This is a fantastic but incredibly dark film. No it is not as good as The Dark Knight, but it comes surprisingly close. It is very well made. The performances are astounding. There is a great twist at the end, but I won't spoil. I hate when people spoil for me.
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The Prestige
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 13. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Rival magicians battle in smart, dark period tale.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13–14
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About The Prestige
Parents need to know that this dark period piece about dueling magicians includes several violent deaths: two by drowning (the victims' frightened faces are visible), two by hanging, and another by shooting. Other violence includes one man shooting another's hand (there's some blood, and fingers are lost); the revelation that a bird has been smashed into a bloody pancake during a trick to simulate its "disappearance"; the accidental smashing of a woman's hand in a similar trick; and a man submitting to having his fingers chopped off (the action isn't shown, but the noise of the chop and his facial expression are jarring). Other than the violence, there's not too much to worry about -- a little sexual activity (mostly just kissing), fairly mild language, and some drinking.
Read our full review by Cynthia Fuchs
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the competition between Robert and Alfred. How does the movie show the rising stakes of their conflict? How can you tell that the audiences within the film love the magicians' illusions? Why are the magicians driven to go to such extreme lengths? How does their relationship with the more-experienced Cutter affect them? Is magic as popular today as it was in the late 1800s/early 1900s? Why or why not? Is there such a thing as real magic, or is it all illusion?
Our Members Say
See all 38 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Excellent Magician Thriller from Creator of The Dark Knight!
- I rate this title off for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Negative role models
great movie very confusing.
omg SOOOO CONFUSING! great movie but you understand nothing until the end. drowning people are shown multiple times, many shootings and 2 squashed doves.
I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:- Excessive violence
Incredibly Well-Done, but not at all for kids.
To start off, I will say that this movie was BRILLIANTLY made. It really is an artistic masterpiece. It is very unique, looked at by many as being "Very wierd." I personally enjoyed the uniqueness of the movie, as the plot was like nothing I have ever seen before. It is very grim, very dark, and also rather sad. Extremely well acted, you really start to care about the characters. The violence was surprisingly very disturbing in certain scenes, and I would have to say that I think it could/should have been rated R. This is best reserved for teens fourteen and up, and I reccomend it HIGHLY to anyone that age and older who is willing to really use his/her mind while watching a movie, as they will need to do just that to understand what it going on.
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
scary, dark and not a movie to see if you're sad
I saw this movie when I was 10 and I was wayyy to young but even now it still scares me to think about. There is not a single "light" moment in the movie: people are shot and drowned and it's very disturbing to see his body floating in the water and a man cuts a finger off and birds are killed and crushed as part of a magic trick. All of this violence is all because to magicians are competing against each other and in the end, they are all dead.
- I rate this title iffy for age 6 and give it
cool
this film was grim and weird but the acting was great!!!!!
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
Once you understand what happened, awesome!
This movie is well written and well acted. The first time I watched it, I was absorbed in the movie. It can be very confusing, but once you get it and say "I can't believe I didn't see that!" you will love it every time you watch it. Excellent job to Scarlett Johansson, Christian Bale, and Hugh Jackman! Parents be aware that things can get gruesome! Please review the violence and keep in mind the discussion topics of suicide, murder, incarceration, and magic. Great movie! Keep 'em comin'!
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
A smart, plot, with a thrilling ending. 5 stars.
The Prestige is stunning thriller, about two rival magicians. They were once partners until a tradgic loss. The Prestige is brave and daring. And the acting is absolutly amazing, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Michael Cane deliver a hell of performance. Language is very minimal. And all-around supurb movie. A must see thriller.
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
a smart, entertaining, dark movie that has great performances
acting - 4/5 cinematography - 4.5/5 art direction - 4.5/5 direction - 4/5 screenplay - 3.5/5 (a couple of plot holes but still a solid screenplay) overall if you like dark, period dramas that puzzle and amaze, this is for you. also the magic is pretty cool, if you like this check out the illusionist
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
very intriguing
i loved this movie! i would defiantly take the time to sit down and watch this movie instead of half-way watching it because there are lots of things to pick up on and remember. There isn't much cursing, sexual content, or other questionable material. The two magicians are very competitive towards each other and sabotage each others acts, sometimes resulting in injuries, but it is not much of an issue (that's not what i remembered from the movie) This movie is like old movies i used to watch with my dad that you are still trying to figure out after the movie is over. Even after "the prestige" (when everthing is revealed) you still have to take a minute to wrap your head around everything (sorry...trying not to give everything away) Overall i'd just like to say i would 1000% reccommend this movie to anyone wanting to see and interesting, magical, fantasy movie! Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are wonderful!
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
Awesome Movie
Great movie. Classic.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
BEST MOVIE EVER
U NEED TO SEE IT NOW.its scary at some parks but
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Excellent Movie
Wow....I was blown away with this movie it was fantastic from the begenning to the twisetd and shocking end....Christopher Nolan delivers again after bringing a great batman begins movie...it is also nice to see a great movie without all the language and sex which is hard to find these days..could have gotten away with a PG rating 10 and up
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
Yes
Good film its a must see for 13 and up.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
a must-see especially for christian bale fans
this is the best movie i have ever seen. it was just amazing!! i had to watch it twice to really understand what happened, but this is one of those movies that i could watch over and over and love just as much as the first time i watched it. the acting was brilliant, especially christian bale, who played batman in batman begins, and howl in howl's moving castle. hugh jackman gives a good performance, as do scarlett johansson, and david bowie. easily my favorite movie of ALL time. you HAVE to watch it.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Smartest movie i've seen in a quite a while
Smart movie about two magician friends who become rivals after an accident involving one magician's wife. Constant use of the phrase "watch closely" should be payed attention to, because for those who tend to not be intellectually aware while watching will be like "huh" by the end of it, so watch closely. Violence is minimal, only little sequences of blood, although it's fairly realistic blood for this kind of movie. Language shouldn't be a problem, even though it's pretty bad i didn't even notice it, even though i knew the words were there. Anyone my age should be able to handle it.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
a very intelligent movie
You need a sharp brain to follow the movie. Your kid might flood you with questions. The end might confuse you but, if you keep thinking, you will find the answer if you were watching closely.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
Confusing yet Captivating
"The Prestige" is a Victorian-age mystery-action-drama which can be a bit confusing at times. It has a fair amount of violence, so I wouldn't recommend it for children under twelve. Sex was not a problem (nothing more than kissing), drugs and alchohol were iffy (a few scenes where characters are drunk), but the characters' judgement and social behavior are very questionable. Two magicians will do anything to get the other's secrets and they are decietful, back-stabbing, and rather evil at times in order to do so. Overall, "The Prestige" is an amazing movie with an incredible amount of meaty plot action which will make you seem as if you're living in the movie, also. "The Prestige" will, without a doubt, leave its viewers thinking about it and hanging on the end for days.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
huh?
This movie is confusing, dull, and very depressing. I had to re watch the ending a bunch of times for me to understand it. There are however some parts that are interesting like how they do their tricks which is what I gave it the one star for. Some parts are violent, and depressing including the midicians killing birds to make a trick work which I thought was sick. 13+
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| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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