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The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone
Common Sense says
- PG
- 2013
- 97 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
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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 Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone has quite a bit of scary violence for a children's movie. The villain kills multiple people by choking and stabbing them with a poisoned fingernail. A main character is shot and killed with an arrow. Villagers are shown being taken hostage and imprisoned. Kids also are shown in hand-to-hand combat and learn to make explosives. The film contains some Christian messages, including the idea that God has a plan for everyone. But, with no sexy stuff, language, or references to drugs or alcohol, this fun adventure film is OK for older tweens and up.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Not too many movies with such a positive message
A family-friendly enjoyable "Indiana Jones" type of movie
It's okay if you love cliches and bad acting
Great message, but too cliché
What's the story?
THE LOST MEDALLION: THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY STONE is a family-friendly adventure film (which was later turned into a book) about the quest to find a lost medallion. Daniel (Alex Kendrick of Fireproof) tells a home of orphans the story of Billy Stone (Billy Unger), who, along with his friend Allie (Sammi Hanratty), is trying to find a lost medallion to impress his archeologist father who doesn't have any time to spend with him. When they find the medallion, it sends Billy and Allie back in time where they meet young prince Huko (Jansen Panettiere) and the wise guide Faleaka (James Hong). The group must fight the evil Cobra, who steals the medallion, and find a way to return to their own time so they can save Billy's father from Cobra in the future.
Is it any good?
Watching The Lost Medallion feels a bit like watching the kids' version of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Although you don't get the gross-outs of the Harrison Ford flick, many of the scary sequences feel like they came straight from that '80s classic, including scenes of villagers working in mines and a sinister lava pit. But, as in the Indiana Jones films, there are a lot of fun action/adventure scenes that make The Lost Medallion an enjoyable watch, even if you're not covering any new ground.
There are a lot of clichés thrown around (the orphan who wants to find her parents, the boy who just wants his father to love him, the wise native who can't wait to impart his wisdom), but the film does include some unexpected twists such as time travel that keep it interesting. And, although the premise that a kind-hearted former orphan is telling the story to help children like him discover their self-worth and that God loves them, feels ham-handed at best, parents probably will appreciate the wholesome message. And kids will probably enjoy watching the young characters figure out how to turn pineapples into homemade bombs.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can discuss the message of the film. Do you think it's a religious message?
Do you think Bill Muir, the writer and director of the movie, was influenced by other adventure films? Which ones?
Do you like movies about time travel? Which other time-travel movies have you seen? How does this one compare?
Movie details
- In theaters: March 1, 2013
- On DVD or streaming: August 27, 2013
- Cast: Sammi Hanratty, Billy Unger, James Hong
- Director: Bill Muir
- Studio: Bridgestone
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Run time: 97 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
For kids who love adventure
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.