Is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One suitable for a teenager?

It has taken a while to arrive, thanks in large part to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but this week finally sees the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One. As the title indicates, this film is the first chapter in a multi-part story, with the resolution (aka Part Two) arriving in 2024.

As well as setting up a big story, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One is also a highly anticipated movie, which many will be rushing out to see at the first opportunity. There has been a great deal of hype surrounding this Tom Cruise film, and having seen it myself, I can confirm it is a solid entry in the Mission: Impossible movie series.

But before you head out the door and rush off to the nearest cinema to watch the film, you need to know if the movie is suitable for all. With this film being released during the summer, many young audiences (in particular teenagers) may wish to view the movie, so the question is: Is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One suitable for a teenager?

If you live in the UK, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One has been classified as a ’12A’, which means the film is suitable for those aged 12 or over. A 12A also means anyone under the age of 12 can view the film, but they do need to be accompanied by an adult.

In terms of whether the film is suitable for a teenager, then yes, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) believe a teenager can view this film. The film’s themes and content should not be problematic for a teenage audience, and the level of violence, threat, or language is also not particularly high.

When it comes to ‘threat and horror’, the BBFC states: “A hero seems as if he means to stab a villain’s throat, but he masters his emotions. In a city at night, a woman is lured by a villain to her fate. There are tense sequences in which submariners prepare to meet their doom. A man attempts to defuse a bomb against the clock.”

With regard to the ‘injury detail’: “There is occasional bloody detail in the aftermath of violence. There is sight of uninjured and bloodless corpses.”

The above should help paint a fairly clear picture. While there is violence in the film, it is nothing specifically graphic.

For those who live in the US, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One has been rated ‘PG-13’, which is a similar rating to what we have in the UK. According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), when it comes to a PG-13 “some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.”

With this rating in the US, parents are urged to be cautious. However, once again, the film is not deemed unsuitable for a teenager.

As this is the seventh entry in the Mission: Impossible movie series, parents who are really unsure about this film are advised to check out some of the earlier entries in the series to understand what type of movies these are. All of the Mission: Impossible movies follow a similar tone, so if one is deemed appropriate then all should be viewed in the same manner.

But as with all films, the decision ultimately lies with the parent, because you know your child better than anyone else. However in the case of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One, there is nothing particularly alarming in the film, and both the UK and US censors believe the film is suitable for a teenager.

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Mission: Impossible movies. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.