When one thinks of movies considered "family films," the classics that everyone in the family can enjoy are likely what first comes to mind. 2003's Elf is one such example, as the film's weird and sarcastic sense of humor makes it hysterical to both kids and adults. What's notable is that it's the exact kind of film that it was advertised as, though that's not always the case when it comes to other films, particularly those aimed at families.
Some of these family films are framed to be one thing in trailers and commercials, but upon watching, they turn out to have more adult content than expected or they're something else altogether. In general, this can be either a good or bad thing, as seen in the films below.
Blank Check (1994)
Blank Check is about an 11-year old boy named Preston who mistakenly receives a blank check from an escaped criminal and forges its payable amount as one million dollars, which he uses to buy himself all kinds of things a kid his age would want.
But in addition to some misplaced sexual comments and threats of violence, there's the fact that the main character pursues a romance with an older woman. And by the film's end, she promises to date Preston in six years, before kissing him directly on the lips. This moment alone comes off as particularly creepy, as it frames the woman as a predator.
North (1994)
North follows the titular character (Elijah Wood), a child prodigy who "divorces" himself from his uncaring parents and travels the world looking for a more supportive family. While it was advertised as an offbeat but charming flick, the actual movie is undoubtedly inappropriate.
This is shown best through the families that North spends time with, as most of them are presented in ways that are culturally insensitive: the Inuit family in Alaska lives in an igloo and sends their eldest member out to sea on an ice floe so he can die with dignity (something that was rarely done, and only in times of famine) while the Hawaiian family states that there are only 12 letters in their country's alphabet and that this explains the names of Hawaii's city names (Honolulu and Waikiki for example). So much for being tasteful.
Where The Wild Things Are (2009)
Seeing how it's based on a popular book for children, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are would surely be appropriate for that target audience, right? Well yes, but not completely, at times. While the film nails the innocent and imaginative feeling of childhood (like when Max and the Wild Thing are building their fort), there's also a darker psychological subtext regarding the Wild Things.
Carol is shown burning down their homes at the beginning of the film out of anger at K.W. just as he starts to do to the fort later on when he accuses Max of lying about being a king. This is followed by a moment not long after in which Carol rips off Douglas's arm, though there's no blood involved.
The Cat In The Hat (2003)
2003's The Cat in the Hat has only grown as a meme in recent years, mostly because many can't believe that this movie was actually made the way that it was. Rather than being kid-friendly, like the Dr. Seuss book it was based on, the film has a number of dirty jokes that are somewhat shocking to see in the adaptation, including a moment where the Cat's tail is accidentally cut off and the film stops him from saying "son of a bi*ch," as well as the infamous "dirty hoe" moment that Mike Myers personally fought to include.
Theodore Geisel's (Dr. Suess) widow, Audrey, was so disgusted with the movie that she declared that no more live-action films could be made based on her husband's work.
Son Of The Mask (2005)
Son of the Mask not only failed to capture the same irreverent charm as the original Mask film, but it also failed in being appropriate for kids. The original film had some adult jokes thrown in here and there, but they were subtle.
Son has some unintentionally disturbing moments that would scare kids: a dream sequence involving babies with sharp teeth for example, not to mention the scene where the main character (while wearing the mask) and his wife conceive their child: in fact, a deleted U.S. scene that aired on Cartoon Network shows his masked sperm racing to get to her egg. You know, for kids!
Howard The Duck (1986)
Say what you will about Howard the Duck, but the trailers made it look harmless: a comedy about a duck from another planet who gets involved in some Ghostbusters-style hijinks on Earth. Yet, despite its PG rating and some goofy scenes, there are just as many moments that go in some inappropriate directions.
For one, the film's opening includes a topless, breasted duck singing in the bath. Then there's the infamous flirtation scene that defied most laws of nature. And don't forget about the moment where a possessed Walter Jennings lets loose a clawed tentacle from his mouth and sticks it in a cigarette lighter!
Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins is actually an interesting case because its existence is the whole reason why the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system was changed. Since the film had Steven Spielberg as an executive producer and centered around destructive but cute green monsters, most people thought that it was going to be an E.T.-style charmer. The released film however received criticism for being much more violent in tone, as it included scenes where the transformed Mogwai cause the deaths of several people, and the protagonist's mom comes close to being strangled to death.
Two months after the film's release, the MPAA responded by adding a new rating to their rating system, PG-13, as suggested by Spielberg himself.
Mouse Hunt (1997)
Mouse Hunt was advertised as an innocent Home Alone-esque comedy in which two brothers constantly try to get rid of a mouse in their house. But director Gore Verbinski added his own dark touches to the story: the film starts with the funeral of the father of one of the main characters, with an accident causing his corpse to fall into an open manhole.
Along with a character dying of shock from accidentally eating a cockroach and a man sticking his hand down into a woman's cleavage, there's no shortage of moments that stretch the label of "family film."
The Dark Crystal (1982)
During its release, The Dark Crystal received mostly mixed reviews. Promotional material for Jim Henson's film promised a light-hearted fantasy epic, only for some audiences to be shocked by the darker elements in the story (such as the presence of blood and the unnerving scene in which the Podlings are drained of their essence by the Skeksis) that seemed out of place in a Henson production.
Time has been kind to the film, however, and it's rightfully found a devoted following, along with an acclaimed yet short-lived prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, on Netflix.
Kangaroo Jack (2003)
Kangaroo Jack was promoted as a family comedy involving two guys trying to get a jacket full of money back from a rapping, wisecracking kangaroo in the outback. The film was actually made as an R-rated crime comedy, but poor test screenings inspired producer Jerry Bruckheimer to retool it as a family film by cutting out most of the mature content and inserting a few scenes of the CGI kangaroo.
In fact, the scenes of Kangaroo Jack in the ads are the only scenes of him talking, as he's a normal kangaroo for 98% of the runtime. And despite those cuts for content, the film still contains a large amount of violence and sexual innuendos, most notably when Jerry O'Connell's character feels Estella Warren's breasts in the desert to see if she's a mirage. Yet, it still got a PG rating.