Parents' Guide to

Absolutely Anything

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Crass comedy's only redeeming feature is Robin Williams.

Movie R 2017 85 minutes
Absolutely Anything Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 1 parent review

age 11+

They squandered an opportunity.

When I read the sypnosis, I thought the subject was quite unique and the possibility of making something mature and intelligent was kind of spoiled. The content of the film is stupid. The jokes are in a poor taste. For example, a turd moves on its own in the toilet. In addition to this, I found that nudity was only one more opportunity to objectify women bodies - because it was useless to the story, and not even funny. Lots of bad language. I put 11+ because a kid under 11 is unlikely to comprehend the objectification if ever explained to them. To shrink the story a bit, the film could have been good but it was in bad taste.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (7):

Aside from a couple of silly sight gags and the novelty of hearing Williams' voice one last time, there's little to recommend this British comedy. The Monty Python alums are a legendary bunch, but Absolutely Anything just isn't funny fare, even with all of their talent. Pegg is, admittedly, well cast, but his Neil isn't particularly likable outside of his interactions with Dennis the dog. Hearing Williams' voice feels surreal at first, but as the dog develops "rational thought" (thanks to another of Neil's wishes), he goes from saying "biscuits!" to having a few funny lines (except for all the jokes about how Neil should shag the "b--ch").

The lackluster romance between Pegg and Beckinsale -- and the off-putting, predictable interference of Catherine's American suitor, Grant (Rob Riggle), make the third act nearly unwatchable. At one point, Grant forces a tied-up Neil to turn all Englishmen into big-eared, web-footed freaks. Given all the poop and body humor, the movie may appeal to those who enjoy broad, lowbrow humor with a hint of satire and political commentary. But this is the sort of movie it's difficult to seriously enjoy, because you can imagine how much better and funnier it could have been, considering all the talent involved.

Movie Details

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