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"PATHFINDER" (2007) (Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons *Moderate Extreme Extreme *Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Moderate Extreme None Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild Mild Heavy Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action/Adventure: A young man -- born to Vikings but raised by American Indians -- must contend with his dual identity when Scandinavian marauders arrive once again with the similar intent of wiping out his adoptive people and their society. PLOT: It's hundreds of years before Columbus' arrival in the "new world" and Vikings have arrived and slaughtered the Native Americans they encounter. A shipwreck, however, leaves the ruler's boy alone in this strange world. Adopted by the survivors, he grows up to be Ghost (KARL URBAN), a young man who wants to be a warrior, but must figure out his true identity before being accepted that way. That's according to the tribe's spiritual leader, Pathfinder (RUSSELL MEANS), who's arrived with his adult daughter, Starfire (MOON BLOODGOOD), and others in hopes of finding a replacement for his role. After their brief visit there, Ghost goes off to settle his dual identity, unaware that a marauding band of Vikings led by Gunnar (CLANCY BROWN) and Ulfar (RALF MOELLER) have arrived to slaughter the young man's adoptive family and friends. Distraught but angry over that turn of events, Ghost -- eventually with the help of Starfire and others -- sets out to get revenge on the Vikings for what they've done to him, his family, and their people. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Some male teens might find it enticing, but it doesn't appear as if this will be a major draw among kids. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong brutal violence throughout. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: KARL URBAN plays the son of a Viking leader who was the only survivor of a shipwreck following a Viking invasion. Adopted by the local Indians, he finds himself an accepted outsider who's troubled by his past as well as his split identity. After the massacre of his village, he sets out to kill as many Vikings as he can. RUSSELL MEANS plays the spiritual leader of the Indian tribe who's in search of his replacement, but must contend with the onslaught of Vikings. MOON BLOODGOOD plays his strong-willed adult daughter who finds and joins Ghost on his quest. CLANCY BROWN and RALF MOELLER play Viking leaders who are intent on killing all of the Indians and using Ghost as their means of finding them. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated action flick. Profanity and colorful phrases are in limited supply, which also holds true for sexual content beyond the presence of various shirtless male American Indians, and the sight of one in a loincloth (showing part of the side of his butt). Violence, however, is in plentiful supply, with various characters killing others by various means, often in graphic fashion with very bloody and/or gory results. Some of that material and other moments of potential peril might be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers, while the action and stunts might be enticing for some kids to imitate. The invaders obviously have bad attitudes, while tense family material includes characters witnessing Vikings kill their family members, while a boy is tortured by his father for disobeying him. Some ceremonial and medicinal smoking occurs, including one bit that suggests that the smoked substance is something resembling marijuana. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, we see flashes of lightning during such a storm. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, varying amounts of handheld camerawork appear in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE A medicine man inhales some sort of smoke and blows it on Ghost who's injured. The medicine man then inhales some just for himself, saying something in the same manner a pot smoker might (with a catch in his voice, etc.). BLOOD/GORE An Indian woman finds the wreckage of a Viking ship and explores it. When pulling on a chain, she ends up pulling up a dead body (with a crab coming out of the mouth), while other dead bodies are hanging, bound by their wrists. We then see many dead bodies in the ship. Young Ghost has a nightmare where Vikings hit various chained and free Indians, including on the head. We see varying amounts of blood, as well as a severed head and a slit throat with bloody spraying out. His father wants the boy to kill a mother and child, but when young Ghost won't, his father knocks him down and kills the two (we don't see the impact, but do see blood splatter onto the boy). He then repeatedly thrashes young Ghost in the shallow water in which he lies (we later see various whip marks on the boy's back). Vikings overrun Ghost's village, using many weapons to strike and kill the various Indians there, while also burning the