CRIMINAL | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"CRIMINAL"
(2016) (Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Action: A convicted murderer, who suffers from a brain disorder where he doesn't experience any emotions, must contend with having mission critical memories transferred into his head from a slain CIA agent who was trying to stop an anarchist from getting his hands on a hacker's control of all U.S military weapons.

PLOT:

Bill Pope (RYAN REYNOLDS) is a CIA agent who lives in London with his wife, Jill (GAL GADOT), and their young daughter, Emma (LARA DeCARO). He works for Quaker Wells (GARY OLDMAN) and has been trying to coordinate the extraction of a hacker, The Dutchman (MICHAEL PITT), who's been working for an anarchist, Heimdahl (JORDI MOLLA), to gain control of all U.S. military weapons. But he's had a change of heart, something that doesn't sit well with Heimdahl or his henchwoman, Elsa (ANTJE TRAUE).

In his attempts to get The Dutchman a duffel bag of money and a passport, Bill realizes he's in imminent danger and thus stashes the bag and tries to get away from Heimdahl's goons, but he fails and loses his life. Desperate for the info that was in his head, Quaker enlists the aid of Dr. Franks (TOMMY LEE JONES) who's been working on transferring the memories of animals to other animals. Despite being years away from doing the same with humans, Quaker presses Dr. Franks into service.

And thus Bill's memories are transferred into the head of convicted murderer Jericho Stewart (KEVIN COSTNER). He's been chosen due to a childhood brain injury that left him with an empty part of his brain -- that which controls emotions -- and thus the memory transfer will have a greater chance of taking in him than in others. When that doesn't seem to have worked, however, Quaker orders him disposed of, but the wily criminal manages to escape and goes on the run, all while having to cope with flashes of Bill's memories involving both his personal and professional lives. And as that occurs, Quaker and his team try to find Jericho as well as The Dutchman, all before Heimdahl gets his hands on control of U.S. weaponry and unleashes that on the world.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Older teens into hard-hitting action films might show some interest.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For strong violence and language throughout.

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