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"GREEN ZONE" (2010) (Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Heavy Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy Mild Extreme None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Minor Minor Minor Heavy Extreme QUICK TAKE: Drama/Action: Frustrated by repeatedly incorrect intel regarding his search for Weapons of Mass Destruction right after the American invasion of Iraq, a U.S. soldier starts looking for answers and uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy. PLOT: It's 2003 and a month after the U.S. military invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (MATT DAMON) is in charge of a team assigned to find the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) that reportedly necessitated the attack and current occupation. The only problem is that every site they're sent to turns up empty, and Miller wants to know why they're getting bad intel. Compounding the issue is that few of his superiors want to hear about any of that, especially Pentagon official Clark Poundstone (GREG KINNEAR) who's in country to coordinate bringing democracy to Iraq. But CIA agent Martin Brown (BRENDAN GLEESON), who disagrees with Clark's game plan and thus clashes with him about the right way to proceed, confirms Miller's suspicions that something isn't right. Things become more complicated when Miller and his team encounter "Freddy" (KHALID ABDALLA), a local Iraqi who claims he's seen the gathering of a clandestine meeting of Hussein's Baathist supporters, that turns out to include General Al Rawi (IGAL NAOR). Miller realizes if he can get his hands on the general, he can uncover the truth about the WMD program. Thus, with Freddy now in tow as his translator, Miller and his team raid the meeting. Al Rawi escapes, but Miller thinks he's found something in the form of a highly coveted book one of the meeting attendees possesses. Just then, however, Special Forces Lt. Col. Briggs (JASON ISAACS) -- who's working directly for Poundstone -- swoops in and takes that man, but doesn't get the book. As Miller digs deeper into that and eventually meets Wall Street Journal reporter Lawrie Dayne (AMY RYAN) -- who's been writing extensively about WMD -- he soon realizes he's stumbled upon a cover-up of epic proportions. Working under the guidance of Brown, Miller then races against time to find Al Rawi and discover what he knows, all as Poundstone sends Briggs to kill the General and his followers before any of their information can get out. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of Damon or anyone else in the cast, like lone hero action pics, or are interested in the subject matter, they might be drawn to it. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For violence and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: MATT DAMON plays an Army chief warrant officer assigned to find WMD in 2003 Iraq. Frustrated that their intel seems to be bad, he starts digging for answers and ends up discovering a cover-up of epic proportions, forcing him to align himself with Brown rather than Poundstone. Determined to find the truth, he must then race against the clock to find Al Rawi before Briggs. He uses strong profanity and kills various men. GREG KINNEAR plays a Pentagon official who clashes with Brown over the right way to proceed in post-invasion Iraq, is involved in the cover-up, and thus isn't happy with Miller snooping around for answers. BRENDAN GLEESON plays a veteran CIA agent who clashes with Poundstone over the pending course of action and thinks he's found a valuable resource in Miller. He uses some profanity. AMY RYAN plays a Wall Street Journal reporter who's been working on the WMD story for a while and would like whatever information Miller has uncovered. KHALID ABDALLA plays a local Iraqi man, an amputee who wants to help the Americans but only as a means to help stabilize and hopefully rebuild his country. He ends up killing a man. JASON ISAACS plays the swiftly-moving special forces lieutenant colonel who works for Poundstone, kills various people, and tortures a suspect. IGAL NAOR plays one of Saddam Hussein's generals who's in hiding after the U.S. military invasion but is plotting his next move, all while waiting to see how things play out. 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: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this dramatic action pic that's been rated R. Profanity consists of at least 40 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. There are brief views of women in bikini tops, but nothing explicit. Violence consists of war-related deaths (mostly by gunfire, but also some explosions and a chopper crash), while some fighting and striking of others also occurs. There are bloody results from that, and those scenes and moments of peril might be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers. Some of the action might be enticing for kids to try to imitate, while bad attitudes are present as is a little bit of beer. 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, there's some of that from press camera shots as well as later at night during a gun battle. