Family

Family movie guide

By Steve Persall, Times Film Critic
Published June 28, 2007

FAMILY MOVIE GUIDE

Suitable for families

Evan Almighty
Grade: B
(PG) - The sequel to Bruce Almighty stars Steve Carell as a politician recruited by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an ark. Nice morals, unless parents have conflicting faith issues. Brief crude humor.

Nancy Drew
Grade: B+
(PG) - The teen sleuth gets updated to modern high school life in Hollywood, with restrained language and themes, plus mild violence.

Shrek the Third
Grade: C
(PG) - The jolly green ogre returns with more mildly crude jokes, suggestive humor that parents will understand, and cartoon action.

Surf's Up
Grade: A-
(PG) - Penguins are hot properties these days, making this smartly conceived fake documentary one of the summer's best surprises. A few crude gags shouldn't worry parents.

Suitable for families, with reservations

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Grade: C
(PG) - Marvel Comics' superheroes return with action violence, mild sexual innuendo and briefly crude language. Still the tamest of all comic book screen adaptations.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Grade: D
PG-13) - Capt. Jack Sparrow completes his voyage through mean seas and ghostly foes, adding a few more nightmare inspirations for small children. Intense action sequences and fairly graphic violence add to the thrills.

Ratatouille
Grade: C+
(G) - Not the usual Disney/Pixar animated romp for kids. More talk and less humor, and a few disturbing scenes including a store selling dead rats.

Spider-Man 3
Grade: A
(PG-13) - Intense action sequences shouldn't faze children reared on video games. A few scary images with Spidey's nemeses Venom and the Sandman could be nightmare material. Brief mature themes include a terminally ill child and conflicted morality.

Not suitable

1408
Grade: C+
(PG-13) - Stephen King's imagination is no place for impressionable children to play. This supernatural thriller contains disturbing violence and terror, scary images and profanity.

DOA: Dead or Alive
Grade: Not reviewed
(PG-13) - Based on a violent video game, this movie earned its MPAA rating for "pervasive martial arts and action violence, some sexuality and nudity." Not exactly kids' stuff.

Evening
Grade: C
(PG-13) - Nothing for children to enjoy in this melodrama about a dying woman (Vanessa Redgrave) recalling her past. Mature themes of mortality, sexual situations, profanity and brief disturbing images.

Live Free or Die Hard
Grade: B+
(PG-13) - Possibly the highest body count ever in a PG-13 action flick, though not too graphic. Strong profanity.

Ocean's Thirteen
Grade: C-
(PG-13) - George Clooney leads his neo-Rat Pack into another Las Vegas caper. A few profanities and brief sensuality aren't likely problems for parents; glamorizing amoral behavior may be.

Sicko
Grade: A
(PG-13) - Michael Moore's documentary about health care and insurance issues won't appeal to many children. Strong profanity.

Waitress
Grade: A-
(PG-13) - Strong mature themes include the reluctant pregnancy of a cheery waitress (Keri Russell), abuse from her husband, a steamy affair with her doctor, and sexual situations among her co-workers. Moderate profanity.

[Last modified June 26, 2007, 18:35:45]