Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says not for kids
Grisly, gory, over-the-top action-parody isn't for kids.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this gory, envelope-pushing sequel to Crank is packed with grotesque, bloody, how-do-we-top-this? moments of extraordinary violence, conducted with a smirking, smug sense of bad-boy provocation. It ends up feeling a lot like the filmed version of a video game -- a violent, hyper-stylized, over-the-top game along the lines of Grand Theft Auto (i.e. not for kids). The entire movie is soaked in sex, violence, and slapstick -- often combining all three -- but it's hard to appreciate any of the "fun" amid all the grisly gore, partial nudity, nonstop swearing, and other mature content.
- Families can talk about violence in movies. Do you think movies have gotten more violent over the years? What's the impact of seeing these types of images? Is there any value in depicting violence in brutally realistic fashion, or is it all about shock value?
- Families can also discuss the fine line between satirical, comedic
action/violence and going too far -- what happens when the audience
stops laughing? Who decides what "too far" is?
The good stuff
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Positive messages: This is is a vengeance-fueled tale of monstrous indifference toward human life and all possible dignity; while it's all done as an over-the-top exercise in excessive, stylized "fun," it's hard to imagine the satire being the main thing that audiences take away here.
What to watch for
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Violence: Constant brutal, bloody violence; characters fall gruesomely from great heights and are shot (with brains, guts, and other gore splattering), beaten, battered, struck with batons and truncheons, stabbed, hit with stun guns and electric cattle prods, and more. Standout moments of extreme violence include the lead character repeatedly electrocuting himself to re-charge his artificial heart; a shootout in a strip club in which a woman is shot in her breast implants (which ooze and leak); the tip of a man's elbow being cut off with a machete as an act of torture; a woman being struck by a car; a man being beaten into submission, then having a shotgun forcibly shoved into his nether regions; a criminal cutting his own nipples off with a knife as an act of atonement, and a character literally burning alive. There's also extensive medical imagery related to the main character's heart condition.
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Sex: Extensive nudity, including countless scenes featuring female breasts; some scenes show male buttocks, and there are even a few moments featuring animal genitalia. Sex scenes include lots of positions, with the
participants in front of a massed crowd. Scenes take place in a strip club, where topless women are ogled. They're also seen involved in mortal danger and bloody violence.
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Language: Constant strong language, including (but by no means limited to) "f--k," "motherf----r," 'c--t," "c--k," "c--ksucker," "s--t," "p---y," "p--s," "bastard," "dick," "bitch," "oh my God," "Jesus," "ass," "bulls--t," and more. Slurs like "beaner," "chink," "oriental" and the "N" word are used as well, as are "slut," "whore," "faggot," "vaginal," "gay," "pubes," "wanker," and more.
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Consumerism: Some mentions of brands/products -- Mercedes, New Balance, etc.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters drink beer, wine and liquor and smoke cigars and cigarettes. A supporting character's home is littered with prescription drug bottles.