The Big 4
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The Big 4
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Big 4 is a 2022 Indonesian action movie in which a by-the-book cop teams up with four assassins to catch her father's murderer. It's a loud movie with lots of over-the-top violence. Some shooting deaths result in heads being blown off, with spinal cords sticking out of the neck. Lots of blood. Sniper fire blows off the heads of villains as little kids watch in horror while screaming and crying. The film also shows stabbing deaths in the neck and throat; fighting with everything from bazookas and assault rifles to knives, punches, and kicks; charred limbs; and bloody injuries. Strong language throughout includes "f--k" and "motherf----r." There's cigar smoking, and a teen smokes cigarettes.
What's the Story?
In THE BIG 4, after four highly trained assassins have stopped the bad guys who have turned an orphanage into an organ harvesting ring for the rich, their boss, Petrus, decides that it's time to retire. This retirement is hastened by the fact that Petrus' daughter, Dina (Putri Marino), is now a cop. However, Petrus' retirement is short-lived, as Dina comes home to find him murdered. Three years later, Dina is a by-the-book cop, and the four assassins have disappeared. Determined to avenge her father's murder, Dina tracks the four assassins to a remote island, and must find a way to convince them to help her track down her father's killer. Soon enough, the killer himself (Martino Lio) appears, and he now has an army of goons to help him kill the assassins and anyone else who gets in his way. The battle is on, and Dina must find a way to join forces with the assassins, even though she distrusts them.
Is It Any Good?
This movie is ridiculous, absurd, and bombastic, but it's also entertaining. The Big 4 is so over the top, it makes the works of Bay and Tarantino seem subtle by comparison. At times the violence borders on slapstick, and it's not quite silly in a Three Stooges kind of way, but it isn't exactly serious either. It's in what is now a firm tradition of campy and stylized action movies in which the suspension of disbelief is pushed to the limit.
While the action is unrelenting, the movie's length does test one's patience. It could have easily been at least 30 minutes shorter instead of its too-long two hours and 21 minutes. The prologue goes on long after we've established the good and the bad guys, and you just want to get to the actual story now that we know what's what. Still, it is a very original action movie -- no small feat in a genre rife with far more clichés than other genres.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about action movies like The Big 4. How is this similar to and different from other action movies you've watched?
How was the over-the-top violence a reflection of the overall style of the movie? What are some other examples of action movies in which strong violence is part of the movie's (or perhaps even the director's) style?
How was Dina a strong female lead character, and how does this contrast with the way women have often been depicted in action movies?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 15, 2022
- Cast: Abimana Aryasatya, Putri Marino, Arie Kriting
- Director: Timo Tjahjanto
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 141 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: December 20, 2022
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For kids who love action and thrills
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