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Film

Family Movie Guide

By STEVE PERSALL
Published August 17, 2006

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

The Ant Bully B-

(PG) - A mean child (voice of Zach Tyler) is shrunk to the size of an insect, then gets what he deserves for treating bugs cruelly. Rude humor punctuates the animated comedy's positive lessons.

Barnyard B

(PG) - More animated animals, this time causing a ruckus on a farm. The MPAA rating results from "mild peril and rude humor."

Material Girls

(PG) -Teen queens Hilary and Haylie Duff play spoiled heiresses to a cosmetics empire. The MPAA rating is for rude humor and mild profanity.

Zoom

(PG) - A retired superhero (Tim Allen) teaches aspiring crime fighters at a private academy, a la Sky High. Brief crude humor, mild action violence.

SUITABLE, WITH RESERVATIONS

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest A-

(PG-13) - Scary sea creatures and intense action sequences could cause nightmares in some children. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Capt. Jack Sparrow has sobered a bit, but there's still plenty of rum abuse.

Monster House B-

(PG) - This animated film's scary images and sounds could cause nightmares. Crude humor and mild violence are typical of the PG rating.

Superman Returns B-

(PG-13) - Just try keeping children away from this one. The Man of Steel still espouses positive values, even in the midst of the action violence that earned the MPAA rating. A few mature themes pass faster than a speeding bullet.

Who Killed the Electric Car? B+

(PG) - Documentary traces the brief history of the EV1 electric car produced and unceremoniously scrapped by General Motors. Complex themes that most children won't appreciate, brief profanity.

World Trade Center A

(PG-13) - Oliver Stone's harrowing, uplifting version of events surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York. Moderate profanity under duress, disturbing images of injured victims and casualties, mature emotional themes. Recommended for ages 13 and older.

NOT SUITABLE

Accepted D+

(PG-13) - College reject (Justin Long) creates a bogus college to fool his parents, attracting like-minded losers. The MPAA rating is for profanity, sexual material and drug content, not to mention making academic deceit seem cool and funny.

John Tucker Must Die

(PG-13) - High school girls get revenge on the campus playboy (Jesse Metcalfe) who cheated on them. No violence as the title suggests, but sexual content and profanity that parents may not wish their children to see and hear.

Lady in the Water C-

(PG-13) - M. Night Shyamalan's movie is touted as a "bedtime story," but the frightening images and monster-riddled plot may keep children awake all night.

Pulse

(PG-13) - College students are murdered by an evil wireless signal sent through cellular telephones and computers. The MPAA rating is the result of intense sequences of sci-fi terror, profanity, sensuality and thematic material.

Scoop C+

(PG-13) - Woody Allen's humor typically doesn't appeal to children. But those who try Scoop will find sexual content and profanity in his tale of a journalism student (Scarlett Johansson) investigating a cold-case murder.

Step Up C

(PG-13) - A juvenile delinquent (Channing Tatum) turns his life around with the help of a ballet dancer (Jenna Dewan). Mature themes of teen crime, plus sexual innuendo and brief violence, on the way to positive messages.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby B+

(PG-13) - Will Ferrell is very popular among children and teenagers, so any caution to parents about his new comedy is probably meaningless. Just to be safe, we'll note that the film contains crude and sexual humor, moderate profanity, drug references and brief violence played for laughs.

You, Me and Dupree C

(PG-13) - Owen Wilson goes from wedding crasher to marriage intruder in a comedy that features sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, profanity and a drug reference, enough to make parents wary of taking along children.

[Last modified August 15, 2006, 10:24:02]