GONE FISHIN’
A formulaic fishing comedy that ends belly up.
Should You Watch It?
GONE FISHIN' has little to offer beyond a simple premise and a few low-stakes comic dangers. Danny Glover and Joe Pesci play two hard-luck anglers who win a trip to the Florida Everglades, but their fishing getaway becomes a crime-solving adventure.
The content is relatively limited: no sex or nudity, and only a little action violence. But the movie is formulaic, the slapstick rarely works, and the central characters are written to talk and act like idiots. The review says even little ones will be bored by the shallow acting and stunts.
If you want a harmless-looking family comedy, this one still does not earn your time. The practical answer is simple: SKIP IT.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESGus and Joe are lifelong hard-luck cases whose misfortune began with a childhood fire. Decades later, they win a Florida Everglades fishing trip and load their modest boat onto a ’68 Plymouth Barracuda.
Their vacation changes when they encounter Dekker Massey, a huckster connected to stolen jewels and cash. Soon, a fishing trip becomes a chase involving two women, caves, boats, and alligators.
Is It Any Good?
One star means the film’s basic entertainment does not overcome its weaknesses. The comedy is largely slapstick, and the story is so formulaic that its plot points are easy to predict.
The leads have a limited range of motion, and the shallow acting and stunts do not provide enough charm to carry the movie. Repeated accidental fires are played for laughs but do not get them. Willie Nelson appears briefly as a master fisherman, but even his presence does not save the film.
The Worldview
The film offers a light moral worldview in which good overcomes evil. The story turns a fishing trip into a crime-solving caper, and justice is ultimately part of its basic framework.
That moral structure is simple rather than profound. The review describes the comedy and characters as inane, shallow, and foolish, with little depth beyond slapstick mishaps and the pursuit of a criminal. The movie does not appear to offer a sustained account of why wrongdoing is wrong or what genuine moral change requires.
Still, the central idea that evil should be confronted and justice should prevail aligns with a biblical conviction. Scripture says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light moral worldview of good overcoming evil; 1 obscenity & many uses of the words "holy schmokes" & "friggen"; moderate action violence including boat chases, woman falls in water, fires accidentally started, man hit by lightening, man slaps man, & threat with gun; women in bikini; no sex; alcohol use; smoking; and, miscellaneous immorality including car theft & brief homosexual innuendo
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film presents good overcoming evil in a simple way. What does Scripture say overcoming evil should look like in daily life?
Romans 12:21 · 1 Peter 3:9The characters’ foolish choices repeatedly create trouble. How can wisdom protect us from consequences we could have avoided?
Proverbs 3:13–18 · James 1:5The story involves theft, deception, and bringing a criminal to justice. Why does God care about honesty and justice?
Micah 6:8 · Ephesians 4:25The Final Word
GONE FISHIN' has limited content concerns, but that does not make it worthwhile family entertainment. Its predictable plot, shallow acting, and unsuccessful slapstick leave little reason to watch. For a better choice, see our family-friendly picks.
