"LET'S GO TO PRISON" (2006) (Dax Shepard, Will Arnett) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Moderate *Extreme *Minor Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None Mild Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Heavy Minor Heavy *Heavy QUICK TAKE: Comedy: A three-time felon tries to get revenge on the judge who previously sentenced him by sending the man's adult son to prison and then joining him there. PLOT: John Lyshitski (DAX SHEPARD) is a life-long felon who now has it out for the judge who previously sentenced him three times to prison. The only problem is that the judge is now dead, meaning John must focus his negative energies on the judge's adult son, Nelson Biederman IV (WILL ARNETT). He's the chairman of the board for his late father's foundation and his arrogance and meanness proves he's ripe for the picking. After John empties Nelson's asthma inhaler, the latter has an attack, and while racing to get a replacement inhaler, is mistaken as a drugged out robber. He's arrested and then sentenced to three to five years in the Rossmore State Penitentiary when his lawyer, Duane Hinkley (BOB ODENKIRK), doesn't provide him with any sort of good legal defense. Despite having achieved success, John still doesn't feel vindicated, so he purposefully sells some pot to undercover cops and then joins Nelson in the prison run by the Warden (DYLAN BAKER) and his top guard, Shanahan (DAVID KOECHNER). By means of a bribe, he becomes Nelson's cellmate, and poses as his friend, but hopes to make his life a miserable experience. Of course, there are others present wanting to do the same on their own, such as white supremacist Lynard (MICHAEL SHANNON) who isn't pleased when Nelson fingers him as having started a cafeteria fight. Then there's the large and soulful Barry (CHI McBRIDE) who decides he wants the much smaller Nelson as his prison lover. With John gleeful about how things are playing out, little does he anticipate how fate will throw a wrench into his plan and newfound happiness. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of anyone in the cast, they might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For language, sexual content, some violence and drug material. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Considering what occurs in the film, it's doubtful parents would consider any of the major characters as good role models. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 19 "f" words, while other expletives and plenty of colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, some of it dealing with male prison rape. Other gay related material occurs, while a somewhat scantly clad female stripper is briefly seen. We see some men's bare butts in the background of some shower scenes, while a poster on a wall (seen from a distance) shows drawings of various sexual positions. Violence, while played for comedy, includes a person being stabbed with a shiv and possibly killed, another dies from shooting up a chemical cleaner rather than drugs like he thinks, and there are various moments of inmates fighting or otherwise striking other (including forks being stabbed down into legs). Since all of that's played for comedy rather than realism, only the most sensitive of viewers might find any of it unsettling or suspenseful. Some of that violence has somewhat bloody results, while scatological/crude material and various related remarks also occur. Some behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Drug use and related comments are present, as is alcohol (wine and beer) consumption, while various characters smoke. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including white supremacists and a prisoner who wants to make another inmate his gay lover. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of handheld camerawork in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE John has a beer in a strip club. There's some brief talk about not doing drugs during a public speech featuring a costumed anti-crime, dog character. Nelson is conceited in front of the judge trying his case, thinking he'll get an apology and case of champagne from the governor's office. John smokes a joint and then passes it to his friend, but there's nothing left of it. John then asks if there's more to life than smoking grass and watching guys get arrested on TV, prompting a third friend to say he has some coke. Just then, some guys show up at the door wanting to buy pot from John, and although he recognizes them as undercover cops, he sells it to them anyway so that he can be sent to prison and thus get more revenge on Nelson. John "sells" Nelson to Barry (sexually) for some pot, cigarettes and something else (none of which we see). Barry asks Nelson if he'd like some merlot, adding that he made it in the toilet (Barry then has some and reacts to the strong taste). While in isolation, Nelson hallucinates and sees the costumed crime-fighting