What we flagged
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Our take
Mission: Impossible III is a tense spy thriller with frequent gunfights and explosions. A hostage is threatened under a countdown, a captive is killed by a device in the skull, and Ethan's wife faces kidnapping and danger. Language is moderate, with social drinking in the background. The torture and sustained threat make this a fit for teens around 13 and up.
Uplifting themes
Loyalty and love drive Ethan, who risks everything to protect his wife and backs his team without hesitation. Sacrifice for the people you love is the throughline Ethan and his crew are brave and loyal, working as a tight team under pressure. They bend rules, but they look out for each other and for innocent lives
Story (may spoil tone)
Retired from active duty, and training recruits for the Impossible Mission Force, agent Ethan Hunt faces the toughest foe of his career: Owen Davian, an international broker of arms and information, who's as cunning as he is ruthless. Davian emerges to threaten Hunt and all that he holds dear – including the woman Hunt loves.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Gunfights, explosions, and fierce hand-to-hand fights run throughout. A…
Gunfights, explosions, and fierce hand-to-hand fights run throughout. A tense opening threatens a hostage at gunpoint, and a captive is killed by a device planted in her skull, though it is kept fairly bloodless
Language Moderate swearing appears across the action, mostly hell and damn with…
Moderate swearing appears across the action, mostly hell and damn with some use of the s-word and a few crude insults. It is noticeable but never a constant barrage
Sex / nudity Very little here, just a comic reference to someone turning up naked an…
Very little here, just a comic reference to someone turning up naked and a passing line about sleeping with a relative. Nothing is shown, and the jokes blink past
Drugs / alcohol Characters drink at social events, a vodka martini and red wine get men…
Characters drink at social events, a vodka martini and red wine get mentioned, and there is a brief nod to smoking. It stays in the background
Frightening A hostage is threatened under a countdown, Ethan's wife is kidnapped, a…
A hostage is threatened under a countdown, Ethan's wife is kidnapped, and a ticking clock keeps her life at risk. The suspense lasts through several intense scenes
Gore / death / weapons Guns are everywhere, people are shot and killed, and a corpse appears e…
Guns are everywhere, people are shot and killed, and a corpse appears early. Injuries are not lingered on and blood is limited, even when the body count rises
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- Ethan risks everything for the person he loves. Where is the line between loyalty and taking too big a risk?
- Spy films make danger look thrilling. How does your teen tell movie action from real-world consequences?
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Mission: Impossible III
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