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, camera movement (sometimes a little, usually a lot of bouncy footage) occurs throughout the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Miller and his team enter the swimming pool compound and there's talk of beer being present. One soldier asks if they can have some and is told no. Several people later have beer by a pool. BLOOD/GORE We briefly see a wounded and bloody person. A soldier comments on "pigeon sh*t" all over stuff where Miller and his team are searching, and we see such old and dried droppings. We see a pool of blood on the floor next to a dead man. Briggs punches Miller, followed by the two struggling, as the special forces op tries to find an important book on Miller (leaving him with a bloody nose and mouth). We see an Iraqi prisoner whose head is bloody. We briefly see pools of blood near some men who've been shot. We briefly see some blood when a person is hit by gunfire, while another wounded man is also bloody. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE We see locals looting. Those responsible for the cover-up and false reporting on WMD, as well as the killing of others to silence them about said matters, all have bad attitudes. Poundstone and Martin clash about the way to proceed in stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq. At various points in the film, the derogatory phrase "Hadji" is used about Iraqis. A suspect spits at Freddy for working with the soldiers. Briggs punches Miller, followed by the two struggling, as the special forces op tries to find an important book on Miller (leaving him with a bloody nose and mouth). We learn that Lawrie worked with the U.S. military in reporting false information about WMD in Iraq (or at least didn't check her sources for accuracy before running her stories). Briggs grabs a prisoner by the throat, hard, trying to get him to give up information. We see many hooded prisoners in Iraq and others appear to have been beaten. We learn that Poundstone is trying to prevent the truth about the WMD from getting out. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Miller and his team need to get to a reported WMD site, but hear that a sniper is along their route. Accordingly, they go into action, moving through the city and taking cover, etc. They then fire at the sniper up in a building, wait for him to move, and then blast the area with a tremendous amount of gunfire, reportedly killing the man (we see brief impact from a distance). Miller and his team don protective gear while going in to look for WMD, but they find nothing. Miller and his team find themselves stuck in a traffic jam and protest by locals about lack of water and such, putting the soldiers in potential peril. Miller and his team cut off and surround a car of suspects (guns pointed at them), and then do the same to the house from where they exited. With guns drawn, they quickly but carefully enter the place, and a man inside opens fire on them, resulting in a brief gun battle where the soldiers shoot him and another man dead. A blast suddenly hits a building (seen from the inside). Masked men then enter and shoot everyone inside, the last with a shot directly to the head (no blood). We see two assassins preparing another hit, and they do shoot one man with handguns and then chase another. One holds his gun to that second man's head, but is then shot by Miller or one of his team. As Miller heads off to meet Al Rawi, we see that Briggs and his team are tracking his moves and headed there to kill the general. Miller follows a man he doesn't know through otherwise deserted city streets and alleys (thinking he's being led to Al Rawi). This goes on for several minutes until men grab and put Miller into a car and then speed off. Miller is manhandled and a gun is held to his head while held prisoner. Al Rawi grabs Miller by the front of his shirt, just below his neck. One of the general's men then hits Miller on the head with the butt of his gun, followed by Al Rawi backhanding Miller. As it's reported American forces are approaching, the general leaves and orders his man to kill Miller. But the soldier charges the man and blasts him back against a wall. The two then struggle, including over a machine gun that wildly fires about the room. That finally ends with Miller grabbing the gun and shooting that man dead. Briggs' forces arrive at Al Rawi's hideout and shoot several men. Some of Al Rawi's men then drop grenades that blow up near the soldiers, followed by a gun battle where men on both sides are shot (and wounded or killed). One soldier is blown back by a rigged door that explodes when he opens it, while Miller chases after Al Rawi and another man through the alleys (where shots are then fired at Miller who must retreat and take cover). More people are shot during the gun battle, while a missile is fired at one of Briggs' choppers, hitting it. Damaged and on fire, it then spins out of control, crashes and explodes. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine guns/Missile/Grenades: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Throughout much of the film, soldiers and various Iraqis carry machine guns, while we also see large guns on transport vehicles as well as views of military choppers, armored vehicles and a few tanks. At various points in the film, we see bombed out buildings, bridges and a large transport plane from previous, unseen violence. We hear the sound of gunfire off in the distance. We see a large wall painting of Saddam Hussein holding a rifle or shotgun. We see large statues of crossed swords across a road. We see Freddy putting a handgun down the back waistband of his pants. