Open Season parents guide

Open Season Parent Guide

Overall B

In this silly animated film, Boog the bear (voice of Martin Lawrence) finds his sweet domesticated life turning sour after a wild night out with a one-antlered deer named Elliot (Ashton Kutcher). Banished to the deep woods, the homesick grizzly (and the tag-along buck) determines to find a way back to Ranger Beth (Debra Messing) and safety before hunting Open Season begins.

Release date September 28, 2006

Violence B-
Sexual Content B+
Profanity A-
Substance Use B

Why is Open Season rated PG? The MPAA rated Open Season PG for some rude humor, mild action and brief language.

Parent Movie Review

Boog the bear (voice of Martin Lawrence) has a sweet life. Found as a cub by Ranger Beth (Debra Messing), the big brown bundle of fun has enjoyed a home in her garage, fish crackers for treats, and a tuck-in with his teddy each night.

However, his domestic bliss turns sour after a chance meeting with Elliot (Ashton Kutcher), a dazed-but-not-dead mule deer who has been strapped to the hood of a sportsman’s truck. Although Boog barely raises a paw to aid in his escape, the one-antlered animal is determined to pay back the favor by introducing the grizzly to the great outdoors.

Unfortunately, the duo’s wild night out results in tranquilizer darts and banishment from civilization. Awaking to discover they have been relocated high up the mountain, Boog is anxious to make his way home. The friend-starved Elliot is equally anxious not to be left alone, and offers himself as a guide. Reluctantly accepting the help, the pair sets off hoping to transverse the wilderness in less than three days, because that’s when Open Season begins.

Besides the fish-out-of-water antics as the pet-like bear attempts to bond with Mother Nature (such as using the woods for an outhouse and adjusting his tastes to an organic diet), the plot also prances into a survival-of-the-fittest war when the hunted decide to take on the hunters. Organizing all the forest friends they have met along the way, Boog and Elliot form an oddball army that particularly targets Shaw (Gary Sinise), a trigger-happy brute with whom they have a personal score in need of settling.

With a focus on comedy, the script presents some rude bathroom humor, moments of irresponsible behavior, and the portrayal of coffee and chocolate bar consumption as having an addictive and inebriating effect on animals. For young viewers however, the greatest concern may be when the fur flies between the mammals and the humans. Constantly threatened by guns and bullets, the four-legged creatures at first defend (then later retaliate) against their foe by throwing everything they can get their claws on. The perilous nature of these situations and the resulting damage to property and the environment could potentially cause little ones some alarm.

Obviously never intended to be anything more than an entertaining romp, the computer-animated film’s most serious message is a reminder that through the eyes of the prey, Open Season is no picnic. So should you be the predator, you might want to watch your back “If you go out in the woods today…”

Starring Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing. Theatrical release September 28, 2006. Updated

Open Season
Rating & Content Info

Why is Open Season rated PG? Open Season is rated PG by the MPAA for some rude humor, mild action and brief language.

In the war between predator and prey, animals are constantly threatened with guns. In defense and retaliation, the forest creatures attack the hunters with skunk spray, throw and catapult objects at them, as well as detonate an explosion. Massive property damage results, although there is no loss of life. While this violence is portrayed in a comical manner, there are moments of peril for some of the characters that may frighten young viewers. The script includes mild sexual and rude bathroom humor. Eating chocolate and drinking coffee are depicted as having an addictive effect on some animals. During a break and enter, a couple of animals behave recklessly and irresponsibly.

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Open Season Parents' Guide

At the end of this movie, there is a disclaimer that reads, “No rabbits were hurt during the making of this film.” What is this comical statement making reference to? In this movie, who takes the worst beating—the humans or the mammals? Why do we run such an announcement about animals, and yet never make any comment about the treatment of humans during the film making process? Is it more acceptable to you to see violence against people than critters in movies?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Open Season movie is January 29, 2007. Here are some details…

DVD Release Date: 30 January 2007

A whole forest of bonus features accompanies the DVD release of Open Season (offered in either wide or full screen Special Editions). The disc includes a filmmakers’ commentary, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette and an opportunity to look at The Voices Behind the Stars. Those hunting for big game can set their sites on the Wheel of Fortune Forest Edition game, play Voice-A-Rama (where you can hear what the characters sound like with different accents) and follow the DVD-Rom link to online fun. Other extras include a music video, ring tales, an art gallery, beat boards and a sneak peek at Surf’s Up. Audio tracks are available in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) and French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), with subtitles in English, Spanish and French.

Open Season also comes in a Blu-ray edition, with audio tracks in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM), and subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese and Thai.

Related home video titles:

Like Bambi, this movie has an anti-hunting message. The idea of an animal conspiracy against humans is part of this script as well as the one for Chicken Run. In the films Shrek I and Shrek II, the main character is saddled with an equally obnoxious sidekick.