 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Assault on Precinct 13
- Review Date: May 7, 2005
- R
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2005
Common Sense Media says
A satisfying thriller for adults only.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this film has non-stop action violence with some very graphic injuries and many characters are killed. Characters use very strong language. There are some sexual references. Criminal characters include a drug dealer and killers. Characters drink and smoke and one abuses prescription drugs.
What's the story?
In PRECINCT 13, Ethan Hawke plays Jake Roenick, a cop now working a desk job after an undercover operation he was directing went wrong. Jake is uncooperative with mandatory therapy, though drawn to pretty therapist Alex (Maria Bello). It's New Year's Eve and the last night for in the old Precinct 13 building. All of the equipment and computers and staff have been moved to the new location. Jake, along with a secretary with a weakness for "bad boys" and a veteran cop just short of retirement (Brian Dennehy) are shutting everything down. Deadly crime kingpin Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne) and a group of bad guys are being transported by bus to a holding facility, but the bus gets trapped in the snow outside the old police station. So they decide to keep the prisoners there until the next morning. And then they get attacked. The attackers want Bishop. Everyone in the station is at risk. Before the night is over, loyalties and alliances will shift a dozen times as cops and prisoners and bystanders have to constantly realign their forces to try to stay alive.
Is it any good?
A juicy premise, a powerhouse cast, and energetic direction combine for a satisfying thriller about a police station under siege. It's a big-budget remake of John Carpenter's 1976 film of the same title. Carpenter wrote, produced, edited, and scored the film with a cast of unknowns for $100,000. This version does not have the original's raw power, but it substitutes a tough, sharp script and glossy production values, and gets the job done just fine.
It is that fluidity of relationships that gives this story extra energy and sizzle that takes it beyond the usual shoot-out and explosion-movie standard. Star power helps a lot, too, with Fishburne, Hawke, and Gabriel Byrne giving depth and wit to their roles and strong support from Bello and John Leguizamo.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about how Jake's earlier experiences affected his judgment -- for better or worse -- when the precinct was attacked.
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- Teens & kids
Parent of 11 year old
October 17, 2009
AGE
no kids
pretty raw
What other families should know:
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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Needed more explosions
Very good overall, excellent acting and pretty good action scenes. Nothing bad other than an icicle shoved in a guys eye (Die Hard 2 anyone?) and repeated stabbings to a body fairly close-up.
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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Great Movie for the entire family
This was a great movie my whole family loved it! Even my 4 year old sister. Their is some mild gore and blood but nothin you haven't seen before. There is about 125 F-words and 75 s-words but hey everyone cusses. I hope ur family enjoys it as much as mine!
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Teen, 13 years old
August 22, 2011
AGE
Awsome
This movie was awsome ive watched it like 4 times and i watched it with my little brother he is 9 years old i think we first watched it when he was 8 not sure anywayz theres nothing rong with the movie juss violence which little boys love
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Teen, 13 years old
October 28, 2011
AGE
Read
Rated R: Gory Violence, Sexual References, Language, and many Drugs
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Teen, 14 years old
March 14, 2010
AGE
Quite violent and there is a ton of swearing but this movie is pretty epic and its fine for teens in my opinion.
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| Studio: | Focus Features |
| Director: | Jean-Francios Richet |
| Cast: | Ethan Hawke, Gabriel Byrne, Laurence Fishburne |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 109 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 19, 2005 |
| DVD release date: | May 10, 2005 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong violence and language throughout, and for some drug content |
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