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Parents' Guide to

MacGruber

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Action spoof reboot features over-the-top sex, violence.

TV Peacock Comedy 2021
MacGruber Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • MacGruber: The core cast from the 2010 movie returns
  • MacGruber: MacGruber (Will Forte) in action
  • MacGruber: Laurence Fishburne (left) joins the cast as MacGruber's new boss and rival

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What's the Story?

When we last saw MacGruber (Will Forte), he had vanquished his arch-enemy and married his soul-mate. Now, ten years later, a lot has gone wrong for the renegade military assassin. He's hit rock bottom. Again. But when the President of the United States wants to trade MacGruber for his kidnapped daughter, MacGruber jumps at the chance to put the team back together.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

It's hard to get excited for a sequel to a film that wasn't very good to begin with, especially when the sequel is three times as long. Any widespread fondness for MacGruber probably comes from the likeability of lead actor and SNL alum Will Forte, rather than from the relentless shock value. MacGruber the series feels like a bunch of outtakes. There are times when the direction isn't strong enough to tell the story clearly and the actors can't even make the jokes work as written. In a lot of ways, the series is asking its audience to be more committed to the bit than Forte himself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about action. What is the central joke in MacGruber? What is it satirizing? Why is the action genre a worthy target? Does the series work if you're not familiar with the types of movies it's spoofing?

  • In addition to action, what other things does the series make fun of? What are some of the recurring jokes? What makes them funny or not funny? How much of the humor comes from simply trying to shock the audience?

TV 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.

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