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Parents' Guide to

Kickin' It Old Skool

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Kennedy's lowbrow comedy best for '80s veterans.

Movie PG-13 2007 107 minutes
Kickin' It Old Skool Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

shonda222
shonda222 Adult
March 24, 2021
age 15+

Racism and 80s references

If you want to hear Jamie Kennedy say the n word multiple times as a joke, then this is the movie for you. Filled with racial stereotypes, offensive language, and sexism. Kids 15+ could watch, but wouldn't be entertained as the content is so irrelevant to 2021 and is just plain disgusting.
ItsmeDee
ItsmeDee Adult
June 19, 2020
age 13+

Leave it to Disney for trying to hide sexual innuendos!

It has been forever and a day since this company has been irritating sexual innuendos no matter if it’s Pixar made, Human, or good ole fashioned cartoons starting way back with Steamboat Mickey! My 9 year old niece is SO upset right now about the scene of Kickin' it Old School Rudy asks the teacher if he can clap her erasers. Also, the apple eating scene was way inappropriate. My niece is pretty naïve and she’s in no hurry to grow up and have sex thrown at her. If Disney can’t write anything without sexual connotations, they probably should hire new writers!
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

KICKIN' IT OLD SKOOL's protagonist is Justin, a break dancing-obsessed suburban 10-year-old who falls into a coma during a talent-show breakin' battle in the late '80s. Justin (played by Jamie Kennedy as an adult) miraculously wakes up 20 years later, only to discover that parachute pants and cassette tapes are no longer in style and that his elementary-school nemesis Kip (Michael Rosenbaum) is not only still a rich "jerkwad," but also engaged to the girl of Justin's dreams, Jen (Maria Menounos). Reuniting with his "Funky Fresh Boyz" breakin' crew -- a comedic Rainbow Coalition played by Bobby Lee, Miguel Nunez Jr., and Aris Alvarado -- Justin convinces his out-of-shape pals to pop-and-lock their way into a $100,000 dance contest hosted by Kip.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

Right from the opening credits sequence -- which is set to one of the 1980s' best soundtrack hits, "Dancing in Heaven" -- Kickin' It Old Skool is unexpectedly entertaining. Just probably not for the reasons that writer-producer-star Kennedy intended. Like the ubiquitous chain mail that starts with "You know you grew up in the '80s if...," this comedy is a 107-minute tribute to those whose youth was spent trading Garbage Pail Kids cards and memorizing the lines of Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Alan Ruck, aka Cameron Frye, even cameos). So moviegoers of a certain age may find themselves laughing at the stereotypical "wax on, wax off" jokes -- while the teenagers in the audience stay silent.

But aside from the dance sequence and the in-jokes for the '80s-initiated, Kickin' It Old School would play better on late-night television, when your standards are much lower. Things are always funnier when you're half asleep.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how no group is considered off-limits when it comes to Kennedy's mild ridicule. What did you think of the various racial jokes -- like the "Jewbiks Cube" or the "Ghetto Grabber" inventions? What's the purpose of jabs like these -- is it just pure mockery, or is there a more subtle message underneath? Parents should discuss how, over time, some words become socially unacceptable ("retard," for example). Is that a sign of extreme political correctness or simply increased sensitivity? Lastly, just for nostalgia's sake, parents can share their favorite '80s pop-culture trends.

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