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"BULLETPROOF MONK"
(2003) (Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott) (PG-13)

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


QUICK TAKE:
Action/Adventure: An American pickpocket joins forces with a Tibetan monk to protect an ancient, but powerful scroll from falling into the hands of a Nazi who's been after it for the past sixty years.
PLOT:
For the past 60 years, an unnamed Tibetan Monk (CHOW YUN-FAT) has protected an ancient, but all-powerful scroll that could cause horrible chaos should it fall into the wrong hands, such as those of Struker (KAREL RODEN). He's a WWII era Nazi who's been after it as long as the Monk has been protecting it, and now his granddaughter, Nina (VICTORIA SMURFIT), and her team of thugs have joined in the search.

With his 60-year term up, the Monk is searching for his replacement, but can't believe that all signs are pointing to American pickpocket Kar (SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT). With the police chasing him and Nina's goons pursuing the Monk, the two end up as unlikely partners in protecting the scroll. With the aid of street girl Jade (JAIME KING), who's really a Russian mafia princess, they try to repel repeat attempts by Nina and thus Struker from obtaining and using it for their own nefarious agenda.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're into martial arts films or are fans of someone in the cast, they just might.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For violence, language and some sexual content.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • CHOW YUN-FAT plays a monk who's been sworn for the past 60 years to protect the ancient scroll from falling into the wrong hands and fights off the various people who attempt to take it from him. He briefly uses profanity in repeating one phrase that Kar says.
  • SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT plays a pickpocket who eventually helps the Monk fight off the various villains. He uses profanity.
  • JAIME KING plays the wealthy daughter of a Russian mobster who hangs with a rough, underground crowd but eventually helps Kar and the Monk. She uses profanity.
  • KAREL RODEN plays a Nazi who had various monks killed back in the 1940s while after the scroll, a quest he still pursues 60 years later as an old man.
  • VICTORIA SMURFIT plays his Aryan granddaughter who will stop at nothing to obtain the scroll for him.
  • 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:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action/adventure flick that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 10 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Some non-explicit, sexually related comments are made, while a female villain apparently looks at a hero's groin area while searching for nonsexual information.

    Violence consists of many deaths - most are non-graphic - by gunfire, falling, strangulation and being crushed by a statue, while other lethal attempts are made on people's lives and some people are tortured. A great deal of martial arts fighting (punching, kicking, etc.) is also present, with some of it being rather brutal. Some of that violence has mild to moderate bloody results.

    Some of that material and/or other scenes could be unsettling, tense or suspenseful to some viewers, but most is played in an action/adventure fashion rather than graphic realism. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including some Nazis who want to do some ethnic cleansing via a magical/mystical ancient scroll.

