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Parents' Guide to

We, the Marines

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Docu celebrates Marines and their values; some violence.

Movie PG 2017 37 minutes
We, the Marines Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • We, the Marines Movie: Scene #1
  • We, the Marines Movie: Scene #2
  • We, the Marines Movie: Scene #3

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What's the Story?

WE, THE MARINES offers informative footage of Marines in many stages of training. New recruits' heads are shaved. In training, they shimmy through mock riverbeds covered in mud, carrying heavy packs. They drag "wounded" comrades out of harm's way. They jump from airborne planes, they shoot from helicopters, they escape from a submerged, upside-down helicopter. All of these actions seem all the more heroic and admirable as depicted in well-composed, sharply-edited scenes accompanied by popular music ("Rise Up" and "Stand by Me," for example). Former Marine Gene Hackman narrates, advising that the Marine motto "Semper fidelis" (always faithful) means that loyalty to other Marines makes the corps a special military organization. Being a Marine, he explains, means being "in the corps all the days of your life on earth." We're advised that Marines are resourceful, that they can perform difficult tasks immediately, but that the impossible takes a little longer if you have the training and grit to be a Marine. Learning to deal with the unexpected is part of the curriculum. Plans are good but it's important to know that they are always subject to the changes real situations will inevitably impose. The film notes that in addition to combat-readiness, Marines provide humanitarian aid around the world. They helped Japan after its major tsunami and Haiti after the earthquake.

Is It Any Good?

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

This is a beautifully-made film that justifiably emphasizes the nobility and inherent goodness of service to country. However, it doesn't dwell much on the potential negative physical and psychological consequences such service can entail. Given how young many Marine recruits are -- some just out of high school -- We, the Marines would seem far more well-balanced if it spent a little more time on the horrors of war and the harsh realities of committing to this type of service. Still, older kids in military families will find a lot to celebrate, as will kids considering a military career.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the fact that while Marines are sometimes peacekeepers and sometimes deliverers of humanitarian aid, their primary training targets military objectives. Do you think We, the Marines should talk more about war and its actual negative consequences?

  • This short film celebrates the many virtues of people who train hard to be their best at protecting our country. What techniques does the film use to appeal to young people? What does it have in common with advertisements for fun resorts?

  • Does the film imply that the Marine Corps is looking for more young people to join? How does it accomplish that? Does it make you want to be a Marine? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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