Parents' Guide to Final Score

Movie R 2018 104 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

Danny Brogan By Danny Brogan , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Action-packed thriller has bloody violence, strong language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

FINAL SCORE finds former U.S. soldier Michael Knox (Dave Bautista) visiting his 15-year-old niece, Danni (Lara Peake), in London, England. When Knox takes Danni to a soccer game, the pair get caught up in a dangerous terrorist plot, with Knox needing all of his military expertize to save the day.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Cliched dialogue, so many plot holes that it barely holds together, and, yet, thanks largely to Bautista, there's no denying the entertainment value of this action-packed thriller. Directed by Scott Mann, Final Score bears more than a passing resemblance to Die Hard. In fact, in one scene, Bautista's character -- an ex-solider caught in the middle of a terrorist operation, but determined to protect his dead buddy's daughter -- throws a body off a roof in a bid to get the attention of the police. Add to that a comedy pairing with unprepared steward, Faisal (Amit Shah), and a close combat fight in a lift (see Die Hard: With a Vengeance), to name just two, and you'll be forgiven for thinking this all seems somewhat familiar.

Why Final Score gets away with this, is that it never takes itself too seriously. Indeed it plays like a celebration or tribute to those movies which proceeded it. By setting the action in England, Bautista also gets to have fun with the fish out of water premise, albeit he's a fish with muscles on muscles. Some of the lines are so bad that they are laugh out loud funny. When a British police chief punches an American agent in the face for calling "football" "soccer," you're left with little choice but to just roll with it. If you're in the mood for some no-nonsense action, which doesn't require too much thought, then this might just be the result you're looking for.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Final Score's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it thrilling or shocking? Are there any consequences? Why is that important?

  • Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

  • Did the movie remind you of any other movies? If so, which ones? What is the appeal of action films like this?

Movie Details

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