 | 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. |
Lions for Lambs
- Review Date: April 7, 2008
- R
- Genre: Thriller
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Intense war thriller offers food for thought.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this political drama/thriller is too intense for tweens and younger teens. A frank (and somewhat didactic) examination of the cost of war both at home and on the battlefield, its arguments are both complicated and hard to digest. Plus, there's a fair amount of war violence -- including some realistic battle scenes and a nasty wound shown up close -- and some strong violence. But it's not gratuitously bloody, and most of the content is age-appropriate for older high schoolers, who might find plenty to think about based on the discussions between the professor and his student.
What's the story?
Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan and directed by Robert Redford, LIONS FOR LAMBS follows three intertwined storylines that all happen simultaneously. In the first, political science professor Stephen Malley (Redford) attempts to resuscitate social activism in Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield), a student who once displayed promise. But Todd is now jaded, nearly convinced that making money is more important than making his country better. Meanwhile, two of Malley's former students, Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Pena) and Arian Finch (Derek Luke), fight for their lives while stranded in the mountains of Afghanistan, where they're part of a covert military operation. And back in Washington, hawkish, ambitious Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise) tries to sell a new-but-dangerous strategy to a cynical reporter, Janine Roth (Meryl Streep).
Is it any good?
Watching Lions for Lambs feels a lot like taking your medicine: It may be good for you, but it doesn't go down smoothly. In this case, the ailment is the malaise that sets in when a country -- here, the United States -- sends its young men and women to fight a war that goes on indefinitely. The storylines seem like the recipe for a thoughtful, provoking piece of cinema. Which it is, on some levels. The push-pull dynamic between the journalist and the senator is fascinating and, it seems, fairly on the money. But Lions for Lambs is also didactic and dogmatic. Viewers are often told what to think instead of being given the chance to discover the truths the movie aims to convey. Actually, it all feels a lot like a poli-sci lecture, albeit one with great actors.
Cruise is brilliant here, subduing his usual manic tendencies and exhibiting an almost menacing penchant for control that serves his character very well. He goes toe to toe with Streep, who's superb as usual. Of the movie's three sections, Redford's storyline suffers most from inertia. Yes, he holds the camera's gaze, but the conversation between him and his "student" feels curiously dispassionate -- ironic, considering that he's trying to light a fire under the kid. And while it's certainly moving, the soldiers' section is predictable. Too bad you can't say the same thing about resolving war and other conflicts.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the statement the movie is making about war. What messages does it send about the toll that war exacts on both soldiers and those at home? Do politicians consider the personal cost of war? What is the role of diplomacy? And what is society's responsibility in regards to the country's political and social problems? Families can also discuss why war is a theme in so many movies. What about it both fascinates and horrifies us? Can movies (and other media) help make sense of war? Why or why not?
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AGE
Thoughtful - Worth seeing
I thought that this movie did a good job of portraying the conviction, motivations, and dilemmas of the characters. The admonition of Redford's character to the apathetic student that "Rome is burning" and "Do SOMEthing!" I think are timely for many young (& not so young)people who are disenchanted with government, and simply want to live "the good life."
It is a call to political & social action, in whatever form and for whatever cause one believes in.
I think that the violence is no worse than many PG-13 movies, and that intellectually mature teens of 15 & up could see it. They are certainly being recruited by that age; they should know some of the issues.
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AGE
i luv me sum lammz!
when i saw this title on netflix, i got it because of the title. i just LOVE lammz! anyways, i hated it because i thought it would be lions going to war against the lammz. as it turns out, its just another stupid war movie. dont bother.
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AGE
Appropiate for 13+, but they probably would find it boring anyway
It wasn't much of anything. There were a few short sequences showing soldiers, and only one firefight which is realistic, but not graphic. The rest of the movie consists mostly of a college student talking to his professor about political issues, mainly the war. Also, a reporter interviews a congressman. These scenes of dialogue are where most of the language occurs.
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AGE
We are the enemy
This is just a remake of Three Days of the Condor. It is made by the people who think America is the enemy. If you like putting down your country you will love this film.
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AGE
I cried at the end and the movie was very thought provoking
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| Studio: | United Artists |
| Director: | Robert Redford |
| Cast: | Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Tom Cruise |
| Genre: | Thriller |
| Run time: | 88 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 8, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | April 7, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | some war violence and language. |
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