Common Sense Media Review
By Heather Boerner, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 16+
Clooney and Lopez sizzle in gun-happy heist flick.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this film adaptation of an Elmore Leonard book is racy and full of violence. Almost every character in the film pulls a gun or is shot at least once in the film. People steal cars, shoot people, do drugs, and even undermine criminal investigations. Add to that some really salty language and some sultry stripping (down to underwear) by Clooney and Lopez, and you have a fairly adult feature.
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Language
a lot
Lots of swearing, including "f--k," "ass," "s--t," "hell," "p--sy," "bitch," the "N" word, "goddamn," "assh--e," and "son of a bitch."
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
See Also'Out of Sight': A Thief, a Marshal, an ItemSteven Soderbergh’s ‘Out of Sight’: An Achronological Time-Out from Conventional Crime Narrative • Cinephilia & BeyondAltair – Constellations of WordsConsiderable violence and gunplay. At the end of the film, nearly all the characters die, either because someone else shoots them or because they shoot themselves. There's some blood and a dead man is seen bleeding from the head. Kenneth threatens to rape Karen and later attempts to rape another woman. Maurice stabs a man to death in prison. Karen hits Kenneth in the head and the stomach with a baton. Karen gets a bruise on her head from a car crash. Maurice punches Jack.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Adele smokes, Glenn talks about being high. Karen and Jack share a bourbon.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Karen fantasizes about making out with Jack in a bath tub. There's talk about making love. Jack and Karen strip off their clothes down to their underwear, but you don't see anything else, and it's implied that they had sex. Karen wears only a robe and the two are seen in bed together.
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Positive Messages
none
Karen dates a married man. Jack and all his friends are criminals; they steal, assault, and kill people. Karen assists Jack in escaping from prison.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Out of Sight
Parent and Kid Reviews
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- Parents say (1)
- Kids say (1)
age 12+
Based on 1 parent review
justletmelooksttheting Parent of 10-year-old
December 7, 2022
age 12+
See all 1 parent review
What's the Story?
Jack Foley (George Clooney), a bank robber with more than 100 heists to his name. In escaping from Glades prison in Florida, he literally runs into Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), a federal marshal with some great fashion sense and even more sex appeal. When the two get locked in a trunk together as Jack makes his escape, the rest of the plot seems inevitable: As Jack goes about evading the police and trying to make one final big score -- and Karen tries to deal with her married boyfriend and her job -- the two are drawn inexorably closer to each other. They're fated, Jack tells Karen.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):
Sure, it's pretty much the same old forbidden love story we've seen a million times, and the violence and plot almost seem secondary. But it doesn't matter, because OUT OF SIGHT is one of those great Hollywood films. Clooney's legendary charm and Lopez's unreal beauty -- along with their spot-on acting -- are irresistible to the viewers as much as to each other. The two are perfectly cast. Supporting characters are well played by fabulous actors like Don Cheadle, Isaiah Washington, Steve Zahn, and Ving Rhames.
With director Steven Soderbergh's snappy directing, great editing, and perfectly upbeat music, it's not surprising that this film was nominated for two Academy Awards. The only shame in the whole film is that such great actors as Cheadle and Washington are resigned to playing the cliché characters of street thugs. They deserved some meatier roles.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why films like this are such fun. Does the violence make it fun, or are there other parts that are appealing? If they took the violence out, would the film still work? What about the role of music and editing in this film -- how do you think this manipulates the tone? How does this movie compare to the Ocean's 11 series by the same director? Why is this movie better for older viewers than the Ocean's movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 18, 1998
- On DVD or streaming : April 18, 2006
- Cast : Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez
- Director : Steven Soderbergh
- Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors, Latino actors
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 123 minutes
- MPAA rating : R
- MPAA explanation : language and some strong violence
- Last updated : August 24, 2023
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