village. We see all sorts of violence, including many stabbings, slicings, and a head coming off, fingers sliced off, an arrow going through a head, etc. all with bloody results. Afterwards, we see a massive pile of dead and bloody bodies, some that have been strung up as if crucified, a bloody head with a crow on it, and some dogs feeding on one body. Ghost sees his injured father surrounded by Vikings and battling one, who strikes him and then delivers a fatal sword impalement (all with bloody results). Ghost is then there, surrounded, and when some Vikings approach to kill him, he stabs and kills one, while slicing another across the face, leaving a deep gash and sending the man's eyeball to the ground. We see many skulls and skeletons along a swamp. Ghost has some blood on his hand after touching the arrow wound in his back (not seen). We see a graphic, close-up view of one Viking leader's facial gash being crudely sewn up. A large bear suddenly surprises the Indians inside a cave, swiping one back against a rock wall with its paw. Pathfinder then kneels down away from it after drawing its attention. The bear then charges, but he impales it with his spear (all of the way through, with bloody results). We see another flashback to bloody violence in Ghost's childhood. A medicine man causes Ghost some pain when removing a bloody arrowhead from his back (we don't see more than a glimpse of the removal). We see a collection of human skulls. Ghost grabs a Viking, but that man backhands him. The two struggle, with Ghost then slicing that man's throat. Another Viking is impaled by wooden stakes set in a trap, while Ghost then stabs and kills another man (all with brief, bloody results). Ghost jumps onto a man on horseback, knocking him from his ride. He then slits that man's throat (with bloody results), while then slicing another man with two swords, and stabbing another (all with bloody results). An Indian fires an arrow that goes through a Viking's hand (with bloody results). Ghost holds up a Viking helmet that may or may not contain a severed head. Various Indians accidentally fall into a trap Ghost had set for the Vikings, resulting in many of them being impaled by stakes inside it. The Vikings then approach and slaughter the trapped and wounded Indians (with bloody results). An Indian has very bloody hands from his unseen wounds. We see some blood on Ghost's fingertips. Ghost, Pathfinder, and Starfire get into hand to hand and weapon combat with various Vikings, striking and wounding or killing many of them, all with bloody results (including what looks like an arm coming off, leaving a bloody stump). We see miscellaneous dead bodies hanging from trees. An Indian is lifted off the ground via ropes run over branches and attached to horses that are whipped to keep moving forward, thus stretching his body (his feet are tied to stakes in the ground). While we don't see the dismemberment and death, we do see the man's blood splatter onto Ghost. We see several severed hands. Some Vikings lean Starfire face-first over a dead and bloody moose (presumably to rape her), but that doesn't occur. One Viking grabs a knife from another's mouth, cutting the second man there (with bloody results). Ghost has a little blood from his nose and then more from his mouth during a fight. Some blood runs down a sword blade when it's used to stab a Viking in the gut. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The Vikings obviously have bad attitudes for invading the Indians' land and killing them, as well as kidnapping Ghost and Starfire. They also refer to the Indians as savages, and one comments on Ghost finally speaking like a human (when talking in their tongue rather than that of the Indians). One warrior has a bad attitude toward Ghost. Some Vikings lean Starfire face-first over a dead and bloody moose (presumably to rape her), but Ghost knocks those two men away. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. The various skull-based helmets and other such headgear that the Vikings wear might be visually unsettling for some younger viewers, as might the dragonhead bow on their ship. A Viking lecherously licks Starfire's hand and then places it on the chopping block (surrounded by several severed hands). He then makes the motion for the cut, but Ghost stops him just in time. Some Vikings lean Starfire face-first over a dead and bloody moose (presumably to rape her), but Ghost knocks those two men away. As Starfire looks down at an ice-covered lake, Ghost suddenly appears under the ice, trying to get out (a Viking leader orders his men to break the ice to allow Ghost to escape). Ghost leads the Vikings along an icy and narrow trail along the side of a mountain, and Starfire nearly falls while tentatively walking along it. One Viking does fall off, but we don't see the impact. GUNS/WEAPONS Swords/Axes/Spears/Arrows/Balls & Chains/Tomahawks: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound, or kill others. