Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Crude, mostly unimaginative comedy is meant for adults.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Babymakers
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
At their five-year anniversary, Audrey (Olivia Munn) and her husband, Tommy (Paul Schneider), decide the time is right to start their family. Unbeknownst to them, deciding is the easy part -- actually getting Audrey pregnant proves to be a mountain of a challenge. Doctors think Tommy's sperm is the problem, but Tommy doesn't believe it. After all, he donated to a sperm bank to raise money for Audrey's engagement ring, and he was deemed a suitable candidate then. Tommy's convinced that he needs to get the last batch of his long-ago donations to save his marriage and finally become a dad for real. But how to get that job done?
Is It Any Good?
There's not a lot about THE BABYMAKERS to recommend. Sure, Munn continues to impress (though given her intelligent turn in The Newsroom, it's a puzzler why she took this on), and Schneider's kinetic energy is infectious. But the very uneven material -- sometimes hilarious, too-often tired or sexist -- doesn't live up to the cast's talents.
Masturbation jokes -- and anything remotely related to the subject -- and other petty vulgarisms are what passes for funny here. It's not the sperm count that's the problem here; it's the laugh count.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Babymakers' reliance on sexual imagery and crass jokes. Is that necessary for the movie's story/humor? How does it compare to other over-the-top comedies you've seen?
Why does everyone think they have a say in Audrey and Tommy's personal life? Is this the way infertility is discussed in real life? Do you think people dealing with infertility in real life are likely to find it funny?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 3, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : September 18, 2012
- Cast : Kevin Heffernan , Olivia Munn , Paul Schneider
- Director : Jay Chandrasekhar
- Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Millennium Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : crude and sexual content, brief graphic nudity, language and some drug use
- Last updated : September 21, 2019
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