Family Film Reviews

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (PG, 1 hr., 27 min.)

A fast hour and a half of inventive wit and effortless charm, this adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book uses old-fashioned stop-motion animation to great effect and ought to delight kids 8 and older. The characters have real-looking fur, their movements are appealingly herky-jerky and the settings look genuinely three-dimensional, like dollhouses or landscapes for toy trains. The all-star vocal cast brings vivid personality to the characters.

Dahl's works have inspired some highly original films, both animated ("James and the Giant Peach," PG, 1996) and live-action ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," PG, 2005; "Matilda," PG, 1996; "Witches," PG, 1990) -- films that don't talk down to children and make room for darker feelings. Director Wes Anderson, a brainy-quirky filmmaker, has stepped away from his R-rated work ("Rushmore," 1998; "The Royal Tenenbaums," 2001) to create a film that anyone 8 and older can enjoy. Because of the danger Mr. Fox brings upon his friends and family and how vividly it's portrayed, as when all the woodland creatures frantically dig tunnels to escape farmers with guns, bulldozers and hoses, intent on killing them, the film may be too intense for under-8s and even a few who are older. The only "strong" language occurs when the animals say "the cuss you are!"

Mr. Fox (George Clooney), a former chicken thief who has retired to a quiet life writing a column for the woodland creatures' local paper, is bored. He moves his family above ground into a huge tree, against the advice of Badger (Bill Murray) and Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep). The tree faces the land of three farmers -- Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Mr. Fox aims to steal from all three, not thinking of the risk to his kith and kin. But mean farmer Bean (Michael Gambon) is one tough cookie and organizes the farmers against Fox. Mr. Fox also involves his visiting nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) while his small son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) feels inferior to his cousin and ignored by his flashy dad. Eventually Ash proves the film's moral: What makes you different is what makes you special. Everything about "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is very special, indeed.

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (PG-13, 1 hr. 59 min.)

The longing drags on in this darkly lit, slow-moving adaptation of the second book in author Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" quartet. At least it's tedious if you're not a teen girl in love with the books, the films, and the actors who've become stars in the "Twilight" juggernaut. They'll likely be happy with the film no matter what critics say. "New Moon" is OK for teens in general, but, just critically speaking, kind of a snoozer.

Moody high-school senior Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) goes into a depression after the vampire she loves, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), tells her he's leaving for good. He wants to protect Bella from his world and refuses to turn her into a vampire and force her to lose her soul, even though it is what she wants -- anything to be near him. (The vampire metaphor for becoming sexually active -- to bite or not to bite -- makes the gauntly gorgeous Edward a real gentleman.) After Edward disappears, Bella's childhood friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner) tries to comfort her. He comes from a mysterious Native American tribe who can morph into werewolves and who despise all vampires. The tribe has a treaty only with the Cullen clan. Jacob adores Bella, but she refuses to see him in a romantic light. Whenever she does anything dangerous, such as jump off a cliff into the ocean, Bella thinks she glimpses Edward watching her, so she takes ever greater risks to conjure him. This leads Jacob and his fellow werewolves to her rescue, but also to confrontations with vampires, both good ones (Edward and his family) and evil ones who want to kill Bella. Bella's desperation and Edward's internal conflict lead them to a climactic vampire council in Italy.

"New Moon" is full of subtle sexual innuendo, but never shows more than a desire-filled kiss. The werewolves are huge snarling beasts, and the vampires get yellow-eyed when aroused. The fights are loud and fast, but generally not graphic, though there is an implied neck-snap beheading, a few bloody gashes and a woman with facial scars from a werewolf claw. There are many subtle suicide references. OK for teens.

Beyond the Ratings Game: Movie Reviews for various ages

-- OK FOR MANY KIDS 8 AND OLDER:

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" PG (NEW) -- Rich in wit and charm, this adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book uses old-fashioned stop-motion animation to great effect and ought to delight kids 8 and older. The characters have real-looking fur, their movements are appealingly herky-jerky and the sets look three-dimensional, like landscapes for toy trains. Dahl's works have inspired some highly original films, both animated ("James and the Giant Peach," PG, 1996) and live-action ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," PG, 2005; "Matilda," PG, 1996), that don't talk down to children. Director Wes Anderson, a brainy-quirky filmmaker, has created a piece that anyone 8 and older can enjoy. Because of the danger Mr. Fox brings upon his friends and family and how vividly it's portrayed, as when all the woodland creatures frantically dig tunnels to escape farmers coming after them with guns, bulldozers and hoses, the film may be too intense for under-8s and even a few who are older. The only "strong" language occurs when the animals say "the cuss you are!" Mr. Fox (George Clooney), a former chicken thief who has retired to a quiet life writing a column for the woodland creatures' newspaper, is bored. He moves his family into a huge tree facing the land of three farmers. Mr. Fox aims to sneak out and steal from them. But mean farmer Bean (Michael Gambon) organizes the farmers against Mr. Fox, who foolishly involves his visiting nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) in the caper, while his own son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) feels inferior and ignored by his dad. Ash eventually proves the moral: What makes you different makes you special. Everything about "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is special.

-- OK FOR MANY KIDS 10 AND OLDER:

"Old Dogs" PG (NEW) -- This painful comedy stars John Travolta and Robin Williams as Charlie and Dan, respectively -- lifelong friends and business partners. Charlie is an unattached good-time guy. Dan is shy and depressed and longs to reconnect with Vicki (Kelly Preston), a woman he met and drunkenly married in Las Vegas seven years earlier, though the marriage was quickly annulled. Vicki arrives and tells Dan they have 7-year-old twins whom she's been raising alone. Vicki needs to go to jail for two weeks on a conviction for environmental activism (seriously) and asks Dan to care for little Zach (Conner Rayburn) and Emily (Ella Bleu Travolta -- real-life daughter of Travolta and Preston). Of course, Dan hasn't a clue how to care for kids and what follows is a big mess, but the mess isn't funny; it's tedious and tasteless and the stars look desperate. In addition to a divorce theme, drinking and hints of depression, the film has toilet humor, slams in the crotch and prescription drug side-effects jokes. The late comedian Bernie Mac has a cameo, but he couldn't save the film, either. Not for under-10s.

"Planet 51" PG -- This computer-animated sci-fi comedy suffers from audience confusion and quality issues. Most of its jokes are tasteless and geared to adults, yet the story seems aimed at kids. The animation has a flat, rubbery look and there are dull spots during which kids may fidget. The round, greenish beings on Planet 51, oddly, speak English and live in what looks like 1950s America. When astronaut Chuck Baker (voice of Dwayne Johnson) pilots his lander onto Planet 51 and emerges, both he and they freak out. There are crude gags about using corks as protection against alien "probes." Planet 51 teenager Lem (Justin Long), who wants to impress his crush Neera (Jessica Biel), befriends Chuck. The kids realize that the astronaut means no harm, but General Grawl (Gary Oldman) is determined to capture and dissect him. The crude humor also includes toilet and penis jokes. The child characters and their pets are cute, as is Chuck's doglike robot. Too bad the script and story don't function as cleverly. Not especially for kids under 10.

"Disney's A Christmas Carol" PG -- Although it sticks pretty closely to the plot and dialogue of Dickens' classic fable, this film is mostly a showcase for actor Jim Carrey (intense and unfunny) and for advances in a type of computer animation. It is too frightening and humorless for kids under 10, some of whom may need lobby breaks during spookier scenes. Director/screenwriter Robert Zemeckis uses the same "performance capture" technology (shooting live actors, then overlaying their performances with animation) he used in "The Polar Express" (PG, 2004). He has added 3-D to intensify the many nightmarish scenes and dizzying flights with the spirits. Scrooge (voiced by Carrey, who also plays younger versions of Scrooge and the spirits who visit him) is so stooped, gnarled and angry, kids may actually be scared by close-ups of his arthritic hands. All the "visitations" are quite chilling, starting with Marley's ghost (Gary Oldman). Happier moments are overshadowed by the film's overall dourness. There is a Londoner taking snuff.

-- PG-13s OF VARYING INTENSITY:

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (NEW) -- The longing drags on in this darkly lit, slow-moving adaptation of the second book in author Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" quartet. But if you're a teen girl in love with the books, the films, and the actors in the "Twilight" juggernaut, you'll be happy with the film, no matter what critics say. "New Moon" is OK for teens in general but, critically speaking, kind of a snoozer. Moody high-school senior Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) goes into a depression after the vampire she loves, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), tells her he's leaving for good. He wants to protect Bella from his world and refuses to turn her into a vampire, even though it is what she wants. (The vampire metaphor for becoming sexually active -- to bite or not to bite -- makes the gauntly gorgeous Edward quite a gentleman.) Bella's childhood friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner) tries to comfort her. He comes from a mysterious Native American tribe who can morph into werewolves and who despise all vampires, though the tribe has a treaty with the Cullens. Jacob adores Bella, but she can't think of him romantically. Whenever she does anything dangerous, such as jump off a cliff into the ocean, Bella sees an image of Edward watching her, so she takes greater risks. This leads Jacob and the other werewolves to her rescue, but also to confrontations with vampires. Bella's desperation and Edward's internal conflict lead them to a climactic vampire council in Italy. "New Moon" is full of subtle sexual innuendo, but never shows more than a desire-filled kiss. The werewolves are huge snarling beasts, and the vampires are yellow-eyed when aroused. The fights are loud and fast, but generally not graphic, though there is an implied neck-snap beheading, a few bloody gashes and a woman with facial scars from a werewolf claw. There are subtle suicide references. OK for teens.

