Traitor parents guide

Traitor Parent Guide

Overall C-

Is Samir Horn (Don Cheadle), a former U.S. Special Operations officer, a traitor? That is what FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) needs to know. Taking command of a conspiracy investigation, Clayton begins tracking the number one suspect in the dangerous case: Horn.

Release date August 26, 2008

Violence D
Sexual Content A-
Profanity D+
Substance Use C+

Why is Traitor rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Traitor PG-13 for intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language.

Parent Movie Review

Today’s thrillers are a far cry from yesteryear when the good guys all wore white and the bad guys dressed in black. Terrorism has become filmmakers’ new source of fear mongering and in the global web of intrigue suddenly everyone is a suspect.

Like many in the business of war, Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is an opportunist, selling his detonators to the highest bidder regardless of which side they are on. When a botched job lands him in a Yemen prison on charges of terrorism, the Sudanese-born, former special operative with an American passport is given one chance at a “get-out-of-jail-free” card by a couple of U.S. F.B.I. agents unofficially operating in the Middle Eastern country.

Declining their offer, he decides to take his chances in the jail after one of them attempts to beat sensitive information out of him. His refusal to talk, however, doesn’t mean Agents Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) and Max Arthur (Neal McDonough) are ready to forget about the detainee. Back in their Washington D.C. office, Samir’s picture is placed front and center on their terrorist activity board after traces of his detonators are found at several bombing sites in Europe.

Despite the F.B.I.‘s claims of Samir’s terrorist links, his girlfriend, Chandra (Archie Panjabi) refuses to believe the devoted Muslim man would engage in bombings and intimidation even as the evidence compounds against him. But even her trust in Samir is shaken when a plot against innocent Americans is uncovered and the peaceable follower of Islam becomes the government’s number one suspect.

While the events of September 11 cast a pall over Muslims’ and their religious beliefs, this film attempts to distinguish the difference between the faithful and the fanatical. In spite of that, this group, for the most part, still comes across as enemies of the state, a dangerously generalized depiction. Worse yet, the film promotes a heightened sense of suspicion by implying that almost anyone could be a terrorist in hiding.

As terrorists and government agents exchange tit-for-tat in the escalating events, the body count grows as characters are shot, thrown in front of a speeding train and brutally beaten or tortured. Audience members will also be assaulted by a rash of expletives (including a strong sexual term), profanities and mild sexual innuendo.

Based on a story written by comedian Steve Martin, Traitor offers nearly two hours of on-the-edge-of-your-seat action. Nevertheless, the industry’s appetite for profiting from society’s fear of terrorism may leave many viewers feeling like they are the ones being betrayed at the box office.

Starring Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Jeff Daniels, Neal McDonough.. Theatrical release August 26, 2008. Updated

Traitor
Rating & Content Info

Why is Traitor rated PG-13? Traitor is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language.

The film’s opening scenes explode with a car bombing that kills a man in front of his child. It is followed by repeated scenes of gunfire exchange, beatings and attacks on a compound and prison. Bombs destroy buildings and vehicles. One man is shown burning in the aftermath. Others are tortured and bullied, often resulting in bloody injuries. A young adult male is thrown in front of a speeding train (impact not seen). Suicide bombers blow up a bus full of people. Smoking and alcohol use are depicted. A strong sexual expletive, profanities, and brief sexual references are used in the script.

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Traitor Parents' Guide

Do you agree that some people practice a “sliding scale” of religious observance? What might contribute to slacking on some regulations? Is it justifiable to break rules in order to fit in with the rest of society?

One of the plot organizers says that acts of terrorism are performed for an audience. How does news coverage aid terrorist in promoting their reign of fear? Is there another way to deal with these incidents?

A mother in the story believes that her son has seen enough death to value life. Do you agree with her assessment? Do you think that viewing frequent portrayals of death and murder in entertainment sources increases or decreases one’s appreciation for life?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Traitor movie is December 15, 2008. Here are some details…

Release Date: 16 December 2008

The suspense thriller Traitor releases to DVD and Blu-ray with the following extras: an audio commentary (by director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and actor Don Cheadle) and two featurettes (Action! The Stunts and Special Effects of Traitor and International Espionage: An In-Depth Look at Traitor’s Exotic Locations). Audio tracks are available in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround with Spanish subtitles.

Related home video titles:

The film version of Tom Clancy’s Sum of All Fears, depicts a young Jack Ryan following the trail of terrorists plotting to attack American soil. World Trade Center is the sobering story of two Port Authority Police officers pulled from the wreckage following the collapse of the office towers.