dog that "fights crack." Nelson visits the prison drug dealer who says he's all out of smack (heroin) today, and then recommends some paprika although he says it causes uncontrollable "sh*tting." Lynard sees Nelson's suicide syringe fall to the floor and thinks it's drugs. He then shoots up, not knowing it's toxic boat cleaner that then causes his instant death. About the other inmates eating up Nelson's presence, John equates it to Ben & Jerry's heroin chunks. Barry tells Nelson he's thinking of going to the laundry room to drink toilet wine and beat up some new prisoners. Nelson then says they could stay there and drink toilet wine, prompting Barry to storm off saying they never go out. We see people tasting wine at Barry and Nelson's winery, with a wine reviewer opting not to based on the smell (of the toilet wine), but John threateningly convinces the man to give the wine a perfect score. Barry then has a sip and reacts to the strong taste, while John drinks straight from a bottle. BLOOD/GORE Tired of the same judge sentencing him for each of his crimes, John decides he's going to get even, saying he'll do various things, including "sh*t in his pillowcase." John spits into Nelson's coffee, with the latter then drinking that without knowing. The warden tells the new inmates that if they have anything to say, to write it down and then "stick it up your asshole" (various variations of that -- including with "pull your cheeks apart" -- are repeated several times). John tells Nelson he must perfect a mean expression to keep away the other inmates, but John (and others) then comment that it makes him look like he needs "to take a sh*t." Lynard suddenly attacks another inmate in prison, stabbing a shiv or something similar into the man's chest (with slightly bloody results on the victim's clothing). Nelson finds a used condom in his cafeteria food (placed there on purpose). Nelson thanks John for getting him a pencil (with Nelson having one end in his mouth), and John says he found it in the "sh*tter." Barry asks Nelson if he'd like some merlot, adding that he made it in the toilet (Barry then has some and reacts to the strong taste). Nelson writes to his prison pen pal (a boy) that he's had his "ass" kicked so many times that his "sh*t" has footprints in it. We see a urine stream coming down onto Nelson from one of Lynard's thugs as a warning that his boss will be looking for him. Nelson visits the prison drug dealer who says he's all out of smack (heroin) today, and then recommends some paprika although he says it causes uncontrollable "sh*tting." Lynard kicks Nelson back and then hits him several times, with Nelson hitting him back and then repeatedly kicking him in the face from the top bunk bed, bloodying Lynard's mouth. Nelson has a slight, bloody scrape on his face following a fight with Lynard. Nelson goes to urinate at a urinal, but Barry interrupts him. We see a character on a toilet in an open stall, but don't see any nudity and only finally hear one fart. John has put a knockout drug in Nelson's soft drink and it does the job. John then vomits out the sip he took, faking to Nelson that it wasn't drugged. Having been buried for several days, John emerges to announce, "I gotta drop a deuce like nobody's business" (defecate). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All of the following is played for intended laughs rather than anything resembling realism. We hear that John is a three-time felon (for robbing a Publishers Clearing House van when he was a kid, trying to rob some security guards and shooting at them, and then stealing a police car). Tired of the same judge sentencing him for each of his crimes, John decides he's going to get even, saying he'll kill the man's cat, do something to his dog, and "sh*t in his pillowcase." Nelson is mean and demeaning to those on the board below him. Wanting to get revenge on the judge who previously sentenced him three times, but needing to take that out on the judge's adult son (since the judge has died), John breaks into his car, steals some change, spits into his coffee and empties his asthma inhaler. Nelson is conceited in front of the judge trying his case, thinking he'll get an apology and case of champagne from the governor's office. As a sick joke, the warden says that anyone who's innocent should raise their hand and they'll be set free. One new inmate does that, only to have Shanahan hit him in the gut with the end of his Billy club. The warden tells the new inmates that if they have anything to say, to write it down and then "stick it up your asshole" (various variations of that -- including with "pull your cheeks apart" -- are repeated several times). A guard accepts a bribe from John to allow him to be Nelson's cellmate. We see that Lynard is the ruler of a white supremacist group in prison where the members sport swastikas and such. John pays another inmate to punch Nelson every time he sees him, and thus