The War With Grandpa: A Parent Movie Review

What happens when a grandpa and grandson start playing a series of pranks on each other?  You get a laugh-out-loud movie with adults versus the kids, thanks to The War With Grandpa, which is now in theaters! Is the movie kid friendly, though?  I’m answering this question and more in my spoiler free parent movie review.  I received a screener to watch this movie for free in exchange for a review.  However, as always, all opinions are my own.  With a PG rating that includes infrequent use of profanity and minimal violence, here’s what parents need to know about The War With Grandpa.

The War With Grandpa:  A Parent Movie Review

The War With Grandpa is based on a book written by Robert Kimmel Smith.  It’s about a boy named Peter (played by Oakes Fegley) who starts pranking his grandpa after his grandpa moves into his bedroom.  Not be outdone, his grandpa starts pranking him back.  The all-star cast includes Robert De Niro (as Grandpa Ed), Christopher Walken, Cheech Marin, Jane Seymour (as Ed’s friends) and Uma Thurman (as Ed’s daughter-in-law).  I recently had the opportunity to participate in virtual interviews with several of the cast members and co-executive producers and you can read all about it here.  But, in the meantime, let’s dive into my parent movie review!  Here’s what parents need to know before making a decision as to whether or not The War With Grandpa is appropriate for younger kids.

It’s Rated PG

The movie is rated PG which means that some material in the movie might be unsuitable for younger kids.  For example, it might contain some inappropriate language, very little sexual content, suggestive dialogue, and/or mild violence.  As a result, parental guidance is suggested.  This particular movie has infrequent use of inappropriate language and mild/minimal violence.  But more about that below.  

Inappropriate Language

Overall, there’s not a lot of profanity in this movie.  Characters say words like “hell,” “damn,” “wiseass,” and “hellbent.”  Some of the characters also use phrases like “shut up” and one of the character jokingly says “I’m going to kill this kid.”  All in all, the language in this movie is pretty benign and not offensive.  

Sexual Content

There aren’t any sex scenes in this movie.  There are a few scenes that allude to Peter’s sister, Mia (played by Laura Marano), making out with her boyfriend; however, nothing is shown on screen.  There are two scenes where one character accidentally flashes another character, but private parts are never shown.  And based on the context of those two scenes, nothing sexual is implied.  I don’t want to spoil it because I think those are some of the funniest moments in the movie.  Another innocuous scene occurs when one of the kids says the word “boobies” in what is meant to be a joke.  

Violence

There is no graphic violence in this movie; however, there is some mild violence.   One of the characters accidentally breaks a car window and another character is punched (off screen) by the school bully.  Some of the other scenes occur during a misunderstanding at the grocery store, during a hilarious dodgeball match and outside of the school by a dumpster.  With that being said, though, the violence in this movie is done in a comedic way and no one is in danger of serious injury or harm.

Overall Thoughts

My whole family loved this movie, including my parents and my son.  We couldn’t stop laughing during several of the scenes and we certainly needed the laughs, especially right now.  Robert De Niro has the ability to play serious and comedic roles to perfection and his co-stars are no different.  One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Robert De Niro sits down in a chair and says “It took me 5 minutes to get in this chair, I’m not getting out.”  However, the movie also has heartfelt moments.  Ed’s wife recently passed away, which is one of the reasons why he moves into his daughter’s house.  For families who have experienced similar loss, this will no doubt resonate with them.  Overall, this is a movie that the entire family will enjoy, for the reasons mentioned above.  And kids will no doubt find the pranks hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EohVvIWg-Oc

About The War With Grandpa

Sixth-grader Peter (Oakes Fegley) is pretty much your average kid-he likes gaming, hanging with his friends and his beloved pair of Air Jordans. But when his recently widowed grandfather Ed (Robert De Niro) moves in with Peter’s family, the boy is forced to give up his most prized possession of all, his bedroom. Unwilling to let such an injustice stand, Peter devises a series of increasingly elaborate pranks to drive out the interloper, but Grandpa Ed won’t go without a fight. Soon, the friendly combatants are engaged in an all-out war with side-splitting consequences. 

Based on the award-winning book by Robert Kimmel Smith, The War with Grandpa is a hilarious family comedy featuring an all-star supporting cast: Christopher Walken, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Cheech Marin, Laura Marano and Jane Seymour.