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Donnie Brasco

(1997, Rated R, Drama, Starring Johnny Depp, Anne Heche, Al Pacino)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Decent mob movie, but not meant for children.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
  • Violence:

    Bloody violence and gunplay.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Very strong language.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Smoking, drinking, drugs.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Donnie Brasco

Parents need to know that this film contains scenes of bloody violence and gunplay. Aside from "purely" criminal acts, there are depictions of physical abuse within families and a racially motivated attack. The characters use strong language throughout the film, smoke, drink, and deal drugs. One suffers an overdose off-screen.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Donnie's divided loyalty. Ostensibly, it is between the mob and the FBI, but is it that simple? Who else is he answerable to, and in the end, which group does he really side with? Have you ever been in a situation where your loyalty to a friend has been tested, particularly when a friend has done something very wrong?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

    Amazing

    An amazing gangster movie. It is a classic like The Godfather. It is violent and shouldn't be shown to under 13s.

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    This is a great gangster film

    Donnie Brasco was one of the first gangster films i saw and overall, i thought it was pretty good. There is one really violent scene where a man and his bodyguards are blown away by a shotgun, then sawed into little bits. Johnny Deep played an FBI undercover agent trying to infulltrate the mafia. Al Pacino played a low-level gangster trying to make a living for himself. This is a great film about betrayal. (I won't go into full detail) Al Pacino acted wonderfully (don't know if thats a word). He made you want to be a gangster. This film was a violent, language filled roller coaster that may not be right for everyone. Although if you see it in your local video store, i'd pick it up.

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