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The Last King of Scotland

(2006, Rated R, Drama, Starring Forest Whitaker, Kerry Washington, James McAvoy)
  • 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?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Brutal look at the consequences of absolute power.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Based on the real-life story of notoriously brutal dictator Idi Amin, the film implicates as well those non-Ugandans who made his rise to power possible, including the British and the CIA.
  • Violence:

    Violence is pervasive, including shooting and tank battles; characters are shot in close-up; discussion of assassinations; images of bloody body parts (one woman's body gruesomely appears briefly, cut into sections); the protagonist is tortured by being hung from the ceiling on hooks attached to his chest (gruesome again); a child suffers a frightening epileptic attack.
  • Sex:

    Sexual activity/naked body parts in two or three scenes; women perform sensuous dances during celebrations (some are topless); a pregnancy results from an adulterous affair.
  • Language:

    Over 20 uses of "f--k," plus other profanity ("hell," etc.).
  • Consumerism:

    BMW, Holiday Inn.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Frequent drinking and some smoking (cigarettes and cigars).
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Last King of Scotland

Parents need to know that this movie is based on the real life of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and includes references to massacres, revenge killings, torture, and abuse. Some scenes depict such violence explicitly, including bloody bodies, shooting, knifing, and grisly torture. There are also some scenes of sexual activity, including a one-night liaison between the protagonist and an unknown woman and the protagonist's dangerous adulterous affair. Women appear in revealing or little clothing (some dancers are topless). Characters use foul language (especially "f--k") in anger. It's the 1970s, so characters also drink liquor and smoke cigarettes as emblems of class comfort.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the cycles of violence that afflict developing nations. How are these cycles supported by outsider money and exploitation of resources? Who's to blame for what happens in these cases? Families can also talk about the story of Amin, a former heavyweight boxer and British colonial army sergeant who declared himself president of Uganda following a military coup and ruled for eight years. What effect does having a fictional character tell his story have on the movie and what viewers take away from it?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Arkansas
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 4.0

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 1.0

    This movie was very graffic and sexually explicit. I realize it is probably historically accurate but it was too much for my stomach to take. I would definitely not allow young teens to see.

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    Pretty good doc

    Having done a research paper on Idi Amin for school some time back, this movie struck me with great interest to see. I was somewhat disappointed that it is from the Scot's point-of-view, and doesn't really seem to expose Amin in ALL his horror. Still, it's a great movie, and does an excellent job of showing the softer and later harder sides of Amin (with props to Whitaker). There are plenty of disturbing scenes, and some unnecessarily vivid sexual scenes. Fine for a middle-teen, but nothing under that, and would probably prove uncomfortable to watch with a parent.

  4. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 2.0

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

  6. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 4.0

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