An American CarolMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 20 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 Iffy for 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 50
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    Ultimately, the problem with An American Carol is the problem with far too much political discourse in this country, left or right: It highlights the worst excesses of the opposition for the sole purpose of discrediting the vast middle. Read full review

  • 50
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    A loony attack on wacko liberalism and a ding-dong defense of wacko conservatism. Read full review

  • 50
    Los Angeles Times |

    It's a gag-strewn, hit-and-miss affair that's not without its chuckles. Read full review

  • 40
    The Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck

    The sole laughs are scored by Robert Davi, amusingly playing it straight as a Muslim terrorist who wants to hire Malone to make a suicide bomber recruitment film. Read full review

  • 40
    The New York Times | Nathan Lee

    Cheap shots and mean spirits abound, as do celebrity cameos (James Woods, Jon Voight, Dennis Hopper, Kelsey Grammer). But it's the laziness of the writing that most offends. Read full review

  • 30
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    Conservatives score a few political points but aren't very funny in An American Carol, a cheesy spitball directed at the very large target of a Michael Moore-like filmmaker. Read full review

  • 25
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea

    About as not-funny as a comedy can get. Read full review

  • 20
    L.A. Weekly | Scott Foundas

    Astonishingly inept alleged satire. Read full review

  • 11
    Austin Chronicle | Marjorie Baumgarten

    Michael Moore has nothing to fear from David Zucker. Read full review

  • 0
    The Onion A.V. Club |

    Great satire never fits neatly within an ideological box. Attention, the ghosts of H.L. Mencken, Stanley Kubrick, and Jonathan Swift: David Zucker could use a visit. Read full review

View more reviews for An American Carol on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ Right-wing political comedy just isn't funny.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this independent comedy from one of the directors of Airplane! is designed to articulate politically conservative ideas and criticisms -- specifically alleging that the movie industry is liberal through and through. It depicts suicide bombing and terrorist acts in a broadly humorous light and paints pacifism as a naive, dangerous luxury. There's extensive crude and coarse comedy (including jokes about sex), plenty of pratfalls, strong language ("s--t," the "N" word), and some drinking and smoking.
  • Families can talk about the cultural clash between liberals and conservatives. How does this conflict play out in the media? Families can also discuss the film's varying tone. Is it appropriate to mix slapstick comedy with depictions of the aftermath of 9-11? Finally, families can talk about the film's central thesis: Is mainstream Hollywood really anti-conservative and pro-liberal? What real-life evidence can you point to on either side of the argument? Do you think the media influences your own social and political beliefs? How?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Extensive discussion of political ideas, mostly in order to mock "liberal" political beliefs; topics discussed include school prayer, left-leaning academia, Islamic terrorism, pacifism, the separation of church and state, 9-11, and much more. The film also features a segment of a fake film on "radical Christian terrorists" which suggests that Islam is an intrinsically violent religion in a way that Christianity is not. A blind child is depicted for comedy purposes.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Frequent, extensive slapstick falls and blows to the head; firearms are used against zombie-like ACLU lawyers; depictions of, and jokes about, suicide bombing. Crosses and bibles are used as weapons. Depictions of wartime violence; footage from World War II. A "dirty bomb" attack on Detroit is depicted. A disembodied set of buttocks is viewed on an autopsy table. Discussion of the 9-11 attack and depiction of its aftermath. A security-screening rectal exam is depicted on screen.
  • sex false3 Sex: Kissing; discussions of sexual activity; jokes about promiscuity, homosexuality, cleavage, and lust.
  • language false3 Language: Occasional strong language, including "ass," "s--t," "douchebag," "son of a bitch," "damn," and "balls." A platoon of Nazi soldiers chants "I don't know but I've been told/Kill the Jews and take their gold." A depiction of an America in which the Civil War was never fought involves racial language, including the "N" word.
  • consumerism false2 Consumerism: Some brands are visible, like Big Gulp and Twinkies; Bill O'Reilly and country singer Trace Adkins make cameos as themselves.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters drink beer and wine; some drug paraphernalia is briefly visible; cigars are smoked.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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