Why is solomon kane rated r

Howard, who also created Conan the Barbarian. Solomon Kane is a wealthy heir to an estate in England. His father wants Solomon to become a Catholic priest, but Solomon rebels.

Solomon leaves the family estate. He finds his older brother hitting a woman. As he defends her honor, Solomon accidentally knocks his brother over a cliff and believes he died. Thus, Solomon became embittered and set off wandering the earth in sadness and desperation, feeling his soul is lost. This, in turn, causes him to become a brutal, evil warrior.

He hides out in a Christian monastery, having renounced violence in the belief that, while his soul may be a lost cause, becoming peaceful may prolong his earthly life. He believes that, if he lashes out in violence, he will immediately be sent to Hell. Despite this, the chief monk sends him away. Before long, demons and monsters attack again and kidnap the family's beautiful daughter Rachel Hurd-Wood.

Solomon vows to get her back but realizes that to do so, he must leave behind his life of peace and once again embrace violence. Little does he know that the fight will lead him back to his own family. Of the various movies based on the work of pulp writer Robert E. Howard, Solomon Kane is arguably the best and easily in league with 's Conan the Barbarian. Unlike many others, director M. Bassett seems to know how to correctly handle the material, giving it a lightness of touch but also enough bloody and shocking spectacle to stir up viewers.

Bassett may sometimes go a bit too far -- as in the relentless downpour and gray mud that drench the bulk of the film, or a scene in which Solomon is crucified -- but, on the other hand, no self-respecting pulp writer ever let their hero off too easily.

Scriptwise, the movie might also have done without all the backstories and flashbacks, but even with them, Solomon Kane still has a stripped-down feel and focuses entirely on its troubled hero, with little room for supporting characters. He's fascinating; it's easy to see why he was so popular a century ago and why he could still command a movie -- or a series of movies -- today.

Families can talk about Solomon Kane 's intense violence. Was violence this strong necessary to tell this kind of story? How does it compare to what you've seen in other fantasy movies, or horror movies? Solomon's journey requires him to choose violence after a life of peace and spirituality.

Why was this choice necessary? Was there any other possibility for him? Is Solomon a role model? By the end of the movie, is he someone you'd like to emulate or someone you feel sorry for? It seems that "evil" is everywhere in the world of this movie.

How does the world of the movie compare with our own? Is evil easy or difficult to define? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. See how we rate. Streaming options powered by JustWatch. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase.

Thank you for your support. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality.

Learn how we rate. Parents' Ultimate Guide to Support our work! Corona Column 3 Use these free activities to help kids explore our planet, learn about global challenges, think of solutions, and take action. Solomon Kane. Movie review by Jeffrey M. Anderson , Common Sense Media. Violent, muddy, but spirited movie from classic pulp tales. R minutes. Rate movie. Watch or buy. For a while it feels as if 'Solomon Kane' might actually be something special.

Anchored by James Purefoy channeling Hugh Jackman , and supported by strong performances from Rachel Hurd-Wood and the late Pete Postlethwaite, the first act firmly establishes a character and stakes that we care about.

But around the half way point it begins to run out of steam, settling for generic genre conventions executed with little of the flair and none of the human focus evidenced earlier in the film. That it ends up merely being a serviceable time-waster is ironically more frustrating than if it were simply a bad film. FAQ 1. There's a scene in the movie where we see some people burning corpses and there are two guys wearing black and beaky masks.

What are those? Details Edit. Release date August 24, United States. Czech Republic United Kingdom France. English Arabic. Prague, Czech Republic. Box office Edit. Technical specs Edit. Runtime 1 hour 44 minutes. DTS Dolby Digital. Related news. Jul 21 We Got This Covered. Contribute to this page Suggest an edit or add missing content. Top Gap. By what name was Solomon Kane officially released in India in English? See more gaps Learn more about contributing. Edit page.