A little too violent and sexual.
Tristan & Isolde
-
Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
-
Common Sense says
The legend of young love going wrong, again.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13–14
What to watch out for
-
Violence:
-
Sex:
-
Language:
-
Consumerism:
-
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Tristan & Isolde was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Parents need to know that this film includes several fierce medieval battle scenes, featuring swords, mallets, spears, knives, and arrows, and resulting in dead and bloody/wounded bodies. The young lovers appear in various states of undress and throes of passion (kissing, embracing, hiding from authorities); in one scene, two women strip to lie next to the naked, just washed-ashore Tristan in order to warm him. The young lovers engage in an adulterous affair after she is married. Characters drink during party scenes.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the characters' efforts to balance desire and duty. How do the young people deal with losing parents (Tristan loses both; Isolde's mother is absent), or seek moral ground while living during wartime? How does the film follow the well-known legend that serves as its source?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Tristan & Isolde
What’s the Story?
Orphaned during an Irish raid, Tristan (James Franco) is raised by his uncle, Lord Marke of Cornwall (Rufus Sewell), who tries to unite the British tribes against their would-be Irish conquerors. Wounded during battle, Tristan is believed dead and set adrift on a burning bier. He washes up in Ireland, where he's nursed by the daughter of King Donnchadh (David Patrick O'Hara), the rambunctious Isolde (Sophia Myles). She keeps her own identity secret as they fall in love. When Tristan's compatriots come hunting for him, she sends him off with a kiss and lament that "This cannot be." But as soon as Tristan returns home, Donnchadh decides to give away his daughter to the winner of a contest among the British tribesmen, hoping to divide them in the process. When Tristan wins her for Marke, she's horrified to learn her husband is not Tristan, just as he's horrified to learn she is the princess. After the marriage, Tristan dissolves in depression, until they begin to tryst in secret.
Is It Any Good?
Focused on loyal knights and proud royals, forbidden passions and tragic fates, TRISTAN & ISOLDE is a disappointingly wan romance. The film shows their love as a series of soft-focus embraces and seductive glances across crowded rooms, like they're teenagers on The O.C. Such soapy structure and conflicting allegiances only make the medieval setting gloomier.
Franco suffers exceedingly: another pretty young actor who has appeared in several films and hasn't yet found a defining role, he's hardly helped by the lack of voltage with Myles. If Tristan is inexplicably addicted to the girl, the effects of his desire are conveniently lacking when he's called on to swash and buckle in defense of Marke. And then, well, it's back to swooning, his dark eyes timeworn emblems of adolescent love gone wrong.
Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Director: Kevin Reynolds
Run time: 125 minutes
Theatrical release: 1/13/2006, DVD release: 4/25/2006
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for for intense battle sequences and some sexuality.
Run time: 125 minutes
Theatrical release: 1/13/2006, DVD release: 4/25/2006
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for for intense battle sequences and some sexuality.
Our Members Say
See 10 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
-
I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
-
I rate this title iffy and give it
-
I rate this title on and give it
Great
This movie is great for 15+
-
I rate this title on and give it
I'm gonna pre-order it!!
I thought this was one of the best movies I've ever seen. I have two younger siblings, and I think this movie is appropraite for ages 12 and up. There are a few scenes of sensuality, and there is some violence, but nothing is overly bad. I think it was a great story, though it is sad... I cried!! Tristan is ADORABLE and the acting is great in this movie! If you haven't seen it yet, SEE IT!!! It will blow you away :)
-
I rate this title iffy and give it
A very good movie!!
One of the best movies of the year. While the reviews have been iffy, I thought this movie was extremely good. A classic love story the will never get old. It tells the tale of two people in a love that is forbidden. While there are flaws in the movie, they can easily be overlooked by the wonderfull acting and the beautiful tale. 4 star, wonderfull see!
Give Recommendations, Get Them, Too!
Become a member and get recommendations from other parents based on your child's age.Tell us your child's age:
Already a member? Log inOur Members Rate It
Have you seen it?
For Your Family
Get age-based recommendations for your kids:
Customize based on your child's age
MamaFitz recommends:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
for kids age 3
See more from MamaFitz
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
for kids age 3
See more from MamaFitz
