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Parents' Guide to

America: The Motion Picture

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Animated historical satire has sex, language, violence.

Movie NR 2021 98 minutes
America: The Motion Picture Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

Xortharo
Xortharo Adult
July 5, 2021
age 18+

Amazing

This title has:

Great messages
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In AMERICA: THE MOTION PICTURE, the year is 1776, and the Founding Fathers are on the verge of signing the Declaration of Independence while playing beer pong. Suddenly, British Army soldiers, led by Benedict Arnold (Andy Samberg), storm into the hall with muskets blazing, killing everyone inside before Independence Hall is blown up by dynamite. Meanwhile, George Washington (Channing Tatum) and Abraham Lincoln (Will Forte) are two best friends attending a performance that looks a lot like Blue Man Group at Ford's Theater. Suddenly, Arnold emerges, turns into a werewolf, and kills Lincoln, leaving Washington to grieve and plot revenge. He soon meets the voluptuous Martha Washington (Judy Greer), and assembles a ragtag group to stop Benedict Arnold and his boss from across the sea, King James (Simon Pegg). Washington's team includes Samuel Adams (Jason Mantzoukas), a jacked-up frat bro who brews his own beer, Paul Revere (Bobby Moynihan), who seems to have only horse friends instead of human friends, Thomas Edison (Olivia Munn), a female Asian American immigrant whose inventions are derided as witchcraft by the anti-science colonists, Geronimo, a Native American seeking to avenge the death of his people at the hands of the British despite his distrust of the American colonists, and a "Blacksmith" (Killer Mike) who has been tasked with creating the silver bullet than can stop Arnold. This group must work together to stop King James, Benedict Arnold, and the "Red Coats," and after doing so, enshrine freedom (if not for everyone) across the land that a dying Lincoln told Washington should be called "America."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (3 ):

This movie is bombastic, absurd, over the top, obnoxious, and often hilarious (for older teens and adults only, that is). America: The Motion Picture is an animated satirical reimagining of the American Revolution. It's a crass and overblown comedy in the vein of Team America: World Police. It's not exactly subtle, but then again, neither is the country that the movie is satirizing. While there are many dumb jokes one laughs at in spite of themselves, some thoughtful (and funny) satire emerges in the midst of all the gags and exaggerated, well, everything -- satire on White male privilege, fragility, xenophobia, racism, and sexism (then and now), assault weapons, and the many ways in which contemporary American society is divided along ideological lines. As David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap famously observed, "There's such a fine line between clever and stupid," and this movie successfully mines humor from both.

It doesn't always work. Sometimes, the jokes are so obvious, an eyeroll is the only proper reaction. For instance, to present Samuel Adams as a jacked-up party dude frat bro who brews his own beer isn't exactly a groundbreaking premise, even if the stupidity of Adams' character results in some of the funnier parts of the movie. There's also a play on words involving "blacksmith" that is so obvious, everyone should easily figure out where the joke is going the moment the word "blacksmith" is first uttered. But overall, for fans of this kind of dumb/smart, dry, satirical parodic humor, the chaotic energy and total absurdity of America: The Motion Picture carry it through, and provide some much-needed levity in these uncertain times.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about satirical comedies like America: The Motion Picture. How does this movie use humor to address serious concerns? Is it effective? Why or why not?

  • Exaggerated violence and sex is used for the sake of comedy. Was it too much? Why or why not?

  • How were people of color portrayed in the movie? What about women?

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