Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 10+
The quirky adventure comedy has a lot of innuendo, cartoonish violence
Videos and photos
Based on 10 parent reviews
What is the story?
As in the 1942 romantic drama Casablancathe protagonist of FOODFIGHT! he has a one-syllable name, Dex (Humphrey Bogart plays Rick) and a lost love that made him give up his life and open a nightclub. The difference is that Dex (voiced by Charlie Sheen) lives in a supermarket. He is an advertising icon representing one of the products in his line. Similar to other icons, including Mr. Clean and Starkist’s Charlie the Tuna, he runs the place after hours, having served as the house’s “dog detective” until his girlfriend’s devastating “call”. Just as he is about to succumb to cynicism and self-pity, he and his friends realize that Lady Brand X (and her minions, depicted as Nazis falling on their feet) are behind the disappearance of many icons. Dex joins his comrades in the good fight to get their store back and save their friends.
Is it good?
The filmmakers clearly love classic films, and whether this film falls into the category of a well-executed homage or a rip-off is up for debate. Casablanca he gets robbed — er, honored — at most, providing a Dex persona and an interwoven plot of his troubled love life and his decision to risk everything to save the supermarket. Gone with the wind is also evoked. But the term “classic” has been expanded to include California Raisins singing “Grapevine,” as they did in the iconic 1986 ad. Old ad campaigns are also cited. “Do you have any milk?” the guy pulls the bartender. There are other optional bits of dialogue, including “You bet your box” and “Get an expiration date,” and for most of the film, it doesn’t get much better than that.
It’s hard to go wrong with such veterans as Jerry Stiller, Larry Miller, Ed Asner, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Fierstein, Christine Baranski and Wayne Brady, but the script let them down. This film can’t decide whether it’s a ramble through the supermarket of children’s cartoons or a sleazy nostalgia fest that discards poor paraphrases from the classic film repertoire.
Talk to your kids about…
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Families can discuss whether this movie has a serious message about food companies and branding. Does calling something brand X mean it’s bad?
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The evil Brand X army is made to look like WWII Nazis. What other books, movies, or TV shows have used such figures for comedy?
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It’s fun to watch animals play characters that look like people. What other recent movies feature talking animals?
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Who is the intended audience of the film?
Did we miss something about diversity?
Research shows a connection between children’s healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in the media. That’s why we’ve added a new “Different Representations” section to our reviews, which will be published continuously. You can help us help children