Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Family hires goofy captain to sail ship; language, peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Captain Ron
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In CAPTAIN RON, Martin (Martin Short) inherits a boat located in the Caribbean. Partly for the adventure and partly to get his flirtatious16-year-old daughter Caroline (Meadow Sisto) away from a scary boyfriend, Martin takes her, his wife Katherine (Mary Kay Place), and young son Ben (Benjamin Salisbury) to pick up the boat and sail it to Miami for a sale. Enter Ron (Kurt Russell), their low-rent, disheveled, recently out of rehab, womanizing hired captain. Along the way, they pick up heavily armed, island-hopping revolutionaries, family members wander off safe paths into danger, and pirates and criminals give chase. Will Captain Ron save the day?
Is It Any Good?
This film is a prime example of a kind of 1980s–1990s comedy that depends on people doing really stupid things while stubbornly believing in the superiority of their logic and intelligence. One prolonged joke focuses on chasing a glass eye that has bounced away in a crowd. Another depends on mixing up the words "guerrilla" and "gorilla." This can get wearing on the viewer, but also produces random moments of humor, mostly owing to the charisma and expertise of a solid cast. Russell is the master of easy overconfidence mixed with competence and charm. And no one does buffoonery like Short, as he plays another of his supremely knowing but often ignorant characters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how people who don't know what they're doing can be the basis for comedy. Is it satisfying to see people like that exposed?
Captain Ron seems to have a lot of knowledge, but he doesn't like to play by formal rules, even when the safety of others is involved. What does the movie say about people like him? Do they have a heart of gold? Are they just irresponsible?
What does the movie say about families going through adventures together?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 1, 1992
- On DVD or streaming : September 3, 2002
- Cast : Kurt Russell , Martin Short , Mary Kay Place
- Director : Thom Eberhardt
- Studio : Touchstone Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Family Stories , Adventures
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : elements of sensuality and for some language
- Last updated : September 22, 2026
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