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A Sound of Thunder (PG-13, 2005)

common sense media says

Ridiculous at every level. Save your money.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is dismally inept: the special effects are laughably bad and the plot is incoherent. What's more, it features violence in various forms: Time travelers shoot and kill dinosaurs, and they're menaced by variously mutated creatures (half primate/half reptile, flying batlike monsters, large roach-like insects). These scenes -- in the dark among trees, in a dark and flooded subway tunnel -- might be frightening for younger viewers. A couple's one-night stand is indicated by his emergence from the bedroom in his boxers, while she appears only partly covered. One character shoots himself in the head (not graphically, but obviously), and another sacrifices himself to a herd of creatures in order to save his friends.

Positive messages: Sheer stupidity, corporate greed, what amounts to unnamed male prostitution.
Violence: Wholly ridiculous, including battling with badly digitized creatures (dinosaurs, monkey creatures, bat creatures), shooting at prey, a suicide shoots himself in the head (not explicit, but obvious).
Sex: Before and after Edward Burns "services" a woman client offscreen, he appears in boxers.
Language: Multiple uses of "ass."
Consumerism: Starbucks-looking coffee shop.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Drinking, smoking.
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More on A Sound of Thunder

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the poor planning by the time-traveling, so-called scientists: how can they imagine their hunting of prehistoric creatures won't affect the future (their present) in some way? How does Travis recover his sense of self-confidence and -respect by saving the world?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In A SOUND OF THUNDER, ultimate corporate villain Charles Hatton (Ben Kingsley) owns Time Safari Inc., an agency that sends rich folks back 63 million years so that they can shoot allosauruses. Based very loosely on a short story by Ray Bradbury, the movie's premise is that killing these mighty reptiles does not affect the future, but that the smooshing of a single butterfly causes havoc in 2055, the movie's present. Go-back team leader and scientist Travis Ryer (Edward Burns) shows his distaste for the scheme, but goes along for the ride anyway. When a time travel "jump" goes wrong, Chicago's winter days are suddenly balmy, trees grow through walls, pavement cracks, power goes out, and the city is devoid of people. Travis meets with Sonia Rand (Catherine McCormack), the angry scientist who invented the technology, who explains that more changes will come via "time waves," wavy-shadowy effects that wash over the city. Sonia jerry-rigs a power supply to send Travis back. Travis, Sonia, and tech officer Payne (David Oyelowo) must make their way through flooded subway tunnels and battle a gigantic, anaconda-like mutated eel. Will Travis will be able to get back in time and erase all of the devastation?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Ridiculous at every level, A Sound of Thunder has a weak premise, an absurd plot, and is riddled with clichés. Characters are standard one-dimensional -- Travis is the reluctantly macho hero, Sonia is the brains, and the black guy -- tech officer Payne (David Oyelowo) -- sacrifices himself so the rest of the team can reach their destination (this with the promise that Travis will be able to get back in time and "fix it," meaning that all this devastation will be erased. If only the same might be done for A Sound of Thunder.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Peter Hyams
Cast: Ben Kingsley, Catherine McCormack, Edward Burns
Genre: Science Fiction
Run time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release: September 2, 2005
DVD release: March 28, 2006
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: sci-fi violence, partial nudity and language
This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

Vivian_L
teen, 17 years old
10
 
It's been awhile, but...
I saw this movie about three or four years ago, and can now remember only small portions of it and a few details. I only remember watching it at all because we just read the short story of the same name by Ray Bradbury. (which was pretty good) I remember it as pretty cheesy, but it apparently had enough action to keep an eleven-year-old entertained during the entire movie. I'd definitely recommend the short story over the movie, but the movie wasn't bad, and I'll probably watch it again someday soon.
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turtle
adult
 
Pure fantasy
This was a great action film...based on fantasy. We totally loved the ending. Our 13yr old daughter thought it was fun.
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alex and barry
teen, 15 years old
 
Pretty good
pretty good not the worst movie in the world but not the best, for sure
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