Family Film Reviews

NEW THIS WEEK

-- THE FACT-BASED STORY OF AN INJURED ATHLETE'S FAITH AND COURAGE IS MARRED BY A CLOYING AND REPETITIVE SCRIPT:

"SOUL SURFER" PG -- A heavy-handed, overlong blend of faith-based drama and sports saga, "Soul Surfer" may appeal to some kids in middle-school and beyond, with its emotional true-story elements and impressive surfing footage. AnnaSophia Robb plays real-life competitive surfer Bethany Hamilton, who as a teen lost an arm in a shark attack while surfing with friends off the coast of Kauai in Hawaii. Bethany's injury proves a real test for her strongly Christian, surf-loving parents (Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt) and home-schooled siblings. Despite much difficulty, Bethany regains her ability to surf competitively. Country singer Carrie Underwood plays Sarah, the leader of Bethany's church youth group. A trip with them to aid tsunami victims in Thailand in 2004 proves an epiphany for Bethany, who's still struggling to live with one arm and regain her spirit. The Thailand episode is this movie at its sentimental worst. The tsunami victims seem to serve merely to help Bethany buck up.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The actual shark attack is portrayed very briefly and the loss of Bethany's arm is not shown graphically. However, right after the attack there is plenty of blood in the water, and soaking through a bandage after her friends bind up the wound. After she heals, we see a stump (digitally created) just below shoulder level and a scar that gradually fades. Other intense elements in the film are emotional stress for Bethany and her family, and rather harrowing surfing competitions.

-- WRING OUT MUCH OF THE CHARM, ADD MORE SEX JOKES AND PROFANITY, AND YOU HAVE THIS REMAKE:

"ARTHUR" PG-13 -- The 1981 comedy hit "Arthur" (PG) was a nearly perfect little farce-with-heart, and teens would still enjoy watching it. That film had an emotional core that the new, cruder remake lacks. Still, this "Arthur" is not unamusing, and teen audiences will be diverted by it. Alas, the sexual jokes are in line with what's on many prime-time sitcoms these days. That noted, it's not really for preteens. Arthur's perpetual drunkenness has become politically incorrect, so the remake tosses in a couple of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to acknowledge this. Russell Brand plays the new Arthur. He is a talented, but chilly, self-absorbed actor, which hurts the film. The character remains a witty, promiscuous, thirty-something man-child who lives off his trust fund. Instead of an acerbic butler, Arthur's life is now overseen by his nanny, Hobson (Helen Mirren). He drinks because he fears facing the world as a grown-up. Forced to become engaged to the gorgeous but tyrannical Susan (Jennifer Garner) or lose his money, Arthur drinks even more. Then he meets Naomi (Greta Gerwig) as she's getting nicked by the cops for leading a tour of Grand Central Station without a license. The two have an instant spark and the plot thickens.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Besides the portrayal of drunkenness, the film contains considerable strong sexual innuendo, jokes hinting at kinky sexual encounters and nonexplicit sexual situations. It also includes occasional midrange profanity, drug references, and toilet humor. There is a sad subplot about illness and death. Susan's thuggish dad (Nick Nolte) threatens Arthur by nearly cutting off his tongue with a table saw.

-- A SIMPLY TERRIFIC THRILLER:

"HANNA" PG-13 -- Too violent for middle-schoolers, "Hanna" will literally transport high-schoolers who like brainy action flicks. It takes an old genre about retired spies pursued by their former bosses to wild new places, but never loses its emotional ballast. Erik (Eric Bana) lives with his daugher Hanna (amazing Saoirse Ronan) in a remote cabin near the Arctic Circle. He's been training her as a teen assassin who can shoot, fight, hunt and survive on her own. He has educated her and given her a fake back story to tell. Someone named Marissa (Cate Blanchett) will try to kill Hanna one day, for reasons not explained till much later. Erik wants Hanna to kill Marissa first, and to decide when she's ready to face her. Hanna flips a switch, which alerts Marissa of their whereabouts and the chase is on. Telling more would be spoiling it. The story takes Hanna to North Africa, where she befriends an eccentric British teen named Sophie (Jessica Barden) and her touring family, then to Berlin. Director Joe Wright never lets up on the tension or the mystery. The camera work, editing, design and soundtrack all mesh in a perfect, offbeat rhythm to keep you transfixed to the end.

