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Family Movie Guide

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

New York Minute D+

(PG) - Rival siblings (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) bury the hatchet during a hectic day of making their dreams come true. The twin stars' enormous popularity makes this a must-see for many young girls. Parents need worry about only brief puppy-love sensuality and some dumb crime themes.

(PG) The sequel is funnier and livelier than the 2001 original. Much of the humor is multigenerational, with a few flatulence jokes and mild cartoon violence, but nothing for parents to fret about.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

13 Going on 30 C

(PG-13) - Jennifer Garner plays the magically matured version of a teenage girl. Puberty and sexual inexperience are the crux of much of the humor, making at least one parent squirm alongside her young daughter at a sneak-preview screening. Brief drug references aren't anything to worry about, but the film's eventual message - that a young girl's dream isn't as important as the nerdy boy she left behind - is debatable.

(PG-13) - The end of the world is near in Roland Emmerich's latest disaster flick. That prospect may upset young moviegoers. Catastrophes that include a tidal wave swamping Manhattan, polar shifts and gang tornadoes create a lot of destruction without much time focused on casualties. Possible nightmare potential for impressionable viewers.

(PG) - As the bespectacled wizard matures, so do movie adaptations of J.K. Rowling's novels. The third film depicts a more rebellious Harry, with family issues that young viewers may not entirely understand. The film also contains a stronger child-in-peril factor than before, with an escaped murderer (Gary Oldman) stalking Harry. Beasts include an unusual breed of werewolf, a demon dog and the ghostly Dementors, which could inspire nightmares. Recommended for ages 10 and older.

NOT RECOMMENDED

Breakin' All the Rules

(PG-13) - A jilted author (Jamie Foxx) writes a guide to breaking up relationships, escalating the battle of the sexes. The MPAA rating results from sexual material and profanity.

(PG-13) - Young viewers generally won't find romance between divorce lawyers (Pierce Brosnan, Julianne Moore) much fun. The divorce angle may even disturb children in troubled homes. Profanity and sexual content make this an open-and-shut case of adults-only entertainment.

(PG-13) - High school campus comedy starring Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday) as an outcast student. The MPAA singled out "teen partying" as a reason for the rating, along with sexual content and profanity.

(PG-13) - Winning chemistry between Kate Hudson and John Corbett saves Garry Marshall's movie. Mature themes include the sudden deaths of both parents and lessons learned by the partying aunt (Hudson) chosen to raise the orphans. Brief subtexts of teen sexuality. Mild profanity and religion-themed comedy.

(PG-13) - Hugh Jackman (X-Men) plays a fearless vampire hunter who must also contend with Frankenstein's monster and Wolfman. The monsters are portrayed as vicious sorts in computer-enhanced detail that will be nightmare material for some young children. Violence is relentless and grisly, and sexual tension between Jackman and Kate Beckinsale is strong.