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"TEARS OF THE SUN"
(2003) (Bruce Willis, Monica Bellucci) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Minor Extreme Extreme Heavy Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild Minor Extreme None Extreme
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Moderate None Moderate Heavy Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Action: A Navy SEAL commander disobeys orders so that he and his team can save villagers and a foreign aid worker from the brutal and deadly onslaught of guerilla fighters.
PLOT:
Political upheaval has swept through Nigeria and ethnic cleansing has become rampant. Accordingly, Captain Bill Rhodes (TOM SKERRITT) of the air craft carrier Harry Truman has assigned Navy SEAL commander Lieutenant A.K. Waters (BRUCE WILLIS) and his crew to find and extract foreign aid worker Dr. Lena Kendricks (MONICA BELLUCCI) along with two nuns and a priest from a jungle-based mission.

After parachuting into the jungle, Waters and his crew -- Jason "Flea" Mabry (CHAD SMITH), Danny "Doc" Kelley (PAUL FRANCIS), Kelly Lake (JOHNNY MESSNER), Michael "Slo" Slowenski (NICK CHINLUND), James "Red" Atkins (COLE HAUSER), Demetrius "Silk" Owens (CHARLES INGRAM) and Ellis "Zee" Pettigrew (EAMONN WALKER) - find Kendricks and the others, but none of them wish to leave their patients.

Concerned about approaching guerilla militia, Waters makes the decision to inform Kendricks that they can take any ambulatory ones with them and thus head off through the jungle with the likes of Patience (AKOSUA BUSIA), Arthur Azuka (SAMMI ROTIBI) and Gideon (JIMMY JEAN-LOUIS). Yet, when they get to the pickup point many miles away, Waters informs Kendricks that they're only taking her, much to her protest.

Heading back to the carrier, however, and upon seeing a massacre at the mission, Waters has a change of heart and returns to the stranded villagers. Since the choppers can only take a small number of them to safety, Waters and his team must escort Kendricks and the remaining villagers to the border of Cameroon.

As they make their way through the jungle and witness firsthand the atrocities of the rampant and unchecked ethnic cleansing, Waters and his team disobey orders and engage the enemy. They also soon realize that a growing number of guerilla forces are rapidly closing in on them. From that point on, they try to get everyone to the border as quickly and safely as possible, all while repeatedly tangling with the local militia.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're fans of anyone in the cast or are into military-related action films, they just might.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong war violence, some brutality and language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • BRUCE WILLIS plays a Navy SEAL commander who disobeys orders so that he can save various villages from being killed. He uses strong profanity and kills various enemy soldiers.
  • MONICA BELLUCCI plays a foreign aid doctor who doesn't want to leave her patients and has a change of heart toward Waters once she sees that he isn't just a cold-hearted military man.
  • COLE HAUSER plays one of Water's team members who uses strong profanity and kills various enemy soldiers.
  • JOHNNY MESSNER plays another SEAL who uses strong profanity and kills enemy soldiers.
  • TOM SKERRITT plays Waters' Captain who isn't happy with him disobeying his orders and endangering their mission.
  • PAUL FRANCIS plays a SEAL and medic who tends to the wounded.
  • EAMONN WALKER, NICK CHINLUND, CHAD SMITH and CHARLES INGRAM play other Navy SEALS who find themselves in various precarious situations where they must battle and kill various enemy soldiers.
  • AKOSUA BUSIA plays a villager who's been at the mission since she was a child and finds herself in harm's way.
  • SAMMI ROTIBI plays one of the followers who turns out to be the only surviving member of the former ruling family.
  • JIMMY JEAN-LOUIS plays another villager who turns out to be a mole for the enemy (but was forced into that over familial concerns).
  • 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 quick look at the content found in this R-rated action-laced drama. Profanity consists of at least 26 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also used. Violence includes many instances of military related battles where many people are killed by gunfire, explosions, being stabbed or having their throats slit.

    Other violence includes guerillas shooting, killing, mutilating and raping villagers. All of those scenes have extremely bloody and/or gory results and all of that, as well as various scenes of ethnic cleansing and its aftermath might be tense, suspenseful and rather disturbing to many viewers. The same holds true for several rape scenes, and we briefly see a victim's bare breasts after the attack. Those involved in such actions obviously have extreme cases of bad attitudes, while others are also present. Some tense family moments also occur.