there are various scenes of that (to the face). Barry wants to make Nelson his subordinate gay sex partner. John "sells" Nelson to Barry (sexually) for some pot, cigarettes and something else (none of which we see). We see a urine stream coming down onto Nelson from one of Lynard's thugs as a warning that his boss will be looking for him. Some viewers might not like a joke about Nelson wanting to commit suicide (as a better alterative to Lynard killing him) and thus he gets a syringe of boat cleaner that he's planning on using to do the job. Some viewers might not like the film having a boy in Catholic school reading Nelson's prison pen pal letters aloud to his class, including repeating all of the strong profanity. Lynard squirts lighter fluid on Nelson, but doesn't get around to lighting him. However, he does ask if Nelson is part "coon," saying the killing of him would be more fun if that were the case. One of Lynard's minions does a "Heil Hitler" sort of arm salute while extolling the white kingdom to which he belongs. John has put a knockout drug in Nelson's soft drink and it does the job. John then vomits out the sip he took, faking to Nelson that it wasn't drugged. To keep Nelson from being paroled, John drugs him and then has written "White Power" on his forehead along with swastikas on his neck. Shanahan organizes a betting pool on a fight to the death between John and Nelson, with the warden even getting in on the action (and Shanahan saying he'll then kill the winner). Nelson's lawyer is happy that his client is in a bad predicament until Nelson turns the tables on him. FRIGHTENING SCENES Since everything in the film is played for intended laughs rather than anything resembling realism, it's doubtful scenes listed here and under "Violence" would be unsettling to anyone unless they have an extremely low tolerance level for such material. When Nelson lies to Barry with a response, the inmate suddenly holds a knife on him and threatens to cut off his genitals should he lie to him again. Lynard admits that he killed his father (via a hammer) and will do the same to Nelson. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Shotguns/Shivs and knives/Billy club/Poison filled syringe: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. We see John buying a handgun where the gun shop owner introduces each new piece by pointing it directly at John's face before handing it to him. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Hit the ground, m*therf*ckers," "Thanks for the f*cking newsflash," "F*ck-face," "Pardon my f*cking French," "So the plot f*cking thickens," "We're f*cked," "Don't f*ck me on this one," "No sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "A bunch of dipsh*ts," "You look like you're going to take a sh*t," "Who started this sh*t?" "Well, sh*t," "I go ape-sh*t," "Ass kicked so many times my sh*t has footprints in it," "Sh*t-hole," "Oh sh*t," "Sack of sh*t," "Sh*t-head," "Piece of sh*t," "Sh*t-eating, fruit fly," "I'm not that horny, I just got out of prison," "I feel like it's prom night and everyone's porking my date," "I'm a pretty quiet masturbator," "He's a real pr*ck," "D*ck monster," "Screw yourself d*ckhead," "Sucks," "Worthless scum," "I'll fill you with more holes than the asshole parade," "Ass-wipe," "Where the hell are you guys?" "A-holes" (said just like that), "No way in hell," "Guilty as hell," "Dead man rolling/walking," "Bad asses," "He's my bitch," "Bitch du jour," "Bastard," "Honkey," "You out of your mind?" "Does my ass look big to you?" "Stinky ass," "Prepare to be wooed by the master," "Hell yeah," "Douche bag," "You're not part coon, are you?" "That was pretty G*ddamn weird," "What the hell is going on now?" "Fat ass," "Nuts" and "Balls" (testicles), "Ladies" (men), "King of the crapper," "I had the balls of a soufflé," "Toilet wine," "Bust my nuts," "Screw you," "Pissed as hell," "Fool," "What the hell are you doing in my office, be-atch?" "Preppy asshole," "I'm just tugging on your nuts," "I gotta drop a deuce like nobody's business" (defecate), "Drink up bitches" and "G*ddamn is that sweet." John, Barry, Lynard, and many other prisoners have all sorts of tattoos on various parts of their bodies. John spits into Nelson's coffee, with the latter then drinking that without knowing. He also empties his asthma inhaler. Nelson finds a used condom in his cafeteria food (placed there on purpose). We see a urine stream coming down onto Nelson from one of Lynard's thugs as a warning that his boss will be looking for him. Lynard squirts lighter fluid on Nelson, but doesn't get around to lighting him. However, he does ask if Nelson is part "coon," saying the killing of him would be more fun if that were the case. One of Lynard's minions does a "Heil Hitler" sort of arm salute while extolling the white kingdom to which he belongs. John has put a knockout drug in Nelson's soft drink and it does the job. John then vomits out the sip he took, faking to Nelson that it wasn't drugged. To keep Nelson from being paroled, John drugs him and then has written "White Power" on his forehead along with swastikas on his neck. