What age is Flubber appropriate for?

Flubber is rated PG and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 6+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The film is built around exaggerated cartoon slapstick like a golf ball repeatedly bouncing off Smith's head and a bowling ball smacking characters after being coated in flubber, plus a climactic fight with goons and a tense flying car sequence with a shutter jam mid-flight.

Does Flubber have swearing or bad language?

Flubber has Mild language. Characters say 'hell' (x2) and 'damn' (x2) in mild exclamations

Flubber has Mild violence. A golf ball coated in flubber bounces and hits Smith in the head multiple times, played entirely for laughs

Is Flubber scary for children?

Flubber has Mild scary scenes. Flubber escapes and moves around unexpectedly early in the film, giving a startling but comedic jolt

Is Flubber OK for Kids?

Name: Flubber
Director: Les Mayfield
Genre: Comedy, Family, Science Fiction
Released: 1997
Duration: 93 min
Cast: Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald, Raymond J. Barry, Clancy Brown

ComedyFamilyScience Fiction

PG⭐ 5.3 / 101997 · 1h 33m

Les Mayfield

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

A golf ball coated in flubber bounces and hits Smith in the head multiple times, played entirely for laughs
A flubber-coated bowling ball repeatedly strikes characters in a slapstick sequence
Professor Brainard falls from a window while trying to demonstrate flubber and lands hard, but it's played comedically
The climactic confrontation involves multiple physical altercations with goons, including hitting, tackling, and throwing characters, though no one is seriously hurt
A flying car chase includes near-collisions and aerial maneuvers that feel more thrilling than violent
No blood, weapons, or on-screen deaths — the overall tone is cartoonish and bouncy rather than threatening

💬Language

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

Characters say 'hell' (x2) and 'da**' (x2) in mild exclamations
Mild made-up or old-fashioned insults appear, including 'jerknut' (x1), 'morons' (x1), and 'cad' (x1)
No f-words, s-words, or any strong profanity of any kind detected in the script

👻Scary Scenes

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

Flubber escapes and moves around unexpectedly early in the film, giving a startling but comedic jolt
A flying car malfunctions with a jammed shutter mid-flight, creating a genuinely tense stretch
Weebo's systems fail and she loses power after being kidnapped by antagonists, an emotionally startling moment
A tense confrontation with antagonists threatens Sara's safety, but is resolved without lasting harm
All scary or tense moments are resolved with the good characters safe and the tone returning to lighthearted comedy

💕Romance

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Professor Brainard repeatedly attempts to marry Sara throughout the film, showing persistent but sweet romantic pursuit
The Professor and Sara share a kiss after their wedding ceremony
Wilson takes Sara on a dinner date, with some romantic tension shown between them
The Professor declares his love for Sara multiple times — all romance is wholesome and nothing sexual is implied or shown

🍺Substances

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

The fictional substance 'flubber' itself is central to the entire plot as an experimental chemical compound — this is science-fiction, not a real drug or alcohol reference
Wine is consumed casually during a dinner scene
Beer is mentioned in passing at a restaurant
A hand cream is used as a separating agent to safely handle flubber, shown as a practical plot device rather than substance use
A radioactive isotope is mentioned as part of flubber propulsion experiments, but it's not shown being used carelessly
No real-world drug or alcohol use is glorified or dwelt upon

⚡Stimulation

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

The first successful flubber demonstration includes exciting bouncing sequences with fast, energetic pacing
Flying car sequences include aerial maneuvers and near-crashes that ramp up intensity
A basketball game features flubber-enhanced shoes enabling impossibly high jumps, an exciting crowd-pleasing sequence
The final action sequence combines multiple goons, chases, and physical confrontations in rapid succession, which may overwhelm very young or sensory-sensitive children

Flubber — Heads Up for Parents

Despite its family-friendly reputation, the climactic confrontation involves a fairly extended sequence of physical fighting with goons — hitting, tackling, and throwing characters — which is more intense than the earlier lighthearted flubber gags might lead parents to expect.

About Flubber

Flubber is a family comedy about absent-minded Professor Philip Brainard, who invents a bouncy, energetic green substance called 'flubber' that can make objects and people fly, jump, and bounce uncontrollably. Along the way he juggles saving his financially-troubled college, keeping promises to his fiancée Sara, and fending off greedy rivals who want to steal his invention, all wrapped in slapstick, cartoonish chaos and warm-hearted sentiment.

✅

Fine for kids to watch alone

This is a lighthearted family comedy appropriate for children 6 and up to watch independently; the mild language, comedic slapstick violence, and brief kissing scene are unlikely to require parental discussion for most kids, though sensitive younger viewers might want a parent nearby during the goon fight finale or the flying car shutter-jam scene.

Family Takeaways from Flubber

What it gets right

✓The film rewards honesty and perseverance over greed, shown when the Professor refuses financial offers to protect his invention and his college in the final confrontation
✓Weebo's loyalty and hidden video message show that love and sacrifice can outlast even death, giving families a gentle way to talk about legacy and devotion

Flubber Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

The film centers on the Professor's repeated attempts to marry Sara and his declarations of love and commitment, framing marriage and lasting partnership as a core positive goal of the story.

Cast:Robin WilliamsMarcia Gay HardenChristopher McDonaldRaymond J. BarryClancy Brown