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(About Our Ads) "THE HUNTING PARTY" (2007) (Richard Gere, Terrence Howard) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Extreme Extreme Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Mild Heavy Minor Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Mild Heavy Heavy Extreme QUICK TAKE: Dramedy: A TV reporter, his former cameraman, and an aspiring journalist must overcome various obstacles as they attempt to find a notorious, Bosnian war criminal. PLOT: TV reporter Simon Hunt (RICHARD GERE) and his cameraman Duck (TERRENCE HOWARD) have worked together in some of the worst places on Earth, covering some of the worst atrocities of their time. While in Bosnia covering the genocide there, Hunt has finally seen enough and snaps while doing a live report on network TV. Five years later, the war is over in Bosnia and Duck has landed a cushy job stateside as the cameraman for network anchor Franklin Harris (JAMES BROLIN), while Hunt is still in southeastern Europe doing minor TV reports for whoever might pick them up. The two end up reunited in Sarajevo when Duck travels there with Harris and aspiring journalist Benjamin Straus (JESSE EISENBERG), the son of a network executive. Hunt wants Duck to do some camerawork for a big news scoop he has, namely that he says he's found Radovan "The Fox" Karadzic (LJUBOMIR KEREKES), a war criminal responsible for the murder of countless Bosnian Muslims. Duck and Benjamin are skeptical, but Hunt convinces them to join him on his quest. It's only when they're in too deep to back out that he admits that the only shooting he wants to do with The Fox is the kind that will kill him, a point that likely won't sit well with Srdjan (GORAN KOSTIC), the criminal's ruthless bodyguard. Working their way from place to place and contact to contact, the unlikely trio must be quick of mind and feet as they deal with various locals, such as Boris (MARK IVANIR) and Mirjana (DIANE KRUGER), both of whom, like others, believe them to be undercover CIA agents. As they get closer to their target, the reporter, cameraman and young journalist try to remain out of danger and figure out what they'll do once they find the war criminal. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or are interested in the subject matter, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong language and some violent content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: RICHARD GERE plays a TV reporter who now does small news stories after an on-air breakdown ruined his once promising career. Wanting revenge on The Fox for personal reasons, he convinces Duck and Benjamin to join his quest. He uses strong profanity, drinks, and smokes pot. TERRENCE HOWARD plays his former cameraman who now has a cushy TV job stateside and is reluctant to team up again with him. Nevertheless, he does, and must then contend with the consequences of that choice, including his girlfriend back home seemingly slipping away from him. He drinks and uses strong profanity. JESSE EISENBERG plays a young journalist, the son of a network executive, who ends up being the unlikely third wheel to the veteran duo. He uses profanity, drinks, and must also deal with being in harm's way. LJUBOMIR KEREKES plays the notorious war criminal who's wanted for being responsible for the murder of countless Bosnian Muslims. He shows no remorse for his actions. MARK IVANIR plays a local officer who thinks the trio is undercover CIA agents, and drinks with them. DIANE KRUGER plays a local woman who wants The Fox dead, mainly due to her being gang-raped in the past. JAMES BROLIN plays the news anchor at the network where Duck works. GORAN KOSTIC plays The Fox's ruthless bodyguard. 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 dramedy. Profanity consists of at least 97 "f" words, while other expletives, colorful phrases, and sexually related dialogue are also uttered. Nonsexual nudity (bare breasts, butts) occurs in several scenes, and flashbacks show a couple doing some sensual touching of each other as well as the man on top of the woman (but nothing explicit). Violence includes various people being shot, attempts on others' lives, and non-lethal physical contact, while we also see the aftermath of genocide (dead and bloody bodies and body parts). Those scenes and moments of potential peril might be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers, and various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Some behavior may be enticing for some kids to imitate, characters drink and/or smoke, and one occasionally smokes pot (while wishing he had stronger drugs). Various thematic elements (including that of genocide and related atrocities) are also present, as is some tense family material. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's handheld camerawork throughout the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE In voice-over, Duck comments about having two Budweisers and a back-issue of Penthouse. Simon smokes a joint, but states he wishes he had Quaaludes. At an awards ceremony, miscellaneous people hold drinks. Simon comments on some people getting drinks. Simon drinks from a flask while live on TV. Simon drinks with others. Simon drinks from a flask in the jungle. Miscellaneous people drink. Duck, Benjamin, and others drink, with talk of powerful brandy that's the equivalent of the devil in the corner laughing. Later, Benjamin is drunk while walking back to his hotel room. Simon repeatedly drinks from a flask, mentioning it's vodka from Duck's mini-fridge. We see a flashback to Duck and Simon drinking with two women. Simon smokes a joint. Simon and Duck have beer. Wanting to go out, a U.N. official asks the three guys if they like beer. He says he does, and then says they should get some. We then see the four men with drinks in front of them, while miscellaneous people around them also drink. Simon announces that he's going back to his hotel room to take a shower, a "sh*t," and a Seconal. Arriving in a small village, Simon says he's going to do what any good journalist would do in the same situation: find the bar. We then see him buying brandy for the locals, while he, Duck and Benjamin have some, with Simon then having more. Duck's girlfriend and others have champagne on a yacht. Duck and Simon have beer. Some miscellaneous drinking is seen. BLOOD/GORE Simon and Duck come across a number of murder victims on the ground, and they're bloody to varying degrees. We see a severed and bloody leg on the ground in a war torn area. Benjamin appears ready to vomit after drinking too much, and rushes into his hotel room. Simon announces that he's going back to his hotel room to take a shower, a "sh*t," and a Seconal. We see the same flashback to bloody bodies on the ground as before. We then see a very pregnant woman who's been shot dead, reportedly hit 5 times in her pregnant belly. Her face and clothing are bloody. We see Benjamin zipping up while walking out of the woods (presumably from having just urinated). Some men who've been shot are bloody. We see Fox with an open, but bloodless wound on his head (from being head-butted there). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The Fox and those responsible for the genocide and other atrocities obviously have extreme cases of bad attitudes. Other criminals also have bad attitudes. Simon and Duck come across a number of murder victims on the ground, and they're bloody to varying degrees. Duck talks (via voice-over narration) of women being raped and children killed. Simon admits to borrowing and now using his neighbor's car without that person's permission. A waiter opens fire on the men's car as they drive off, hitting the side view mirror, with another shot missing. Simon then admits that he stiffed the waiter of his money (that Duck had left as their payment). We see the same flashback to bloody bodies on the ground as before. We then see a very pregnant woman who's been shot dead, reportedly hit 5 times in her pregnant belly. Her face and clothing are bloody, and it's implied she was raped as well, as a man covers her apparently exposed crotch with some material. When Simon finds that woman that way, some nearby soldiers laugh. Simon admits that he lied to Duck about having a source regarding Fox's location. To keep a lead engaged, Benjamin lies about himself, Simon and Duck being in the CIA. Listing one of her reasons for wanting Fox captured and/or dead, Mirjana mentions being gang raped for seven hours and that her father was murdered. A CIA agent repeatedly calls Simon "Mr. C*nt" rather than Mr. Hunt. A perturbed CIA agent (who's white) talks of sending someone to the "darkest of Africa" (some may see that as a racist comment). 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. We see Simon and Duck covering a gun battle in Somalia at a train station, with people being shot, and one is on fire. Gunfire and explosions nearly hit the two men who run through the scene. Simon and Duck come across a number of murder victims on the ground, and they're bloody to varying degrees. Duck talks (via voice-over narration) of women being raped and children killed. A local waiter warns the men about their quest involving Fox, saying that if they corner him, even God won't be able to help them. A waiter opens fire on the men's car as they drive off, hitting the side view mirror, with another shot missing. Simon then admits that he stiffed the waiter of his money (that Duck had left as their payment). We see the same flashback to bloody bodies on the ground as before. We then see a very pregnant woman who's been shot dead, reportedly hit 5 times in her pregnant belly. Her face and clothing are bloody, and it's implied she was raped as well, as a man covers her apparently exposed crotch with some material. Angry about the atrocities committed, Simon starts to approach Fox, and that man's armed goons aim their guns at Simon. Duck then intervenes, holding Simon back. Some village men aren't happy to have Simon and his cohorts in their bar, with one acting menacingly toward them, and others showing or readying their guns. Simon and the others then quickly leave and drive off, only to encounter cars blocking their road. A man then has all three get out at gunpoint and then onto the ground, and a gun is held to Simon's head until the one man recognizes Simon and the situation is resolved. However, the diminutive leader of the group grabs Simon hard by the clothed crotch, wondering where