MacGyver (1985)

MacGyver parents guide

No surprises for a TV-PG: mild language and nothing scary.

Our estimate: fine from about 7. Rated TV-PG.

Scare

Not scary

Jump scares

A couple

One or two sudden jolts.

Gore

No gore

Violence

Some violence

Some fighting or peril.

Sex and nudity

None noted

Language

Mild

Mild words like damn, hell or crap.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

What is MacGyver about?

He's everyone's favorite action hero... but he's a hero with a difference. Angus MacGyver is a secret agent whose wits are his deadliest weapon. Armed with only a knapsack filled with everyday items he picks up along the way, he improvises his way out of every peril the bad guys throw at him. Making a bomb out of chewing gum? Fixing a speeding car's brakes... while he's riding in it? Using soda pop to cook up tear gas? That's all in a day's adventures for MacGyver. He's part Boy Scout, part genius. And all hero.

Cast and crew

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MacGyver is on our Revenge, Spies, 1980s, Action on Paramount+ and Crime on Paramount+ lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “funny but not stupid, under two hours”

Lists with the same feel: Feel-good and Family night.