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Battles BC

(Rated TV-PG, Educational, Starring Cazzey Cereghino, Brian Danner, Brad Wilcox, Where to watch: History, DVD)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Action-heavy educational series brings ancient wars to life.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The military historians do a great job of explaining why the ancient armies were so willing to take to the battlefield, including nuanced descriptions of the social, economic, and political factors that led to armed conflict. There are no obvious good guys or bad guys; every side has complex, detailed motivations.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Many of the recreated battle scenes are quite violent, with some intense hand-to-hand fights using swords, spears, and other ancient weapons. Footage includes shots of the losers being impaled and blood splattering across the screen (none of it real, but still).

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Battles BC

Parents need to know that this educational series about ancient warfare -- which recreates key battles using live action and computer animation and combines these sequences with insightful explanation from scholars and historians -- plays like an entertaining history lecture. While there's no sex, drugs, or swearing, the battle scenes can be quite intense. Expect scenes of hand-to-hand combat featuring swords and spears and some images of victims being killed, with blood spattering. None of it is real, but it still has an impact.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about whether war is ever justified. The series explains the combatants' motivations -- which range from revenge to economics to a desire for glory and power -- in detail. After hearing the scholars' explanations, which side do you think was in the right (if any)? Many movies and TV shows about war paint conflict in stark terms, with one side clearly fighting for the side of right. Do you think that's ever true? Sometimes true? Never true? Families can also discuss the impact of seeing violence in the media, whether real or fantasy.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    bournefan
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0

    Really good show

    Really good show a little violent yet it's worth it it's really cool

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  2. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    bournefan
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0

    Really good show

    Really good show a little violent yet it's worth it it's really cool

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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