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song about prison has lyrics about that you might get a date in prison (being gay sex) and doing a nickel and dime (drugs). A song has the repeated lyric, "Shake that body." PROFANITY At least 19 "f" words (3 used with "mother," 1 used sexually as is the term "porking"), 29 "s" words, 9 slang terms using male genitals (variations of "d*ck," "pr*ck" and "c*cks*cker"), 3 using female ones ("p*ssy"), 23 asses (10 used with "hole"), 12 hells, 3 damns, 1 crap, 7 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "God," "Jesus" and "Oh God." There are also various uses of John's last name, Lyshitski, in the film. SEX/NUDITY All of the following is played for intended laughs rather than anything resembling realism. We see John in a strip club where a scantly clad stripper in the background slowly moves around the vertical pole. Another stripper in a head and neck halo (from an unknown prior accident) then comes up and asks if he wants a lap dance, prompting him to say, "I'm not that horny. I just got out of prison." We then see that woman in the halo slowly make her way to the stage to replace the other dancer. Unfulfilled in terms of feeling vindicated, John says he feels like it's prom night and everyone's "porking my date." As John tries to hold up two guards (seen in a flashback), he tells them to hit the ground or, "I'll fill you with more holes than the asshole parade" (which prompts one guard to ask about that parade that may be referring to a Gay Pride parade or something similar). Telling Nelson he wants to be his cellmate in prison, John states that he doesn't snore and is a pretty quiet masturbator. We see all of the new inmates in just their boxers. John comments that the scariest thing about prison for most men is the prospect of "being f*cked up the ass." We then see various male prisoners from the waist up in the shower, with Barry taking a liking to Nelson and thus somewhat suggestively rubbing his own chest. John then acts as if Nelson is his, stating that his name is on Nelson's "asshole," that there will be no rear entry, mentions a "d*ck monster," and such. When that works, Nelson thanks him, but then wonders if John had to "stick your finger up my ass" during that. John and Barry spot each other in the group shower, with Barry asking John how it's hanging and then (looking at his crotch that we don't see) says he sees it's a bit to the left. Nelson finds a used condom in his cafeteria food (placed there on purpose). Barry comes on to Nelson in the shower again. We see a miscellaneous prisoner's bare butt in the background of a shower scene. John reads a magazine called "Foreplay" but all we see is a model on the cover (nothing explicit). As Nelson is deposited in Barry's cell, we see handcuffs hanging from the bunk bed plus a poster on the wall (seen in the background of the shot) that shows drawings of various sexual positions. He then says they won't do everything (sexual) today since they have three to five years, but wants Nelson to give him an Eskimo kiss (where they rub noses) and Nelson reluctantly does just that. Barry then tells Nelson, "Prepare to be wooed by the master." Barry turns around, pulls his own pants tight, and asks Nelson if he thinks his "ass" looks big. Nelson isn't sure how to answer, and when he lies to Barry, the inmate tells him that if he does that again, he'll remove his genitals and put them in a shoebox. We see more miscellaneous male bare butts in the background of a shower scene where Barry shampoos Nelson's head. Implying he's going to anal rape Nelson, Barry says, "Barry finally pitches, Pisces finally catches, home team wins." Nelson thanks John for helping turn him into a stronger person, asking if he can do anything for him, such as get him cigarettes, porn, or both. We see John and Nelson shirtless while showering in the same group shower. It appears that Barry and Nelson are gay lovers at the end of the film (they're seen together at their winery with their arms around each other like a couple). SMOKING John and Barry each smoke at least 6 times, while various miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes. John "sells" Nelson to Barry (sexually) for some pot, cigarettes and something else (none of which we see). Nelson thanks John for helping turn him into a stronger person, asking if he can do anything for him, such as get him cigarettes, porn, or both. Inmates bet cigarettes on a prison fight. We see Barry with a cigarette over his ear. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Nelson's father has died sometime recently, but there's no grieving or any related material. Lynard admits that he killed his father (via a hammer) and will do the same to Nelson. