Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Crime drama has strong violence and language, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Dead Presidents
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
DEAD PRESIDENTS follows Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate), a Vietnam veteran who -- after returning from a traumatizing war -- tries to make a life for him and his family, but finds his options limited.
Is It Any Good?
Sibling directors the Hughes brothers' ambitious follow-up to Menace II Society attempts to show the ripple effect of the damage done by the Vietnam War. In Dead Presidents, young veteran Anthony Curtis emerges from the war traumatized, desensitized, and unable to cope in the world he finds upon his return home. The movie's opening stages, where Anthony flirts with a life of crime then hankers to join the war effort, are among its strongest. Tate puts in a well-measured performance, slowly showing Anthony's innocence starting to fade, before his tours of service in Vietnam burn permanent damage onto his psyche.
However, during the latter stages the script tries to do too much. Anthony's financial troubles, domestic strife, and worsening mental health are squeezed into its final segment, alongside the deterioration of his friend and fellow marine, Skip (Chris Tucker). Movies such as Judas and the Black Messiah go narrower and deeper into the societal issues of the 1960s and 1970s, to better effect. They also don't waste the opportunity to develop their interesting female characters, which Dead Presidents never manages to fully bring to life. But like the iconic black and white face paint of its bank robbers, this movie endures, as flawed and multi-faceted as the period it tries to reflect.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Dead Presidents. How was the wartime violence different to what Anthony and others experienced at home? What did the movie have to say about violence? Did it glorify it? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Discuss the strong and racist language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Discuss Anthony's experiences as a Vietnam veteran. How was he treated when he came back home? How did this impact some of his decisions? What do you know about the war and the grievances of the people who fought in it? How to talk to kids about violence, crime, and war.
How were drugs used at different points in the movie? Did you notice a difference in how some characters used them recreationally and others used them to cope? Why do you think they each did this?
How was sex portrayed in the movie? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 6, 1995
- On DVD or streaming : May 20, 1998
- Cast : Larenz Tate , Keith David , Chris Tucker
- Directors : Albert Hughes , Allen Hughes
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Buena Vista Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 119 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong graphic violence, language, a sex scene and some drug use
- Last updated : December 9, 2021
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