Book-based adventure is fun ... if you like potty humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Some peril/action violence, but much of it is lightened by humor and animation style. An imaginary sequence featuring sock puppets includes laser weapons, smoke, and destruction. The villain travels with lots of weapons (axe, mace, dynamite, etc.) and ultimately attacks the school with a gigantic robotic monster -- but just when the climactic battle gets tense, it switches to flip-book animation style. A gun that can make things bigger and smaller wreaks havoc. Carnival rides go AWOL, a school is upended. Lots of slapstick: Captain Underpants jumps out of windows, nearly falls to his death, punches "bad guys" (a mime, in one case), etc.; a villain is hit by vehicles three times in quick succession. Krupp always seems to be angry and yells a lot. Tension when the boys sneak into Krupp's office. George and Harold are terrified by the idea of being put in separate classes. Kids are sad in their prison-like school. Joke about turning a flame thrower on kittens. George and Harold's pranks sometimes lead to chaos/damage.
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Frequent use of potty words including "poop," "poopypants," "diarrhea," "butt," "fanny," and "fart" (the name of the planet Uranus is also played for laughs). Some insult language, including "weirdo," "idiotic," "suck up," "stupid," and "dumb." Tons of bodily function humor (burps, boogers, farting noises, all of the poop references, etc.).
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Nothing in the movie (some background products resemble real-life ones but have had their names changed), but the movie is tied to a popular book franchise that has licensed merchandise.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
none
Kids run rampant when they eat pure sugar.
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Amid the non-stop potty humor are messages about teamwork, the power of friendship and creativity, the importance of art and fun in education, why people need to be able to laugh at themselves (not just others), and the idea that everyone deserves empathy. You never really understand someone until you think about things from their perspective and see what their life is really like. On the other hand, characters are mocked based on their names (something that can't be helped) and occasionally their weight.
Positive Role Models
some
George and Harold are a great team -- they're creative collaborators who care about each other deeply and share a strong sense of humor/the absurd. They also have a serious lack of respect for authority, pulling pranks at school and harassing their short-tempered principal, Mr. Krupp, at every opportunity. While that's funny, it's not ideal behavior; luckily, they learn that there's more to Krupp than they realized, and they gradually develop empathy for him. The boys also make a key apology to the villain, saying it wasn't right for everyone to laugh at him because of his unfortunate name (Professor Poopypants). Captain Underpants himself is very positive and civic-minded, though he doesn't execute his plans particularly well and often gets in jams. Some stereotyping (Melvin is a textbook nerd/teacher's pet), but diversity among main characters.
Educational Value
very little
Intended to entertain rather than educate, but there are lessons about friendship, creativity, and thinking about things from someone else's point of view.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that as long as you don't have a problem with potty humor, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is a fun pick for elementary schoolers and up. But you really need to be OK with the potty humor, because it's constant. Based on the hugely popular book series by Dav Pilkey, the story follows two prank-loving best friends who hypnotize their angry principal into believing he's Captain Underpants, the hero of the boys' many comic books. In addition to all the jokes about poop, Uranus, and other bodily functions, there's some superhero/action violence -- particularly when the villain (Professor Poopypants) attacks the school. But many of the tense/perilous moments are lightened via humor (there's lots of slapstick) and animation choices (for instance, switching to a flip-book style at the height of a big battle). Some kids might be upset by the principal's constant yelling or his threat to separate the boys and end their friendship, but things generally stay pretty upbeat. Language includes frequent potty/body words, as well as insults like "weirdo," "stupid," and "suck up," and there's some stereotyping (particularly the nerdy character, Melvin). Two adults flirt with each other and go on a date. While the boys don't show much respect for authority, they do learn important lessons about what makes a friendship/team really strong and the importance of having empathy for others. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
I was reluctant to buy this considering I didn't know anything about the comics, and it struck me as juvenile and sort of predictable. BUT, I gave it a chance and it turns out that it's really good - if your goal is to give your kids something they can genuinely laugh at. Adults can enjoy it too, but I think kids can enjoy it more.
Good points:
It's basically a friendship story, with scenes that emphasize the importance of friendship, sticking together, and perseverance.
It's filled with goofy, good-natured fun. Gross ideas are played for laughs throughout the film, but that's sort of the point.
Valuation of creativity, imagination, and art is shown throughout the film. If you have a kid who likes to draw, this might inspire them to make their own comic - who knows?
