"APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX"
(2001/1979) (Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Heavy	Extreme	Extreme	Heavy	Extreme
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	Minor	Heavy	*Heavy	Extreme
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Extreme	Extreme	Minor	Moderate	Extreme

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QUICK TAKE:

Drama: An army captain finds all sorts of madness as he travels up a Vietnamese river into Cambodia to assassinate a rogue colonel who's broken away from the military.

PLOT:

Captain Willard (MARTIN SHEEN) is U.S. Army intelligence officer who's been stuck in a Saigon motel during the Vietnam War, waiting for his next mission. He gets it when he's assigned to travel up the Mekong River into Cambodia and find Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (MARLON BRANDO), a once respected and highly decorated officer who's now gone out of control and apparently out of his mind in creating his own army that reveres him like a god.

Told to terminate Kurtz, Willard gets a ride on a small Navy patrol boat captained by Phillips, the Chief (ALBERT HALL) and crewed by Chef (FREDERIC FORREST), a cook from New Orleans, Clean (LAURENCE FISHBURNE), a 17-year-old from the Bronx, and Lance Johnson (SAM BOTTOMS), a famous surfer from Los Angeles.

As they make their way up the river, they encounter both peril and an odd assortment of characters and situations. That includes Colonel Kilgore (ROBERT DUVALL) and his air mobile fleet of helicopters that make an early morning attack on a Vietnamese coastal village so that some of his men can surf there, a U.S.O. type show featuring Playboy models, and eventually a photojournalist (DENNIS HOPPER) at Kurtz's compound who's completely under the Colonel's hypnotic spell.

With all of the madness they've seen culminating in Kurtz's village, Willard must then decide whether or not to carry out his orders and kill this enigmatic military renegade.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Those who are fans of anyone in the cast or are interested in seeing this classic film for the first time or in its new special edition may just want to.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For disturbing violent images, language, sexual content and some drug use.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

MARTIN SHEEN plays an Army captain who serves as an official military assassin and is sent to kill Col. Kurtz. He does kill several people in the film, smokes, drinks, and uses strong profanity all while witnessing the horrors of the war.

MARLON BRANDO plays the renegade colonel who's seemingly lost touch with reality by breaking free from the military and forming his own army who revere him as a god. He uses brief strong profanity, and is responsible for many deaths.

ALBERT HALL plays the chief of the Navy patrol boat that ferries Willard up river, and is suspicious and concerned about the mission.

FREDERIC FORREST plays a New Orleans cook who's wound too tight for Vietnam and cracks under the pressure of the place and situation. He also uses strong profanity and smokes a joint.

LAURENCE FISHBURNE plays a 17-year-old from the Bronx who also uses strong profanity and alternates between teenage and more manlike reactions to what they encounter.

SAM BOTTOMS plays a famous surfer who also cracks under the pressure of the situation. He also smokes a joint and drops some acid before going a bit crazy.

DENNIS HOPPER plays a photographer completely enamored with Kurtz and his beliefs and lifestyle. He smokes a few times.

ROBERT DUVALL plays a gung-ho and half-crazy colonel who loves the war and uses strong profanity.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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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).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a quick look at the content found in this R-rated, war drama. Profanity is listed as extreme due to the use of at least 86 "f" words, while other expletives and many colorful phrases are also used. Some sexually related dialogue is present, while we see two men with bare-breasted women in two separate locales (but we don't see any onscreen intercourse). Other nudity is present (bare breasts, men's bare butts) and various soldiers ogle some Playboy models during a U.S.O. type show.

Violence is listed as extreme due to war-related violence where many people are killed via gunfire, explosions (including napalm), impalement and military assassination. Such scenes and others may be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers, and an extreme amount of blood and gore is also present (many severed heads and dead bodies everywhere and a live cow being butchered in graphic fashion, etc.).

Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some smoke and drink, and some drug use is also present. Should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone in your home who may want to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific information about what's present in it.

For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, some of that occurs during a thunderstorm late in the film.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Willard drinks brandy and then seems drunk while stuck in a motel room.

We see a can of beer on a table while various men have lunch.

Lance has a can of beer near him.

Miscellaneous people drink, including Willard who has a beer.

After one of his men blows some enemy soldiers out of a gun station, Kilgore tells him he'll get him a case of beer for that.

Chef and Lance share a joint.

Willard pours liquor from one bottle to a smaller one and then drinks the leftover amount from the larger one.

Chef mentions that he thinks they can "score" at some outpost and he then asks a clerk for some "panama red." A man there then gives Willard a bottle of booze (we later see him drinking from the bottle that's wrapped in paper).