    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.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • A mortally wounded woman is given medical morphine.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • We briefly see the extremely burned remains of a person and a pile of dead bodies on the ground.
  • Waters has a small cut on his head.
  • We see various bloody patients and victims at the mission where Kendricks works (some with missing limbs and there is a lot of blood on them and soaked into their bandages). Kendricks and others have blood on their surgical aprons.
  • We see blood dripping down into a bowl that's full of bloody water. We see more bloody patients in the mission.
  • Waters wipes blood from his knife onto his clothes.
  • We see many dead bodies on the ground (from a distance).
  • We see a large pile of dead bodies (some of them are a bit bloody).
  • As Waters and his men enter a village and shoot and kill many guerillas, we see many people (guerillas and their victims) who are extremely bloody.
  • Waters has a great deal of blood running down his arm and hand after being cut (briefly seen).
  • A man who's been shot is very bloody.
  • We briefly see that one enemy soldier is missing a leg as he flies through the air following a grenade explosion.
  • More people are bloody following another attack.
  • Many people are bloody to varying degrees during another battle.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • The guerillas have extreme cases of both for killing in the name of ethnic cleansing as well as raping and mutilating women.
  • A SEAL refers to a woman as a "bitch."
  • Waters and his men prevent any of the locals from boarding their escape choppers (they only take Kendricks). Waters eventually has a change of heart, however, and returns to rescue the locals.
  • It turns out a guy traveling with the group was purposefully transmitting their position to the guerillas following them.
  • Although he does so to save the villagers, Waters disobeys his orders from his captain.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be tense, unsettling or suspenseful to viewers.
  • As the military led group takes a break in the jungle at night, one of the leads spots guerillas approaching and everyone scrambles to get off the path and hide. As the guerillas then pass by, Kendricks does what she can and must to keep an infant quiet so that the guerillas don't hear it and find them. One does briefly hear the baby and the guerillas fan out through the jungle as everyone continues to hide (a several minute sequence). One last guerilla comes through and spots Kendricks after the all clear has been given. Waters then slits that man's throat (not seen in full) to save her.
  • Guerillas enter the mission and act menacingly toward the priest and others. We then see one man raise a machete over the priest and begin to swing it (we don't see the impact, but he kills the man).
  • Waters and his team come across a bunch of guerilla soldiers doing more ethnic cleansing in a small town (some of the buildings are burning). They then decide to take action and slowly make their way toward the town where they proceed to take out the various bad men (some of whom are raping and/or mutilating women with bloody results and another who pours gasoline onto a man). This goes on for several minutes.
  • Needing to find out if they have any other moles in their nest, Waters announces that he's going to shoot a person dead if someone doesn't start talking. He then starts counting and aims his gun at a man's head, but another man intervenes and steps in the way (nothing bad happens).
  • Waters' team stops in the tall grass when they think they hear something. After a few tense moments, a pig passes by and then all hell breaks lose with gunfire and explosions erupting all around them.
  • A tremendous amount of guerillas advance toward Waters, his men and the villagers who attempt to retreat while firing back. During this, many people on both sides are shot and wounded or killed while various explosions go off and wound or kill many people. This goes on for several minutes and is then followed by more retreating as well as attempts to reach the border while being pursued and fired at by the guerillas.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns/Machine guns/Hand grenades/Explosives/Rockets/Missiles/Machete/Fighter jets: Used to threaten, wound or kill people. See "Violence" for details.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "What the f*ck /do you think he said/was that?" "How the f*ck are they tracking us?" "Don't f*ck with me," "Cowboy the f*ck up," "F*ck you," "Cut the sh*t," "We're about to walk into some serious sh*t," "Bitch," "Bastard," "What the hell /are you doing/is that?" and "You get your ass back here."
  • One of the team members has a Mohawk haircut.
  • Kendricks spits in Waters' face upon learning of his plan for her.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Two SEALs suddenly pop up out of a body of water and surprise a woman.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 26 "f" words, 3 "s" words, 1 slang term using female genitals ("p*ssy"), 2 hells, 1 ass, 1 S.O.B., 11 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use of "Oh God" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We briefly see a rape victim's bare breasts after the attack.
  • Kendricks shows some cleavage.
  • SMOKING
  • None.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We briefly hear that Kendricks' husband was killed by rebels.
  • Various families are separated and/or grieve over dead family members in several scenes.
  • We hear that Arthur's entire family was killed.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The historical context that serves as the backdrop of this fictitious story.
  • Ethnic cleansing.
  • Nigeria.
  • Sacrifice.
  • Taking action to stop inhuman treatment of others.
  • Rape - we briefly and partially see guerillas raping village women.
  • VIOLENCE
  • We see shots of turmoil in a Nigerian town with things burning and a person shooting another person with a machine gun. We also see the extremely burned remains of a person and a pile of dead bodies.
  • Waters slits a guerilla's throat to save Kendricks (not seen in full).
  • Guerillas enter the mission and act menacingly toward the priest and others. We then see one man raise a machete over the priest and begin to swing it (we don't see the impact, but he kills the man).
  • Kendricks slaps Waters.
  • We see an aerial view of the mission's buildings burning and many dead bodies on the ground.
  • Waters and his team come across a bunch of guerilla soldiers doing more ethnic cleansing in a small town (some of the buildings are burning). They see soldiers shoot various people with machine guns (from a distance). They then decide to take action and one of their snipers takes out two men who are about to set a villager on fire (after dousing him with gasoline). The sniper then proceeds to shoot more enemy soldiers dead. As they make their way into the village, Waters and others shoot many guerillas dead and/or stab or slit their throats (they and their victims are often extremely bloody). During all of this, we see partial views of guerillas raping women and see one such victim who's extremely bloody due to her breasts having been cut off (not graphically seen, but she's extremely bloody). One guerilla manages to slice Waters' arm before being shot by another man.
  • A SEAL shoots a fleeing man suspected of being a mole. Waters presses down on this man's chest to apply pain and make him talk.
  • Several explosions erupt near guerillas and send them flying through the air (presumably injuring or killing them).
  • A team member is shot and another member throws a grenade that explodes and presumably takes out the sniper. Gunfire and explosions then erupt all around the team and they advance, firing back (we don't see the enemy until they're blown through the air by grenade explosions). A rocket is fired back at the team and another team member is severely wounded and is bloody (while others appear to be dead).
  • A tremendous amount of guerillas advance toward Waters, his men and the villagers who attempt to retreat while firing back. During this, many people on both sides are shot and wounded or killed while various explosions go off and wound or kill many people.
  • During the continued retreat, more people are shot and wounded or killed as they try to make their way to safety.
  • Fighter jets bomb an area with a massive amount of explosives that kill many people.



  • Reviewed March 3, 2003 / Posted March 7, 2003

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