Master of Disguise

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Master of Disguise Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 10+

A messy disappointment for Dana Carvey fans.

PG 2002 80 minutes
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 8 reviews

Kids say

age 8+

Based on 17 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Master of Disguise is vulgar and dumb. Pistachio is fascinated with women who have large rear ends, and he makes suggestive jokes when a character serves appetizers ("do you have a little wiener and tiny nuts?"). He disguises himself as a cow patty. And slapping an opponent while yelling "Who's your daddy?" is a way of showing manliness and competence. Pistachio himself is a annoyingly disturbing character, an odd child-man with an inexplicable accent and an unforgivable haircut.

Community Reviews

applebutter
applebutter Adult
December 7, 2012
age 9+

Skip This Movie

Don't let your kids watch this movie! It is excruciatingly bad. There are many, many inappropriate jokes. Even though a young kid might think some of the slapstick is funny, the inappropriateness outweighs any value. Women are objectified in this movie, especially their large backsides. There are juvenile sexual innuendos throughout. Italians are portrayed badly- the main character's name is actually "Pistachio." The storyline doesn't make any sense. There are no positive role models. Skip this vulgar, unfunny movie.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
lordorwell
lordorwell Adult
December 6, 2018
age 8+

It should be placed on a pedestal near other classics such as Airplane

While this movie was, to me, as funny as other comedy classics full of slap-stick such as Airplane, it takes its humor in a different direction. This movie is full of sight gags as well as various toilet-humor (but not too much-the main villain has a farting issue). I have seen this movie numerous times and i can't recommend it enough. If you have enough intelligence to fully appreciate satire, you'll love this film. If you don't... well, there's always cartoons.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Carvey plays Pistachio Disguisey, the youngest in a family with magical powers to transform themselves. His father (James Brolin) never told him of the family's secret because he wanted to protect him. So little Pistachio does not know why he has a Tourette-like compulsion to imitate everyone he sees. When his parents are captured by bad guy Devlin Bowman (Brent Spiner), who suffers from intestinal distress whenever he tries his evil laugh (now are you laughing?), and it is up to Pistachio to save the day. Pistachio's grandfather (Harold Gould) arrives to give him a few quick lessons in transformation and self-defense.

Is It Any Good?

This misbegotten mess of a movie is a terrible disappointment for fans of Dana Carvey. It is also a disappointment for fans of comedy and fans of movies. It really is hard to imagine how the talented Carvey can have taken what sounded like a can't-miss premise and missed so completely. Carvey's genius for impressions is utterly wasted. So is his charm. So is his time. So is ours.

Weak references to classics like "The Exorcist," "Star Wars," and other oldies will have no meaning to kids. Audience members old enough to recognize Jesse Ventura, Jessica Simpson, and Bo Derek might enjoy their brief cameos. But even at less than 70 minutes, the movie feels endless, with an extended post-credit sequence that just adds insult to injury.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how being able to imitate someone requires very careful observation.

Movie Details

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