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
A Cinderella Story
(PG) - Hilary Duff's popularity makes this an appealing film for young girls, who won't be bothered by a few bad words and innuendoes while their idol finds Prince Charming in high school.
Her Majesty
(PG) - Like last year's Whale Hunter, this New Zealand film features a young girl with a dream (Sally Andrews) coping with social restrictions. Nothing objectionable in the movie except a few mild profanities. Young females will enjoy it more than males, and parents will appreciate the humane messages.
Shrek 2
(PG) - The sequel is funnier and livelier than the 2001 original. Much of the humor is multigenerational, with a few flatulence jokes, a brief drug reference and mild cartoon violence, but nothing for parents to fret about.
Thunderbirds
(PG) - Live-action remake of a 1960s puppet-show TV series that few of today's children recognize. They'll enjoy the science fiction adventure aspects, while parents are nostalgic. Mild action violence and brief profanity.
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
Napoleon Dynamite
(PG) - This low-budget comedy may strike a chord with social outcasts like its hero (Jon Heder), a painfully awkward high school student. The jokes are mostly at his expense, the profanity is mild compared to that in many films, and a few jokes concerning his brother's door-to-door sales job are risque. Recommended for ages 12 and older.
Sleepover
(PG) - Teenagers lie to parents about spending the night at friends' houses, then participate in risky scavenger hunt games to overcome peer pressure. Yes, this is supposed to be cool, in the movie's view. Mild sensuality and profanity. Recommended for 12 and older.
Spider-Man 2
(PG-13) - Just try to keep children away from this movie. The good thing for parents is that Spider-Man 2 remains as safe for kid consumption as 2002's first installment, without profanity, nudity or sexual situations. The film's sci-fi violence is hectic and occasionally scary but tame compared to some action flicks available to preteens. Recommended for ages 10 and older.
The Village
(PG-13) - M. Night Shyamalan, creator of The Sixth Sense and Signs, returns with another creepy tale, this one involving forest creatures who break their truce with a 19th century community. The MPAA rating results from one violent scene and several others with Shyamalan's brand of skin-crawling terror; not graphic, but effective. Could be nightmare material for viewers under age 10.
NOT RECOMMENDED
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
(PG-13) - Will Ferrell plays a 1970s TV newsman whose sexist attitude clashes with a new co-anchor (Christina Applegate). The film was rated R until trims were made, yet it still includes numerous sexual references, profanities and comical violence, chiefly a rumble between competing television stations.
The Bourne Supremacy
(PG-13) - Matt Damon returns as a professional assassin framed by the CIA and not happy about it. Like 2002's The Bourne Identity, this film includes intense action, loud violence of the gunshot and car chase varieties, and moderate profanity.
Catwoman
(PG-13) - Halle Berry's provocatively ripped, form-fitting costume is evidence of the sexual underpinnings in this comic book adaptation. Benjamin Bratt plays the detective whose leg Catwoman rubs up against. Plenty of intense action violence and brief profanity.
De-Lovely
(PG-13) - The music of Cole Porter (Kevin Kline) doesn't interest many youths of the hip-hop era, although several radio favorites (Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, etc.) perform his hits in this splashy biography. Much of the film deals with Porter's concealed homosexuality, discreetly dramatized but still the reason for the MPAA rating.
I, Robot
(PG-13) - Will Smith's science fiction adventure includes mild profanity, futuristic action violence and brief partial nudity.
King Arthur
(PG-13) - When this reshaping of Arthurian legend isn't too violent for children, it's too boring for anyone. The battle scenes stop just shy of R-rating levels, but still there are too many crushed bones, impalings and sword slashings for parental comfort. Oddly, the only times I saw a parent leave with a child at a screening was during a discreetly sensual love scene.
Little Black Book
(PG-13) - A woman (Brittany Murphy) nervous about her lover's past romances snoops into his Palm Pilot, paving the way to comedic discussions of sex, love, sex and more sex. That pervasive theme and moderate profanity make the film inappropriate for children.
