Title: Rat Race (remake of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World)
Debut: 2001
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Amy Smart, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Bates, Breckin Meyer, Cuba Gooding Jr, John Lovitz, and more
Directed by: Jerry Zucker
Summary: (From IMDB): A Las Vegas casino magnate, determined to find a new avenue for wagering, sets up a race for money.
What we fondly remember: I only remembered John Lovitz, who, frankly, annoys me, so I’d disregarded this movie until now.
What was refreshing: It’s fun for adults, because it’s so chock full of celebs, and fun for kids, because it really is quite funny. There’s both silly humor (a cow being lifted up in a hot air balloon) and I-shouldn’t-be-laughing humor (a family stealing Hitler’s town car). And then there’s Kathy Bates selling squirrels…
Red flags: Language. And two other moments to look out for: near the end, a girl in a car flashes topless (you don’t see it, but see the guy’s reaction to it), and at the very beginning, the synopsis of an adult pay-per-view movie is described. Not a great way to start…
Kids’ Review: They loved it, as in laughing-out-loud-hysterically for 122 minutes loved it. The premise wasn’t hard to understand (it’s a race) and though there are a lot of characters, it’s easy to follow everyone’s (simple) story lines.
Want more after the credits roll? Catch up on past reviews here!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I remember this movie. I bet my boys would love it. I’ve decided that it’s time to finally branch out from strictly animated films. This is uncharted territory for me, and I’m nervous.
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I remember that moment, when I realized a whole other world of family films were open to me. But it is scary, because all of them have at least something that’s questionable in the content. Maybe the opening scene describing the adult movie titles will go over your kids’ heads? If not, that’s why God invented fast forward!