 | 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. |
Source Code
- Review Date: March 9, 2011
- PG-13
- Genre: Thriller
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Taut thriller delivers explosive images, sci-fi twists.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this mind-bending sci-fi thriller deals with some pretty heavy stuff -- including death, mourning, and terrorism -- amid the big special effects and go-for-broke action. The main character (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) experiences the explosion of a passenger train over and over as he attempts to find out who's behind the bombing. In addition to the peril and fiery blow-up scenes, there's some swearing (including "s--t" and one "f--k") and scenes that show grave injuries.
What's the story?
Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up with a start on a train barreling toward Chicago, sitting across from a beautiful stranger (Michelle Monaghan) who thinks he’s her friend. Turns out he’s no longer a soldier in Afghanistan; somehow, he’s been transported inside the body of a teacher named Sean who’s stuck on a train that's about to explode, killing everyone. Eight minutes later, Colter is back in his own body -- which is in a space capsule of sorts run aground in an unspecified location -- and taking orders via computer camera from a fellow soldier, Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). She reveals that Colter is part of a highly classified military project known as Source Code. He will be thrown back on the train time and again until he finds the bomb and the person who planted it -- and stops another, bigger catastrophe from destroying the city.
Is it any good?
When a movie is branded and marketed as an action thriller, it had better be transportive. That’s exactly what SOURCE CODE is. Disorienting at first, but in a way that's compelling, the movie changes things up just when you start getting comfortable with what you think the storyline is. Director Duncan Jones keeps things quick and breezy, but he sometimes seems to be ambivalent about how to paint a scene (is it funny? is it brawny?). Nevertheless, this is one movie that will definitely keep eyes glued to the screen.
As appealing as the film’s intriguing (as well as vexing and, it has to be said, sometimes nonsensical) premise is, the human interest story at its heart -- the meditation on mortality -- is even more gripping. Farmiga makes true any role she’s given, and Monaghan and Gyllenhaal make sparks when they share the frame. Though Gyllenhaal isn’t completely believable as a soldier unspooling from the inside as the world around him unravels -- his edges need to be rougher, his desperation more intense -- he grounds his portrayal in pathos and compassion.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the film's violence. Do the explosions and peril featured in this movie have as much impact on you as other kinds of violence?
Which of the movie's characters do you consider to be role models? How do they change/what do they learn over the course of the story?
How does the film address the ideas of death and what we leave behind? What would you want your legacy to be?
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Kid, 12 years old
April 21, 2011
AGE
Great movie with lots of excitement and suspense
This is a great, action packed movie. It started out a bit confusing, both to viewers and the main character, but as the plot progressed more things were revealed. All in all, this was a great movie.
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Kid, 11 years old
April 22, 2011
AGE
Loved it.
I was a Jake Gyllenhaal fan since I watched Bubbleboy a couple years back, and this move was so....COOL!!!! My dad aaaannnddd my best friend loved it. I thought it was funny when he suddenly screamed," FIRETRUCK(f--k) YOU!!!!". I didn't expect that language in a pg-13 movie, but it was pretty funny to me.
What other families should know:
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Kid, 11 years old
May 1, 2011
AGE
Reminds me a little of inception
This was a really good movie. It's one of those how-did-they-come-up-with-that-plot movie. It really makes you think!
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Parent of 4 and 7 year old
April 13, 2011
AGE
Older teens/young adults - heavy content, compelling story and acting
This movie is Sci-Fi and total suspension of reality. It delves into life after death, parallel universes, 'time travel', fate, etc. The acting is excellent, the subject content is quite heavy and terrifying (terrorism, death over and over). I wouldn't want my kids to see this until they were far older (like 15+).
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Kid, 11 years old
April 16, 2011
AGE
Good TWEEN movie
Great movie! I really enjoyed it! However, it was confusing for younger kids. It did have violence, scary, and intense parts! And it did use the f word once. This would be a movie parents would want to consider seeing before their younger kids see it. Maybe around ages 9- would want their parents to see it first, but it's completely up to the parents.
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Teen, 14 years old
April 10, 2011
AGE
Great great movie! teens+
Suggested MPAA Rating:
PG-13 for violence including some disturbing images and language including brief strong language.
Violence includes two shootings, a couples scenes of mild violent behavior, several replays of a train exploding (no graphic images), a couple graphic and disturbing pictures of battle wounds.
Language includes one very strong use of f***, a few sh**'s, g*dd*mnit, d**k, plus milder language (d*mn, hell,)
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Teen, 13 years old
April 25, 2011
AGE
great movie, but violent, a half body shown and one f-word and more s-words.
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Teen, 13 years old
May 2, 2011
AGE
SUPER GREAT MOVIE
I LOVED it!! It is a little confusing but overall a GREAT movie!!(:
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Teen, 14 years old
April 19, 2011
AGE
Best...EVAR!!!!
I adord this amazing movie. The onl part that kids might not understand is the ending. Other then that, one of the greats.
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Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2011
AGE
Amazing plot. Gory and disturbing at times but not too bad. Violent a bit much but nothing over PG-13. Language is a little bothersome. But AWESOME PLOT!
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| Studio: | Summit Entertainment |
| Director: | Duncan Jones |
| Cast: | Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga |
| Genre: | Thriller |
| Run time: | 93 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 1, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | July 26, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | some violence including disturbing images, and for language |
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