Runaway Jury (PG-13, 2003)

This movie was alright, and it did show how courtrooms work and exactly what juries do, but it was also a bit boring. Also, people threatened each other in this movie a lot and it's not good for kids to see that. It's a fine movie for kids ages 11+.

Too political, for my blood. The acting was wonderful and the actors great, but only on an adult level. The hi-tech equiptment was a little far fetched tho.

RUNAWAY JURY is exactly the movie it sets out to be. Nothing less, nothing more. It promises you an engaging legal thriller, and it delivers on all acounts. It is by no means disappointing, but certainly not awesome. It just is. And it is very satisfying. However, there is plenty of material that is iffy for kids, starting with the messages. All of the characters in the film save one are unethical and break the law often. The whole plot of the film centers around a criminal plot by two competing parties to stack, bribe, and threaten a jury of 12 to recieve a swung verdict. The plot is intense, but not action-packed, and it might be confusing for some kids. In the end, the good guys win, but the criminals aren't punished. Two of them are made to look like heroes. Aside from that, there are a couple of violent scenes, starting with a shooting that opens the film. It isn't graphic, but the camera and sound make it realistic and intense. A woman attempts suicide by pills after a blackmail. A man fights a woman and beats her up pretty badly (some blood), but then she stabs him in the leg and runs. Language is mild ("h*ll", a few "SOBs") until the end, when a man lets loose a "f**k" in the middle of a heated argument. There is one brief sexual situation (kissing in bed, no nudity), but it isn't graphic.