Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Nonstop hilarity for families; some bawdy humor, profanity.

Movie PG 1975 91 minutes
Monty Python and the Holy Grail Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 25 parent reviews

age 13+

Such a great movie comedy... not sure for what ages

I'm on the fence about letting my 10-year-old son watch this. On one level, it's a brilliant comedy, full of the kind of subversive silliness that kids edging toward adolescence need. Yes, I said "need"; rebelling against adult moral restriction is a important step in pre-teen maturation, and embracing inappropriate humor is one of the healthiest ways to do it. Still, I'm not sure I'm ready to explain to my kid why a bevy of young women might be excited by the prospect of getting a spanking... and I sure don't want to have to answer the question, "What's oral sex?" Still, these are just quick, bawdy touches in a film so packed with brainy wit and goofball schtick that I'm wondering if I can't just cough at a few opportune moments to bleep the naughty bits. 'Tis a puzzlement.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
4 people found this helpful.
age 5+

Hilarious for kids and adults with senses of humor

My kid loved it and requested it again and again. She wanted and got a holy grail themed birthday party.
2 people found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (25 ):
Kids say (140 ):

Most comedies don't age well -- the jokes, gags, and even the actors all become dated; that can't be said of this one, which is still every bit as hilarious. The legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) performs its own loony version of the King Arthur legend. But don't expect swashbuckling heroes on horses. Instead, Arthur (Chapman) and his knights trot along sans horses while a subject makes galloping noises with two coconuts. It would spoil the fun to give away more of the memorable gags; they're nearly nonstop and need to be experienced, not explained. But look out for the side-splitting scenes with the Black Knight, the shrubbery bit, and the father of a rather hesitant groom.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the all-time best comedies that families with older kids can enjoy together (for Sir Galahad's bawdy run-in with the vestal virgins, you can always aim for that "next chapter" button). And, with all the quotable bits, it's only a matter of time before they're saying "Ni!" and "It's just a flesh wound."

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate