ShareThisA guide to movies from a family perspective:"The Spiderwick Chronicles"-- Rated: PG.-- Suitable for: Artist Tony DiTerlizzi, co-creator of the source books, suggests age 8 or 9 and up. He recommends leaving it to the parents' discretion for children younger than that.-- What you should know: The books of the same name have been turned into a movie starring Freddie Highmore as twins Jared and Simon Grace and Sarah Bolger as their older sister, Mallory. When their parents split, they move with their mother to a secluded old estate where they encounter creatures such as goblins, brownies and a dangerous shape-shifting ogre.-- Language: Nothing notable.-- Sexual situations and nudity: None.-- Violence/scary situations: An ogre is scary-looking and, sometimes, -sounding. A child is kidnapped and others are chased, attacked or threatened. In the realistic part of the story, one of the twins is angry at being uprooted and his parents' separation.--Drug or alcohol use: None."Jumper"-- Rated: PG-13.-- Suitable for: Tweens and above.--What you should know: A genetic anomaly allows a young man, played by Hayden Christensen, to teleport himself anywhere around the world. He finds himself in a war between "Jumpers" such as himself and those trying to kill them. Jamie Bell and Rachel Bilson co-star.-- Language: One f-word and some milder curses.-- Sexual situations and nudity: A couple passionately kiss and begin to disrobe before an apparent bedroom encounter, which is not shown.-- Violence/scary situations: Lots of both, from a teen-ager falling through the ice to stabbings and other killings, near-electrocutions, fights, chases, destruction and other situations in which people are in much danger.-- Drug or alcohol use: A couple of brief scenes are set in a bar and adults drink beer."Step Up 2 the Streets"-- Rated: PG-13.-- Suitable for: Tweens and older.-- What you should know: This is a sequel to the 2006 dance movie, "Step Up." This time, it pits a crew of students from the Maryland School of the Arts against some street dancers. It's set to rap, hip-hop and R&B music.-- Language: Coarse language and mild expletives.-- Sexual situations and nudity: Confined to kissing, shirtless male dancers and suggestive dance moves.-- Violence/scary situations: Mention is made of a girl losing her mother to cancer. Young men trade threats, punches, kicks and shoves, leaving one with facial bruises. The aftermath of school vandalism is shown.-- Drug or alcohol use: None, although a couple of scenes are set in a club."Definitely, Maybe"-- Rated: PG-13.-- Suitable for: 13 and above.-- What you should know: In this romantic comedy, single father Ryan Reynolds is badgered by 11-year-old daughter Abigail Breslin to tell her about the women in his past, including her mother. He turns it into a mystery about which one is her mom, with three candidates.-- Language: Blunt but not profane discussions of sex, and some mild profanity.-- Sexual situations and nudity: No nudity but various tastefully filmed romantic encounters.-- Violence/scary situations: None.-- Drug or alcohol use: None, but adults smoke.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)
New films from a family perspective
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