    Meanwhile, some kids may want to imitate all of the fighting, stunts and some other material that occurs in the film. 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, some of that briefly occurs near the end of the film during a battle scene.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Various people drink in an underground party.
  • Kar may have a beer in front of him.
  • People have champagne at a ceremony.
  • Some women may have beer in front of them.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Struker has a little bit of blood on his face.
  • The Monk gives Kar a salve to put on his hand to ease some pain, and then states that he made it from his own urine.
  • A man has a tiny bit of blood from his mouth.
  • The Monk has a bit of blood on his face and head in several scenes.
  • Nina has a bit of blood from her mouth during a fight.
  • Some people who've been tortured have some bloody marks on their heads from where devices were attached to them.
  • Kar has a little bit of blood on his head following a fight.
  • Struker has blood on his face and apparently from his eye.
  • Jade has some blood on her palm after apparently catching a bullet.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Kar is a pickpocket who routinely steals items from various people.
  • Struker is a Nazi who kills and tortures various people while trying to attain the scroll and wants to use its magic power to wipe out inferior races.
  • Nina is his granddaughter who will stop at nothing to get the scroll for him. She also fronts a human rights organization as a faux do-gooder.
  • Some local underground subway thugs have bad attitudes for threatening and attacking Kar.
  • A monk turns on his own people and sides with Nina and the Nazis.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be disturbing, tense or suspenseful to some viewers, but most are played in an action/adventure fashion rather than graphic realism.
  • The Monk and his master fight with poles and martial arts moves on a dilapidated, suspension bridge high above a ravine (but we then learn that it's just part of the Monk's training). Those afraid of heights (including a part where the master nearly falls from the bridge) might find it suspenseful.
  • The Monk and Kar race to free a young girl's leg from a subway track as a train rapidly approaches them.
  • Kar finds his leg caught in a cable that's being pulled over the side of a building and down toward the street many stories below. He survives that, but then finds himself barely hanging onto the ledge (the Monk saves him).
  • Kar and Jade try to get out of a small tunnel when a large amount of water comes rushing at them (she does, but he's washed away).
  • Struker and the Monk fight with long poles atop a building and then some sort of suspended platform where the cables become undone and it becomes unstable and begins to slant. During this, the Nazi bites the Monk on the leg and more such fighting follows, with the Monk dangling below the platform and Struker trying to hit his hands with his pole.
  • Struker holds Kar by the neck and dangles him many stories over a ledge, threatening to drop him.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns/Machine guns/Various explosives: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound, kill people or damage/destroy property. See "Violence" for details.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Piece of sh*t," "You can't lie for sh*t," "Oh, sh*t," What sounded like "D*ckweed," "Punk," "Who the hell are you?" "Get your punk ass over here," "You're so damn beautiful," "Piss off," "Smart ass," "What the hell /are you doing here/is that?" "Freaky ass," "Screw up," "Damn right," "You're a crazy bitch," "Jeez" and "That would really suck."
  • Kids may want to imitate all of the martial arts moves, stunts and fighting.
  • Kar is a pickpocket who routinely steals items from various people by bumping into them, etc.
  • Various characters have tattoos.
  • Kar and a young monk get into a handshake squeezing contest.
  • Jade wears a midriff-revealing top.
  • A dummy in a car gives "the finger" to some villains.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • A monkey suddenly jumps on a man's face.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A heavy amount of suspenseful as well as dramatic and action-oriented music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • Some songs had lyrics that we couldn't hear/understand, thus offering the possibility of potentially objectionable lyrics being in them.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 10 "s" words (1 in subtitles), 2 slang terms using male genitals ("pr*ck" and what sounded like "d*ckweed"), 9 hells, 5 asses (1 used with "hole"), 3 damns, 1 S.O.B., and 1 use each of "G-damn," "Jesus," "My God" and "Oh my God" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Jade diffuses a fight by telling one combatant that such fighting always "gets me hot." He then comments on her begging for some of "my fantastic love." Later, he comments on her always disappearing whenever he wants to "go down with" her. She then comes on to him, somewhat ties him up and makes out with him before leaving and stating that he's on her list, but not on the top.
  • Nina undoes the Monk's pants, wondering aloud how far some secret tattoos on his body go (we don't see anything and she says, "Not far").
  • Kar and Jade briefly make out.
  • SMOKING
  • Struker smokes once.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • None.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Monks.
  • Nazis and ethnic cleansing.
  • Martial arts fighting.
  • VIOLENCE
  • The Monk and his master fight with poles and martial arts moves on a dilapidated, suspension bridge high above a ravine (but we then learn that it's just part of the Monk's training).
