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War

(2007, Rated R, Action/adventure, Starring Jet Li, Jason Statham, John Lone)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    What is it good for? Bloody fighting, apparently.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Cops, crime gangs, and civilians betray each other repeatedly, then seek vengeance in the most violent forms.
  • Violence:

    Violence is incessant, beginning with cops battling Yakuza members (hand-to-hand fighting and kicking, shooting, stabbing). An early scene shows the brutal murder of Tom's family (frightened wife and child, burning house), which sets up the movie's vengeance theme. Rogue's assaults include throat-cutting, slicing off an ear, shooting, and sticking a sword through a hand. A dog with a bomb on its collar explodes; Jack tortures a suspect by pushing at a bloody wound; a fighting ring shows men slamming against the cage; Kira wields sharp blades; when a man is shot in the head, blood spurts graphically; a father's head appears in a box sent to his daughter.
  • Sex:

    Bar scenes feature topless, thong-wearing dancers; Chang sends Rogue a prostitute: She strips off her dress and reveals giant breasts and a thong. Cops joke about women on the street being prostitutes (one refers to the other's mother as "working tonight").
  • Language:

    Lots of typical action-movie profanity, some of it subtitled, including frequent uses of "f--k," and fewer instances of "s--t," "hell," "damn," "son of a bitch," and "ass." Also a couple of slangy references to genitalia ("pr--k," "p---y").
  • Consumerism:

    Mostly expensive cars, including a sleek Spyker C8 Spyder.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Jack smokes several times; his partner notes that it's an "oral fixation" that he should give up. The villain smokes several times as well. Various background characters drink in bars, some "bikers" drink on the sidewalk, and Chang offers Rogue a drink a couple of times, but he refuses.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About War

Parents need to know that this violent Jet Li action movie -- which is full of body-smashing, martial arts-style fights, plus shooting, punching, knifing, and car crashes -- isn't for kids. Bare-breasted, thong-clad club dancers serve as a visual indication of the villains' corruption (one woman is given as a "present" to Rogue, but no sexual activity is shown). Jack smokes cigarettes, especially at the beginning of the movie, and there's plenty of drinking, though much is in the background. Language is frequent, usually angry, and mostly consists of "f--k."

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the appeal of violent action movies. Why are filmgoers so entranced by fight scenes? Does the style of fighting affect how much you enjoy watching it? Families can also discuss the concept of revenge, which the movie revolves around. What is gained by revenge? Is violent vengeance ever justified? Parents, talk with your kids about the difference between real life and fantasy -- even teens. Point out that consequences exist -- even if it makes you feel humorless. The fact that violent movies stimulate parts of the brain is worth a reminder.

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 0.0

    boring...

    get to the point, i didnt finish the movie cause it was so boring. in the 30 minutes i watched this movie, i saw one brutal murder, one action sequence, and about 5 topless scenes with whores in a strip club. SEX: there is a strip club with girls dancing naked in cages. Inside the club there is a Yakuza social club that Li enters finding a gangster getting it on with whore doggy style then shoots him in the head. A Yakuza boss sends Jet Li a whore and a breifcase with money for a reward. She takes her clothes off but Li refuses. VIOlENCE: Head shots, lots of blood and bruatl murders and executions. DRUGS: Statham smokes. LANGUAGE: f**k, s**t, etc. This is the most boring Jet Li movie, watch Fearless instead.

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

    Geared toward older viewers

    I liked the movie overall, it had some great action in it, but my only concerns were the following which were pretty frequent: VIOLENCE: A man has his throat slit, and people are shot and blown up. Plenty of blood splatter. SEX: Women dance topless (breasts visible) but they have glow in the dark body paint on so you dont really focus on sensitive areas. (they do have thongs on) A woman does take off her dress and her huge breasts are shown (nipple visible) and lingered camera on for sometime, but she does have a thong on. I would ONLY recommend this to OLDER VIEWERS!!

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 3.0

    An ok action movie for teens.

    This film didn't surprise me much. It has some pretty good action sequences. I did like the twist at the end. I just think it could've done better.

  4. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 3.0

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    this is the coolest movie youll will ever see

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