Willard drinks liquor from a bottle.

The Chief tells Chef to stop smoking the dope.

Lance mentions dropping some acid (taking it) and he acts somewhat high.

Various characters have wine with dinner, but not Willard who states he doesn't like wine, but does like cognac that a French woman offers him (although he initially declines it). We see her with some.

Willard and that woman take turns smoking from some long pipe that's presumably filled with some sort of drug (although she mentions something about morphine).

Lance smokes what's left of a joint or pretends to.

During a nighttime ceremony, some "villagers" smoke from long pipes that might contain drug materials.

BLOOD/GORE

Willard punches a large mirror in his hotel room, cutting his hand that's now bloody. He has some blood on his chest from that and then smears blood on his face.

We see a girl with blood on her from a battle.

We see various dead and bloody bodies on the ground (including that of children), as well as one man holding a tin over his belly to keep his intestines inside (he's very bloody).

We see a man's urine stream as he stands with his back to the camera and urinates outdoors at night.

We see a wounded man's mostly/completely severed leg that's extremely bloody (with the man screaming).

A woman runs up with her baby and one or both of them is/are bloody.

We see various black and white photos of dead people.

A crate falls and opens, revealing a dead body inside it.

We see bloody bullet holes erupting on clothing as people are shot, while another person is bloody.

A recently shot man's clothing is soaked with blood and another man has his blood on his hand.

We see the end of a spear sticking out of a man's chest with blood around the wound, on his shirt and a little from his mouth.

In many scenes set at Kurtz's encampment, we see many bodies (some of them bloody) hanging from trees, others lying splayed out on the ground or other objects, and many severed heads (and we hear the sounds of many flies on/around them).

Kurtz walks up and drops a severed and bloody head on Willard's lap.

During a nighttime ceremony of sorts, we see various people whack into a live and tied up cow/water buffalo with machetes, and we see the deep and bloody wounds in it (moments before that, Lance appeared to be smearing blood on it).

A man attacks another man, repeatedly striking him with a blade (seen in silhouette or very dark environs - thus eliminating the sight of the impact). We do see some related blood on the victim and assailant during and after the attack.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Willard's superiors order him to find and kill Kurtz.

Willard is a military assassin who's killed and continues to kill various people while carrying out his orders.

Kurtz has both for breaking free of the military without orders and taking on the role of a demigod and killing or being responsible for killing many people.

Though a common practice at the time, some viewers could take offense at various characters referring to the Vietnamese as "gooks," "dink" and "Charlie." Clean also does a stereotypical Asian accent while telling a story and mimicking someone's voice.

Once Kilgore hears that Lance is among them, he forgets a wounded local and goes to meet the surfer.

Some men from another American boat throw something flammable onto the top of Willard's boat, catching the top of it on fire.

While doing a routine stop of a local boat, Clean suddenly opens fire on it and its occupants with a machine gun when he thinks one is going for something bad. Lance then joins in on the firing, resulting in several people being killed. When the Chief orders that one injured woman be brought on board, Willard finds that unacceptable in relation to his mission and thus shoots her dead with his handgun.

Willard throws his classified papers into the river (littering).

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may also be disturbing or suspenseful to viewers.

Willard and Chef make their way through a jungle when they hear something and then slowly and quietly make their way toward the source of the noise. Suddenly, a tiger jumps out of the growth, and they fire their guns and then race back toward their boat.

The crewmembers hear screaming/moaning coming from the jungle through the fog.

All sorts of small arrows are fired upon the boat, and various crewmembers shoot at various people on the shoreline with their machine guns. Although someone states that the arrows are harmless, a large spear then hits one of the crewmembers in the back, with its blade coming out of his front. As he falls to the deck, he then grabs another man and tries to pull him down onto the blade, causing the other man to push his face away until he dies from the wound.

In many scenes set at Kurtz's encampment, we see many bodies (some of them bloody) hanging from trees, others lying splayed out on the ground or other objects, and many severed heads (and we hear the sounds of many flies on/around them).

Kurtz walks up and drops a severed and bloody head on Willard's lap.

Kurtz tells a story from years earlier where the military inoculated a bunch of kids, but others then came along and cut off all of those inoculated arms (not seen, but the story could be unsettling for some viewers).

During a nighttime ceremony of sorts, we see various people whack into a live and tied up cow/water buffalo with machetes, and we see the deep and bloody wounds in it.

