FAMILY FARE
MOVIE TIPS FOR PARENTS
‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of combat violence and martial arts action throughout, and for brief sensuality and language.
Translation: Constant peril and action-style military violence with guns, explosives, swords, knives and martial arts. Cataclysmic damage, with characters injured and killed. Brief scenes of a girl in skimpy clothes. Some strong language.
Recommendation: High schoolers to adults.
Family discussion: Who is Storm Shadow loyal to? Why did Roadblock take the dog tags? What would your “Joe name” be?
If you like this, try: “Transformers” and “The A-Team.”
‘The Host’
Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and violence.
Translation: Sci-fi style peril and violence with some disturbing images and aliens. Characters injured. Some teen kissing and sensual embraces.
Recommendation: Middle schoolers to adults.
Family discussion: Why could Melanie and Wanda exist together? How do Ian and Jared see her differently? How does she earn the trust of the humans? What do you think will happen next?
If you like this, try: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “I Am Number Four.”
‘Admission’
Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual material.
Translation: References to infidelity and putting an out-of-wedlock infant up for adoption. Drinking, Nonexplicit sexual situation.
Recommendation: High schoolers to adults.
Family discussion: How did Portia’s mother influence her ideas about parenting? How would you decide who to admit?
If you like this, try: “Clueless” and “Date Night.”
‘The Croods’
Rated PG for some scary action.
Translation: Characters in frequent peril (no one hurt). References to sad off-screen deaths, scary animals, family stress. Brief crude humor.
Recommendation: Ages 7 to adults.
Family discussion: How can you tell when it is time to try new things and time to stick with what you know? What did Guy and Grug learn from each other?
If you like this, try: Visit a museum or do some research in books to look at fossils and bones and watch “The Land Before Time” films, the “Ice Age” series, and “The Flintstones.”
‘Olympus Has Fallen’
Rated R for strong violence and language throughout
Translation: Terrorist attack on the White House with constant peril and very graphic violence. Very strong language
Recommendation: Mature teens to adults.
Family discussion: How did Mike’s previous failure affect his response to the terrorist attack? How did it affect the way the others saw him?
If you like this, try: “Air Force One” and “Under Siege.”
‘The Sapphires’
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, a scene of war violence, some language, thematic elements and smoking.
Translation: Theme of racial discrimination with displays of bigotry. Strong language. Smoking and drinking. Scenes of Vietnam War-era violence. Some sexual references
Recommendation: High
schoolers to adults.
Family discussion: How do the racial conflicts portrayed in this film compare to those of the same era in the United States? What makes them different? Are you surprised by what the Sapphires did after their tour?
If you like this, try: “Rabbit-Proof Fence” and “Dreamgirls.” ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, dangerous stunts, a drug-related incident and language.
Translation: Sexual references and non-explicit situations, crude humor, drinking and drunkenness, scenes in a bar, comic drug use including drugs surreptitiously given to adults and children, strong
language (many s-words, one f-word), comic but dangerous stunts with graphic injuries
Recommendation: High school ages to adults.
Family discussion: What went wrong with the act and how did that relate to what went wrong with their friendship? What made Burt change his mind? To audiences really enjoy acts involving physical danger and mutilation? Which trick did you like the best and why?
If you like this, try: A terrific documentary about young magicians called “Make Believe.”
‘Oz the Great and Powerful’
Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images and brief mild language.
Translation: Extended fantasy peril, action, and violence, with scenes of devastation and loss, jump-out-at-you surprises, and scary monsters, some disturbing images, brief mild language, character who makes advances at many women, scenes of jealousy, anger, and sadness
Recommendation: Ages 8
to adults.
Family discussion: What is the difference between being a great and a good person? Why did Glinda believe in Oz? How did the characters in the prologue relate to their counterparts in Oz? What elements of
the classic Oz story are explained in this film?
If you like this, try: the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and the classic 1939 film with Judy Garland.
‘21 and Over’
Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some graphic nudity, drugs and drinking
Translation: Just about every kind of bad behavior including drinking to excess and drinking games, drugs, extremely strong and crude language including ethnic and racial slurs, comic violence including a gun, assorted mayhem, a car chase, a one-animal stampede, discussion of assault and attempted suicide, explicit sexual references and nudity. Recommendation: Adults.
If you like this, try: “The Hangover,” “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and “Superbad.”
‘Phantom’ Rated R for violence. Translation: An intense Cold War story that deals with issues of nuclear war and includes extended sequences of peril and violence, with many characters injured and killed.
Recommendation: Mature teens to adults.
Family discussion: How should Demi decide which orders to follow?
If you like this, try: “Crimson Tide,” “The Hunt for Red October,” and “K-19: The Widowmaker.”