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Damn you," "What will you do?" (followed by "Kill as many as I can"), "Get up, you clumsy bitch," "Bring the bitch" and "Is it cold, you bastard?" All of the action, fighting and others stunts might be enticing for some kids to try to imitate. Ghost spits in defiance of the Vikings. JUMP SCENES A Viking suddenly grabs an Indian girl (accompanied by sudden music). Another bit of sudden music might startle some viewers. A large bear suddenly surprises the Indians inside a cave. A Viking suddenly grabs Starfire. Another Viking suddenly grabs Starfire. A Viking suddenly attacks Ghost. As Starfire looks down at an ice-covered lake, Ghost suddenly appears under the ice, trying to get out. A Viking suddenly surprises Ghost from below him. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of heavily dramatic, suspenseful, and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 use of damn. SEX/NUDITY From time to time, we see many shirtless Indian men, including Ghost. We see the side of Ghost's bare butt in his standard loincloth. A Viking lecherously licks Starfire's hand and then places it on the chopping block (surrounded by several severed hands). He then makes the motion for the cut, but Ghost stops him just in time. SMOKING Pathfinder smokes from a ceremonial pipe. A medicine man inhales some sort of smoke and blows it on Ghost who's injured. The medicine man then inhales some just for himself, saying something in the same manner a pot smoker might (with a catch in his voice, etc.). TENSE FAMILY SCENES Young Ghost has a nightmare where his father wants the boy to kill a mother and child, but when young Ghost won't, his father knocks him down and kills the two (we don't see the impact, but do see blood splatter onto the boy). He then repeatedly thrashes young Ghost in the shallow water in which he lies (we later see various whip marks on the boy's back). Ghost finds his adoptive Indian family dead from a Viking massacre at their village, and then sees the Vikings toy with his adoptive father before killing him as well. Starfire sees the Vikings kill her father. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Any sort of historical accuracy in the film. American Indians. Vikings. The comment that there are two worlds fighting in a man's heart, love and hate, and that the one that wins is the one you feed the most. VIOLENCE We see flash images of violence by Vikings against Indians, where the former hit the latter with various weapons, while we also see an arrow in one's head. A woman falls and lands in a stream, but is okay. Young Ghost has a nightmare where Vikings hit various chained and free Indians, including on the head. We see varying amounts of blood, as well as a severed head and a slit throat with bloody spraying out. His father wants the boy to kill a mother and child, but when young Ghost won't, his father knocks him down and kills the two (we don't see the impact, but do see blood splatter onto the boy). He then repeatedly thrashes young Ghost in the shallow water in which he lies (we later see various whip marks on the boy's back). A Viking suddenly grabs an Indian girl. Viking overrun Ghost's village, using many weapons to strike and kill the various Indians there, while also burning the village. We see all sorts of violence, including many stabbings, slicings, and a head coming off, fingers sliced off, an arrow going through a head, etc. all with bloody results. Afterwards, we see a massive pile of dead and bloody bodies, some that have been strung up as if crucified, a bloody head with a crow on it, and some dogs feeding on one body. Ghost sees his injured father surrounded by Vikings and battling one, who strikes him and then delivers a fatal sword impalement (all with bloody results). Ghost is then there, surrounded, and when some Vikings approach to kill him, he stabs and kills one, while slicing another across the face, leaving a deep gash and sending the man's eyeball to the ground. Ghost then runs and is chased, with arrows fired at him. Ghost pops up out of some water and kills one Viking, while throwing his shield that strikes a second man. He then rides a horse into another Viking rider, knocking him from his ride and then repeatedly stabbing him on the ground. While being chased, an arrow lands in Ghost's back, causing him to fall, land on his shield, and then slide down a snowy slope. Vikings pursue him in sledding type craft, during which he must avoid repeated blows aimed at him, and during which he suffers some pain from the arrow in his back. During this, he kicks several pursuers away, while a few run into trees. This ends when he sails off a cliff and falls a long distance into the cold water below. A Viking leader repeatedly bashes a subordinate with his shield. A large bear suddenly surprises the Indians inside a cave, swiping one back against a rock wall with its paw. Pathfinder then kneels down away from it after drawing its attention. The bear then charges, but he impales it with his spear (all of the way through, with bloody results). We