A man grabs one man with a large knife/machete and pulls him away into the darkness (so we don't know if he killed him or not). He then attacks another man, repeatedly striking him with that blade (seen in silhouette or very dark environs - thus eliminating the sight of the impact). We do see some related blood on the victim and assailant during and after the attack.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Machine guns/Handguns/Napalm/Missiles/Other explosives/Grenade launcher/Spears: Used to threaten, wound or kill many people. See "Violence" for details.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Why the f*ck would he do that?" "I'll kick your f*cking ass," "I'm a goofy f*ck," "I'm a mean m*therf*cker," "That guy's too f*cking much," "Really un-f*cking believable," "You f*cking bitch," "F*ck you," "F*cker," "F*ck off," "F*ck me" (nonsexual), "That's just f*cking great," "F*cking-A," "Sh*thole," "Sure as sh*t," "Looking for the sh*t," "Sh*tty," "Ton of sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "Are you sh*tting me?" "Holy sh*t," "No sh*t," "Kick your ass," "What the hell else was I going to do?" "Tear assing," "(Busting my) Balls" (testicles), "Bitch," "Sucker," "Kiss my ass," "I'll be damned if I know," "Blown to hell" and "Bastards."

We see a man's bare butt as another American boat rides by Willard's and a man on it "moons" them.

Clean gives "the finger" to others.

Willard throws his classified papers into the river (littering).

JUMP SCENES

A tiger suddenly jumps out from some jungle growth.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A heavy amount of ominous/suspenseful music (albeit, not always of the traditional variety) plays during the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

In the song "The End" that plays during the opening credits, Jim Morrison sounds as if he's stating (or partially stating) the "f" word many times.

PROFANITY

At least 86 "f" words (8 used with "mother"), 36 "s" words, 3 slang terms using female genitals ("p*ssy" and "c*nt") and 3 using male genitals ("pr*ck" and "c*cks*cker"), 1 slang term for breasts ("jugs"), 20 asses (6 used with "hole"), 9 hells, 6 damns, 2 S.O.B.s, 1 crap, 15 uses of "G-damn," 4 of "Jesus" and 1 use each of "God," "Jesus Christ," "My God," "Oh my God" and "Holy Christ" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

We see Willard in his underwear in a nonsexual context and then later see the side of his bare butt (and a possible brief shot of his bare crotch), and then the full thing (his rear) as he later walks back towards bed after answering his motel door.

We hear one of the men on the boat mentioning something about someone not hurting for "p*ssy." We then hear Chef talking about being naked with Rachel Welch in the jungle.

We see some posters/magazine spreads of bare-breasted women.

We see some Playboy models emerge from a helicopter and do some suggestive dancing (shaking their clothed chests, doing some pelvic thrusting against a gun, etc.) on stage in their skimpy and tight outfits (that show cleavage and lots of skin) before many enlisted men in some sort of U.S.O. type show. This riles up the men, causing them to shout "Take if off!" etc.

Chef shows a centerfold picture that shows a bare-breasted woman and then says, "Look at those beautiful f*cking jugs!"

We see a man's bare butt as another American boat rides by Willard's and a man on it "moons" them.

We briefly see a photo of a bare-breasted woman.

We see a man's bare butt and what looked like a brief glimpse of his testicles as he and another (clothed) man race through some outpost.

Willard announces to the crew that he's traded some of their fuel for some private time for each of them with some Playboy models. The Chief asks if he's gotten some "mommas" for them, but then decides to stay on the boat. We then see Chef in a helicopter with Miss May (taking his pants off), while Lance is with another woman in some building (pulling her boots off). Lance then opens the woman's robe/top and we see her bare breasts. Meanwhile, Chef wants his woman to put on her black wig and pose as she did in the magazine (thus, he has her move into a particular pose during which we see her bare breasts). During all of this, Clean pesters both groups, wanting his turn with one of the women (and we see more views of their bare breasts). We then see Lance putting camouflage paint on his and the woman's faces, while Chef and his woman make out. Lance's woman talks about being forced to do things she didn't want to do (presumably with others) such as putting ribbons between her legs. The two of them then do some passionate kissing and he takes her top down, thus showing more views of her bare breasts. Chef's women then spots Clean and asks who he is. He replies that he's next (with her - but that never happens).

We see Willard and a French woman lying on a bed, smoking from some sort of long pipe. He's shirtless and she then gets up and takes off her top and we see many views of her bare breasts as she undoes some netting around the bed. He then caresses her face through the netting as she stands topless before him, but the scene ends there so we don't know if anything else happens.

