HACKSAW RIDGE | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"HACKSAW RIDGE"
(2016) (Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama/Action: A conscientious objector joins the American forces during WWII as a medic and must contend with others' views of him as well as serving in combat.

PLOT:

It's the 1940s and Desmond T. Doss (ANDREW GARFIELD) is a young Virginia man who's decided he can no longer sit by while others go off to war to fight the enemy. That decision doesn't sit well with his parents, Tom (HUGO WEAVING) and Bertha (RACHEL GRIFFITHS), especially due to their religious beliefs and having to deal with Tom's untreated PTSD following his service in WWI. It also confuses Desmond's nurse girlfriend, Dorothy Schutte (TERESA PALMER), who knows he's a pacifist due to his religious beliefs, but his plan is to become a combat medic to help others.

During basic training, Desmond's stance of being a conscientious objector -- and refusing to handle any weapons -- doesn't sit well with his drill instructor, Sergeant Howell (VINCE VAUGHN), or commanding officer, Captain Glover (SAM WORTHINGTON), a sentiment shared by other soldiers such as Smitty (LUKE BRACEY) who doesn't understand why Desmond joined the military if that's his stance. Despite that, physical abuse and even a court martial trial, Desmond perseveres, and through a stroke of luck and his father's intervention, the would-be medic is allowed to continue.

He ultimately ends up in Okinawa with Sgt. Howell and Capt. Glover and the rest of his platoon that includes, among others, Smitty, Andy 'Ghoul' Walker (GORAN D. KLEUT) and Milt 'Hollywood' Zane (LUKE PEGLER). Their objective is to ascend a sheer, several hundred foot tall cliff and take a piece of land that's become known as Hacksaw Ridge due to the carnage inflicted by the Japanese forces positioned there. Still refusing to handle a weapon, Desmond joins the others in combat and does what he can to save as many of his fellow G.I.s as he can.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Teens interested in the subject matter, real-life story or who might be fans of anyone in the cast could show some interest.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images.

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