Is Bob Marley: One Love safe for kids? Is Bob Marley: One Love OK for kids? Read the Bob Marley: One Love Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parents guide and mom review of the all-new Paramount Pictures musical drama biopic film Bob Marley: One Love 2024, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, and James Norton. No spoilers! #BobMarleyMovie #OneLoveMovie May contain commissioned links.
Bob Marley: One Love Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide
We’re jamming? Or are we skipping?
The man, the music, and the legend. After the success of popular music biopic films such as Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Ray, Walk the Line, and more recently Elvis, are we done watching music biographies on the big screen? Or are we jamming up for more?
In this Bob Marley: One Love Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, I’m breaking down the visuals, the story, a full PG-13 age rating explanation for violence, adult themes and language, and what kids’ age recommendation is suggested to watch in this new 2024 Bob Marley: One Love parents guide to the new Paramount Pictures live action musical drama film. A no-spoiler parent review of Bob Marley: One Love 2024, does the audience really want to go jamming along with this musical legend?
The Visuals
Visually, Bob Marley: One Love didn’t get much love in the visuals department. Aside some beautiful views and landscapes of Jamaica – there wasn’t much creative liberties or inspiring scenes that really made Bob Marley’s biopic shine among the rest.
Photosensitivity Warning. For viewers prone to epilepsy and photosensitivity, the beginning scenes have bright flashing camera bulbs that may be triggering. There is also one scene with dizzying camera sweeps through the crowd that may be nausea inducing.
The Story
Inspired by one of the most iconic musical legends of our time, Bob Marley: One Love is a musical journey on the big screen. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (“King Richard“), this 2024 musical drama film stars Kingsley Ben-Adir (Amazon’s “One Night in Miami” and Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” mini series) as Bob Marley, Lashana Lynch (“The Woman King“) as his wife Rita, and James Norton (“Grantchester“) as Chris Blackwell.
Bob Marley: One Love takes us behind the man, the music, and the legend in a slow paced drama. I wish could say that the story was jamming. While the script starts out strong, interest quickly dissipates with the change in location.
Without building upon Marley’s character, his emotional journey, or even a behind-the-scenes imitate connection with the audience – the relatability to the humanity this man is lost in music translation. Strong Jamaican accents and a lack of humor does not help this film’s cause.
Bob Marley: One Love PG-13 Rating Explained
Is Bob Marley: One Love safe for kids? A music biopic film rated PG-13? Should parents be concerned? It’s no secret that I am highly skeptical of all MPAA ratings (um hello, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not disclosing any language??). And as we know, not all movie and TV age ratings are the same. As a parent, it’s been rather heartbreaking to witness how ratings have shifted over the years with a G-rating no longer an option to help guide parents.
PG ratings now oscillating between Turning Red intense to Christopher Robin calm, and even PG-13/TV-14 age ratings teetering on the edge of R or MA ratings (Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night, I see you!), there’s a wide range between the age of 0-14 years old for parents to consider. Having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or show is kid friendly – and safe for the whole family to watch together.
Why is Bob Marley: One Love rated PG-13? In this Bob Marley: One Love Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, this 2024 musical film from Paramount Pictures is rated PG-13 for “smoking throughout, marijuana use, brief strong language, and some violence.” With film and TV ratings also unpredictable these days, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or television show like Bob Marley: One Love is kid friendly. Is Bob Marley: One Love too scary for kids? Is Bob Marley: One Love not for kids? Let’s breakdown that PG-13 age rating in this Bob Marley: One Love parents guide.
Violence/Suspense. Moderate gun violence is depicted – including gun shots that result in open wounds and moderate amounts of blood shown. Scenes of civil war and societal unrest – men in uniform carrying guns, police tension, and presence of military vehicles.
One scene of a woman smacking a man in the face. One scene of men fist fighting.
Adult Themes. Bob Marley: One Love wasn’t kidding when it disclosed smoking throughout. Basically throughout the entire film there is a cloud of smoke from cigarette and marijuana. There are discussions of “weed” and visuals of smoking from rolled and bong devices. There is also multiple scenes of characters drinking alcohol including champagne and beer. A few scenes depict possible intoxicated stumbling when walking and dancing.
Sexual content includes one brief kiss in bed (clothes on), holding hands, and hugging. There is inference to characters “being with other people” and taking care of children who are not theirs. Discussion of racial slurs including being called “blackie” and “yellow boy.”
Language. Brief but strong. Bob Marley: One Love certainly leaves a memorable vision of vulgarity in it’s wake. Foul language phrases and swear words in Bob Marley: One Love include: 2 “f*ck,” 1 “d*mn,” 2 “H-E-double-hockey-sticks,” and 1 “bumbaclot” (which I learned is a Jamaican slang vulgar term).
Milder bad language phrases and insults in Bob Marley: One Love include some racial slurs like “blackie” and “yellow boy” along with “g-d,” “oh g-d,” “oh my g-d,” “oh L*rd,” and “Chr!st.”
Bob Marley: One Love Age Rating for Kids
With a runtime of 1 hour 47 minutes, this Bob Marley: One Love 2024 film is actually shorter than I had anticipated. However, this musical drama includes heavy dialogue in strong Jamaican accents that may be hard for kids to follow and understand. A slow paced story, random flashbacks, and confusing visual imagery may also contribute to making this Bob Marley biopic difficult for young kids to watch.
Along with heavy smoking (weed and cigarettes), mild language and scenes depicting gun violence, Bob Marley: One Love is not the most kid friendly musical biopic film that I’ve seen.
Bob Marley: One Love is most comparable to other drama based music biopic films such as Ray (2004) and Elvis (2022).
This 2024 musical biopic film from Paramount Pictures is rated PG-13 for “smoking throughout, marijuana use, brief strong language, and some violence” by the MPAA.
Yes, Bob Marley: One Love does have one mid credit scene of old footage that Bob Marley fans will appreciate. There are no other end credit scenes.
Based on my Bob Marley: One Love parents guide and mom review above, I would not recommend Bob Marley: One Love to kids younger than the age of 10-11 years old.
With heavy smoking (weed and cigarettes), gun violence, and mild language Bob Marley: One Love is a musical biopic drama film that is slow paced, hard to follow (especially with heavy Jamaican accents), and would mildly interest kids – and only if they’re big Bob Marley music fans. I advise parents to prescreen the film for smoking and violence.
Considering the full PG-13 age rating breakdown above, this parent movie reviewer would not recommend Bob Marley: One Love to kids younger than the age of 10-11 years old. This Bob Marley: One Love PG-13 rating is pretty spot on and comparable to other drama music biopic film ratings. 
The Overall
Sorry, Bob – but we fell flat.
No disrespect to his music or his legacy, but nothing was jamming together with this film. If we had gained some intimate knowledge, behind-the-scenes moments, or even felt like we were a part of his emotional journey – perhaps the audience would have left feeling like we were more deeply connected. Sadly this musical biopic felt like the pieces were there – but the passion was missing. Bob Marley: One Love goes through the motions of telling this musical icon’s story – but only scratches the record album surface of what could have been an emotional one love experience.
I’m not feeling the one love.
Follow Bob Marley: One Love on social media:
- Website: https://www.onelovemovie.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneLoveMovie/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paramountpics
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelovemovie/
- #BobMarleyMovie #OneLoveMovie
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Bob Marley: One Love, the all-new musical legend film from Paramount Pictures is jamming into theaters starting Wednesday February 14, 2024. Will your family be watching?
I was invited to screen Paramount Pictures’ new film Bob Marley: One Love 2024 in exchange for this Bob Marley: One Love Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide. All photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment and behind-the-scenes info!
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