 | 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. |
The International
- Review Date: June 7, 2009
- R
- Genre: Thriller
- 2009
Common Sense Media says
Gritty '70s-style thriller is cynical, grim, and violent.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this thriller about financial corruption probably won't be on most teens' must-see list. Just as well: Not only is it full of wrenching action sequences and grimly realistic (and shocking) violence, but it also has a deeply cynical, hard-to-stomach attitude about the possibilities of finding justice in a wicked world and the interplay between high finance and street-level warfare. There's also some drinking and smoking and strong language (including "f--k") -- but virtually no sexual content.
What's the story?
In THE INTERNATIONAL, Manhattan D.A. Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) and Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) are working a long, difficult case to try to bring a massively corrupt bank to justice. It's too bad that everyone who speaks out against the bank or offers to come forward with information about its gun-running, money-laundering, arms-dealing activities disappears or suddenly dies. ...
Is it any good?
Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), The International is a throwback to '70s thrillers like Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View -- mean, methodically made movies with a strong cynical streak and no built-in guarantee that good will triumph over evil.
And yet you do find yourself a little torn watching The International; much like Michael Clayton, it's a film that promises rock-'em-sock-'em thrills in the trailer and ad campaign and then provides a much more dramatic, disquieting experience. But unlike Michael Clayton, The International never quite catches -- in part thanks to a gripping action sequence set at the Guggenheim in New York that makes everything else feel a little anticlimactic. Still, cynical, conspiracy-minded, and refreshingly down-to-the-ground, The International has a moral and intellectual backbone that elevates it far above most modern thrillers.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether the violence in this movie seems more realistic than in other thrillers. Why or why not? Do you think watching realistic violence in the media has more impact than sci-fi/fantasy action? Families can also discuss whether situation in the movie seems realistic. Is it upsetting to think of institutions like banks being involved in illegal activities? Is the movie more unsettling given the current state of the economy? Also, is there ever a time when it's appropriate to go outside the law to deal with a crime? What consequences could that have?
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AGE
international
very good thriller SPOILER the shootout at the museum is a little graphic
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AGE
saw it just today
not bad at all. The battle at the Musuem was bloody, dramatic and intense, (very good for my standards) and the rest was fairly big talk about IBBC but clever and creative is what I'll call it. Totally R-rated, though.
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AGE
worth watching in theaters
this movie is really good better than i thought becuse the trailer looked stupid really a bank is higher than the authorities bull crap. Not to violent good script and suspenful parts meade this movie very good
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AGE
this movie was brilliantely made. the cast was absolutely amazing and the script was pretty great as well. the film is rated r because of the violence and language. there is one scene when a man goes to help his friend who had just been shot and is hit by a car. overall this film was unique and AWESOME :)
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AGE
Good movie, good acting, weird ending!
This film is a nice short stindt of action and suspence, not very much language, and good acting.
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| Studio: | Columbia Tristar |
| Director: | Tom Tykwer |
| Cast: | Armin Mueller-Stahl, Clive Owen, Naomi Watts |
| Genre: | Thriller |
| Run time: | 118 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 13, 2009 |
| DVD release date: | June 9, 2009 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | some sequences of violence and language |
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