Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Goofy '90s Hulk Hogan comedy has lots of slapstick violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Suburban Commando
What's the Story?
Intergalactic enforcer Shep Ramsay (Hulk Hogan), the "suburban commando" of the title, is ordered to lay low on Planet Earth while seeking a power source to send him back home to the farther reaches of the universe. He's thwarted another plot by the evil General Suitor (William Ball) to rule said universe, so other minions of evil are out to get him. When he rents a room from Charlie (Christopher Lloyd) and his family in a nice suburban California community, he brings peril, however comic, to their doorstep. Charlie is an overly cautious draughtsman who learns to be daring from Shep, while Shep learns compassion from Charlie. Many comic situations stem from Shep's unfamiliarity with earthling ways.
Is It Any Good?
Given the banging, punching, and physicality you can expect of a Hulk Hogan movie, this guilty-pleasure comedy is surprisingly well-paced, clever, and fun. When Shep appears in a small town wearing his Star Wars getup, one pedestrian quips, "Guess you don't shop off the rack much, huh, buddy?" Later, the intergalactic bounty hunters who dog him are even bulkier than Shep, but when one opens his menacing mouth, he speaks in a child's voice. "You're a dead man, Ramsay," he peeps. Hogan plays Shep winkingly, without any pretension to great acting, which works fine here. Christopher Lloyd is solid as the underappreciated milquetoast Charlie. Music is used well to enhance the comic plotting and imagery, including a calypso "Jingle Bells" over images of frozen bank customers and the rousing William Tell Overture as Shep rides away into space.
Don't expect an overarching sense of reality, though. When Shep gets ready to blast off in a new ship, you wonder where such a complex piece of rocketry came from and why no federal agency arrived to have a chat after the giant explosion his old ship caused. And some of the movie looks dated. But some kids may get a kick out of this silly story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's premise. Is it more of a comedy or science fiction?
Do you think space creatures live somewhere else in the universe? Why, or why not?
What's the appeal of cheesy, silly movies such as this? Does this one stand the test of time, or does it feel dated?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 4, 1991
- On DVD or streaming : September 3, 2002
- Cast : Hulk Hogan , Christopher Lloyd , Shelley Duvall , William Ball
- Director : Burt Kennedy
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : New Line Cinema
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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