Jiu Jitsu – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Jiu Jitsu

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2020Action, Science Fiction

18%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Nicolas Cage fights aliens with jiu-jitsu in what might be one of 2020's most bewildering direct-to-streaming casualties.

2.9/10

27%

64%

4.8

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Jiu Jitsu

movie

2020, Action, Science Fiction

18%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Nicolas Cage fights aliens with jiu-jitsu in what might be one of 2020's most bewildering direct-to-streaming casualties.

2.9

27%

4.8

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2.9/10

27%

4.8

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, I'm going to level with you: this movie is basically unwatchable unless you're hosting a bad movie night or you've made a personal commitment to watch every Nicolas Cage film ever made (godspeed).

The 4.8/10 rating on TMDB is devastating - that's 'avoid at all costs' territory. The premise of ancient jiu-jitsu warriors fighting aliens every six years sounds like it could be campy fun, but execution matters, and this clearly missed the mark by a mile.

Beyond being a bad movie, it's also got intense violence, alien combat, and all the trappings of a dark sci-fi action film that makes it inappropriate for anyone under 17. So you're looking at a movie that's both too violent for kids AND too poorly made for most adults to enjoy.

If your teen is begging to watch this because they saw a meme about it, sure, it won't permanently damage them. But there are literally thousands of better ways to spend 102 minutes. This is a hard pass for any WISE recommendation.

Age Fit

This is strictly 17+ territory due to violence, but honestly? Even older teens and adults will struggle to sit through this one. The 4.8 rating tells you everything - this is bad-movie-night material at best, not a serious recommendation for anyone.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

A sci-fi action film built around alien combat and martial arts violence. While it features teamwork themes, the tone is dark and heavy on combat sequences. The pacing is chaotic with relentless fight scenes. No meaningful emotional development or modeling of positive behaviors beyond 'fight to survive.' The 4.8/10 TMDB rating suggests execution issues that likely include tonal problems.

Imaginative

The premise of ancient jiu-jitsu warriors battling aliens every six years has some creative potential, blending martial arts with sci-fi. However, this appears to be a derivative concept that doesn't push boundaries or invite deeper creative thinking. The low audience rating suggests poor execution of whatever imaginative elements exist. No evidence of world-building or concepts that would spark curiosity beyond surface-level action.

Safe

Action/sci-fi film with 'vicious alien invaders' and combat-focused plot clearly contains significant violence. Without an MPAA rating available but given the premise and genre conventions, expect intense fight sequences, weapons, potential gore, and scary alien creatures. The 'war hero goes down in defeat' suggests character death. For a movie context, this has predictable action-movie violence, but it's still substantial and likely intense enough to be inappropriate for younger viewers.

Enriching

A 4.8/10 rating on TMDB is brutal and suggests this film fails to deliver even basic entertainment value, let alone enrichment. The premise offers no apparent educational content, ethical complexity, or meaningful character development. It's a low-budget action film that likely prioritizes spectacle over substance. No evidence of skill-building beyond perhaps sparking interest in martial arts, but poor execution undermines even that. This is disposable entertainment at best.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If you're a die-hard Nicolas Cage completist who needs to see every film in his... eclectic catalog
The premise of martial arts vs. aliens has novelty factor for viewers who enjoy so-bad-it's-good B-movies
Could spark interest in actual jiu-jitsu for teens who can look past the film's many flaws

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What to Watch For

Significant action violence, alien combat, likely gore and intense fight sequences throughout
Character deaths and dark tone - this is war against 'vicious' alien invaders
That 4.8/10 rating isn't a typo - this is genuinely hard to watch for quality reasons, not just content
Nicolas Cage in peak 'I need to pay off a castle' mode

Conversation Starters

"What makes a movie so bad it becomes entertaining versus just... bad?"
"If aliens really invaded, do you think martial arts would actually help or is that ridiculous?"
"Have you heard of jiu-jitsu? Want to look up what it actually involves versus what's in this movie?"

Stills

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