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Fantastic Voyage

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Sci-fi classic may be too low-tech for kids.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The crew leader's bravery and self-sacrifice are contrasted with the cowardice and underhandedness of the traitor on the submarine. The battle between good and evil is grafted onto an understated conflict between Soviet Communism and American democracy, which is equated with moral purity and a respect for the majesty of human life. The sole female character, Raquel Welch's Clara is shown to be competent and brave, but ultimately in need of saving. Initially, the commanders feel that "a woman has no place" on such a mission.

  • Violence & scariness:

    Assassins shoot at scientist extricated from the Soviet Union, his car crashes but he survives. Surgical lasers are fired at a blood clot inside the human body. Antibodies attack, and a mass of white blood cells engulfs and kills the bad guy. There is a tussle between the hero and the villain.

  • Sexy stuff:

    Ogling of Raquel Welch. Clinging goo must be brushed off Raquel Welch's ample spandex suit.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    None within the movie but there are many many spin-offs, including the Isaac Asimov novelization, and a 1968 animated television series. A remake is scheduled for 2010.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Fantastic Voyage

Parents need to know that this 1966 sci-fi adventure is set mostly inside the human body. There is an assassination attempt, a car crash, battle-like sequences, use of "laser" guns, suspenseful brushes with death, and one death. By today's standards the action and violence are pretty tame and not very graphic. Younger kids may be alarmed by encounters with dangerous "blob"-like enemies but the circumstances are so remote as to not be particularly frightening. Importantly, the opposing forces here are antibodies and microbes and the healthful functioning of bodily organs and biological processes.

Read our full review by Erika Milvy

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the human body and how it works. Parents can explain the immune system and help kids understand how it protects itself and why a body would attack a foreign substance. Parents can guide their kids as the film follows the submarine's path through the veinal system and discuss the functions of each organ and why the heart, the lungs, and the ear all pose risk for these microscopic voyagers. Families can also discuss how scientific breakthroughs can help repair bodies save people. What might scientists invent in the future to cure people?
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