Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

The Campaign

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Comedic superstars aim their raunchy satire at politics.

Movie R 2012 85 minutes
The Campaign Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Susannah K.
Susannah K. Parent
August 18, 2017
age 14+

Horrible, not funny movie

Sometimes we relax our standards for a funny, slapstick, even mildly inappropriate movie to watch together as a family. This movie is just dumb. It's not funny. It's a royal waste of time. Stick to the classics.

This title has:

Too much sex
Aspi
Aspi Parent
January 28, 2013
age 18+

Raunchy, amusing

This is a typically raunchy Will Ferrell comedy. Its just inappropriate for kids especially because the lines around acceptable humor and unacceptable humor is very blurred.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Longtime North Carolina congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is up for re-election. With no one running against him, he's entitled and sloppy, finally leading to a major indiscretion that leaves his main financial supporters -- the wealthy, corrupt Motch Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) -- searching for another candidate to back (and control). Enter Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), the eccentric son of a once-rainmaker. Marty wants to do good in Washington, D.C., but little does he know that the Motch Brothers aren't about helping at all. In no time, Marty becomes consumed by the campaign, losing his identity much like Cam did.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (21 ):

Like a comedy roast, THE CAMPAIGN is stuffed with would-be hilarious moments, egged on by stunt after stunt from the able stars. And fair is fair: Whichever genius came up with this pairing deserves a bonus. Combining Ferrell's oafy humor and Galifianakis' creepy-funny vibe is a win, especially in the context of the madness that is an election run-up.

But two-thirds of the way through, The Campaign starts to feel like the endless election, with no clear idea how to end or even when. We're happy to be laughing, but we'd like to know where we're going. Part of the fun of a riotous satire like this is that we know that, no matter how delicious every moment feels, in the end we'll be able to relish it in its entirety. But here we get an unsurprising and entirely conventional, finale. With The Campaign, the parts are greater than the whole. Let's vote already.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the main characters. Are they intended to be role models? Do you think they would resonate with people in real life? Which one would you vote for?

  • What is The Campaign saying about the American electoral system? Do you think candidates are manufactured or supported by rich people or companies that most voters aren't aware of?

  • What's the appeal of over-the-top raunchy comedies? What audience are they aimed at? Do they succeed?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate