MacGruber
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MacGruber
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that MacGruber is an action comedy satire about a renegade military assassin. The series is a sequel to the 2010 film, which was based on a recurring Saturday Night Live sketch, and brings back the movie's core cast of Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, and Ryan Phillipe. MacGruber started as a parody of the 80s series MacGyver (about an operative who pieced together weapons from everyday objects), but the film and series are more commentaries on the hyper-masculinity of a certain type of action film. Unfortunately, the MacGruber brand falls into a lot of the same traps as those films, including a really disappointing strain of homophobic jokes throughout the series. Violence and sexual content are both played over-the-top for laughs. Action sequences involve guns, bombs, martial arts, and any number of military weapons, and show blood and gore -- especially when MacGruber uses a something he calls a "throat ripper." Sexual content includes simulated sex, male backside nudity, and many, many descriptions of sex acts. Like in the movie, there are long stretches of bits that don't work, punctuated by some legitimately funny moments.
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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?
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
- Premiere date: December 16, 2021
- Cast: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Laurence Fishburne
- Network: Peacock
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: August 30, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Not worth seeing unless you're a huge Ferrell fan.
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Superstar
Even SNL fans will find this movie too long.
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Coneheads
So-so '90s movie based on '70s SNL sketch has edgy humor.
For kids who love comedy
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