"OSMOSIS JONES"
(2001) (Bill Murray, voice of Chris Rock) (PG)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Mild	Moderate	Extreme	*Heavy	Moderate
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	Mild	None	Minor
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Mild	Minor	Heavy	Moderate	*Heavy

---

QUICK TAKE:

Comedy: After a slovenly man unknowingly ingests a deadly virus, a humanized white blood cell and his cold medicine pill partner set out to find and stop the parasite inside the man before it kills their human host.

PLOT:

Frank Detorri (BILL MURRAY) is a slovenly zoo worker who doesn't take good care himself, much to the chagrin of his daughter, Shane (ELENA FRANKLIN), who doesn't want to lose him like she did her now deceased mom. Fired from his previous job for unwittingly vomiting in public on Shane's teacher, Mrs. Boyd (MOLLY SHANNON), Frank now spends his time working with Bob (CHRIS ELLIOT) when not ingesting the worst possible things for his body.

That's bad new for Osmosis Jones (voice of CHRIS ROCK), a humanized white blood cell inside Frank's body who serves as a cop of sorts who must capture various odd germs and such that have made their way into Frank's system. The opinionated, fast-talking Jones isn't popular with those who rule the interior environs, particularly Mayor Phlegmming (voice of WILLIAM SHATNER), who's preoccupied with running for reelection, although his assistant, Leah (voice of BRANDY NORWOOD), is more tolerant of the cell.

After Frank eats a hardboiled egg that was on the zoo's ground after being in a chimp's mouth and then not surprisingly becomes sick, Jones is assigned to work with Drix (voice of DAVID HYDE PIERCE), a cold medicine capsule, to find whatever's ailing him and make things better. That turns out to be tougher than they imagined when they discover that the culprit is Thrax (voice of LAURENCE FISHBURNE), a vicious and deadly virus who wants to claim Frank at his next victim and do so in record time.

From that point on, the odd-couple pair tries to find and stop the killer and his various minions, all while Frank develops various complications from what's occurring inside his body.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If younger ones see that it looks like an adventurous and/or imaginative cartoon, many of them just might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG

For bodily humor.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

BILL MURRAY plays a slovenly zoo worker who doesn't take good care of himself despite his daughter's pleas to do so for her sake, and thus gets sick when he ingests something bad.

ELENA FRANKLIN plays his daughter who doesn't want him to die like her mother did from also not taking care of herself.

MOLLY SHANNON plays the girl's teacher who has several unpleasant, bodily run-ins with Frank.

CHRIS ELLIOT plays Frank's good friend who smokes or has cigar butts in his mouth and is about as slovenly as him.

OSMOSIS JONES is a loud, opinionated and fast-talking white blood cell who does what it takes to keep Frank healthy by trying to find and stop any intruders that have made their way into his body.

DRIX is the more conventional and by the books cold capsule who's paired with Jones to find and stop the latest intruder.

THRAX is that being, a deadly virus who kills various humanized parts of Frank's body and wants to claim him as his next human victim, and do so in record time.

MAYOR PHLEGMMING is the ruler of the land inside Frank's body who's more concerned with being reelected than facing the current dilemma.

LEAH is his personal assistant who's more tolerant of Jones than most everyone else and is concerned about the Mayor's indifference to what's occurring.

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 PG rated action/adventure comedy that contains both live action and cartoon characters and settings. Violence consists of a humanized virus who's determined to kill his human host and does kill - by various means -- various humanized characters within his body. Other non-lethal material is present, including fighting (punches and kicks, etc.) and various characters shooting undefined weapons at each other (mimicking cop action movies).

Some of that- especially related to the virus (and his menacing look and voice) - may be unsettling, suspenseful or even possibly scary to younger kids, but that depends on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material. That also includes live action material involving a girl seeing her father die in the hospital (after previously having her mother die), but her father is eventually revived (and it's all played from an action/adventure angle with the film's hero - a white blood cell - trying to get back into the father's body to save him).

Being a film that takes place inside a cartoon representation of the human body, all sorts of crude, body-based humor is present (including, but not limited to, jokes, dialogue and/or visual gags about exploding zits, vomiting, intestinal and bladder related material, etc.). Some non-explicit, but possibly sexually related comments are made, some photos of cartoon characters in bikinis and a cartoon man's bare butt are present, and an animated couple briefly makes out in a movie theater.

Profanity consists of a few minor expletives, while some colorful phrases substitute non-profane words for the real thing (such as "spit" for the "s" word). Meanwhile, various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, one smokes, some drink, and a body-based, drug-related joke occurs.

Should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for anyone in your home who may want to see it, we recommend that you more closely examine our detailed content listings for more specific examples of what's present in this picture.

---

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

A drug-related joke occurs in a lymph node precinct where a "cop" states that he caught a suspect with several grams of adrenaline, with the latter stating he's just holding it for his cousin.

