NEW YORK—Movie munchers beware! A New York judge says popcorn purchasers worried about breaking a tooth on unpopped kernels should nibble carefully — or eat something else.

Insurance broker Steve Kaplan says he encountered a double dud while watching the movie “Superbad” at the AMC-Lincoln Square Cinema a year ago: His tooth hurt and the movie was awful.

Kaplan sued the theater to recover $1,250 for dental repairs. But Manhattan Civil Court Judge Matthew Cooper ruled that Kaplan could not reasonably expect every kernel to be popped.

Kaplan and the theater’s attorney did not return calls for comment Monday.