Unlike the MPAA we do not assign
one
inscrutable rating based on age, but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE/GORE
and PROFANITY on a scale of 0 to 10, from lowest to highest,
depending on quantity and context.
The Turtles go back in time to medieval Japan, where they
help rebels against a local warlord and a European gun-runner.
SEX/NUDITY 1 - One big kiss (no turtles are involved).
VIOLENCE/GORE 5 - Despite its kid appeal, this installment has a complex
plot and is filmed in a dark and ominous tone. Some violent scenes are rather realistic;
there's no blood or gore, however, one person is killed by plummeting into a raging sea,
while the turtles make light of it; the camera follows his fall. There are lots of battle
scenes with slashing swords, spears and guns. But the turtles defend themselves with their
martial arts skills, so we don't see anyone actually getting sliced. One turtle goes into
a burning building in order to save a youngster. There's a threat of torture, but nothing
happens. We do see the inside of a dungeon though, complete with prisoners in cages and
shackled to the walls.
the review continues below...
PROFANITY 2 - No profanity, just some name calling and harsh language. [profanity glossary]
DISCUSSION TOPICS - Superstition, torture, father against son, death.
MESSAGE - The explicit message is delivered by one turtle who admonishes a
young boy "to play and not to fight, unless absolutely necessary." The implicit
message, however, is that combat resolves problems more easily than play.
A CAVEAT: We've gone through several editorial changes since we
started covering films in 1992 and some of our early standards were
not as stringent as they are now. We therefore need to revisit many
older reviews, especially those written prior to 1998 or so; please
keep this in mind if you're consulting a review from that period.
While we plan to revisit and correct older reviews our resources are
limited and it is a slow, time-consuming process.
Become a member: You can subscribe
for as little as $1 per month and gain access to our premium site,
which contains no ads whatsoever. Think about it: You'll be
helping support our site and guarantee that we will continue to
publish, and you will be able to browse without any commercial
interruptions.
2.
Tell all your friends:
Please recommend kids-in-mind.com to
your friends and acquaintances; you'll be helping them by
letting them know how useful our site is, while helping us by
increasing our readership. Since we do not advertise, the best
and most reliable way to spread the word is by word-of-mouth.
3.
Alert local & national media:
Let major media know why you trust our ratings.
Call or e-mail a local newspaper, radio station or TV channel
and encourage them to do a story about our site. Since we do not have a PR firm working for us, you can
be our media ambassadors.
"This is an excellent resource for
families. Merits two thumbs up...[Finally] movie ratings that actually
work"
