The Lookout

  • Review Date: August 13, 2007
  • R
  • Genre: Thriller
  • 2007
Review

Common Sense Media says

Twisty heist flick is saved by star's performance.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

AGE
0
QUALITY
 

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that although younger viewers might be drawn to this film by star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it features bloody, harrowing violence, lots of swearing ("f--k" and then some), and brief sexual imagery. A car accident is repeated from different angles throughout the film, and flashbacks showcase the aggression of hockey in short, handheld takes. But the goriest violence involves shootings (with handguns and shotguns) that result in bloody bodies. There are some brief glimpses of naked bottoms and other sexual scenes and characters drink (some to drunkenness), smoke cigarettes and pot, take prescription pills, and talk about meth production.

  • Positive messages0
    Bank robbers are brutal and deceptive; Chris is confused and makes bad choices -- he eventually saves his friend's life, through violent means. Farm workers are generically referred to as "Juan and Ramone."
  • Violence5
    Brutal car accident (auto hits a combine full-speed) is repeated in flashback and is increasingly bloody and/or violent each time; hockey game flashbacks are abrupt, slamming, and fast-cut; Chris' father keeps guns at home; shootouts are rough, with bloody injuries.
  • Sex3
    Chris comes on to his counselor ("I thnk about f--king you"); sex sounds heard from another room; a couple of brief naked-bottom shots (one man, one woman); Luvlee seduces Chris (she pulls up her nightgown and puts his hand on her); sexual slang ("did you get a hummer?", "getting blown," "bone"); conversation about Luvlee's work as a stripper.
  • Language5
    Several uses of "f--k," as well as "ass," "s--t" (sometimes with "bull"), "damn," "prick," "hell," and "bitch."
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Cigarette and marijuana smoking; drinking in a bar and at home; Gary and Chris' father both get visibly, obnoxiously drunk; Chris is on meds; Gary uses an asthma inhaler; Lewis describes his experience cooking meth (the fumes blinded him).
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What's the story?

Four years after a fatal prom-night accident, once popular athlete Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) struggles just to get through his days. When erstwhile exotic dancer Luvlee (Isla Fisher) and a crew of aspiring bank robbers led by young thug Gary (Matthew Goode) recruit Chris, they give him what he thinks he's lost since the accident -- masculine community and sex with a girl -- as well as a break from his routine. Apparently lacking the capacity for self-reflection on top of everything else, Chris signs on.

Is it any good?

 

As viewers are steps ahead of Chris by definition, THE LOOKOUT's approximation of his self-storytelling method reveals itself right away. Gary and Luvlee are untrustworthy schemers, affiliated with a very grim-looking shooter named Bone (Greg Dunham, channeling Lance Henriksen), and true-blue Lewis is not only nosy and protective, but also vulnerable and loyal. None of this would be surprising in the standard heist movie, and it's not here.

This means that Gordon-Levitt has a lot of work to do, convincing viewers that Chris is processing his ordinary experiences in an extraordinary way. For the most part, he's up to it. Chris' awkward gait and puzzled face make his former life look long-lost and his current life nearly unfathomable. Until the movie loses its own way (a bloody retribution resolution falls flat), this young actor makes Chris' erratic efforts to read himself and his world look engaged and engaging.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about whether anyone in this movie can be considered a role model. Does Lewis provide a positive model for Chris? What about Chris' own father, who refuses to help him? Can what happens to Chris be considered a metaphor for how people change after high school? How does the movie compare his former happy life with his current limited and depressed existence?

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
i think its ok i think its good for under 14 and up
i like it its ok
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Helped me decide (5) | Had useful details (3) | Read my mind (4)
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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
borring
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Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (4)
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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
Umm..... AWESOME!
This was a great action/heist film. Lot's of swears, some half nudity, and gory shootouts. Great acting and storyline. 8.97/10. Excelent movie to watch with friends, especially if your friends are 13 and over, hint hint.
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Parent
September 2, 2011
AGE
15
 
Contains Bank Robbery
The good role models is everyone helps Chris after being injured in an accident that leaves him mentally handicapped; he also moves on, but flashbacks to his accident get progressively bloodier. There is a man and a woman nude, and Christ makes sexual cracks; along with these cracks of sex there is extremely questionable language. He is convinced into drinking by others who drink. Part of the plot is robbing a bank.
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Helped me decide (1) | Had useful details (1) | Read my mind (1)
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This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Studio:Miramax
Director:Scott Frank
Cast:Isla Fisher, Jeff Daniels, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Genre:Thriller
Run time:99 minutes
Theatrical release date:March 29, 2007
DVD release date:August 14, 2007
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:language, some violence and sexual content.
This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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