Swing Kids poster & wallpaper

Barbara Hershey, Christian Bale, David Robb

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81% liked it

24,221 ratings

PG-13, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Thomas Carter

Release Date: March 5, 1993

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DVD Release Date: September 3, 2002

Stats: 1,196 reviews

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Swing Kids - Thomas Swing Heil Swing Kids Swing Kids Swing Kids Swing Kids "It don't mean a thing..." Swing Kids Snip Snip Swing Kids Swing Kids
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Flixster Reviews (1,196)

  • ebs90
    June 7, 2009
    ebs90
    Typical film you catch on a Thursday morning on Hallmark or something. Troublemaking kids love jazz and swing in Nazi Germany... then they're forced to become Nazi Youth Militants or something and tragedy ensues. Christian Bale is definitely a promising actor here -OK I am biased...( read more) since he's one of my favorite actors, but his performance is one of the truly entertaining things about the film. Robert Sean Leonard does a decent job, if only it did not resemble his character in Dead Poet's Society. A different, less typecast of a lead would've done the film some good.

    Amusing, good music and choreography, that's all!
  • Darksome
    May 23, 2009
    Darksome
    Watched this movie in History class and I adored it!
  • hypathio7
    September 30, 2008
    hypathio7
    A great movie! Excellent performances. Explores the question, Why do people become so filled with hate. A man like Hitler capitalized on the German people's need to feel superior, but he was supported and financed by the upper class who had reached such an excessive level of e...( read more)xtravagance. Many people wanted to eliminate outside influence because they thought purely German culture was the only culture worth furthering. There was a dangerous nationalism that said everything had to be for the 'fatherland'. And this movement gained muscle from the youth. Young men who felt inadequate, who felt they were never good enough to earn the love of their fathers started finding purpose in the Nazi propaganda. Young men whose fathers had been snatched away for questionable ideas and acquaintances, who questioned if their fathers loved them less because they let themselves be taken away found a replacement father in the 'fatherland'. Young men who thought they were superior to cripples and Jews and people of other cultures who seemed strange to them discovered power in the praise and things they were given. Who knows what other reasons led to so many people being filled with hate or complacency at this moment in history. Robert Sean Leonard's inner turmoil is vividly portrayed as he comes to fully realize the extent of the Nazi's evil acts and discovers that his father loved him more rather than less by speaking out against the terrible things he saw developing years earlier. Frank Whaley as the consummate artist who is not fit for the Hitler Young and therefore doomed to become a target for their crushing force is touching as well. And Christian Bale as the spoiled rich kid who is always insulting and boisterous yet craving positive feedback is tragic as the one who too easily absorbs the hateful messages and can't see clearly until it is too late. The Swing Heil ending is a little corny, but the music and dancing throughout the movie is great to watch and listen to. Swing music takes on such a symbolic deeper meaning for appreciation of diversity and an outlet for a strong passion and love.
  • franktowers
    July 23, 2008
    franktowers
    o the betrayal
  • puffchunk
    November 19, 2007
    puffchunk
    A guy cuts his wrists with a record. The best parts are christian bale turning oh so nazi, and the dancing and music is great. The acting needs some help, as does the dialog. In fact, we could do without robert sean leonard all together.
  • QueenBoudica
    October 19, 2009
    QueenBoudica
    This is not a really well known movie, but it's excellent and everyone should see it.
    Try living in those times and loving music that you know is not allowed to be heard or played.
    Then watch a friend become a Nazi all in one.
    I love it and wish it was shown more.
  • barhoum50
    October 2, 2009
    barhoum50
    Wold war II young men in Germany and living the conflicts.
  • nava31083
    September 15, 2009
    nava31083
    swing kids , rad , and
  • littlegizmo81
    September 6, 2009
    littlegizmo81
    love it, such a great movie
  • HenrikSchunk
    August 24, 2009
    HenrikSchunk
    Pretty unsinpired movie portraying the fate of a bunch of "Swing Kids" in Nazi Germany. The movie feels as if the producers were intrigued by the idea of making a movie about the swing kids but refused to put any more effort into the creative development of the movie, blandly str...( read more)etching its appeal out over the whole feature and thus making it feel shallow and unsatisfying in the end. The cast is somewhat likeable, Robert Sean Leonard deserved a better fate as actor instead of being stuck on House MD, people had high hopes for after he stole the show on Dead Poets society but nothing ever came of it. Christian Bale, what can I say, he shows one more why he is one of the greatest actors of our time and his talent is sparkling off the screen. The rest of the cast (including a subtle Kenneth Branagh) is average. I must say, I always get confused with movie set in non-American countries being so throughroughly American, some actors speak with German accent, others don't, some things are written in German, others aren't, a lacklustre production. As I said before, the story is build around the idea of the Swing Kids, but is nothing out of the ordinary, same old boring stuff you have seen in all the other movies. Bad guys, good guys, bla bla bla. The swing dancing is nice to look at but the swing segements, as well as the general portrayal of the swing scene lack focus and love for detail and you will usually find yourself switching off during the segemtns, all in all, the actor's passion for the swing is very unbelievable.

    I'd say good effort, but it wasn't. I'd say nice that someone looks at a rather undocumented phenomenon of German history, but that is both not the case and has not been the intention by the producers, who were simply looking to exploit it and turn it into some jazzy (literally) movie event, bah.

    Way below par, two stars for Christian Bale, set design and costumes but that - is - it.

    Stay away from it

    Henrik

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  • cnucom
    October 26, 2007
    cnucom
    It's gonna be an unforgettable movie, once you've watch Swing Kids. It's about friendship and loyalty. Be sure to watch it, coz I do love this movie, hope i can get a DVD copy.
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Swing Kids Trivia

  • What 1993 movie stars Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale, and Frank Whalley? The movie also features ER's Noah Wylie.  Answer »
  • in what movie did German kids swing the whole night through?   Answer »
  • Christian Bale, star of Newsies, Swing Kids and Batman is a trained ballet dancer?  Answer »
  • name the 1993 movie based on the audio clip  Answer »
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