WISE Score
Avg. Tomatometer
A moon-based nightclub owner fights off lunar gangsters in a movie that somehow cost $100 million and forgot to include the jokes.
3.96%
12
This isn't a hidden gem; it's a legendary disaster. Unless you're a completionist for Eddie Murphy's career or you're specifically looking for a movie to talk over with friends, there's no reason to put this on.
It's safe enough for teens, but the crime isn't the content—it's the boredom. In a world of high-quality sci-fi, Pluto Nash is a crater of wasted potential.
Best for kids 12 and up who are specifically interested in sci-fi history or 'so-bad-it's-good' cinema. Anyone younger will just be bored.
It's a standard sci-fi action comedy set in a nightclub. There's nothing particularly uplifting here, but it isn't mean-spirited; it's just flavorless.
The production design for 2087 on the moon is actually decent, featuring retro-futuristic vibes and robot bodyguards, even if the script does nothing with them.
Standard PG-13 level sci-fi violence and some suggestive nightclub environments. Nothing that will haunt a middle-schooler, but it's not for the preschool set.
Aside from being a cautionary tale about Hollywood overspending, there is almost zero cognitive or ethical value here.
There is a specific kind of fascination that comes with a movie like The Adventures of Pluto Nash. In 2002, this was one of the most expensive movies ever made, and it returned almost nothing at the box office. For a parent today, the only reason to pull this out of the digital bargain bin is for the 'historical' context of early 2000s sci-fi.
The movie tries to blend a noir gangster plot with a futuristic setting, but it lacks the wit of Men in Black or the world-building of The Fifth Element. Eddie Murphy plays the straight man, which is a bizarre choice for one of the funniest humans alive. He’s surrounded by a cast that includes Rosario Dawson and Joe Pantoliano, all of whom seem to be waiting for a punchline that never arrives.
If your kid is at that age where they enjoy critiquing media or watching YouTube 'video essays' about failed projects, Pluto Nash is a great case study. You can talk about set design, lighting, and why the jokes don't land. But if you’re looking for a family movie night that actually entertains, you’re better off with literally anything else on your streaming list. It’s a curiosity, not a classic.
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