We see the bare butt of a male body hanging from a tree.

It looks like we see part of a man's bare butt as he walks away from the camera in the background of a shot, while many "villagers" (as well as Lance) wear tribal type outfits/loincloths that cover their front and some of their rear, but show some of the latter (or the sides thereof).

SMOKING

Willard smokes more than 15 times, while the photojournalist (Dennis Hopper) smokes a few times, Kilgore, Clean and Chef smoke at least once as do various miscellaneous characters (including a young Harrison Ford) with cigarettes or cigars (the latter being smoked by a French woman).

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

Willard mentions in voice over narration that he barely spoke to his wife until he agreed to their divorce.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

The film's portrayal of the Vietnam War and the war itself.

Whether the military would send one of its own men to assassinate one of its own officers.

VIOLENCE

A great deal of napalm explodes in some jungle foliage.

Willard punches a large mirror in his hotel room, cutting his hand.

Willard and his crew come upon the end of a battle between Col. Kilgore and his men and the locals. During this, we see a hut explode and an amphibious vehicle then smash into and push it over. A tank fires napalm onto various structures and random people fire machine guns. A grenade or similar explosive blows up in a hole. Kilgore pushes a man backwards.

Kilgore's helicopter fleet attacks a coastal community with missiles and machine gun fire (with huts and buildings being blown up, people knocked into the air/to the ground, etc.). During this, locals/soldiers return fire at them with machine guns and anti-aircraft fire, hitting a few of the helicopters, while missiles hit a vehicle traveling across a bridge (destroying it and sending the passengers flying). A woman runs up and throws a bomb into a helicopter, resulting in a huge explosion and two men being engulfed in flames (and others wounded or killed). In response, a helicopter opens fire on her and a man, killing them. Explosives rip through a bridge.

Some of Kilgore's men surf while explosives go off in the water around them.

Jets drops a great deal of napalm on a forest line, sending it all up in flames and presumably killing enemy soldiers positioned along it.

Willard steals Kilgore's surfboard and then whacks one of his men with it as he escapes.

Willard and Chef make their way through a jungle when they hear something and then slowly and quietly make their way toward the source of the noise. Suddenly, a tiger jumps out of the growth, and they fire their guns and then race back toward their boat. Once back, others onboard the boat fire their machine guns, but don't know what they're firing at.

Willard grabs a clerk and yanks him over a table when the man doesn't accommodate them the way Willard wants.

Some men push and struggle with each other during a U.S.O. type show.

Some men from another American boat throw something flammable onto the top of Willard's boat, catching the top of it on fire.

We see a helicopter that's crashed in some trees and is burning.

Willard's crewmates get into a fight and we see the two pairs of them struggling with each other.

While doing a routine stop of a local boat, Chef shoves some people around and then Clean suddenly opens fire on it and its occupants with a machine gun when he thinks one is going for something bad. Lance then joins in on the firing, resulting in several people being killed. When the Chief orders that one injured woman be brought on board, Willard finds that unacceptable in relation to his mission and thus shoots her dead with his handgun.

Some sporadic violence takes place at a bridge under construction where soldiers shoot across it and some occasional explosions hit around the site. A man shoots a grenade across the river where it explodes, presumably killing others on the opposing side. A big explosion on the top of a bridge sends a person falling.

Unseen people open fire on the boat at it passes by, ridding it with bullets as some of the crewmembers return fire with machine guns. One of the crewmembers is shot and killed during this.

All sorts of small arrows are fired upon the boat, and various crewmembers shoot at various people on the shoreline with their machine guns. Although someone states that the arrows are harmless, a large spear then hits one of the crewmembers in the back, with its blade coming out of his front. As he falls to the deck, he then grabs another man and tries to pull him down onto the blade, causing the other man to push his face away until he dies from the wound.

In many scenes set at Kurtz's encampment, we see many bodies (some of them bloody) hanging from trees, others lying splayed out on the ground or other objects, and many severed heads (thus showing the aftermath of lethal violence).

Kurtz walks up and drops a severed and bloody head on Willard's lap.

During a nighttime ceremony of sorts, we see various people whack into a live and tied up cow/water buffalo with machetes, and we see the deep and bloody wounds in it.

A man grabs one man with a large knife/machete and pulls him away into the darkness (so we don't know if he killed him or not). He then attacks another man, repeatedly striking him with that blade (seen in silhouette or very dark environs - thus eliminating the sight of the impact). We do see some related blood on the victim and assailant during and after the attack.

Reviewed August 7, 2001 / Posted August 10, 2001

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