Watchly Safety Review

I Blew Up A 24 Story Building

Mark Rober

22:07 · 20.6M views · November 1, 2025

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Minor FlagsReviewed June 2026

6Minor Flags

4No Issues

This video is safe and genuinely fun for most school-age kids, combining real demolition engineering education with silly competitions in an abandoned hotel. The main thing parents should know is that it contains two embedded product promotions for CrunchLabs subscription boxes woven naturally into the adventure content.

Content Breakdown · 10 Categories

Strong & Crude LanguageNot present

No profanity, slurs, or crude language appears anywhere in this building demolition video; the closest thing is mild exclamations like 'dang it' and 'oh my gosh.'

See evidence (2)

“'Dang it!' (mild exclamation)”

“'Oh my gosh!' (mild exclamation)”

Realistic Violence, Threats & WeaponsA little

The video involves demolishing an abandoned building and a paintball competition, neither of which constitutes realistic violence or threats against people; hatchet throwing is presented as a fun game in a controlled demolition context.

See evidence (2)

“Hatchet throwing competition on abandoned building grounds”

“Paintball battle between two participants”

Bullying, Cruelty & DiscriminationNot present

The competitive banter between Mark and Bam is entirely playful and good-natured, with no identity-based attacks, body shaming, or genuine cruelty detected.

See evidence (1)

“'She's so small. It's like a tiny target. It's not fair.' — said in jest during paintball”

Toxic Behavior ModelingA little

Destruction of property in the video occurs in a fully permitted, professionally supervised demolition context with explicit statements that they have permission; this does not model toxic behavior.

See evidence (2)

“'now this hotel is being demolished, there's absolutely no reason I can't do this' — contextualizing permission”

“'Who knew it was so fun when you have permission to break stuff?'”

Algorithm-Bait & Disguised ContentA little

The title 'I Blew Up A 24 Story Building' accurately reflects the video content — an actual building implosion — with no mismatch between marketing surface and actual content.

Engagement Baiting & Manipulative CTAsNot present

Low-Quality, Extreme & Stunt ContentA little

The video has stunt-driven elements (blowing up a 24-story building, smashing toilets, chandelier destruction, hatchet throwing) but these are framed around genuine engineering education and a real permitted demolition event rather than pure shock value.

See evidence (3)

“Smashing chandeliers and toilets for entertainment value”

“Bowling ball bird Angry Birds setup to 'trigger' building implosion”

“Hatchet throwing competition inside abandoned building”

Playful & Fantasy ViolenceA little

The video contains clearly playful, consequence-free competitive activities including a paintball battle, hatchet throwing, bowling ball launches, and property destruction in a permitted demolition context — all framed as fun games rather than realistic harm.

See evidence (4)

“Paintball battle: 'Oh, that hurts! Are you OK? I'm fine.'”

“Hatchet throwing competition on abandoned building grounds”

“Smashing mirrors, chandeliers, and toilets with sledgehammers for fun”

“Bowling ball 'Angry Birds' game to knock down wooden structures”

Hidden Advertising & Sponsored ContentA little

The video contains clearly disclosed sponsorships for CrunchLabs (Creative Kit, Build Box, Hack Pack) and Unifi security cameras, both acknowledged openly in the description and transcript; because disclosure is transparent, the score is low.

See evidence (3)

“Extended CrunchLabs Creative Kit segment mid-video: 'I wanna take a second to brag about you… This is Creative Kit.'”

“Unifi camera mention: 'we've got 20 security cameras recording at 4K inside the building' with Unifi credited in description”

“Multiple CrunchLabs product plugs with URLs in description”

Parasocial & Emotional ManipulationNot present

What Parents Need to Know

Mark Rober and a fellow engineer explore and playfully destroy an abandoned hotel scheduled for professional demolition, culminating in a real building implosion. The video does an excellent job explaining the physics and engineering behind controlled demolitions — gravitational potential energy, explosive sequencing, and structural weakening — in a way that is genuinely educational and age-appropriate. Kids will enjoy the humor, the Demolympics competitions (hatchet throwing, paintball, drone racing), and the satisfying implosion footage. There is mild cartoon-style destruction (smashing toilets, breaking mirrors, throwing bowling balls) but nothing gory or dangerous. Two segments promote CrunchLabs subscription toy boxes, which are clearly branded but integrated into the story rather than disclosed upfront as ads. A brief paintball scene involves mild simulated combat with no injuries beyond light welts. The overall tone is enthusiastic, collaborative, and positive.

