Parents' Guide to Torque

Movie PG-13 2004 81 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Silly and violent, mostly comprised of stunts.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Torque Trailer

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What's the Story?

TORQUE centers on Ford (Martin Henderson), who comes back to town with a score to settle and a woman to win back, just like a cowboy in an old western. Only in this movie, instead of horses, there are motorcycles, very fast ones.

Is It Any Good?

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

This movie is one percent dumb plot, 74 percent stunts, and 25 percent attitude, or, rather Hollywood's idea of what passes for attitude. So, Ford is the kind of guy who wears a Ramones t-shirt and a leather jacket that proclaims "Carpe Diem" (seize the day). He must be the movie's hero because he and his pals are so photogenically ethnically diverse that they look like they just stepped out of a Benetton ad.

The action sequences are silly fun, especially a chase scene that has one motorcycle racing on top of a fast-moving train while another rides through the train cars in between the passengers and a chick fight on motorcycles between Shane and a multi-pierced Jaime Pressly. Ice Cube's appearance is more presence than performance, and Henderson is all about the dimples. But Fredro Starr makes an impression as Ice Cube's, well, Fredro equivalent, and Faison Love as a gang member and Adam Scott and Justina Machado as FBI agents hold our interest.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Cary ran away and why he came back.

Movie Details

  • In theaters : January 16, 2004
  • On DVD or streaming : May 18, 2004
  • Cast : Ice Cube , Jay Hernandez , Martin Henderson
  • Director : Joseph Kahn
  • Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Warner Bros.
  • Genre : Action/Adventure
  • Run time : 81 minutes
  • MPAA rating : PG-13
  • MPAA explanation : violence, sexuality, language and drug references
  • Last updated : September 20, 2019

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