Parents' Guide to

Da 5 Bloods

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Intense tale of war, racial politics; violence, language.

Movie R 2020 154 minutes
Da 5 Bloods Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
June 24, 2020
age 16+

Madness

This movie is just all over the place... Like a stream of Spike Lee's consciousness put partly together in a motion picture with a plot, almost like a dream. The violence is a mix of shock and (unintentional?) comedy. As expected, Black nationalist themes are all over, the film's gotta' be woke. So, a bunch of old vets get the genius idea to go backpacking for gold in one of the world's only surviving communist states, venturing without a guide into the inhospitable tropical jungle, filled with snakes, howling unidentified hairy predators, and leftover mines from 'Nam. What could possibly go wrong? All that negativity aside, it's got some good moments, and is shot beautifully. I enjoyed it, even if it was pretty out there.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
HydroPlaysXbandWatchesFilms
HydroPlaysXbandWatchesFilms Adult
June 15, 2020
age 16+

Great political drama/satire is better for older audiences.

Da 5 Bloods is about a group of Vietnam Veterans who return to Nam to look for their deceased Captains corpse. They also look for something they hid there years ago, but get more than they asked for. This film is very well made, the direction is great. Performances from the entire cast really elevate this already food movie even better. Even if you aren’t a politics person, I believe you can still enjoy this film, even if you may be offended by some decisions. Violence: Somewhat frequent bloody/gory violence includes warlike action, with shooting, stabbing, and explosions, resulting in graphic injury’s, blood spray, and gore. In one scene someone is blown up, and his half destroyed body graphically mutilated. Blood is shown spurting and spilling out, organs are spilling out, and bones are exposed. This is very graphic. A scene where a character shots a snake into pieces. Many people are injured, include characters you grow to care about. Some deaths are quite sad. That is not it however. There are flashbacks to real war violence and death. Some are graphic and disturbing. Imagery involving war symbols too. Language: I didn’t exactly count, but I’ve heard a few different numbers, the lowest being 100 F bombs, but it felt/was more. I think it was more like 250 though. Also many of these (literally about 100) are paired with mother. The C words might have been used once or twice. The N words are used frequently as well, sometimes aggressively. S—t, a—, d—n, etc. after about twenty minutes it gets purdy excessive. Sex: It is implied and talked about that one of the women in the movie was a prostitute and has a child. Some sexual references of various vulgarity once and a while. Consumptions: Smoking is shown sometimes. Drinking as well once in a while, sometimes one or two characters get drunk. Extra: Depending on how you take it teamwork is shown in a positive light. The characters not so much. Though some characters are good role models. Political and racial things are talked about. Some political stances may offend some.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

DA 5 BLOODS are African American "blood brothers" who fought side by side in Vietnam. One of them, team leader "Stormin' Norman" (Chadwick Boseman), was left behind. The remaining four: Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), and Eddie (Norm Lewis) return to Vietnam nearly 50 years later, ostensibly to bring Norman's body home. Secretly, it's more than Norm's body they're searching for. The "bloods" also hope to recover a treasure of illegally confiscated gold bars that they buried during the war. After a joyful reunion in Ho Chi Mihn City, the group plans to sell the gold if they find it. To that end, they partner reluctantly with the sketchy Desroche (Jean Reno), a corrupt Frenchman. The four friends are then joined by Paul's son, David (Jonathan Majors), now "the 5th blood." Their journey into the familiar but dangerous jungle in which they soldiered so many years earlier begins.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

Delroy Lindo leads a stellar cast in this genre-bending film: taut adventure story, historical documentary, and Shakespearean tragedy with a flawed hero who delivers a powerful soliloquy. Spike Lee breaks rules in most of his films. His weightiness and acclaim over the years let him call the shots. Some folks may not like the way he defies norms in Da 5 Bloods. He interjects newsreel footage, racial facts and figures, and diverting flashbacks in unexpected places. He uses the same aging actors in their roles as young men without worrying that it may distract. He isn't concerned that it took his heroes five decades to return to Vietnam.

Even naysayers will have to admit, however, that Delroy Lindo's electrifying performance is reason enough to see this emotionally impactful film. When Do the Right Thing was released in 1989, it was both a critical and commercial success, but its underlying anger was controversial. Over time that anger became prophetic. Now, the release of Da 5 Bloods couldn't be more relevant. Historical upheaval began to give truth to Lee's messages before he even finished his final cut.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Da 5 Bloods. Was it exciting or upsetting (or both)? Did it seem gratuitous or justifiable? If you believe it was for a purpose, what emotions do you think the filmmaking team was hoping to evoke with the graphic scenes and disturbing images from past and present?

  • The character of Paul is nuanced and complex. In what ways is he a hero? A victim? An aggressor? In spite of his behavior (and fury), is he sympathetic? How did the movie show the cultural factors that impacted Paul's evolution?

  • In some movies, the setting for the story often becomes a "character" in that story -- an integral part of the plot. How were both Ho Chi Minh City and the jungles outside of the city characters in this film? Could it have been set (and photographed) anywhere else? Why or why not?

  • Spike Lee brings a strong viewpoint to his films. What do you think his intentions were in Da 5 Bloods: to entertain, persuade, or inspire, or a combination of some or all of them? Was he successful? Were you aware of his emotional connection to the issues he explores before you saw this film?

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