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Two Brothers (PG, 2004)

common sense media says

Stunningly beautiful, but too intense for little kids.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie has some very sad Bambi-style moments and some violence, mostly off-screen. The tiger cubs' father is killed and their mother is shot and wounded. Sangha mauls a dog (we only hear about it and it's made clear that the dog wasn't killed) and Kunal is beaten (off camera). There are tense confrontations and unhappy relationships. Some kids may find it uncomfortable when a mother is attracted to someone other than her husband and believes he is flirting with her, when a child loses his pet, or when characters speak harshly to each other. A strength of the movie is the positive portrayal of an inter-racial and inter-cultural romance.

Violence & scariness: Characters in peril, hunting, most violence off-screen.
Sexy stuff: Brief shots of revealing native attire.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Two Brothers

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how McRory and an English-speaking native (who will become his wife) debate the morality of killing wild animals and taking sacred artifacts from ruins, in terms of the different ways that people see those issues and also about the way they discuss them with each other. What kinds of arguments are persuasive? How did his father's disappointment in him affect the prince? How do you know when it is "good to take a chance?"

What's the story?

What's the story?
TWO BROTHERS begins as two tigers meet in the jungle of Southeast Asia and are drawn to one another. Soon they have twins, shy Sangha and adventurous Kumal. They frolic, explore, and tease each other in the huge ruins of a great temple. Then adventurer Aidan McRory (Guy Pearce) arrives in search of sacred sculptures. The father tiger, trying to protect the twins, attacks one of the hunters, and McRory shoots and kills him. The mother tiger carries Sangha to safety, but Kumal is left behind. McRory befriends him, but must leave him with the village leader. Kumal ends up in a circus, being trained to act fierce and jump through a hoop of fire. Meanwhile, McRory helps a French official set up a staged tiger hunt for a cruel and insecure prince. The tiger he captures for the prince to shoot is the twins' mother. Sangha goes to live with the official's young son who loves him and cares for him tenderly. But Sangha is given to the prince, who wants to see him fight another tiger -- Kumal.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Two Brothers is the story of magnificent creatures gorgeously photographed in a story that is quietly told and genuinely touching. The images are stunningly beautiful, with breathtaking close-ups of the twin tigers, who are expressive and moving both as frisky cubs and as adults. The story is truly told from their point of view, with long spaces of no dialogue. It's a true gift to see a story that trusts its audience enough to let them discover the story for themselves and that understands the eloquence of silence.

The human characters are vivid enough to give the story more depth and context, but not so much that they interfere with the fairy-tale like journey of the heroes of the movie, Sangha and Kumal.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude Dreyfus
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 109 minutes
Theatrical release: June 25, 2004
DVD release: December 21, 2004
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: mild violence
This review was written by Nell Minow
 
 

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What parents & educators say

14

Most useful reviews by all members

miraclemom
adult
 
YIKES!!! Too Intense For Younger Kids!!!
We recently rented this movie to watch with our 5 year-old and her grandparents. The DVD blurb made it sound like a heartwarming animal story with great photography. WE HAD TO TURN IT OFF LESS THAN 1/4 WAY THROUGH!! W-A-Y to intense for my daughter, and frankly for all of us as family entertainment! Graphic shooting death of animals, kidnapping of the baby animals, highly emotional scenes of the mother tiger trying to save her cubs. I felt very misled by the description of this movie on the DVD cover!!!
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mhula1@aol.com
adult
 
One word.Greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!
This was the best movie I've ever seen! Sure it's violent but it's not to bad. Even my dad loved it!!! My favorite part is when the two tigers are fighting in that cage but they discover they're really brothers. It was so good, I saw it 3 times!!! Kids around 5 to 8 will enjoy the movie.
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Kari1
adult
17
 
More horrifying than Heartwarming
We rented this to watch with an 8 year old and a 10 year old, believing the box trailer that the film was enchanting and heartwarming. Not! The animal cruelty exhibited through 90% of the movie made it unbearable to watch. The ending is happy, but too much pain beforehand.
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serno17
kid, 9 years old
4
 
Bad news
i watched it when i was 7 its sad because there mother died theres even badder news All tigers may die because they are being hunted
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Sadly disappointed
parent
 
We need to be respect wildlife to be better human beings
If you love animals and are against hunting, animal cruelty, circus' treatment of animals, and how society has no respect for our environment including wildlife, then do not watch this movie. It is extremely upsetting and I am a 40 year old woman. I had to turn it off after 20 minutes and my 5 year old daugther and husband were both upset by this movie. What is wrong with out society? Seriously.
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Two Tigers
teen, 13 years old
10
 
Two Brothers
I watched this movie when I was six years old and it has been my favorite ever since. A little unappropiate but its only for a couple of seconds.
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melissasehri
teen, 17 years old
8
 
two brothers
it was one of the best movies ever
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CSM Screen ...
adult
 
The animal mistreatment was heartbreaking
It was a beautifully filmed movie with a strong message of animal conservation. The animals are horribly treated. My 14 year old daughter cried a lot, particulaly when a child's beloved pet was torn from him and placed in a dungeon for a king's amusement. I felt very upset during and after the move. There were about 15 people in the theater, half of them left after 20 min.
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lisa perez
adult
 
I HATED THIS MOVIE
My 10 year old daughter and I just walked out of this movie, which is a first for me. This movie was presented on tv promos as being a family movie with a heartwarming story line. We both found it to be filled with animal cruelty and neither one of us could name a character that we liked. It left us feeling uncomfortable as we were watching it and after we left. I don't recommend this movie at all.
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telemark
adult
 
Too slow for young kids
This was a good movie overall, but it took way too long to get to the point of the movie. Kids under five, may have a hard time sitting still until the movie is over. The action and adventure is slow moving, but the animals are very cute and there are some exciting scenes. Animals do die in the movie, so kids ask alot of questions about what happened to the "parents" in the movie. There is no bad language in the movie which is a plus for young kids.
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reagulardude123
adult
10
 
This movie takes sad to a whole new level!
First thing I have to say is that this movie was so sad and depressing, it's way to violent for anyone younger then ten. It was really good, just sad.
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kyrasmom
adult
 
We saw this movie twice!
I took my daughter to see this movie at a movie screening and we both really enjoyed it! The hunting of the tigers really bothered her but she loved the happy ending and how the protaganist learned a very important lesson. After the movie she was very interested in talking about why the tigers are dwindling and wanting to do something about it. We even went to see a second screening of the movie the next week!
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kia
adult
 
Loved it!!!!!
I took my kids (6&9) to see this movie. We LOVED it. Any adult would like it too. This is now on my top 10 favorite movie list! My daughter (9) cried at one part when a tiger is shot, but ended up loving the story. Go see it, you'll enjoy it!
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christine
adult
 
So cute.
This movie is so cute. The baby tigers are so cute. But it is also very sad. They get taken away.
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scum1
adult
 
Great family movie
Sure it's not all happy happy joy joy but it has a message. You can't shield your kids from reality. My 10 and 6 year old daughters loved the movie. It is sad at some points but it has a happy ending. This movie is what meaningful family movies are all about. If you have compasion you will like it. You can even (gasp!) talk with your children about it after you watch it since they will have concerns and feelings they want to discuss.
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AlexH
adult
 
Not that great...
Two Brothers, the story of two tiger cubs separated at birth, is a get-the-tissues-out kind of movie, but only for the most sensitive people. There is some minor violence (e.g. gunshots) that may scare littler children. So-so acting, predictable plot and drab visuals make this movie completely forgettable. But if you're an animal lover, those tigers are adorable!
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