  • The Monk's master is riddled with machine gun fire (no blood) as is their building and we see other monks falling to the ground after being shot. We then see Nazis holding machine guns on other monks and Struker then gives the order for them to be shot and killed (we don't see the impact). Two Nazis then shoot open a door, but are quickly thrown back out (by the Monk) along with their disassembled guns. A monkey lands on Struker's face and cuts or bites him. The Monk then throws a table that lands on other Nazis and then comes out and kicks and knocks other Nazis around. During this, one Nazi ends up accidentally shooting his fellow soldier, while more fighting and striking occurs. Struker then shoots and hits the Monk in the chest (no blood) as he stands on a ledge and the Monk then falls over the side (but we don't see any more of him).
  • After a cop grabs and cuffs Kar's wrist, Kar flips the cop over, unlocks the cuff, and then cuffs the cop to a railing before fleeing.
  • Various men in suits run into and over various bystanders as they chase the Monk. Various pursuers then run into each other.
  • A large guy punches Kar.
  • An underground subway leader punches Kar in the gut. He and his crew then threaten to cut off Kar's "balls" (testicles), and Jade then fights him. She kicks and elbows Kar and a big guy then throws him. More kicking follows and Kar and Jade struggle on the ground until the leader kicks him off her. The leader then comes at Kar with a large pole and he ducks the various strikes but is kicked to the ground. Kar then spars with him with his own pole and eventually repeatedly hits him with it until Jade steps in and diffuses the situation. One last guy throws something at Kar that impales the wall near him.
  • We briefly see some martial arts fighting in some old martial arts movies.
  • Kar briefly tries to strike the Monk to prove his physical prowess, but the Monk easily blocks or eludes the punches and kicks, and then kicks Kar down.
  • We see a still photo of a terrorist holding a gun on a kneeling woman.
  • Kar throws something that causes some pursuers to fall.
  • The Monk knocks guns from two men and then stands on the roof of a car, shooting guns from other pursuers' hands. He then kicks a clip from a gun that hits another man and knocks him down. One guy then fires a shot that the Monk watches go right past him.
  • The Monk and Kar briefly spar (punches and kicks) as the former tries to teach the latter a thing or two about martial arts.
  • A helicopter opens fire on the Monk and Kar in a warehouse and riddles the place with bullets, but they escape. Other then shoot handguns at them, but they kick down a door that knocks those shooters down some stairs. Kar then bashes a guy into a wall, punches him, and kicks him down some stairs. He then kicks another guy in the leg who was about to shoot the Monk. The two then struggle, including bending a hand backwards. That man then has Kar by the neck and lifts him up, but Kar kicks him in the crotch and face.
  • The Monk then boards that chopper in flight and fights with several people inside. One is thrown to his apparent death (he lands in some glass ceiling), another is shot and wounded (not by the Monk), and the chopper's machine gun fires at random and rips up a rooftop and causes other property damage.
  • Nina kills a man by strangling him with a telephone cord (not seen in its entirety, but we later see his dead body).
  • Some thugs backhand some monks, knock them backwards and throw them onto tables. One bad monk then hits another and the thugs hold guns on the monks.
  • We see that Struker's people have some monks strung up in some sort of torture devices with various attachments. They then do something that tortures and possibly kills him.
  • Some slapstick material has Kar trying to leap through the air like the Monk, but instead running face-first into a wall, and then falling from that wall once he gets up part of it.
  • Kar and Jade get into another sparring much (with struggling, rolling around, etc.), but this one's more flirtation then aggression.
  • An explosive is thrown into a room (partially damaging it) and the Monk is hit by a dart in the neck that renders him unconscious. Others hold guns on Kar and Jade after they blast through some windows.
  • Men riddle an armored SUV with machine gun fire, eventually leaving it with many holes. The truck is then detonated (with dynamite), however, sending the men flying backwards through the air (we don't know if they're just injured or killed).
  • Some thugs hold guns on Kar and Jade. He then knocks them down, punches, and kicks them, with Jade kicking one in the face.
  • Struker repeatedly punches the Monk, who's strung up, in the gut. He then throws the Monk many feet down to a hard floor. Later, he tortures the Monk.
  • Jade and Nina get into a martial arts battle with many punches and kicks.
  • Kar tries to fly down and attack Struker, but the Nazi throws him back through the air. He then throws the Monk back against a wall, hard enough to dislodge some bricks. He then tries to punch the Monk, but punches through a hard wall, and then kicks him. Kar then kicks him aside and punches him in the face, but Struker then uses Kar's own hand to punch Kar in the face. The Monk then saves Kar from being impaled on a sharp pipe when Struker throws him toward it.
  • Struker throws Kar across a room and more martial arts fighting (punching, kicking) ensues, with some of the blows being rather severe. A bunch of scaffolding and other materials then fall down onto Kar (but he's okay).
  • Struker and the Monk fight with long poles atop a building and then some sort of suspended platform where the cables become undone and it becomes unstable and begins to slant. During this, the Nazi bites the Monk on the leg and more such fighting follows, with the Monk dangling below the platform and Struker trying to hit his hands with his pole.
  • Struker holds Kar by the neck and dangles him many stories over a ledge, threatening to drop him.
  • Kar flips over and kicks a villain, who eventually falls and lands on some electrical cables, apparently electrocuting him (although he briefly comes back later).
  • Struker shoots a woman (but she turns out to be okay as we see she caught the bullet).
  • Kar kicks a bad guy back into a statue that then falls and lands on him (apparently killing him).



  • Reviewed April 14, 2003 / Posted April 16, 2003

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