Witless ProtectionMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 17 out of 100 Overwhelming dislike 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.

  • 40
    The New York Times |

    The slapstick and action set pieces are lame, and its performances range from competent to annoying. Read full review

  • 30
    L.A. Weekly |

    Still, it's hard to despise the movie, especially when Peter Stormare shows up over-enunciating the most brilliantly awful English accent of all time. Read full review

  • 30
    The Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck

    At least a fright-wigged Joe Mantegna, delivering an execrable cameo as a whacked-out doctor, has a good excuse for his presence; the writer-director is one of his former film students. Read full review

  • 30
    Variety |

    If you need a GPS unit to find your own backside, you'll be laughing uproariously at Witless Protection, a movie that's far more interesting politically than dramatically -- or, God knows, comically. Read full review

  • 25
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    It's mostly harmless dum-dum stuff, though. Read full review

  • 0
    The Onion A.V. Club |

    Larry The Cable Guy is a cancerous boil on the ass of comedy, but it's still sort of shocking how little effort he puts into his movies. Read full review

View more reviews for Witless Protection on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ Lowbrow comedy is crude -- and not very funny.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that much of the humor in this lowbrow, mostly unfunny Larry the Cable Guy comedy is crude, sexual, sexist, and racist. Women wear skimpy clothes and are objectified, and there's tons of toilet/body part humor. Also expect some swearing (of the "ass" and "bulls--t" variety), violence (a polo match becomes particularly brawl-y), drinking, and smoking.
  • Families can talk about comedies that are intentionally crude/lowbrow. What makes them appealing? What's the draw of toilet humor and sexist jokes? Is there a specific line between humor and bad taste? If so, who determines where it falls, and how do you know when something has crossed it? Who do you think the target audience is for this movie? Why?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: For all of the movie's sexist humor -- some jokes verge on racist, too -- you get the sense that Larry's a good guy at heart. He's loyal to his girlfriend, only wants to do good, and, in the end, saves a woman from the bad guys.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Lots of fistfights and gunfights, some involving shotguns and handguns. People are shot at, and two characters have a major brawl in which they kick and hit each other. A man also slaps a woman around.
  • sex false3 Sex: A man stands naked except for a baseball cap covering his nether regions. A woman is shown in a few positions that could be construed as sexual (even if the contexts aren't); lots of jokes about women (one is described as "big-t-ttied and quick witted," as if it were a compliment) and sex (Lary makes a comment about a farmer and his horse). A main character walks around in skimpy clothes. A porn magazine is displayed in a car.
  • language false3 Language: "T-ts," "ass," "bulls--t," and the like. No "f--k"s, but Larry does give a contraption the finger. Also lots of crude descriptions about body parts.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: General Motors is mentioned, and signage for a farm is clearly displayed. Also, one character is clearly wearing a Burberry dress. Billy Ray Cyrus is name-checked.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Larry takes a swig from a bottle of what looks like whiskey; some social drinking; a character constantly smokes.
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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Dave White

2.5

Dave White Profile See Dave White's Profile

… sub-lowest-common-denominator "funny," Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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Witless Protection Movie Ratings + Reviews

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