Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (R, 2009)
common sense media says
Extreme "bad cop" depravity is definitely family-unfriendly.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (an unofficial remake of 1992's Bad Lieutenant), is far too dark and depraved for kids, even most teens. It centers on a post-Katrina New Orleans police lieutenant/junkie (Nicolas Cage) who curses, steals, issues bribes, gambles, threatens people, associates with thugs, has sex with multiple partners, engages in needless violence, dates a prostitute, and is generally an out and out lowlife. It can all be traced to an injury he sustained while rescuing a drowning prisoner during the hurricane, but the movie suggests that he was a scoundrel even before then. The film does offer a hint of redemption, though what kind and how effective it will be is pretty ambiguous.
Positive role models:
Definitely no positive role models. Main character McDonagh indulges in just about every type of bad behavior in the book -- swearing, drug addiction, sex with multiple partners, gambling,
cheating, stealing, blackmail, threats, bribes, and
just about anything else you can think of -- with no real consequences; he gets out of trouble with a combination of luck and more bad behavior. Even when shows himself to be reformed in public, in private he slips back into his old patterns. The only note of hope involves his girlfriend, who truly seems committed to changing her life.
cheating, stealing, blackmail, threats, bribes, and
just about anything else you can think of -- with no real consequences; he gets out of trouble with a combination of luck and more bad behavior. Even when shows himself to be reformed in public, in private he slips back into his old patterns. The only note of hope involves his girlfriend, who truly seems committed to changing her life.
Violence:
Characters pull and fire guns, and there are a few fistfights, but the bulk of the violence is verbal: characters exploding in rage and frustration and threatening others. Viewers also see the aftermath of a murderous crime scene, with bodies strewn about, and there's a fatal shootout that involves blood and falling bodies.
Sex:
Hardly any nudity shown, but there's plenty of sex talk and sexual situations, mostly dangerous and illicit. The main character visits his prostitute girlfriend several times while she's with "clients"; a pair of gangsters discusses having sex with her as payment on a debt that he owes. The same character attempts to sleep with a pretty traffic cop; she strips to her underwear and crawls onto the bed, but he's passed out. In another scene, after the main character busts a young couple, the girl offers him sexual favors, which he accepts -- they include kissing, grinding, and touching of private parts with hands (though again, no real nudity is shown).
Language:
A constant barrage of "f--k" and "s--t" in all their variations (including the favorite: "s---bird"), plus a few uses of the "N" word ... as well as just about every other word in the book.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
The main character is addicted to painkillers (Vicodin), cocaine, and heroin and drinks alcohol at all hours of the day. His girlfriend also takes drugs. His father is a recovering alcoholic, and his father's wife is a beer-drinking alcoholic. Drug dealers are everywhere, and various drugs are often on display. Occasionally, the main character experiences weird hallucinations that feature various swamp creatures and reptiles. No children are shown involved with drugs.
More on Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Review It
Most useful reviews by all members
diw321
adult
adult
From a College Students Viewpoint
I watched this with my girlfriend, we are both twenty, I was considering watching it with my nephew (16) but after pre-watching it, it is far too violent and doesn't make use of a bad situation (New Orleans) to show retribution or regret on the part of the main character, it just allows him to continue breaking the law. For adults alone: great movie, but make sure the kids aren't watching.
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
The Mizz-st
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
Bad Lieutenant:Port Of Call New Orleans
Rated R For Drug Use And Language Throughout,Some Violence And Sexuality
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
An independent voice for families
Advice on the big issues
Already seen it? What do you think?
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
