Family movie guide

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.

By Steve Persall, Times Film Critic
Published February 28, 2008

Suitable for families

Roving Mars B (G) - NASA's robotic exploration of Mars is presented with IMAX majesty and computer-generated passages when the real data won't do. No offensive material.

The Spiderwick Chronicles B- (PG) - Siblings move into a mansion with a portal to an enchanted world. Some creatures they meet are scary, leading to perilous situations that most children should handle well.

U2 3D (G) - Bono and the boys rock the IMAX houses with a 3-D chronicle of their 2006 Vertigo tour.

Suitable for families, with reservations

Be Kind Rewind C (PG-13) - Jack Black's lunacy is favored by teenagers, but their patience will be tested this time. Sexual references and brief profanity.

How She Move B- (PG-13) - A student hopes to finance college through stepdancing contests. Profanity, brief drug content and suggestive moves. Vibe is positive.

Penelope B- (PG) - A woman (Christina Ricci) born with a pig's snout looks like a fairy tale, but mature topics aren't kid stuff. Brief innuendo and rude language.

Persepolis A (PG-13) - This starkly drawn Oscar nominee deals with the Islamic Revolution's effects on a young girl. Violence, brief profanity.

Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13) - Hip-hop flick with students at an academy stepping for self-respect. Profanity, suggestive content and brief violence teens won't mind.

Not suitable

27 Dresses (PG-13) - A perpetual bridesmaid (Katherine Heigl) hopes to beat her younger sister to the altar. Profanity, sexual innuendo and adult content.

Bonneville C+ (PG) - Children won't be interested in a road trip for a widow (Jessica Lange) and two friends (Kathy Bates, Joan Allen). Mild profanity and innuendo.

The Bucket List B (PG-13) - Terminally ill cancer patients (Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman) share a last fling. Profanity, sexual references are inappropriate.

Cloverfield D- (PG-13) - Violence, terror and disturbing images make this monster movie a likely nightmare inducer.

Definitely, Maybe B (PG-13) - Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) plays the daughter of a soon-to-be-divorced man (Ryan Reynolds) who wants the lowdown on his romantic past. Sexual content, including frank dialogue, language.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly A (PG-13) - The French drama about a stroke victim struggling to communicate won't appeal to children. Profanity, brief nudity, sexual content.

The Eye (PG-13) - This Hong Kong horror flick remake stars Jessica Alba. Contains disturbing images and violent terror.

Fool's Gold (PG-13) - Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson star as treasure hunters. Action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and language."

Jumper C- (PG-13) - The rating for this sci-fi adventure is the result of "sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality."

Juno A (PG-13) - Comedy about a pregnant teen skirts R-rating territory with sexual situations, mature themes, profanity and crude humor.

The Other Boleyn Girl B (PG-13) - Inaccurate drama about Henry VIII and the sisters (Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman) he courted. Sexual content and violence.

Vantage Point C (PG-13) - Intense terrorist bombing and ensuing carnage and panic are replayed several times in this thriller. Children are likely to be upset by the violence and subplot of a child in peril.

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins B- (PG-13) - Martin Lawrence's comedy about a TV celebrity's family reunion contains crude language, sexual content and some drug references.

[Last modified February 27, 2008, 17:42:55]