"The Blind Side" -- One might could dismiss this uplifting tale as a phony feel-good story in which an inner-city African-American youngster is saved by idealistic white people, but this story happens to be fact-based. Even though director John Lee Hancock lays it on a little thick, "The Blind Side" is thoroughly involving and ought to hold most teens rapt. Based on Michael Lewis' nonfiction book, "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game," it recounts how a wealthy Memphis decorator, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock as a likable steamroller), took under her wing a homeless teenager, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), she encountered one frigid night near her kids' private Christian school -- a charity case who was flunking out. Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy (country singer Tim McGraw) become Michael's legal guardians, get him a tutor (Kathy Bates) and groom him for football and college. (Oher now plays for the Baltimore Ravens.) The road, of course, isn't smooth. There is mildly crude language, overt and implied racial slurs, brief nonlethal violence, drinking, drug references, a car crash and a mildly implied marital sexual situation.

"2012" -- It may be overlong and fake-looking, but this end-of-the-world thriller is surprisingly fun. "2012" has a refreshingly diverse cast and world-conscious viewpoint. The last half-hour degenerates into silliness, but before that, it's cool to watch the White House science adviser (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the President (Danny Glover) and his hard-bitten chief of staff (Oliver Platt) agonize over what to do (and whether to tell "the people") when they realize that the Earth's crust is shifting and that quakes and tsunamis will shortly wipe out civilization. Meanwhile, divorced writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), unaware of impending doom, takes his kids (Liam James and Morgan Lily) to Yellowstone, where he sees the Army guarding a mysterious site and meets a wild-eyed radio talker (Woody Harrelson) who says ancient predictions are coming true. Jackson also learns the government has huge "arks" to rescue a few hundred-thousand people and is determined to get his loved ones onto one of them. The film shows people falling to their deaths, being crushed or swept away, but most injuries are nongraphic. There is rare profanity and drinking.

-- R's:

"Pirate Radio" -- England, the land of the Beatles, allowed almost no rock or pop music on state-owned BBC radio (and that's all there was back then) in the mid-1960s. So off the coast, "pirate" stations broadcast from boats, until the British government shut them down. "Pirate Radio" is a hooty bit of nostalgia about that era and a loving nod to its great music -- from the Beatles to Janis Joplin to the Kinks. It is not for under-17s because of implied sexual situations and promiscuity, near-nudity, drug use, drug references, drinking and strong profanity (including one character with an obscene surname). The crackerjack cast under writer/director Richard Curtis ("Love, Actually," R, 2003) includes Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rhys Ifans as star deejays, Bill Nighy as the owner of the boat, Tom Sturridge as a shy teenager who comes to work on the boat, and Kenneth Branagh as a malevolent Cabinet minister bent on shutting them down. There is a scary disaster at sea. Fun for college kids.

"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" -- Never less than riveting, but not for under-17s, this graphic and upsetting story of an abused teenage girl is tough to watch, though it offers hope at the end. Director Lee Daniels and his powerful cast tell a tale that has much to say to adults. Claireece "Precious" Jones (gifted Gabourey Sidibe) is failing in school. She has one baby with Down syndrome, which her grandmother raises, and she is hugely heavy and pregnant again -- both pregnancies the result of rape by her biological father, whom we only glimpse in graphic flashbacks as he violates her. Her negligent, resentful mother (the amazing Mo'Nique) abuses her verbally, emotionally and physically. Expelled because of her pregnancy, Precious takes a counselor's advice and enrolls in an alternative school. She's sullen and angry, escaping into overeating or fantasies of herself as a star, but a teacher (Paula Patton) and a social worker (Mariah Carey) eventually reach her. "Precious" chronicles a human being's rebirth. There is strong profanity, drug use and drinking.