Parents' Guide to The Peacemaker

Movie R 1997 124 minutes
The Peacemaker movie poster

Common Sense Media Review

Corrina Antrobus By Corrina Antrobus , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Action thriller with guns, suicide, nuclear bombs, language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

  • The Peacemaker Trailer
  • The Peacemaker: Nicole Kidman looks over a map while wearing a white shirt.
  • The Peacemaker: Nicole Kidman looks over a map while wearing a white shirt.
  • The Peacemaker: George Clooney and Nicole Kidman

Parent and Kid Reviews

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What's the Story?

THE PEACEMAKER sees a suspicious train crash in the Soviet Union soon turn out to be a cover up for the theft of nuclear weapons. Luckily the highly-intelligent Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) is on hand and is recruited to the White House to find out who's responsible. Joining her is the macho Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Devoe (George Clooney), with the pair tasked with tracking down the weapons before a terrorist attack takes place.

Is It Any Good?

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

This 1997 action-triller is thick with political plot, fueled with adrenaline, and stars two Hollywood stars in their prime. Set post-Cold War, The Peacemaker makes its own observations of how relations were left between the Soviet Union and the United States, and how countries were still picking up the pieces of their homes and hearts. Film buffs may be interested in know that it was also the first movie to be released by DreamWorks. Exhausting in its globetrotting action yet tiresome with cliches, the film takes an almighty swing but only grazes the knuckles of being a film with lasting sustenance.

Within the gung ho of the drama, the film makes an attempt of positioning Kidman as a feminist hero. However, she is too frequently undermined by Clooney's character, who -- surprise, surprise -- she eventually succumbs to, and thus this attempt proves futile. The Peacemaker has all the ingredients for a thrilling cinema blockbuster pumped with U.S. patriotism, but ultimately fails to deliver.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in The Peacemaker. What impact did it have? What consequences were there? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

  • Discuss the character of Julia Kelly. Although she was placed in a position of authority, do you think she was taken seriously? Why do you think she felt she had to say "find me a man who can take orders from a woman?"

  • How did Julia Kelly and Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Devoe show communication and teamwork? Why are these such important character strengths to have?

  • Talk about the strong language used. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

  • How was the U.S. portrayed compared to the rest of the countries depicted in the film? Which countries were presented as the biggest threat? How did that make you feel about those countries?

Movie Details

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