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Film

Family Movie Guide

By STEVE PERSALL
Published December 22, 2005

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.

SUITABLE FOR FAMILIES

(PG) - Mildly crude humor won't dissuade children and parents from viewing Steve Martin's sequel.

(G) Nothing offensive in this computer-animated Disney production. Mild action violence, but not as intense as The Incredibles.

(PG) - A few crude jokes among members of a large family are the only offenses, unless you count the casting of Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo in roles originated by Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball in the 1968 original.

(PG) - Siblings follow a board game into outer-space adventures that aren't as exciting as the premise suggests. The sci-fi action is tame by video-game standards, and a few crude remarks among kin won't offend many parents, who will appreciate a late message for everyone to like each other.

SUITABLE, WITH RESERVATIONS

(PG) - Fans of C.S. Lewis' book will be more patient than others with the film version's understated fantasy for most of the running time. The final 40 minutes boast exciting computer-generated creatures, although they could be nightmare material for young viewers. The violence level is higher than most PG-rated films, but bloodless. Religious themes in the subplot of a messianic lion (voice of Liam Neeson) may concern some parents.

(PG-13) - Jim Carrey's antics are favored by children, but the economic factors leading a married couple into criminal life may be too thematically mature. Profanity, brief drug and sexual references.

(PG-13) - The first Harry Potter movie to earn a PG-13 rating, chiefly for scary images involving Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), fire-breathing dragons and an underwater sequence that features creatures and possible drowning. A few rude remarks sneak into the dialogue, as well as brief, mild sexual references. Parents of children ages 8 and younger should exercise caution.

(PG-13) - Peter Jackson's remake of the classic creature feature is three hours long, a test of youthful patience, especially in its first hour. Jackson rarely lets up when the action begins, an intense parade of zombie natives, giant bugs, hungry dinosaurs and, of course, Kong, whose rampages can be nightmare material. But that's what they said about the 1933 original, too. Brief profanity.

(PG) - Adolescent girls will appreciate Jane Austen's knack for creating plucky, romantic 18th century heroines more than boys will, and any child younger than 10 will likely be bored. Keira Knightley wearing a corset again may attract youth market interest, but this isn't Pirates of the Caribbean.

NOT SUITABLE

(PG-13) - Academy Award winner Charlize Theron plays a futuristic assassin whose sexual encounters and violent profession may not be appropriate for young viewers.

(PG-13) - Family dysfunction is played for laughs and tragedy in a smartly conceived feel-good movie for adults only. Mature themes including homosexuality, recreational drug use, infidelity and cancer spring from not-so-petty squabbles punctuated by strong profanity.

(PG) Although the profanity is minor and there's no sex or violence in George Clooney's film, the fact-based drama is rife with mature political themes that can make younger viewers impatient. The black-and-white cinematography and lack of physical action won't help. Save this fine film for teenagers seeking a civics lesson.

(PG-13) - A formerly overweight man (Ryan Reynolds) woos a woman who rejected him in high school. Pervasive sexual content, crude humor and profanity.

(PG-13) - Children will be bored by the leisurely pace. Parents may be concerned about the film's sexual situations including auctioning virginity and a near-rape. Brief drug abuse and sensuality.

(PG-13) - Mel Brooks' films generally aren't kid-friendly. The film version of his Broadway musical is no exception, with crude humor, sexual situations and stereotypes, profanity and immature themes.

(PG-13) - The popular Broadway musical includes numerous mature themes, including homosexuality, an exotic dancer (Rosario Dawson) hooked on heroin, a cross-dresser (Wilson Jermaine Heredia) and several HIV-positive characters. Profanity, sexual situations, brief violence.

(PG-13) - The central theme of Rob Reiner's comedy is The Graduate, a movie most children haven't seen to understand the jokes. Sexual situations, profanity, mature themes.

(PG-13) - This by-the-numbers biography of music legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) contains strong profanity, drug and alcohol addiction and mature themes that include adultery. The 136-minute running time may make children antsy.

[Last modified December 21, 2005, 10:49:05]