Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that The Sorcerer and the White Snake is a 2011 Chinese film about an herbalist who falls in love with a woman whom he does not realize is actually a 1,000-year-old snake-demon and tries to save her as a master Buddhist monk tries to send her back to the demon world, thus righting the balance of the universe. There is frequent martial arts-style violence throughout the film -- characters do battle with swords and knives, and, in one instance, send thousands of bats at a character -- but what is most troubling for younger or more sensitive viewers is the nightmarish imagery throughout the film. Demon images -- bat-demons and snake-demons, for instance -- frequently appear, and in one scene the monk does battle in a hellish landscape of lakes of fire and spewing lava. Also, early in the film, two beautiful snake-women are shown very close to one another, holding one another in a provocative manner. This is an excellent film that is best for teens and older.
Sexual
Content
Early in the movie, two snake-women -- with human bodies above the waist and snake bodies below the waist -- are shown caressing each other and holding each other close. There also are kissing scenes between a man and a woman.
Violence
Frequent martial arts-style violence. Characters fight with swords and knives. Characters do battle with ferocious-looking demons, including a nightmarish bat-demon that sends thousands of bats to do battle with a man. A demon is shown being stabbed in the neck. A man who knows he's on the verge of turning into a demon is shown trying to hang himself with a rope.
Language
Not applicable
Social
Behavior
Although it's mostly too over-the-top as a martial arts fantasy to have much in the way of positive messages, the transformative powers of love are shown through discussion and action as the movie progresses.
Consumerism
Not applicable
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
Not applicable
