieluf's encounter with his multi-pierced dream girl, Seth Green's encounter with a monster truck rally, and Kathy Najimy's encounter with the Barbie Museum are among the funniest movie moments in years. And the final resolution beats It's a Mad...World by a thousandfold.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Jerry Zucker
Cast: Breckin Meyer, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 112 minutes
Theatrical release: August 17, 2001
DVD release: January 29, 2002
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: sexual references, crude humor, partial nudity and language

This review was written by Nell Minow

Review It

What parents & educators say

Based on 7 parent & educator reviews:

29% say sexual content is an issue
29% say language is an issue

Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

RedArcheryGirl
adult

Hilarious

This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen! I don't think kids under the age of about 11 or 12 should watch it. It's funny, but there are some parts that aren't so nice.

Movie Details

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Genre

Rat Race (PG-13, 2001)

common sense media says

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

More on Rat Race

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

What's the story?

What's the story?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

Review It

Review Rat Race

What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

Hilarious

i laughed

Parental Advisory: Should be Rated R

Parental Advisory: Should be Rated R

Parental Advisory: Should be Rated R

A funny movie you can watch over and over again.

Perfect for tweens

Slap-stick lover's HEAVEN!!!

If you want to Laugh, WATCH THIS MOVIE!

Perfect movie

funny comedy

Funny

Funny film with slightly strong language.

Bean is back!

HAHAHHA

Very, very funny, but also very raunchy

Great Race movie

i want coffie

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