Parents need to know that the movie features relentless violence and harsh, action-hero language (repeated uses of "f--k" in jest and malice). The mother's murder is made visible on a convenience store video tape, with cuts to the brothers' horror and grief. Characters smoke cigarettes and marijuana, drink beer and liquor, play rough pickup hockey, and chase down culprits who wear ski masks or otherwise look menacing. The shootouts involve large, automatic weapons (lots of shots fired). One character falls out a window and breaks his leg (the injury is shown in close-up), others are shot to pieces, with very visible blood and mangling.

Families can talk about the film's mixed messages about violence: it's bad when "gangs" or thugs use it against citizens, but fine and even celebrated when deployed by the vengeful heroes. How do corrupt law and municipal officials, in league with the central villain, create a sense of pervasive dishonesty? How do women characters appear as stereotypical sexual or maternal figures? How does the film promote the brothers' bonding, at the expense of civil order or even hope for any justice aside from murdering the villains?