 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
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 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Dragon Wars (D-War)
- Review Date: January 7, 2008
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Monsters unleash explosions, death, and more.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this monster movie is full of explosions and lots of CGI snakes and other reptiles that roar, shoot fire, and chomp and stomp on their human victims. Combat scenes set in the past feature cannons, while current-day warfare sequences include tanks, missiles, and small arms fire. A giant snake crashes through buildings and flips cars, making many city dwellers run and scream (and burning some to ash). There's a brief kiss between the featured couple and relatively minor language (a couple of uses of "s--t," "hell," and "ass").
What's the story?
The hero of DRAGON WARS (D-WAR) is TV reporter Ethan (Jason Behr), who happens to be the reincarnation of a 500-years-dead Korean martial arts whiz kid. As soon as Ethan sees a devastating gash newly opened up in Los Angeles, he knows that somehow, "This has something to do with me." The explanation is delivered via flashback: Fifteen years earlier, young Ethan met old Jack (Robert Forster), who told him the legend of the good and bad snakes and the girl, born and reborn every 500 years, who must be sacrificed to one of them in order to settle their cosmic moral battle. Ethan is fated to ensure she makes it to the good snake and not the bad one. Though Ethan wants to prove worthy of Jack's trust, as soon as he meets the girl, Sarah (Amanda Brooks), he wants to save her. But he's supposed to take her to the Grand Cave, where she's to meet up with the Good Big Snake (the psychosexual metaphors here are beyond obvious). As the couple tries to figure out what to do, the FBI and the Secretary of Defense come after the Bad Big Snake, which is ravaging Los Angeles in search of Sarah. After plowing through parking garages, a hospital, and the Silver Lake suburbs, the Bad Big Snake finally reaches downtown, where it writhes up and around a tall building and chomps on a few helicopters that that are trying to shoot it down. In the final showdown, the heroes go head-to-head against the Snake's evil army.
Is it any good?
"Now is the time," intones a serious-sounding narrator at the start of the film, "for destiny to unfold." It's also the time for confusion to begin. Why, for instance, does Hyung-rae Shim's movie have two names? Why is it premised on a Korean legend but set in L.A. with American stars? And why, oh why, do both the Bad Big Snake and the Good Big Snake (also called the Good Imoogi) need the same woman to sacrifice herself? At the end of the film, these questions remain unanswered.
In between the fighting scenes, the movie struggles to stay on any kind of course, with characters appearing and disappearing without much explanation. Ethan gets rudimentary help from his cameraman/researcher Bruce (good sport Craig Robinson), who solemnly gives him a handgun -- as if this will have any effect on the monster. Ethan has more effective help from the shape-shifting Jack, who isn't too happy about his protégé's decision to save the girl instead of sacrifice her. As for Sarah, she's mostly consigned to worrying and gasping: "Something terrible is coming, something more terrible than you can imagine." While Dragon Wars isn't so terrible, from her perspective, you'd have to agree.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the appeal of monster movies. Why is it fun to watch crowds of people run and scream as they're chased by giant (albeit computer-generated) beasts? Is it ever hard to distinguish the fantasy of monster movies from things that could happen in real life? Families can also discuss the film's take on "fate." Can you change your future, or is some part of it set? Did you expect Ethan to accept Sarah's fate? Why or why not? How is it different from what happens in most U.S.-made films?
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AGE
Suggested MPAA Rating:
PG-13 for violence and creature action and language.
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Kid, 11 years old
February 14, 2011
AGE
Ok I guess
I watched this even though it's pg-13. It's action packed,but 2 me it dose not have a very good story line.
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AGE
Very good i love the graphics. Violent still but i like the fantasy. No sex which is good.
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AGE
The movie does not go into very much detail. Another problem about the movie is that they use to much CGI. For example all the monsters and most of the people to. In my oppion this movie should have been rated PG.
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AGE
A Disappointing, Laughable Film
Truthfully, I wanted a big-screen, explosive dragon movie -- I wanted something I could come back to CSM and rate "OFF"! However, what I got was a movie made for TBS Sunday matinee, with terrible dialogue, the loosest plot ever conceived, laughable acting, and one mildly entertaining 17-minute dragon-destroys-downtown scene. No more violent than Harry Potter, but about as entertaining as that film's credits.
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AGE
Bring back Godzilla!
My daughter is a big dragon fan. We were hoping this was on the same lines as Eragon, but within moments realized this was not on the same playing field. With the double flashback in the beginning of the movie, going to strange sexual/violent innuendos back in 1500's (grabbing all the women and ripping their tops looking for dragon tattoos) it was very distracting. Characters hopped in and out of the film; people in LA just happened to leave their vehicles with keys in them figuring someone might need them to escape menacing snakes. The two main characters leap out of a helicopter, landing unscathed on top of the US Bank building! The story line just did not make sense; perhaps they are gearing it to children but I had to question some other theater patrons bringing 6 year olds to this movie. I was tempted to ask the theater for my money back. I was hoping to see the Mystery Science Theater 3000 guys on the bottom of the screen spoofing this movie because it was so bad.
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AGE
I shocked !!
There's no more words need.
AWESOME !!
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AGE
Headache-inducing dragon battles and lame dialogue overshadow any fun to be had
I'll just skip to the obvious with my review this time: Dragon Wars is a lousy movie. The storyline, for instance, is about dragons coming to earth for one final battle. Apparently, this happens every 700 years. So the storyline stinks. So does the acting, script, plot, and action sequences. I admit that there are some cool effects, but there are also some very bad ones. Unless your a huge fan of Japanese cheese movies, I would highly recommend you skip it. Besides violence, there are some scary scenes, a few colorful words, and very mild sexual tension. OK for preteens.
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AGE
Wasted 2 hours of my life!
First let me say I was talked into this movie by my nephews, who are 6 and 14. I also took my 3 year old. I thought it would be no worse than a Power Ranger Movie (which I've had to watch numerous times). The special effects were great (even reminded me a bit of Star Wars), but that is obviously where they spent all of their $70 million budget! It sure wasn't the director or for a script! I guess the actors did the best they could, but some parts were quite laughable! I mean, when you're getting chased by a HUGE snake, you should at least LOOK like you're scared, instead of taking a drive around the park. My husband kept glaring at me during the movie as if to say "I can't believe you made me waste 2 hours of my life on this!" The story made NO sense and was extremely confusing! Even my nephews thought it was lame (although the 6 year old thought the monsters were cool).
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| Studio: | Freestyle Releasing |
| Director: | Hyung Rae Shim |
| Cast: | Amanda Brooks, Jason Behr, Robert Forster |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 14, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | January 8, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense sequences of violence and creature action. |
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