Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bare-bones Stallone action film has violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Backtrace
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
BACKTRACE is an action film that follows Donovan (Matthew Modine), a robbery suspect who loses his memory in a gunfight. He's placed under medical surveillance for seven years while Detective Sykes (Sylvester Stallone) tries to solve the case, even though he's lacking the help that Donovan's memory could bring. Eventually Donovan is approached to try an experimental drug that could bring his memory back -- and lead him toward where he hid the still-missing money.
Is It Any Good?
Backtrace is a bare-bones action movie. It follows the beat-by-beat expectations of movies in the genre, squandering the intriguing potential of a plot about an experimental drug.
The film seems to be aiming to capitalize on Stallone's big name cachet, but his character isn't in the film as much as you might think, and you can tell that he was only on set for a short time. Sykes is a mostly ineffective character, and he makes a ridiculous decision at the end in order for the film to have a positive resolution. Overall, Backtrace will likely be a footnote in the action genre; hopefully the team behind it can come back with a stronger entry.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the action film genre. How does Backtrace perpetuate stereotypes of the genre? How does it try to break them?
Why does Donovan decide to steal? Does his reasoning make sense to you? How realistic is his journey in the film?
How is policing portrayed in the film? How does it compare to the way you've seen it depicted in other movies?
Is the film's ending realistic?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 14, 2018
- On DVD or streaming : February 19, 2019
- Cast : Ryan Guzman , Sylvester Stallone , Matthew Modine , Christopher McDonald
- Director : Brian A. Miller
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence and some language
- Last updated : July 11, 2022
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