his money is. A truck chases after the men in their car through the woods at night. It repeatedly rams the back of their car and blares its horn, with Simon eventually driving off the road to hide (and the truck passes by). Guns are held on all three men who are blindfolded, gagged, and shoved along, with Benjamin falling to the ground. We then see them strung up by their hands, with Fox's main henchman holding an ax. At different points, he holds it to both Benjamin and Simon's necks, seemingly ready to chop them there, and he uses the handle to hit Simon on his back. Just then, CIA agents storm in and shoot that henchman and another man dead with automatic weapons. We see Fox out hunting, and while doing so, he ends up pointing the rifle directly at the camera. He then hears a sound and flees with his hunting partner, as gunfire lands all around him. With the partner gone, Duck, Simon and Benjamin corner Fox along a river, with Simon then head-butting Fox to the ground. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Automatic Weapons/Ax: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound, or kill others. See "Violence" for details. There's talk of Duck having been shot four times in the past covering stories, while Simon didn't even get a scratch. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You f*cking film it," "From here to f*cking eternity," "F*ck off" (said and written), "What the f*ck /are you doing/was that about?" "F*cked up," "You can f*ck off," "M*therf*cker," "You're out of your f*cking mind," "That's just f*cking great," "F*cking idiot," "Little Mike f*cking Wallace," "Sister-f*cker," "Then what the f*ck are you complaining about?" "F*ck him," "Jesus f*cking Christ," "I can't f*cking believe this," "Who the f*ck are you guys?" "Psychopathic f*ck," "Oh f*ck," "For f*ck's sake," "A brave m*therf*cker," "Shut the f*ck up," "(You are) Un-f*cking believable," "F*cking greedy midget," "So f*cking brilliant," "You're far f*cking from it," "I f*cking love it," "F*cking ridiculous," "You got to be f*cking kidding me," "He was right f*cking there," "So f*cking what?" "It's a sh*tty life," "You look like sh*t," "Little sh*t," "What is up with this Harvard sh*t?" "Holy sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "No sh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Then it all went to sh*t," "Full of sh*t," "Sh*t-storm," "He's got a point" (followed by "So does my d*ck"), "Mr. C*nt" (rather than "Mr. Hunt"), "What the hell are you doing here?" "Balls" (testicles), "Pretty damn funny," "Complicated as all hell," "How the hell are you?" "Crappy," "Bastards," "Pompous bastard," "She's hotter than hot," "I was dead the day I was born," "Scumbag," "Who the hell knows?" "This is nuts," "Turd," "Pissing himself," "Keep your panties dry," "The usual U.N. jerk off," "A G*ddamn nut job," "Shut up," "You're out of your mind" and "Sorry ass." At an awards ceremony, we see cleavage, and one woman unexpectedly and briefly flashes her bare breasts. Simon playfully moons Duck while leaving, with the words "F*ck off" written on his bare butt cheeks. We see a flashback to Duck with a tattoo on his arm. Simon gives "the finger" to Harris. We see miscellaneous graffiti. Srdjan has a tattoo on his forehead that we're told means "I was dead the day I was born." A CIA agent repeatedly calls Simon "Mr. C*nt" rather than Mr. Hunt. JUMP SCENES The sudden sound of a gunshot might startle some viewers. A large truck suddenly rams the back of Simon's car. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Duck plays part of the song (with the same lyric) "I Want to be Sedated" on the guitar, while the song, "I Fought the Law (and the Law Won)" plays on the soundtrack. PROFANITY At least 97 "f" words (4 used with "mother"), 25 "s" words, 5 slang terms using male genitals ("c*ck," "c*cks*cker" and "d*ck"), 3 using female ones ("c*nt" and "p*ssy"), 14 hells, 7 asses (3 used with "hole"), 3 damns, 2 S.O.B.s, 1 crap (used as "crappy"), 5 uses each of "G-damn" and "Jesus," 4 of "Oh my God," 2 of "Jesus Christ" and "Oh God" and 1 use each of "My God" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY In voice-over, Duck comments about having two Budweisers and a back-issue of Penthouse. At an awards ceremony, we see cleavage, and one woman unexpectedly and briefly flashes her bare breasts. Simon playfully moons Duck while leaving, with the words "F*ck off" written on his bare butt cheeks. There's voice-over narration from Duck about the "non-stop erection" from fear, death, and war. An associate playfully comments that all the "money and p*ssy" have destroyed Duck. There's joking talk that Duck got his nickname from sodomizing a mallard. We see Duck's girlfriend in a small bikini and she says (on the phone) that he'd reconsider not immediately coming back to her if he could see her in that bikini. We then see her walk off toward the water, removing her top (we only see her bare back). Despite never having seen her, Benjamin refers to that girlfriend as "hotter than hot." Duck mentions Simon in the past getting a massage from a hooker. We see a flashback to Simon and his girlfriend doing some sensual touching of each other's mouths, faces, etc. (nothing explicit). When a person says, "He's