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The Motorcycle Diaries

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Subtly political biopic won't interest most teens.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 16 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
  • Violence:

    None, except for a near-brawl, avoided by the fleeing heroes.
  • Sex:

    Nothing really shown, but much-discussed (including a heavily-coded negotiation with a prostitute).
  • Language:

    Some very raw language.
  • Consumerism:

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

    Social drinking, one supporting character gets drunk.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Motorcycle Diaries

Parents need to know that this movie has some social drinking, strong language, and discussions of a sexual nature. This is a biopic of the early life of future Communist guerilla leader Ernesto "Che" Guevara, but impressionable youths aren't too likely to convert to Marxism solely by watching -- if they're interested at all (unless your kids have a deep interest in the subject already or love polishing up their Spanish-language skills, they probably won't have much interest).

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Ernesto's values and idealism, and the adage "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Excellent

    I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was filmed very well. The only thing that was slightly annoying was the length. I don't know the exact length of the movie, but it felt like forever. Make sure you're sitting somewhere comfortable when you're watching it! Younger children probably wouldn't be interested.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Rhode Island
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    Intresting

    I watched this movie in my spanish class and thought it was really good. They do swear alot but since it is in spanish you can't tell unless you have the subtitles on. One scence is really grusome were they are opperating and taking a women's arm off (due to lepracy). Thats the only part I had to shy away from.

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 4.0

    beautiful..

    I felt like I toured through South America after watching just because of the filmography, however, it will probably bore kids who have no historical context or previous interest.

  4. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Maryland
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0

    VERY worthwhile

    Most Americans know very little of Che Guevara. We took our 4 kids (10-14) to see Motorcycle Diaries. My only caution to parents is that the "f" word appears with frequency in the subtitles (the spoken language is Spanish) but these are two 20-something guys out on the trip of a lifetime around South America, on a really old ratty motorcycle which breaks down a lot (much of the swearing has to do with this!). Che and his companion witness the plight of the poor across the continent and you see how and why Che's growing outrage at the lack of social justice will lead him, after the conclusion of the film, to dedicate himself to changing the world and giving a voice to the downtrodden. Excellent, excellent, excellent, especially for young teens. Our 10 and 11 year old probably didn't get as much but it was still not a waste of time for them. We need to give our children more to think about than themselves. Take your children and enjoy!

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