see another flashback to bloody violence in Ghost's childhood. Ghost grabs a Viking, but that man backhands him. The two struggle, with Ghost then slicing that man's throat. Another Viking is impaled by wooden stakes set in a trap, while Ghost then stabs and kills another man (all with brief, bloody results). Ghost jumps onto a man on horseback, knocking him from his ride. He then slits that man's throat (with bloody results), while then slicing another man with two swords, and stabbing another (all with bloody results). Arrows are then fired at Ghost on horseback, but they miss both him and the horse. Starfire and another character open a trap that upends a horse, sending its rider falling to the ground. Ghost and Starfire use ropes to pull a Viking up and off his horse, presumably hanging him, while another Indian fires an arrow that goes through a Viking's hand (with bloody results). Various Indians accidentally fall into a trap Ghost had set for the Vikings, resulting in many of them being impaled by stakes inside it. The Vikings then approach and slaughter the trapped and wounded Indians (with bloody results). A Viking suddenly grabs Starfire. The two struggle until she uses a skull to bash the Viking in the clothed crotch. Another Viking suddenly grabs Starfire. Another Indian tries to come to her rescue, but his attempts at harming the Viking are blocked by the man's armor. That Viking then attacks the Indian. We don't see the violence, but do later see the Indian with very bloody hands from his unseen wounds (he then dies). A Viking suddenly attacks Ghost, with Ghost fighting him off and killing him. We see that the Vikings have one Indian strung up, feet-first, and are dipping his head into a fire. To put that man out of his misery, Pathfinder fires an arrow into his chest, killing him. Ghost, Pathfinder, and Starfire get into hand to hand and weapon combat with various Vikings, striking and wounding or killing many of them, all with bloody results (including what looks like an arm coming off, leaving a bloody stump). All three, however, are eventually captured. An Indian is lifted off the ground via ropes run over branches and attached to horses that are whipped to keep moving forward, thus stretching his body (his feet are tied to stakes in the ground). While we don't see the dismemberment and death, we do see the man's blood splatter onto Ghost. A Viking knocks Ghost down. Some Vikings lean Starfire face-first over a dead and bloody moose (presumably to rape her), but Ghost knocks those two men away. One Viking then knocks Ghost to the ground. Starfire purposefully falls to the ground to distract the Vikings from Ghost, but one Viking repeatedly kicks her while she's down. He or another then holds a knife to her throat. Ghost and the Vikings walk across a frozen lake when the ice starts to crack and then breaks apart, spilling them into the cold water. Ghost hits one while in the water, while one ends up nearly pulling Starfire in with him (they're tied together), with her kicking and hitting him (with Ghost doing the same underwater), eventually stabbing something into the top of his hand to make him let go. Ghost leads the Vikings along an icy and narrow trail along the side of a mountain, and Starfire nearly falls while tentatively walking along it. One Viking does fall off, but we don't see the impact. On his urging and to distract the Vikings, Starfire punches Ghost to the ground and then repeatedly kicks him. Ghost then gets up and seems prepared to hit her with a rock. Instead, however, he sends it flying into a Viking who falls off the mountain trail, dragging other Vikings along with him (as they're all tied together). One Viking then repeatedly tries to hit Ghost, with Starfire jumping on that Viking's back, followed by Ghost kicking that man, seemingly in the crotch. Ghost slices one Viking with a sword and cuts the rope of another, but the result of that is Ghost, Starfire, and those two Vikings dangling off the side of the mountain. One Viking then yanks the knife out of the other's mouth (with bloody results) and then cuts his rope, causing him to fall away (we don't see the impact). As Ghost dangles from his rope, that Viking then climbs up his and the two fight. The Viking then cuts part of Ghost's rope, causing him to slip down below him. The Viking then grabs Starfire's foot or leg, and she kicks and then hits him with a rock to escape. The Viking then throws various rocks at Ghost who's below him on a rope along the mountainside. Ghost then yells out, causing a partial avalanche of snow and rocks to crash by him and hit the Viking and some of his men who are down below them. The Viking is then suddenly there, and he and Ghost battle with swords until Ghost stabs the Viking. He then cuts his rope and the Viking falls a long way down the mountainside, bouncing once off the rocks. A massive avalanche then sweeps away the rest of the Vikings. Reviewed April 10, 2007 / Posted April 13, 2007

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