got a point," Simon sarcastically replies, "So does my d*ck." We see Duck's girlfriend on a yacht in a small bikini. Another woman is only wearing her bikini bottom (we see bare breasts) and a bare-chested man there then playfully smacks the girlfriend's mostly bare butt cheek in her thong bottom. We see Simon in a bathtub, but nothing explicit is seen. When Duck realizes Simon lied to him to get him to come along, Duck angrily tells him to "dry your d*ck off" and leave. We later see Simon in just a towel. Fox's main henchman is shirtless. A perturbed CIA agent tells Simon that if the latter comes back, the former will put him in jail where a big Serbian "c*ck" will sodomize him. Duck says that the only thing he dreamed of when younger was getting to second base with his friend's sister. We see a flashback to Simon on top of his girlfriend in a head and shoulders shot that doesn't show any details. SMOKING Simon smokes a cigar once, Mirjana smokes once, and a number of minor and miscellaneous characters smoke in various scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Benjamin mentions his father being a cold and mean "son of a bitch." While not married or engaged, a man finds that his pregnant girlfriend (carrying his child) has been murdered and possibly raped. Listing one of her reasons for wanting Fox captured and/or dead, Mirjana mentions being gang raped for seven hours and that her father was murdered. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Journalists who do their work in war torn areas around the world in the name of getting the story. How reporters and others cope with seeing horrible atrocities. Genocide and what occurred in Bosnia (there's talk of ethnic cleansing). We see Sarajevo still ravaged from war five years later, with buildings riddled with gunfire pockmarks. There's talk of the 1984 Olympics that took place in Sarajevo. The comment that in dirty times, dirty deeds need to be done. The comment that you don't always see the full story on the news. Listing one of her reasons for wanting Fox captured and/or dead, Mirjana mentions being gang raped for seven hours and that her father was murdered. The comment that putting one's life in danger is really living, and that the rest is just television. VIOLENCE We see Simon and Duck covering a gun battle in Somalia at a train station, with people being shot, and one is on fire. Gunfire and explosions nearly hit the two men who run through the scene. Simon and Duck come across a number of murder victims on the ground, and they're bloody to varying degrees. Duck talks (via voice-over narration) of women being raped and children killed. We see a severed and bloody leg on the ground in a war torn area. We see Fox and another man out hunting a fox. We hear several gunshots, see the fox running, and then see it dead (with the other man picking it up). A waiter opens fire on the men's car as they drive off, hitting the side view mirror, with another shot missing. Simon then admits that he stiffed the waiter of his money (that Duck had left as their payment). We see the same flashback to bloody bodies on the ground as before. We then see a very pregnant woman who's been shot dead, reportedly hit 5 times in her pregnant belly. Her face and clothing are bloody, and it's implied she was raped as well, as a man covers her apparently exposed crotch with some material. Some village men aren't happy to have Simon and his cohorts in their bar, with one acting menacingly toward them, and others showing or readying their guns. Simon and the others then quickly leave and drive off, only to encounter cars blocking their road. A man then has all three get out at gunpoint and then onto the ground, and a gun is held to Simon's head until the one man recognizes Simon and the situation is resolved. However, the diminutive leader of the group grabs Simon hard by the clothed crotch, wondering where his money is. We see footage from a Chuck Norris movie where his character rises out of some water, fires a machine gun, and a nearby structure explodes (this is seen again later in the film). Listing one of her reasons for wanting Fox captured and/or dead, Mirjana mentions being gang raped for seven hours and that her father was murdered. A truck chases after the men in their car through the woods at night. It repeatedly rams the back of their car and blares its horn, with Simon eventually driving off the road to hide (and the truck passes by). Guns are held on all three men who are blindfolded, gagged, and shoved along, with Benjamin falling to the ground. We then see them strung up by their hands, with Fox's main henchman holding an ax. At different points, he holds it to both Benjamin and Simon's necks, seemingly ready to chop them there, and he uses the handle to hit Simon on his back. Just then, CIA agents storm in and shoot that henchman and another man dead with automatic weapons. We see Fox out hunting, and while doing so, he ends up pointing the rifle directly at the camera. He then hears a sound and flees with his hunting partner, as gunfire lands all around him. With the partner gone, Duck, Simon and Benjamin corner Fox along a river, with Simon then head-butting Fox to the ground. Reviewed August 20, 2007 / Posted September 14, 2007