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Parents' Guide to

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Samberg's funny but raunchy comedy skewers fame.

Movie R 2016 86 minutes
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Harpiss23
Harpiss23 Adult
June 6, 2022
age 13+
It was an awesome movie! I would recommend watching it through before letting your kids watch it, there is some brief nudity, it shows a woman's B**bs and a mans p*n*s, and there is also a scene where they smoke weed. Besides that stuff, it's pretty appropriate besides some swearing. Andy Samberg plays a hilarious role, I definitely recommend it for Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans!

This title has:

Great role models
Too much swearing
doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 5, 2022
age 17+

So much potential...

Lonely Island for 90 minutes. This film has a lot of promise and has some great bits and even better musicians lending their sense of humor and screen time for this film. But there always seems to be an underlying homophobic moment which is unfortunate. It also just doesn't seem to have enough glue to carry it all the way through. But it is one hell of a sophomoric ride.
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

As the title, POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING would suggest, Conner Friel (Andy Samberg) is the hottest pop star in the country. He starts out as part of a beloved boy-band/rap group. But over time, Conner grows more popular than the rest, causing tension and, later, a band break-up. Now billed as Conner4Real, his first solo album is a massive success -- but all eyes quickly move to the follow-up, which is expected to smash records. But, sadly, given how rarely Conner gets honest feedback from all his "Yes" men, it's hard for him to see how bad it really is.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (17 ):

It's pure fun to watch a movie in which the actors clearly enjoy being in it, especially Samberg, who taps into all of his cheeky charm. As Conner himself puts it, "Ever since I was born, I was dope." And this hilarious -- and raunchy -- comedy is, too. Building on Samberg's infectious energy, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping pokes fun at pretty much everything -- packaged pop stars, social media, celebrity culture (especially US Weekly-ready romances), EDM, tabloids, entertainment shows, award shows, tour sponsors, friendships -- and even itself. (The celebrities who make cameos -- including Seal, Michael Bolton, Usher, Nas, A$AP Rocky, Questlove, Mariah Carey, and more -- are willingly the butt of the jokes, too.)

The boy-band controversy verges on overlong and not entirely original, which may be the biggest quibble with Popstar. And the raunchiest parts are sometimes the un-funniest, or they go on too long. Still, Popstar has too much fizz to be brought down by these relatively minor complaints.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Popstar depicts sex and substance abuse -- is the film condoning or glorifying this kind of behavior? Why does that matter?

  • How does the movie portray the music business? Where's the line between branding and personality? What role does sex play in the world of pop music? Why do you think that is?

  • What's the appeal of over-the-top comedies like this one? Does humor need to revolve around sex, substances, or swearing in order to be funny? Why do you think different types of humor appeal to different audiences?

  • How does fame impact Conner, his friendships, and his professional development?

Movie Details

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