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "What the f*ck /are all these looters doing here/is going on/did you do?" "F*cked" (nonsexual), "F*ck me" (nonsexual), "Don't you f*cking touch me," "Shut the f*ck up," "Put your f*cking game face on," "Get out of the f*cking car," "Don't f*ck around," "Get your f*cking hands off me, asshole," "Pigeon sh*t," "A huge sh*t-storm," "Bullsh*t," "Selling you a crock of sh*t," "I didn't find sh*t," "They haven't secured d*ck," "You red-headed d*ck," "Pissed off," "Hadji," "Hell yeah," "Shut up," "White bread," "Outstanding" and "A hell of a guy." Some of the action might be enticing for kids to imitate. We see locals looting. A suspect spits at Freddy for working with the soldiers. We see miscellaneous graffiti. JUMP SCENES A blast suddenly hits a building (seen from the inside). MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful, ominous and heavily dramatic music plays through much of the movie. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 40 "f" words, 14 "s" words, 2 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck"), 4 hells, 3 S.O.B.s, 1 ass (used with "hole"), 4 uses of "G-damn," 3 of "For Christ's sakes," 2 of "Jesus Christ" and 1 use of "Jesus." SEX/NUDITY Miller and his team enter the swimming pool compound and see some women in bikini tops as well as a few shirtless men. SMOKING At least two miscellaneous characters are seen smoking. TENSE FAMILY SCENES A suspect won't agree to cooperate with Miller until he's assured his family will be protected. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The U.S. military invasion and occupation of Iraq. The alleged weapons of mass destruction that were used as the reason for the invasion. The various ethnic groups in Iraq and the strife between them. Poundstone's comment that democracy (or at least the creation of it) is messy. We see that Freddy has a prosthetic leg and he says he lost the real one in the war with Iran. Martin tells Miller not to be naive after the soldier says he thought the various U.S. government agencies were on the same side. VIOLENCE We hear explosions from the beginning of the U.S. military invasion of Iraq, resulting in panic and people fleeing, while we hear and then see people firing machine guns into the air, followed by a view of a large explosion in Bagdad (from a distance). Miller and his team need to get to a reported WMD site, but hear that a sniper is along their route. Accordingly, they go into action, moving through the city and taking cover, etc. They then fire at the sniper up in a building, wait for him to move, and then blast the area with a tremendous amount of gunfire, reportedly killing the man (we see brief impact from a distance). At various points in the film, we see bombed out buildings, bridges and a large transport plane from previous, unseen violence. We see that some soldiers have Freddy pinned to the street. A soldier breaks a vehicle's window to enter and commandeer it. Miller and his team cut off and surround a car of suspects (guns pointed at them), and then do the same to the house from where they exited. With guns drawn, they quickly but carefully enter the place, and a man inside opens fire on them, resulting in a brief gun battle where the soldiers shoot him and another man dead. Briggs punches Miller, followed by the two struggling, as the special forces op tries to find an important book on Miller (leaving him with a bloody nose and mouth). Briggs grabs a prisoner by the throat, hard, trying to get him to give up information. We see an Iraqi prisoner whose head is bloody (from unseen violence). A blast suddenly hits a building (seen from the inside). Masked men then enter and shoot everyone inside, the last with a shot directly to the head (no blood). We see two assassins preparing another hit, and they do shoot one man with handguns and then chase another. One holds his gun to that second man's head, but is then shot by Miller or one of his team. Miller follows a man he doesn't know through otherwise deserted city streets and alleys (thinking he's being led to Al Rawi). This goes on for several minutes until men grab and put Miller into a car and then speed off. Miller is manhandled and a gun is held to his head while held prisoner. Al Rawi grabs Miller by the front of his shirt, just below his neck. One of the general's men then hits Miller on the head with the butt of his gun, followed by Al Rawi backhanding Miller. As it's reported American forces are approaching, the general leaves and orders his man to kill Miller. But the soldier charges the man and blasts him back against a wall. The two then struggle, including over a machine gun that wildly fires about the room. That finally ends with Miller grabbing the gun and shooting that man dead. Briggs' forces arrive at Al Rawi's hideout and shoot several men. Some of Al Rawi's men then drop grenades that blow up near the soldiers, followed by a gun battle where men on both sides are shot (and wounded or killed). One soldier is blown back by a rigged door that explodes when he opens it, while Miller chases after Al Rawi and another man through the alleys (where shots are then fired at Miller who must retreat and take cover). More people are shot during the gun battle, while a missile is fired at one of Briggs' choppers, hitting it. Damaged and on fire, it then spins out of control, crashes and explodes. Shots are fired at Miller as he drives off in a car, while other people are shot during the gun battle that continues. As a man prepares to shoot Al Rawi, Miller tackles him. Another man then shoots the first, followed by Miller shooting that shooter. Miller holds his gun on a man, but a third shoots the second many times, killing him. Miller grabs Poundstone but must then be pulled away from him. Reviewed March 9, 2010 / Posted March 12, 2010

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