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Parents' Guide to

Battle in Seattle

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Political ensemble drama is provocative, preachy.

Movie R 2008 98 minutes
Battle in Seattle Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

age 12+

A great depiction of actual events that occur around the globe without true thought of consequences of negative proportions, all brought on by the greed of many. To show our children the right path of peace AND health we must show them the right way to move forward AND to have ALL MANKIND on ONE platform.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much consumerism

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

BATTLE IN SEATTLE is a great demonstration of how good intentions don't necessarily translate into good moviemaking. For all the scenes that are thought-provoking or emotionally real, others feel preachy or phony. But the balance skews more to the film's credit than not, and writer/director Stuart Townsend's ambition and passion help keep the movie alive in even its more problematic moments. He attracted a well-known group of faces to pitch in: Martin Henderson, Andre Benjamin, and Michelle Rodriguez play protestors; Ray Liotta is the city's beleaguered mayor; Woody Harrelson and Charlize Theron play a Seattle cop and his pregnant wife. The ensemble is fine (with Harrelson the stand out), but some of the actors aren't given as much to work with; Connie Nielsen's reporter character is given a particularly unreal scene of public protest, while the plotline following Rade Sherbedzija's AIDS doctor, who's seeking reductions in the cost for medicine for the Third World, never quite follows through.

Still, even mildly marred by the occasional false note, Battle in Seattle is well intentioned and well made, and it seems to be more interested in inspiring discussion than having all the answers. Benjamin's character notes of the protests that "A week ago, nobody knew what the World Trade Organization was; now ... they still don't know what it is, but at least they know it's bad. " Battle in Seattle feels designed to provoke and inspire, and if it doesn't always succeed in that aim, at the very least it tries.

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