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Ghost Ship (R, 2002)

common sense media says

Do not board Ghost Ship.

parents & educators say
  • 67% say language is an issue
  • 33% say violence is an issue
See all 5 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is extremely violent. There are numerous scenes of passengers being shot and killed. Members of the salvage crew are picked off one by one. Scary ghosts, including a ghost-girl named Katie, permeate the film. Members of the salvage crew drink, swear, and are easily swayed by potential wealth.

Positive messages: Bad behavior all around.
Violence: Shooting, poisoning, explosions, and other graphic death scenes that include a woman being attacked and a cable slicing a large group of people in half.
Sex: Implied sex or sexually suggestive material. A man is lured to his death by a smoldering topless ghost.
Language: Very strong language.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Drinking,
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Ghost Ship

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the ideas of greed and honor depicted in this movie. At what point does the crew's greed become problematic? Why does Epps refuse to leave behind her crewmates and defend Murphy even after he attacked her? Families may want to discuss the filmmaker's decision to cast a woman in a role that is traditionally assigned to men.

What's the story?

What's the story?
If there is one thing characters should know in horror films, it's that entering an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere is never a good idea. The characters in GHOST SHIP of course ignore this simple rule, resulting in a bloody confrontation that leaves only one member left standing. Things go horribly wrong for a salvage crew assigned to recover a passenger ship missing since 1962. Despite such odd occurrences as the appearance of a ghost girl, the team continues to explore the ship. The crew finds what seems like a fortune –- boxes filled with gold bars. Of course, nothing in horror films comes without a price.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Ghost Ship has virtually no redeeming qualities. The plot is tired and poorly developed, the character development is sparse, and the gory scenes (including one that features a cable slicing 40-50 couples across a dance floor) do not even appear that scary. There is absolutely no reason to watch this movie unless you have a hankering for seeing people get sliced, diced, dismembered, and shot. Definitely NOT for kids.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Steve Beck
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Isaiah Washington, Julianna Margulies
Genre: Horror
Run time: 91 minutes
Theatrical release: October 22, 2002
DVD release: March 28, 2003
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong violence/gore, language, and sexuality
This review was written by Carly Kocurek
 
 

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What parents & educators say

13
Based on 3 parent & educator reviews:
  • 67% say language is an issue
  • 33% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say sexual content is an issue
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

YOUTUBEYAY
parent of 12 year old
17
 
this is very scary
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (5) | had useful details (5) | read my mind (6)
Plague
parent
13
 
Ghost Ship
This movie is extremely gorey, but oh so fun to watch. Keep the little kiddies away though; fine for teens and young adults.
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (5) | had useful details (5) | read my mind (5)
Censor-Bot
parent of 5 and 10 year old
10
 
Good fun
The opening scene shows members of a party all being sliced in half, other than that the movie is an effective chiller about a group of people trying to salvage a ship from it's watery grave. Well made and my 10 year old enjoyed the scene with the topless woman very much (i'm so proud!)
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helped me decide (4) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (3)
Evil_Kenny
teen, 16 years old
 
I thought this movie was......AWSOME!!!!
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (4) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (3)
Blue25
teen, 17 years old
17
 
Terrible movie, it will make you turn off your Tv, if it hadn't turned itself off on its own already.
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (3)

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ON: Content is 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
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