Bob states that his weekend plans are to drag a keg into his living room and spend all of his time there.

Frank states/jokes with Shane about having to go to the liquor store and cigarette warehouse.

In the liver, a miscellaneous character breathes over a fire, causing a brief burst of flame (thus suggesting he had alcohol in his mouth or on his breath).

Jones has some sort of disgusting drink in a bar (as do others).

Bob shows up with a six-pack of beer and gives one to Frank to combat his flu-like symptoms (and Frank drinks it).

BLOOD/GORE

Descriptions that follow and list Frank are live-action, while most everything else appears as non-realistic looking animation.

We see a drawing of what looks like a man's bare butt on a billboard that states, "Come see the land down under." An animated police car then crashes between the cheeks of the drawing.

The Mayor watches a political ad from his election opponent, Tom Colonic, who does his spot from the bowels (what looks like polluted river in a heavy industrial zone). He comments on how they didn't always smell this way and about stagnation during the Mayor's time in office that's paralyzed various parts, including the colon and sphincter. During this, we hear a brief, farting sound.

We see partially chewed up food on Frank's tongue when Shane asks him to open his mouth for her to look at his throat.

On an arrival sign in the stomach (set up like an airport terminal) one of the incoming things is noted as being a "booger."

After stating that he grew up on the wrong side of the digestive track, Jones says he used to eat peanut butter and cellulite sandwiches and asks Drix if he ever tried to blow dry his hair with a fart (or something like that).

Frank and Bob clean up some camel dung.

Thrax slices a Mafioso with his long, infected fingernail, cutting the older germ open, creating a festering wound that splits open and causes him to dissolve and then run down a drain.

We see something splat (body fluids, etc.) onto a display after Thrax apparently kills another germ.

Frank sneezes on his hands and then gives someone a high-five with that mucus-covered hand.

A huge amount of mucus breaks through a dam after Thrax increases its pressure. We then see a large, greenish gob of mucus come down from Frank's nose in the live action segment. Bob tells him to do something about it, so Frank snorts it back up into his nose where it can't be seen anymore.

After eating a bad oyster, we hear Frank vomit on Shane's teacher and then see both her outfit covered in vomit and a photograph showing the projectile vomiting as it was occurring.

From a distance, we see Frank's toe that looks somewhat infected.

We see a big zit on Frank's forehead, and after various incidents occur inside his body, we see several close-up views of the real thing (quivering and getting ready to explode). Once it does explode, we then see that the contents of the zit have landed on Mrs. Boyd's lip (which she wipes off with her finger).

We see a cartoon lake of urine in Frank's bladder and then see it swirling around and draining as he urinates in real life (not seen).

Drix says that he and Jones must head to the uvula, prompting Jones to ask what that is. Drix replies that it's that dangling thing inside Frank, so Jones heads for the rectum, causing Drix to exclaim, "Not that little dangling thing!"

We hear Frank fart (as he says out with the old and in with the new - referring to his new diet).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Frank doesn't take good care of himself and his body despite the pleas from his daughter for him to do so for her sake.

The Mayor in Frank's body will do anything to insure that he's reelected, even if that means he breaks the rules and endangers Frank and his and others' lives. He also quickly kicks a kid in a wheelchair aside to get him out of the way in one scene.

Thrax (a virus/disease) has both types of attitudes for wanting to kill Frank in record time and killing other humanized parts of Frank's inner body.

Other "cops" make fun of Jones, calling him the germinator.

Some other zoo employees make fun of Frank and Bob.

We see some people betting on two small characters (chicken pox) fighting in Frank's body.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be unsettling, suspenseful and maybe even scary for younger kids, but that all depends on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material.

A cleaning worker slowly looks for his partner who's suddenly disappeared (as some slightly suspenseful music plays) and then encounters Thrax (whose appearance might be scary to kids) who scratches him with his long fingernail, thus causing a wound on the worker that quickly boils over.

Jones slowly makes his way through part of the body - with his gun drawn - as he hears something suspicious.

A dam holding back a lake of phlegm begins to break and eventually does, catching Jones and Drix up in its flood.

While driving by on a bus, Shane spots her dad being put into an ambulance. She then goes with Bob to see Frank in the hospital and then sees him die from his extremely high body temperature. She's obviously very upset, but Jones manages to revive him and everything ends well.

During the above, Jones and Thrax battle for control of part of Frank's DNA and end up in some precarious situations (on a huge, false eyelash that's breaking away from Shane's body, etc.).

GUNS/WEAPONS

Cartoon handgun of sorts: Used by Jones on various germs and briefly carried by a bad germ.

Cartoon knife/grenade: Used during a fight to threaten someone and blow up a zit bar respectively.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Jeez," "You're up spit creek without a paddle," "Son of a botulism," "Holy spit," "I suggest you get your nucleus down to the stomach pronto," "Chicks" (women), "No screw-ups," "Skanky," "Punk," "What are you, a sissy Mary?" "Snot," "Twerp," "Dipstick," "My, what big zits he has," "Sucker," "Shut up," "Losers" and "You simple twit."

