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Parents' Guide to

The Animal

By Tom Cassidy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Crass comedy has "jokes" on bestiality, race, sex, and more.

Movie PG-13 2001 84 minutes
The Animal movie poster

A Lot or a Little?

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

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (2 ):

Puerile humor has a place in cinema. But the lazy, mean-spirited jokes that make up The Animal don't prove it. Schneider's silly but bad animal impressions might be OK for a movie for young kids. But the crass, awkward sex and violence -- sometimes combined -- that go with it make for grotty viewing. Maybe 12-year-olds of 2001 loved it, but time's not been kind to this problematic and unfunny comedy. The role of the only speaking female character appears to simply be on the receiving end of sexual advances, some of which are aggressive in tone. But it's not just her behind getting slapped by the beastly Marvin. The goat Marvin wants to have sex with also gets it. Non-speaking female characters, including the one whose short dress makes Marvin hump a mailbox, are just sex objects.

Worst is the movie's take on race. Declaring in 2001 people of color have "reverse racism" privilege is a nasty watch, even if it is in some poor attempt at satire. Most surprising is that a movie about a man who is made up of animal parts is so dull and predictable. It's a series of skits; now he's a cat, now he's a goat, etc. All the characters are tuned to mean and while a couple of surreal gags raise a smile, this is a product of a time best left in the past.

Movie Details

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