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT What life in prison is really like. The comment that the three scariest words in the English language are "trial by jury" (since, the film points out, the people on them are fit for the role). John comments on life in prison and all of the male rape that occurs there, saying it's enough to fill three football stadiums with such victims each day. The comment that on average it costs $54 a day to house all of the nation's inmates, that there are more of them than the population of Houston, and that 20% of them aren't U.S. citizens. We see that Lynard is the ruler of a white supremacist group in prison where the members sport swastikas and such. The comment that you can't trust anyone in prison. VIOLENCE All of the following is played for intended laughs rather than anything resembling realism. As John tries to hold up two guards (seen in a flashback), he fires many shots at them with his handgun, but misses every time. Hearing that the judge who sentenced him to all of his prison time (and to whom he wants to enact revenge) has died, John thrashes the pay phone he's been talking on, and then shoots it several times with his gun. Nelson knocks a woman aside while racing into a pharmacy hoping to find an inhaler while suffering from an asthma attack. The foreign owners think he's a drug addict (and believe the inhaler he's found is a small gun), with the woman grabbing her shotgun that she then fires into the ceiling when John fires a shot into the air from his car outside the store (making her think Nelson fired the shot). Another shot is then fired at Nelson as he makes his way toward the front door. Cops with guns break down John's door to arrest him. As a sick joke, the warden says that anyone who's innocent should raise their hand and they'll be set free. One new inmate does that, only to have Shanahan hit him in the gut with the end of his Billy club. Lynard suddenly attacks another inmate in prison, stabbing a shiv or something similar into the man's chest (with slightly bloody results on the victim's clothing). To get Nelson to say who started it, a guard hits him. John pays another inmate to punch Nelson every time he sees him, and thus there are various scenes of that (to the face). John leaves so that some men can put a bag over Nelson's head and then drag him over to Barry's cell. As Nelson tries to apologize for earlier snitching on him, Lynard jams one fork and then another into Nelson's clothed legs as he stands there. When one of his minions laughs at something Nelson says, Lynard then takes one fork and stabs it into that guy's leg. To get Nelson time in isolation (and thus away from Lynard), John punches a guard in the face, knocking him out (with the implication being they'll say Nelson did it). Lynard kicks Nelson back and then hits him several times, with Nelson hitting him back and then repeatedly kicking him in the face from the top bunk bed, bloodying Lynard's mouth. Lynard sees Nelson's suicide syringe fall to the floor and thinks it's drugs. He then shoots up, not knowing it's toxic boat cleaner that then causes his instant death. Thinking he's going to be raped by him, Nelson twice punches Barry in the face, but that does little harm. Barry then grabs Nelson around the neck and starts to strangle him, but Nelson talks him out of doing that. Lynard's minions, now working for Nelson, jump Barry when they think he's bothering Nelson (punching and kicking Barry on the floor, partially seen, but they stop when Nelson announces he's giving Barry a pass this time). John and Nelson fight in their cell, with punches and kicks, followed by John having his arm around Nelson's neck. But Nelson then drives him backwards against the wall and bangs his head onto their bunk bed stand. Guards then come in and taser both of them. Later, when John attacks Nelson and drives him against the wall, a guard tasers John. In a supposed fight to the death with Nelson, John punches him several times until Nelson pulls out a screwdriver. John then does the same, but his throw of a knife or shiv lands in another inmate's chest, sending him to the ground (we don't know his fate). John then tries stabbing Nelson, but the blade breaks on his shirt (from the license plate body armor he's wearing). John then rubs disinfectant in Nelson's eyes, but the latter pulls a syringe, as does John. The two struggle, stop for a moment and then continue, with Nelson stabbing John in the arm with his and John getting Nelson in the back with the other. Both fall to the ground and are pronounced dead, with Shanahan firing a warning shot into the air with his shotgun to get the crowd's attention. SPOILER ALERT: But we later learn they injected each other with a substance that put them into a coma, with Barry later digging them up alive from their graves. Reviewed November 17, 2006 / Posted November 17, 2006

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2012 Screen It, Inc.