Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Unnecessary, unfunny GoT parody has language, sex, violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Purge of Kingdoms
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
PURGE OF KINGDOMS is an unauthorized parody of HBO's award-winning fantasy series Game of Thrones. It's set in the Eight Kingdoms, where King Bartho (Angus Macfadyen) plans to secure his place on the throne by inviting all of his rivals to a "Purge Fest" feast. The king summons Denise Mother of Dragons (Madison McKinley) and her husband, Diego (Yamil Piedra), as well as his old friend Deaddard Stork (Lou Ferrigno) and Stork's many children. As Bartho battles his enemies, his own family -- led by his wife, Cursey (Anna Hutchison), and her brother/lover, Johnny Bang Bang (Bret Jones) -- conspire against him to install his heir, Prince Jizzy (Tim Preston), on the throne. And for some inexplicable reason, Donald Trump and the Kardashians are also represented in this fake GoT universe.
Is It Any Good?
It's hard to imagine GoT fans caring about this downright awful parody that's just a series of crude, unfunny sight gags and jokes. Although the show's final season was divisive, Game of Thrones has one of the largest and most obsessive fandoms of any TV series ever. If there was going to be a parody of history's most Emmy-nominated show, it should have been something that could stand up next to Spaceballs, Airplane!, or The Naked Gun. But Purge of Kingdoms is simply a mess. There's nothing clever, quick-witted, or even broadly humorous about J.J. McDowell and Damian Romay's script. Instead, it just takes cheap shots at the show's basest elements.
One of the extremely few on-the-mark jokes is the focus on hair, specifically John Doe's (Armando Guiterrez), since Kit Harington's curly locks were highlighted in GoT. Otherwise, the jokes don't deliver (Dothraki in this film is simply Spanish), there's too much scatological humor (diarrhea, fecal crowns, bodily fluids), and the real-world impersonations (the Kardashians and Donald Trump) are cringe-worthy, even for audiences who aren't fans of either the reality stars or the president. Fans would be better off re-watching the source series or indulging in the hundreds of GoT-related video crash courses and commentaries than wasting time on this forgettable film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the amount of violence, sex, and language in Purge of Kingdoms. How faithful is that content to the source matter, Game of Thrones? Does some or all of it have less impact because of the movie's comedic tone?
What makes a good parody? What are your favorites, and why?
For those familiar with Game of Thrones, do you think fans will enjoy this spoof?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 19, 2019
- On DVD or streaming : August 20, 2019
- Cast : Angus Macfadyen , Madison McKinley , Armando Gutierrez
- Director : Ara Paiaya
- Studio : Blue Fox Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : crude/sexual content, language, some violence and drug use
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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