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The Family Movie Guide should be used along with the Motion Picture Association of America rating system for selecting movies suitable for children. Only films rated G, PG or PG-13 are included in this weekly listing, along with occasional R-rated films that may have entertainment or educational value for older children with parental guidance. Compiled by St. Petersburg Times film critic Steve Persall.
RECOMMENDED
Bugs! A
(G) - What's better than IMAX-size entertainment? IMAX with superior 3-D optical effects that make Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over seem like looking through a soft-drink bottle. Judi Dench narrates a 40-minute documentary about insect life cycles. Mild peril for a butterfly, and a few creepy moments when the bugs appear to be right in front of your face.
Freaky Friday B-
(PG) - Disney's remake of a 1976 comedy about mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) and daughter (Lindsay Lohan) mystically switching identities is swell for the entire family, with only a few rude one-liners and mild thematic elements.
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
Camp A-
(PG-13) - A close call because of some harsh profanity and sexual content, including a central theme of homosexuality that may concern some parents. But this film, set at a summer camp for musically gifted teenagers, is ultimately a feel-good movie with solid lessons in tolerance, friendship and self-esteem. Mature themes throughout, each worthwhile.
Johnny English
(PG) - Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) spoofs the James Bond genre, complete with milder versions of the comic nudity, crude humor and occasional vulgarities of the Austin Powers trilogy that already did the job.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life C-
(PG-13) - Plenty of action violence and sensuality when the sexy video-game hero gets a live-action makeover with Oscar winner Angelina Jolie. If parents don't mind their children playing the game, they probably won't mind the grownup material in the movie.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen C-
(PG-13) - A close call for recommendation, because the graphic action violence and creepy special effects associated with vampires, Dorian Gray, the Invisible Man and Mr. Hyde could be too intense for younger viewers. The project also lacks kid appeal, with graybeard Sean Connery leading a band of crime fighters from literary classics. Recommended for viewers older than 13 who might be inspired to read those novels.
The Medallion C-
(PG-13) - Jackie Chan doesn't appear to have a mean bone in his body, so parents usually don't mind their children watching his brand of martial arts violence. The Medallion is more of the same, plus a supernatural angle leading to mildly scary images. Chan tosses in a few sexy double entendres for grownups, too.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl A-
(PG-13) - Another popular Disney theme-park attraction becomes a full-blown movie, with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom doing battle with ghostly buccaneers. This is Walt Disney Pictures' first film release with a PG-13 rating, mostly the result of macabre special effects and swashbuckling violence.
Seabiscuit A
(PG-13) - This fact-based story of a horse and its owner (Jeff Bridges), trainer (Chris Cooper) and jockey (Tobey Maguire) finding redemption during the Great Depression should inspire moviegoers. The rating arises from moderate profanity, sexual situations in a Tijuana brothel and sports-related violence. Recommended for ages 10 and older.
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over F
(PG) - Normally this would be easily recommended for all ages with its video game-style action and mildly perilous situations. But filmmaker Robert Rodriguez also uses 3-D special effects that aren't special, and the overall effect is a headache. The only positive result would be if parents made children buy their own tickets for a lesson in getting ripped off.
Uptown Girls C-
(PG-13) - A close call, considering the rating is due to "sexual content and language," and hyperprecocious young actor Dakota Fanning isn't always a positive role model for children learning to behave. Recommended for ages 13 and older who may appreciate Brittany Murphy's starring role.
NOT RECOMMENDED
And Now, Ladies and Gentlemen B+
(PG-13) - Young viewers won't be very interested by Claude Lelouch's tale of a jewel thief (Jeremy Irons) and a jilted cabaret singer (Patricia Kaas) losing their memories and finding each other. Parents might enjoy the film's old-fashioned sense of romance. Profanity, sexual situations.
Grind
(PG-13) - The enduring appeal of skateboarding provides an excuse for just another teen comedy packed with antiauthoritarian attitude, crude humor, sexual content and profanity. All that, plus skating tricks that parents may not want their children to try at home.
Le Divorce B-
(PG-13) - Kate Hudson's popularity with the MTV generation may attract young viewers, but this movie isn't a youth market romantic comedy like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Hudson plays a woman assisting her pregnant stepsister (Naomi Watts) during a divorce. Mature themes and sexual elements make this one for grownups, not Hudson's fan base.
My Boss's Daughter
(PG-13) - Ashton Kutcher (That '70s Show) is the teen flavor of the month, but parents of children younger than 13 should be aware that his new comedy includes crude, sexually charged humor, drug content and profanity.
S.W.A.T. C
(PG-13) - This updating of the 1970s television series rounds out the loudest summer movie season in memory with more explosions and gunfire. Some violence is graphic, but mostly it's a sensory assault. Moderate profanity (hey, it stars Samuel L. Jackson), including an f-word. Brief sexual references.