The antagonists are characters with no sense of humor, while the protagonists are kids who love to laugh. There is a message here to not take life super-seriously, and that a lighthearted outlook is best.
Not-so-good points:
The only content I found questionable was a scene where Harrold (in an attempt to explain how mean Krupp is) makes a sketch of Krupp roasting a cat with a flamethrower. This is forgivable only because the drawing is covered with a "censored" label, and when George asks "Did that really happen?!" Harrold admits "Technically, no. But it may as well have!" I'm not so keen on introducing ideas about violence toward animals to young kids. Granted it's used to vilify, and recognized as a terrible act. Also, there is a comment about "jars of plucked out eyeballs" made by one of the boys speculating what they might find inside Krupp's house. Again, this is not imagery that young kids should be given. But maybe I'm just sensitive because I have a vivid imagination.
All in all, the film is pretty innocent, and probably less dark/violent than your average Disney film.
Whether you like this movie or not will depend on your sense of humor. I appreciate it for the fact that it's easy for kids to laugh at because the humor is simple and goofy. Too many kids movies these days are filled with jokes kids don't get - that are more enjoyable for the parents than the kids. This movie isn't so. It's really for the kids first, and hopefully the parents can laugh along too. My 4 and 1/2 year old laughed lots during this movie. I think it's best to show this to your kids while they're still easily amused by goofy, simple humor, mostly centered around bodily functions and undergarments. There will be plenty of time to "grow up" later. :-)
The Captain Underpants movie is great. It is a hilarious, child-friendly film based on the Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey. The single thing that made me not put five stars is the fact that there is a bit of romance between Mr. Krupp and a maid, but things don't get too heated, even though the film ends with a date. But otherwise, this movie is perfect for five and up. One of the best films ever, and is one of the funniest I know!
What's the Story?
In CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE, Captain Underpants is the creation of best friends George (voiced by Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch). They've been inseparable since kindergarten, when they bonded over their shared amusement at the word "Uranus" during a science lesson. These days, in fourth grade, they giggle over the potty-centric comic books they create and the pranks they pull at school under the nose of their by-the-book principal, Mr. Krupp (Ed Helms). When Krupp finally ends up with proof of their hijinks and vows to end the boys' friendship, George does the only thing he can think of: He flashes his plastic hypno-ring at Krupp. Somehow, it works, and the boys tell Krupp he's now Captain Underpants ... so he promptly disrobes, makes himself a cape, and dashes off to fight crime. Since the Captain doesn't have the super powers to match his superhero mindset, he causes more problems than he fixes, but the boys can't risk turning him back into Krupp, especially when a villain by the name of Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll) arrives on the scene. How can they save their school and their friendship?
Based on the first book in Dav Pilkey's wildly popular series about a nearly naked superhero, this animated comedy about friendship (and farts) is guaranteed to amuse the young kids in your life. You'll likely even laugh several times yourself, thanks to a cleverer-than-expected script and moments when the main characters break the fourth wall and talk directly to viewers. But here's the thing: You have to be OK with potty humor to enjoy Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. If talk of poop (including diarrhea) or the sight of people (even animated ones) running around in their underwear makes you at all uncomfortable or offended, skip it. Because there's a lot of both of those things in this movie.
The good news is that there are also clear messages about the importance of friendship -- George and Harold realize that they don't have to be in the same class for their friendship to survive -- and empathy for others. The boys see Krupp in a new light as they learn more about his lonely life, and even though they can't help being amused by the professor's name, they acknowledge that it's wrong to laugh at someone for that reason alone. The voice actors are all well cast, and the movie's mix of animation styles keeps things lively and unexpected. Plus, it offers a nice argument in favor of arts, music, and creativity in kids' education. It's never hard to guess where the story is headed, but, all in all, you could do far worse for an afternoon/night out at the movies. As long as you don't mind poop jokes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the jokes in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Some parents find the potty humor really inappropriate. What do you think? When are certain kinds of jokes appropriate -- and when aren't they? Parents, talk to your kids about your own expectations for language at home and at school.
What does it mean to have empathy for another person? How do George and Harold learn empathy from their experiences with Krupp/Captain Underpants? Why is that an important character strength?
George and Harold also model good teamwork. How does that help them realize that their friendship can withstand any threat?
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.
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.
By Betsy Bozdech
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
