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The Omega Man

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    70s saga has same source as I Am Legend.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–14

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Even though he's a walking Christ metaphor by the end, Robert Neville is portrayed as a cynical, profane soldier-doctor who doesn't seem to even want to try to negotiate a peace with the mutant cult (one character who does is summarily killed anyway). The cast is multicultural, but the script is peppered with then-trendy race-baiting name calling and innuendo.

  • Violence:

    Many characters are shot with machine gun, pistol, and sniper-rifle fire; a few are set on fire and run over by vehicles; and one is run through with a spear. A teenage boy is killed (offscreen, but the body is shown). Quick cuts of shriveled, long-dead corpses.

  • Sex:

    A few shots of the heroine naked (frontal and side nudity from the waist up), once in bed after sex, another time in a clothing store. References to sexual interludes and birth-control pills. Pinup girl on a wall emphasizes Neville's bachelor status.

  • Language:

    Language includes "bastard," "ass," "damn," and an incomplete "motherf--ker." Some derogatory race-based terms ("honky," etc.). One character wears a jacket depicting an obscene gesture.

  • Consumerism:

    Car brands and fashions on display. A clip from the rock music documentary Woodstock plays.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Recreational drinking, references to drugs.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Omega Man

Parents need to know that this last-man-on-Earth saga is pretty grim in the end. It depicts the aftermath of germ warfare, with whole civilian populations dropping dead in their tracks. Violence is frequent and includes much machine-gunning, car-crashing, and stabbing. A bit of the early '70s' "blaxploitation" influence is evident, in both the strong African-American characters and some vintage name-calling ("honky"). A few shots show the heroine nude, and she has a spicy sexual affair with the hero. Language includes "bastard" and "ass"; characters drink and make references to drugs. Although it's rated PG, that rating was given before PG-13 existed; it would warrant the higher rating today.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Hollywood's fascination with post-apocalyptic stories. Do you think a situation like the one in the movie could ever really happen? Which is scarier -- a movie like this or a slasher horror flick with fountains of blood? Why? Families can also discuss Matthias' followers' grudge against technology. Does it still seem like a relevant issue today? Families who've read Richard Matheson's source novel or seen either of the other movies it inspired -- 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 2007's I Am Legend -- can compare the different versions. How are they different or the same?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    pascal
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

    old version of i am legend

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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