TL;DR: Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2 are the ultimate "junk food" movies. They are crude, filled with middle-aged slapstick, and currently experiencing a massive resurgence among middle-schoolers thanks to TikTok clips. If your kid is asking to watch them, they’re looking for easy laughs, not deep plots. They are generally fine for the 11+ crowd, provided you’re okay with a heavy dose of "potty humor" and some dated 2010-era jokes.
Ask our chatbot if Grown Ups is too crude for your 10-year-old
If you feel like you’ve been hearing a lot about a movie that came out back when the iPhone 4 was peak technology, you aren’t imagining it. Grown Ups (2010) and its sequel Grown Ups 2 (2013) have become staples of the "Netflix Top 10" and the TikTok "For You" page.
The premise is simple: Adam Sandler gathered his real-life best friends—Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, and Rob Schneider—and got a studio to pay for them to hang out at a lake house. There is barely a plot. It’s mostly just grown men making fun of each other, falling down, and dealing with "dad problems" in the most immature way possible.
You might be wondering why a 12-year-old in 2026 cares about David Spade getting hit in the face with a tire. It comes down to a few things:
- The TikTok Pipeline: The "best of" moments from these movies—like the "chocolate wasted" line or the "burp-snart"—are perfectly bite-sized for social media. Kids see a 30-second clip of Kevin James doing something ridiculous, and suddenly they’re searching for the full movie on Netflix.
- Low-Stakes Comedy: In a world of high-concept Marvel movies or heavy teen dramas like Euphoria, there’s something weirdly refreshing to kids about a movie that is just... dumb. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
- The "Forbidden" Vibe: These movies are rated PG-13, which is the "sweet spot" for middle-schoolers. It feels adult enough because of the crude language and suggestive jokes, but it isn’t actually "scary" or "bad" in a way that will get them in real trouble.
- The Sandler Effect: Adam Sandler has successfully transitioned from the "Billy Madison" guy to the "Internet’s Favorite Uncle." Between Hotel Transylvania and Leo, kids grow up with his voice, so moving into his live-action stuff feels like a natural progression.
Check out our guide to why Adam Sandler is dominating kid culture
Let’s be real: Grown Ups is not going to win any Oscars. It’s not "educational" in any traditional sense. If you’re looking for a movie that teaches emotional intelligence or complex problem-solving, this isn't it.
However, calling it "brain rot" might be a bit harsh. While the humor is lowbrow, the core themes are actually pretty wholesome:
- Friendship: The movies emphasize staying connected with childhood friends.
- Family: Most of the conflict involves the dads trying to connect with their kids and get them off their devices (ironic, I know).
- Marriage: It depicts long-term marriages that, while goofy, are generally supportive and loving.
That said, the movies are packed with "lazy" humor. There are plenty of jokes at the expense of people's weight, age, or looks. It’s the kind of humor that hasn't aged particularly well since 2010, but it’s rarely mean-spirited enough to be truly toxic.
If your kid has come to you claiming that Grown Ups 3 is coming out next month, take it with a massive grain of salt.
Every few months, a "fan-made" trailer or a fake poster goes viral on TikTok or YouTube. As of right now, there is no official confirmation that a third movie is in production. Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison, has a massive deal with Netflix, but they’ve been focused on newer projects like Spaceman or You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.
So, when can they watch it?
Ages 0-9: Skip it.
Not because it’s "dangerous," but because the jokes will go over their heads and they'll just start repeating words you’d rather they didn't. If they want Sandler, stick to Leo or Hotel Transylvania.
Ages 10-12: The "Yellow Light" Zone.
This is when most kids start asking for it. They’ll find the physical comedy hilarious. You should be prepared for some "locker room" talk and a few scenes involving suggestive situations (like the "water park" scene in the first movie). It’s a good time to talk about what’s "funny in a movie" vs. "funny in real life."
Ages 13+: Green Light.
By this age, they’ve heard worse in the school hallway. They will likely see the movie for what it is: a silly, slightly dated comedy about a bunch of dads.
If you decide to sit down and watch this with your kid, here is what you're actually in for:
- The Humor: It’s 90% poop jokes, pee jokes, and jokes about people falling down. If that makes you roll your eyes, you're going to be doing a lot of eye-rolling.
- The "Cringe" Factor: There are some subplots involving the characters' attraction to women that feel a bit "creepy uncle." It’s handled in a "boys will be boys" way that feels very 2010.
- The Language: Expect plenty of "hells," "damns," and "ass," plus a lot of creative insults.
- The Product Placement: These movies are basically 100-minute commercials for K-Mart (RIP), various soda brands, and New England tourism.
If your kid is obsessed, use it as a bridge. You don't have to like the movie to have a conversation about it.
- "What’s the funniest part of that movie to you?" (This tells you a lot about their sense of humor).
- "Do you think the way they make fun of each other is how friends should actually talk?"
- "Why do you think this movie is so popular on TikTok right now?"
Grown Ups is the cinematic equivalent of a lukewarm pepperoni pizza. It’s not "good" for you, it’s definitely not "fine dining," but it’s hard to be truly mad at it.
If your middle-schooler wants to watch it, it’s a relatively safe way for them to explore PG-13 "edgy" humor without stumbling into something truly dark or inappropriate. Just don't be surprised if they start trying to "snart" (sneeze-fart) at the dinner table. You’ve been warned.
If your kids have already exhausted the Sandler-verse, here are a few other things they might like that hit that same "funny but not too heavy" vibe:
- The Mitchells vs. the Machines - Way smarter, just as funny.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The ultimate middle-school cringe comedy.
- Holey Moley - If they like the physical comedy of people falling down, this mini-golf show is a winner.
- The Good Place - For when you want to graduate from poop jokes to actual philosophy (but still with some poop jokes).
Ask our chatbot for more recommendations based on your kid's favorite movies