Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this film is unsparing in the violence of the battlefield, with soldiers, civilians, mothers, and children dying in gunfire and RPG attacks. Several special-effects scenes actually go within a human body to demonstrate, classroom-lecture style, the damage that bullets do. There is also one rather gratuitous sex scene early on. The depiction of the coalition troops sent to liberate Kuwait is cynical, to put it lightly. Families who are strong Bush Jr./Sr. supporters will either yell at the screen, decide George Clooney isn't all that handsome anymore, or turn it off. Other families may cheer at the film's brazenness.

Sexual Content

A brief early scene of Archie having sex with a young news associate, she in a bra and panties, he almost fully clothed. Later talk about sex (mostly in the context of ascending the ranks in broadcast journalism).

Violence

Unsparing war violence and many deaths. Includes severe depiction (using a clinical X-ray view) of what happens when bullets tear through human tissues. People are shot through the head in the closeup, including a mother (whose child grieves by the body). A little boy sniper is blown up by a tank shell. Landmines explode further vehicles. A man in tortured with electric shocks. There's some closeup battlefield surgery.

Language

Pretty extreme, including subtitled f-words and s-words courtesy of the Iraqis.

Social Behavior

The American troops in general use racist language directed particularly at Arabs and behave like kill-crazy party monsters (at least with the announcement of the war's "ending"). The "heroes" are initially lawless rogues intent on robbery and making themselves rich, but they undergo a moral transformation and begin to appreciate that the Iraqi resistance (and even some of the bad guys) are real people involved in a serious moral struggle. Ultimately the main characters turn into saviors, but very flawed ones. The one female character of consequence is a pushy and vindictive news reporter, but she too shows some signs of lessons learned.

Consumerism

Fancy motorcars on display, with much talk of the Lexus Infinity. References to cultural media icons, including Bart Simpson and Michael Jackson, and popular music. Usually it's ironic commentary, not a sales pitch. Usually.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Social drinking and partying after the U.S. victory.