Not recommended under 15 (Themes; sex scenes and references)
This topic contains:
Children under 15 | Not recommended due to themes and sex scenes and references |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Much ado about nothing |
Classification: | M |
Consumer advice lines: | Sex scenes |
Length: | 108 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
Much ado about nothing is a romantic comedy, adapted by director and writer Joss Whedon from William Shakespeare’s famous play of the same name. Although it is set in a contemporary context, the language and plot remain largely unchanged from the original.
The film centres on the relationship between Benedick (Alexis Denisof) and Beatrice (Amy Acker), two fiesty and independent people who have vowed never to marry. After being deceived by their friends into thinking that the other is deeply in love with them, the two begin to warm to each other, and ultimately relinquish their pride in order to be together.
Against the backdrop of this central romance, the film depicts the villainous Don John (Sean Maher) in his quest to wreak havoc upon his brother’s family and friends. He attempts to prevent a happy marriage between the young lovers Claudio (Fran Kranz) and Hero (Jillian Morgese) by tricking Claudio into thinking that Hero is being unfaithful.
Don John’s deception is eventually discovered and events move towards a happy conclusion for more than one couple.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Deception; love and fidelity; gender and double standards; public shaming of women
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
Children in this age group are likely to be scared by the violent scenes described above
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
Children in this age group may also be scared by the violent scenes described above
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Younger children in this age group may also be disturbed by some of the violent scenes described above
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Children in this age group are unlikely to be disturbed by anything in this movie
None of concern
There were a few sexual references in this movie, including:
There is some sexual activity in this movie, including:
There was substantial use of substances in this movie, including:
There is some coarse language in this movie, including:
Much ado about nothing is the latest version of this story of love and romance. The film is most likely to appeal to adults and its themes and sex scenes and references make it more suited to children 15 and over.
It speaks about the desire of individuals to form connections, strong bonds, and lasting relationships. The fate of Don John, who gets captured and faces punishment for his deception, demonstrates the just nature of the world in which the characters reside. The film suggests that those who do wrong by others will suffer the consequences, while those who make mistakes but are well-intentioned will ultimately find happiness.
The movie also suggests that it is sometimes better to follow your heart than your head, and that you should not allow pride to rule your life. The importance of forgiveness, trust and honesty in a relationship is emphasised.
Parents may wish to discuss the double standards and issues of gender inequality illustrated by the film.
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
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