After jokingly reprimanding a chimp for scratching its butt, Frank does the same thing to himself (albeit while wearing clothes).

We see some people betting on two small characters (chicken pox) fighting in Frank's body.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A mild amount of suspenseful music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 1 damn and 4 uses of "Oh my God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

Jones looks at a magazine centerfold that shows a strand of DNA (and he does so as if it were a female model).

We see a drawing of what looks like a man's bare butt on a billboard that states, "Come see the land down under."

Jones spots a photo of his boss' overweight wife in a small bikini (a cartoon and not meant to look realistic).

Jones spots the shapely figure of a woman from behind and goes up to her, discovering her to be Leah. After he tries a pickup line on her, she smugly states that he looks like the kind of cell that would divide by himself (a possible sex/masturbation reference/joke or just a comment on him being a loner, etc.).

Drix states he'd like to "examine your irritated areas" (referring to Frank and meant in a professional way), but Jones makes a joke out of it and replies not on the first date.

We see a female cartoon character dancing in a bikini, and later see a photo in Jones' locker of a woman in a bikini (with Leah's head attached to it).

We briefly see a cartoon couple making out in a movie theater.

We see a live action film of Frank's weird dreams, including him being an adult in school who's forgotten his pants (and thus we see Frank standing in his jockeys).

SMOKING

We see Bob smoking a cigar once and having a cigar butt in his mouth several other times.

Frank states/jokes with Shane about having to go to the liquor store and cigarette warehouse.

A restaurant logo shows a character with a pipe in his mouth.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

We hear that Shane's mother (Frank's wife) passed away sometime in the past and a later scene has Shane telling Frank that if he and his wife had taken better care of themselves, then her mom would still be alive.

While driving by on a bus, Shane spots her dad being put into an ambulance. She then goes with Bob to see Frank in the hospital and then sees him die from his extremely high body temperature. She's obviously very upset, but Jones manages to revive him and everything ends well.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

The film's representation of the inner workings of the human body.

Shane getting after her dad to eat better and take better care of himself (and the result of him not doing so).

While driving by on a bus, Shane spots her dad being put into an ambulance. She then goes with Bob to see Frank in the hospital and then sees him die from his extremely high body temperature. She's obviously very upset, but Jones manages to revive him and everything ends well.

VIOLENCE

All of the following involves cartoon characters that are humanized to some degree or another and thus comes off as cartoon violence.

Some illegal germs shoot something up at Jones and a pilot in a "helicopter" hovering above them, with Jones then firing something back at them.

Jones fires a shot at some escaping germs but hits part of a nerve center (giving Frank a leg cramp in the real world).

Thrax scratches a worker with his long fingernail, thus causing a wound on the worker that quickly boils over and presumably kills him.

A mafia germ tells one his enforcers to remove Thrax and the big bruiser tries to throw a punch at him. Thrax, however, grabs him by the fist and then kicks him backwards. He then slices the Mafioso with his long, infected fingernail, cutting the older germ open, creating a festering wound that splits open and causes him to dissolve and then run down a drain.

We see something splat (body fluids, etc.) onto a display after Thrax apparently kills another germ.

The Mayor quickly kicks a kid in a wheelchair aside to get him out of the way.

We see some people betting on two small characters (chicken pox) fighting in Frank's body.

Drix jams his cannon like arm into a virus' mouth to make him talk.

While trying to act incognito by dancing around a club, Drix accidentally knocks over a table and some other dancers.

Once Jones is discovered as being a cop, some thugs grab him, but he pokes one in the eye and pulls down the mouth of another. Jones then fights various thugs, hitting and kicking others, while another breaks a chair over Drix's back, but it doesn't hurt him. One briefly holds some sort of knife on Jones, but some sort of grenade then explodes, destroying the Zit Bar in which all of this is taking place (blowing most of the characters except for Jones, Drix and Thrax out with the contents of the exploding zit).

Thrax throws a worker into a large strand of DNA, seemingly causing the cartoon man to be shocked before exploding (but in a cartoon fashion).

Thrax grabs Leah and holds his long and deadly fingernail to her. Later, and while making his escape, Thrax grabs a character and pulls him from his car.

During a cartoon car chase inside the body, a car crashes and explodes.

Drix shoots and freezes Thrax's deadly hand and fingernail, thus eliminating that as a weapon.

Jones and Thrax fight each other with both throwing punches and kicks toward the other. Thrax ends up trying to strangle Jones by wrapping a DNA chain around his neck, but Thrax ends up falling into a beaker of hospital alcohol and quickly dissolves.

Two cartoon news anchors get into a fight and we later see them bandaged and/or bruised.

Reviewed August 4, 2001 / Posted August 10, 2001

Other new and recent reviews include:

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,
©1996-2022 Screen It, Inc.