 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
13 Ghosts (2001)
- Review Date: May 18, 2003
- R
- Genre: Thriller
- 2001
Common Sense Media says
Brutally violent horror remake is a huge waste.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the violence is extreme and very gory, with lots of blood and many graphic injuries. There is strong language throughout and one of the ghosts appears as a nude woman.
What's the story?
In this remake of the cheesy William Castle movie (which required special glasses to enable the audience to see the ghosts),
Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham plays Cyrus, a wild-eyed ghostbuster type. We see him barking orders in an incoherent prologue, and then, following the credits, we see a happy family that falls on hard times after the mother is killed in a fire. The next thing you know, math teacher dad, Arthur (Tony Shalhoub), daughter Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth), death-obsessed son Bobby (Alex Roberts) and nanny Maggie (Rah Digga) find out that their rich uncle Cyrus has died and left them his home. The house is all made of glass etched with mysterious inscriptions. At first, the family is delighted. But then, with the help of psychic Daniel Rafkin (Matthew Lillard) and special glasses (a nod to the earlier version), they see that terrifying ghosts are in the basement.
Is it any good?
This big-budget remake is a huge waste of time and talent. Basically this is a "boo!" movie. People get surprised by ghosts and get attacked by them. They run away and get chased by ghosts. They say a lot of cornball lines like, "Who are you to play God?" and "Wait right here!" And then they get chased and attacked again. No one seems to have paid much attention to the script. They mention that Arthur is a math professor, but then show him counting on his fingers. And a scene that requires Kathy to stay in the bathroom for quite a while leaves Shannon Elizabeth with nothing to do but stroke her hair and splash water on her face. The original had a dumb script, but it was unpretentious enough that it was more fun to watch than this mess. The remake steals from classics like The Shining, Poltergeist, and The Uninvited and still manages to be more tedious than scary. F. Murray Abraham should hock his Oscar before he ever agrees to do something like this again. The Maggie character is particularly offensive. The "sassy black maid" stereotype went out of style more than 50 years ago.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about if the extreme level of violence is really necessary. Can you think of other movies that scared you without excessive gore? Families who see this movie should also talk about whether they believe in the supernatural and what makes some people want to control everyone around them.
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AGE
Sick and disgusting!
I love horror films, but not this one! It's just sick and violent and there's no plot, point, or anything else of any redeeming value whatsoever!!!
If you like to see a man get chopped into two pieces with a sheet of glass, then watch his brains and organs spill out, be my guest.
Run, run, run far away from this travesty!
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AGE
I cannot stress enough how bad and dumb this movie is
Just about every single facet of this omvie is broken and does nothing right. It's plot is way too predictable, and any of the points in it are presented ina horrible way that doesn't add anything at all, and multiple cliches run rampant through the movie. The acting is pretty horrible, there are no scary parts in the, and the use flashing lights is more than excessive. Again, I cannot stress how simply horrible this movie is. I honestly consider this move the worst movie I have ever seen in my life, excluding all those dumb B movies my friend made me watch (aka the Evil Dead triology). STAY AWAY IF YOU WANT YOUR BRAIN CELLS PRESERVED!!!!
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AGE
13 Ghosts
The ghosting was slightly predictable, but the twists and plots withing were good. It is hard for me to find a good Horror film, and I rarely watch them more than once, but I have watched this several times.
The story line fits well with the Ghost gore.
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AGE
13 Ghosts (2001)
Predictable movie but has pretty cool killing scenes. Nudity is pretty extreme as well.
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AGE
Silly Scary.
Despite what most people think, I actually like this movie. I am not a big fan of the horror genre, but this movie was almost silly. They tried so hard to make a horribly scary movie. Now, it is gory, very. And the nudity makes it not for children, but if you want to see something scary and yet not scary at the same time, watch this movie.
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AGE
13 Ghosts is a nightmare.
I strongly dislike this movie, the ghost are very scary for children, and one of them even appears nude. I do not think any child should watch this movie. Fine for adults, but even then don't think it's a good movie.
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| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Steve Beck |
| Cast: | F. Murray Abraham, Shannon Elizabeth, Tony Shalhoub |
| Genre: | Thriller |
| Run time: | 91 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 26, 2001 |
| DVD release date: | April 2, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | extreme violence and gore, nudity, and language |
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