Fun Size parents guide

Fun Size Parent Guide

Families may be fooled into thinking this trashy title is intended for pre-teens, when it really isn't even appropriate for teens. Parents beware.

Overall D

Wren's (Victoria Justice) Halloween plans look perfect when she gets an invite to a party hosted by the hottest guy (Thomas McDonell) she knows -- then her mother's ditches her with babysitting her younger brother (Jackson Nicoll).

Release date October 26, 2012

Violence C-
Sexual Content D+
Profanity C+
Substance Use D+

Why is Fun Size rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Fun Size PG-13 for crude and suggestive material, partying and language.

Run Time: 87 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Heralded as Nickelodeon’s first U.S. made PG-13 movie, the Halloween-themed Fun Size opens with 17-year-old Wren (Victoria Justice) explaining why her family is crazier than any other. Aside from her 40-something widowed mother (Chelsea Handler) inviting her 26-year-old boyfriend Keevin (Josh Pence) to move in, the main reason for Wren’s description of her family is Albert (Jackson Nicoll), her little brother (whose age I didn’t catch but certainly appears old enough to not be sitting naked on the toilet while his sister is in the shower). He hasn’t spoke for months—we falsely assume it’s due to his father’s death—and has a strange penchant for chopping up his sister’s clothes, including cutting holes where her “boobs” would be.

Bathroom politics aside, Wren’s biggest concern is how she can get into the big Halloween party being held at the house of the high school"s heartthrob Aaron (Thomas McDonell). Her friend April (Jane Levy) is convinced they need “sexy” costumes so they aren’t turned away from the door. But such plans are suddenly thwarted when mom announces she’s going out with Keevin and Wren must take Albert trick-or-treating. And so the adventure begins…

Of course we’re expecting the usual shenanigans with the rotund Albert figuring out how to loot the candy bowls of neighboring homes. Then the youngster quickly leaves his distracted sister and her friend behind—and that’s when the fun in this movie’s title truly becomes questionable.

Recognizing the chastising she’ll receive from her mother Wren determines they must find Albert. And to do so they will need a car… and a driver. Enter Roosevelt (Thomas Mann) the nice boy from school with has a mad crush on Wren. With a sensuous touch of her hand the boy melts and asks his moms (a lesbian couple) for the keys. Soon they are on the road along with April and Roosevelt’s nerdy sidekick Peng (Osric Chau).

Meanwhile the mute Albert, wearing a Spider-man costume, has hopped into the car of a male convenience store clerk who sees the tyke as a good companion for some Halloween mischief. The duo begin a night of accidentally lighting an apartment on fire after a toilet papering stunt goes bad and eventually exploding a bag of dog excrement with the fireworks Albert has strapped to his body under his costume.

Back on the teen circuit, Wren and her gang attend a party with adolescent drinking, wreck Roosevelt’s moms’ car after a fast food chicken sign falls and repeatedly moves on top of it in a sexual gesture and get involved in a fight that ends with a teen shooting a gun at another teen. As well, Peng bargains with April to let him squeeze her breast for 20 seconds—which leads to them sleeping together. As their situations play out there are plentiful profanities, loads of sexual innuendo and continual complaining from April because she put hair remover cream on a private part of her anatomy.

Perhaps one of the most irresponsible movies made for children in recent memory, one can only wonder what the marketing brains at Nickelodeon are planning for an encore. With the young character Albert at the core of this movie’s promotional campaign, families may be fooled into thinking this trashy title is intended for pre-teens, when it really isn’t even appropriate for teens. Parents beware. This Halloween loot bag holds only tricks and offers no treats in exchange for your time or money.

Directed by Josh Schwartz. Starring Victoria Justice, Johnny Knoxville, Chelsea Handler, Ana Gasteyer. Running time: 87 minutes. Theatrical release October 26, 2012. Updated

Fun Size
Rating & Content Info

Why is Fun Size rated PG-13? Fun Size is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for crude and suggestive material, partying and language.

Violence: Teens get into a fight after a road rage incident that results in shouting and rocking a car with other teens inside; eventually the car is restarted and quickly drives off, nearly running over a couple of other teens. The fight moves to a fast food drive-in where a large sign crushes a car; the male teens square off with one holding a civil war era gun that is eventually shot at the other boy hitting a piece of chicken he’s holding and (unrealistically) not injuring the boy. A child straps firecrackers to his abdomen and legs in a terrorist-like fashion. An adult male invites a male child to ride with him, making remarks about luring a child into his car; later a friend remarks about him having a “good time” with the young boy, implying a sexual encounter has happened between him. In another scene a young boy gets into the car of another man. A young boy assists an adult male in preparing an exploding device containing dog excrement and fireworks; the device is placed on the doorstep of another male who, after discovering it burning on his doorstep, sits on top of it and is blown backward. Later he sees the young boy and brings him into his house, then locks him in a room. The boy’s sister eventually enters the house alone and confronts the adult male in an attempt to rescue her brother. Teens drive recklessly. Kids put toilet paper on a police car—the police laugh and comment that it must be Halloween.

Sexual Content: A teen boy bargains with a girl to be able to squeeze her breast, which she eventually allows; later we see both of them awakening on a sofa the next morning with sexual activities between them strongly implied. A large animated chicken mounted on a signpost falls on a car and continues to move on top of the vehicle in a sexual fashion. A teen girl in the shower discovers her naked brother using the toilet in the same bathroom. A mother of two children is living with a much younger man in their home—we see the two of them briefly fondling each other in the kitchen in front of the children. A man is reading the novel 50 Shades of Grey and a woman asks if it’s any good. A man, upon seeing another man with a young boy in his car, makes a sexual remark about them having a “good time”. Two teen girls discuss needing “sexy” Halloween costumes so they will be admitted to a party. A boy cuts his sister’s clothing, including leaving holes where her breasts (referred to as “boobs”) would be. A teen girl repeatedly talks about having put hair removing cream on a private part of her body and it now being in severe pain.

Language: A single scatological expletive is used, along with crude terms for female anatomy, assorted profanities and terms of Christian deity.

Drugs/Alcohol: Adult women take a young boy into a club where he is seen taking “shots” of candy aside women at a bar who are drinking alcohol. Later he is seen on the dance floor. An adult woman at a party is forced to drink a shot of liquor by another adult woman. Teens drink at a large house party. An adult male is seen drinking hard liquor from a bottle while driving.

Other: A teen boy lies to his two female parents about the use of their vehicle. A teen girl disobeys her mother’s request to care for her brother. Many of the hijinks in this movie are easily mimicked and are presented in comedic fashion with no consequences.

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Fun Size Parents' Guide

Why would a studio like Nickelodeon, known for children’s programming, have an interest in making a movie with more mature content? Do you feel this film has been marketed to a young audience? Do you think it will make a lot of money? What responsibility do viewers have in determining what kinds of movies will be made in the future?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Fun Size movie is February 18, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Fun Size

Release Date: 19 February 2013

Fun Size releases to home video with the following extras:

- Unwrapped: The Making of Fun Size

- Jackson Nicoll—Trouble Sized!

- Gag Reel

- Deleted Scenes

- “This Kiss” Music Video by Carly Rae Jepsen

- Carly Rae Jepsen: Making of “This Kiss”

Related home video titles:

Victoria Justice also stars in the TV series Zoey 101. Thomas McDonell shows up as another attractive bad boy in Prom. Other characters challenged by babysitting duties include The Court Jester, Mrs. Doubtfire and The Pacifier.