Fun SizeMovie Reviews

Avg. Critic Score: 37 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 13+

Read Common Sense Media review

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

70

The Hollywood Reporter | Sheri Linden
The movie is, by and large, smarter than the gross-out tactics that pass for hilarity in many mainstream adult comedies. Read full review
65

NPR |
Bear in mind that Fun Size is the only comedy in recent memory to feature a Ruth Bader Ginsburg joke. You won't find any of those in the "Hangover" movies' bag of tricks. Read full review
63

St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Joe Williams
Compared to most teen comedies these days, Fun Size is almost touchingly tame. Read full review
63

Slant Magazine | R. Kurt Osenlund
It pairs modern attitude with John Hughesian tropes, and it's odd enough, in spurts, to boast originality. Read full review
60

New York Daily News |
By the end of this romp, Fun Size actually accomplished something charming: sentimentality without normality. Read full review
50

San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Hartlaub
Well written but weakly executed, it's hard to imagine anyone is going to cherish the film, if they even remember it in three months' time. Read full review
38

Boston Globe | Tom Russo
All over the map in the details it throws at us, and the level of immaturity it aims for. Read full review
38

USA Today | Claudia Puig
Fun is hiding behind a bad movie costume in this humorless and idiotic Halloween teen comedy. Read full review
33

Entertainment Weekly |
This movie has no courage and little brains, and is salvaged, if at all, only by its heart. There remains a huge market for a great Halloween teen comedy, but Fun Size is the disappointing apple that your crazy-haired neighbor gives you instead of candy. Read full review
25

Washington Post |
A 90-minute theatrical release from Nickelodeon Productions that, if anything, should have aired as a half-hour Nickelodeon special. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Fun Size on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 13+ Predictable party flick is too edgy for star's younger fans.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that because Fun Size is from Nickelodeon Studios and features Victorious star Victoria Justice and her on-screen little brother, many parents and kids might assume that it's OK for young kids and tweens. But this is definitely a high school comedy. The humor, innuendo, and violence -- however comedic they might be -- are inappropriate for Nickelodeon's TV audiences, though far less raunchy than R-rated comedies like Superbad and The Sitter. On the bright side, the movie does encourage teens to look beyond the superficial when it comes to romantic partners and to appreciate and look after your family and close friends. Expect some language ("s--t" and more), underage drinking, implied teen hook-ups, and some scuffles and threats. One teen character has two moms.

Families can talk about what message it sends when a kid-oriented company puts out media that's meant for older audiences. Who do you think Fun Size is intended to appeal to? Does it succeed?
What life-changing lessons do the characters learn throughout the night? Is it believable that Wren would choose Roosevelt over Aaron? Can you think of a movie in which a "plain" but smart girl triumphs over the pretty but popular one?
How does the movie depict teen drinking? Are there realistic consequences?

The good stuff

Positive messages: This is a movie about family and friendship, grief and acceptance, and knowing how to move forward. There are also a lot of valuable lessons about tolerance, looking beyond the superficial, and what it takes to have an open, honest relationship with your parents.
Positive role models: In the end, Wren doesn't just go with the flow; she realizes it's Roosevelt, not ultra-popular school heartthrob Aaron Riley, that she wants. She'll also stop at nothing to find her little brother. Roosevelt and his moms have a very honest, communicative relationship. Roosevelt is a smart, by-the-books kind of guy, but he also knows how to step up for those he loves. Albert doesn't talk but has a strong sense of justice and loyalty -- just like the superheroes he idolizes.

What to watch for

Violence: An amateur MMA fighter threatens a lot of people, kidnaps a little boy, and keeps him locked up. There's a provocation between two muscled bullies and two nerdy teens. Before a full-out brawl starts, there's a "duel" in which one guy shoots the other guy's weapon, which happens to be a piece of fried chicken. Albert uses fireworks and other means to thwart those who wrong him. His grown-up friend accidentally sets fire to an apartment and is then pummeled by the very large inhabitants.
Sexy stuff: A few passionate kisses -- two between teens (one couple is shown after obviously having hooked up -- or at least having slept in the same bed together) and others between random couples at a party full of twentysomethings. A single mother's much younger boyfriend has spent the night at their house and kisses her in front of her kids.
Language: Language includes "s--t," "bitch," "ass," "asswad," "boobs," "damn," "crap," "lame," "hell," "sucks," "oh my God," etc. There's also a crude joke about how a teen girl has applied Nair to her bottom.
Consumerism: Product placements include Mac, Volvo, Hunter boots, Def Jam records, the Beastie Boys album Licensed to Ill, Converse high-tops, Nair hair removal cream, a Porsche, and the movie Animal House.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Partygoers drink and smoke cigarettes. Underage teens drink at a high school party. There's drinking and driving.

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