Talk to Your Kids About

1The video explains that buildings store 'gravitational potential energy' — can you explain in your own words what that means and why it matters for demolition?
2Mark and Bam had permission to destroy things in the building because it was already scheduled to be torn down. Why is it important to only do things like that with permission?
3The video had two advertisements for CrunchLabs toys built into it. Did you notice them? How could you tell they were ads?
4If you were an engineer planning to demolish a building, what would you need to think about to make sure it was safe for people nearby?

Protected Viewing

What's This Video About?

What goes up must come down... In glorious slowmo. Supercharge your creativity while having tons of fun with Creative Kit. Get 2 FREE boxes at: https://crunchlabs.com/AngryBirds Get your CrunchLabs box today: Creative Kit for kids: https://crunchlabs.com/AngryBirds Build Box for kids:https://crunchlabs.com/AngryBirdsBB Hack Pack for teens and adults: https://crunchlabs.com/AngryBirdsHP Watch Creative Kit Lesson 1 here: https://youtu.be/c0EJY15IYc8 Huge thanks to Unifi for supplying the amazing security cameras that let us record every moment from inside the implosion! http://ui.com/ Thanks to these folks for providing some of the music in the video: Ponder- @Pondermusic Laura Shigihara - @supershigi Andrew Applepie - https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie Blue Wednesday - https://soundcloud.com/bluewednesday Danijel Zambo - https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/1ZD9ri2wmZZPL4qs92sXZX?si=iI7jkn-qSY-6NKo931314Q Occasionally my graphic artist uses AI to enhance images. When this happens it will be labeled in the lower right corner. PLATINUM TICKET INSTANT WIN GAME NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends on 10/31/26, subject to monthly entry deadlines. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ and the parent of at least one 1 child between 6-18. 1 prize per month: each month is its own separate promotion. See Official Rules (https://www.crunchlabs.com/pages/crunchlabs-creative-kit-platinum-ticket) for full details on eligibility requirements, how to enter, free method of entry, entry limits, prize claim procedure, prize description and limitations. Void where prohibited.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this video appropriate for?

This video is suitable for children aged 7 and up. The content is mostly educational and humorous with no scary or inappropriate material, though younger children may find the loud implosion or dark abandoned-building atmosphere mildly unsettling.

Is there any dangerous behavior kids might try to imitate?

The destruction in the video takes place in a condemned building with professional oversight, and Mark repeatedly emphasizes that they had explicit permission. There is no content that would be easy or likely for kids to replicate at home, and the tone does not glorify unsupervised destruction.

Does the video contain advertising?

Yes, there are two segments promoting CrunchLabs subscription toy boxes — one mid-video and one at the end. They are clearly branded but are not disclosed as paid promotions upfront, so parents may want to discuss with kids how to identify advertising within YouTube content.

Is the violence or destruction in this video appropriate for children?

The destruction is playful and consequence-free — smashing toilets, breaking mirrors, and throwing bowling balls at wooden structures. There is a brief paintball battle with mild comedic pain reactions. Nothing is graphic, gory, or realistic in a disturbing way.

Is this video educational?

Yes, it contains a well-explained segment on the engineering and physics of controlled building demolitions, covering concepts like gravitational potential energy, explosive sequencing, and structural mechanics. These ideas are presented clearly and engagingly for a general audience.

Is the building implosion footage real?

Yes, the 24-story hotel implosion is real and was professionally planned and executed. The video includes footage from 20 cameras placed inside the building, capturing the collapse from multiple angles, which is visually dramatic but not disturbing.