THE BOTTOM LINE: "Hanna" goes well into R-ish territory for the intensity and startling nature of its violence, portraying lethal point-blank shootings, neck-breaking fights, stabbings, hangings, and more. The movie doesn't show graphic injuries, but there is spattered blood. We also see dead, skinned animals. The script contain occasional profanity, including the F-word, mild sexual innuendo, adult characters recalling their youthful promiscuity, and teen characters discussing sexual experimentation. We hear Sophie's parents having sex. The friendship between Hanna and Sophie has a mild sexual subtext to it.

-- FRAT HOUSE ANTICS TRANSPLANTED TO THE MIDDLE AGES, WITH HO-HUM RESULTS:

"YOUR HIGHNESS" R -- High-schoolers, particularly boys, may go for the style of humor in "Your Highness," which uses modern-day profanity, slang and sexual crudity to tell an adult fairy tale set in the Middle Ages. Despite a strong cast and decent production values, "Your Highness" proves a largely tedious experience, mostly because the concept rings so false. Lazy, selfish, cranky Thadeous (Danny McBride, who co-wrote the script) envies his sweet-natured older brother, Prince Fabious (James Franco), because he's going to be king. An evil wizard (Justin Theroux) abducts Fabious' fiancee Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), whom Fabious has just rescued from the wizard's tower. Thadeous has no interest in joining his brother on a quest to rescue her, but he goes, along with his loyal squire (Rasmus Hardiker), and thereby hangs this ragged tale. Along the way, they meet Isabel (Natalie Portman), a beautiful warrior on her own quest. What a waste of good actors.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Clearly geared to teenage and college guys, "Your Highness" won't destroy the morals of those under 17 if they see it, but most parents may find it inappropriate for them. It contains steaming profanity, crude sexual slang, less graphic sexual situations, nudity and crass visual jokes about an animal's severed sex organ. The mayhem involves impalings with sword, spear and dagger, along with wizards hurling lightning bolts.

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-- OK FOR KIDS 8 AND OLDER:

"HOP" PG -- Kids 8 and older as well as parents can't help but get a charge out of "Hop," a comedic blend of live-action and animation that has a fresh and clever edge to its wit. Kids 6 to 8 would likely have fun, too, but miss a lot of the jokes. E.B. (voice of Russell Brand) is the wayward son of the reigning Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie) on Rapa Nui/Easter Island in the South Pacific. But E.B. wants to be a drummer, not take over his dad's lofty job supervising the making of candy for Easter baskets and delivering them around the world, a la Santa Claus. So E.B. sneaks away to Los Angeles. Fred (James Marsden), an unemployed 30-something living with his parents, nearly runs E.B. over. (In a prologue we learn that Fred saw the Easter Bunny in his yard when he was little but he's forgotten it or thinks it was a dream.) Once Fred gets over the fact of a talking bunny, he and E.B. hit it off. But E.B.'s dad sends Pink Beret the bunny squad to bring E.B. home, so man and bunny go on the run. Back on Rapa Nui, the evil chick Carlos (Hank Azaria) is plotting a coup to overthrow E.B.'s dad. Fred and E.B. are soon in the middle of that.

THE BOTTOM LINE: E.B. proves to Fred that he is who he says he is by pooping jelly beans. The battle between the rebellious marshmallow chicks and the bunnies is mostly funny, but the militaristic minions of chicks and some of the aerial-style fighting could unsettle the youngest kids. The religious aspect of Easter is not dealt with at all.

"RANGO" PG -- Sharply funny and wildly inventive, this animated Western ought to charm kids 8 and older as well as adults. It looks like it's in 3-D, even though it isn't, with stunning visual depth. A showbiz-crazy pet chameleon (voice of Johnny Depp) gets separated from his owners in a desert highway mishap. He wanders into a town called Dirt, populated by a wonderment of desert critters. Using his acting skills, he dubs himself Rango and becomes the new sheriff. After he discovers that Dirt's mayor, a wily turtle (Ned Beatty), may be part of a water-stealing plot, Rango must save the town, win over a cute girl lizard (Isla Fisher) and be a real hero. For three-quarters of its length, "Rango" abounds in rich slapstick and character humor for kids, and witty allusions to classic films for adults. But the battle at the end becomes a tad too violent for under-8s -- perhaps even for some 8-to-10s.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The PG rating is tested in the battle scene, when bad guys of indeterminate species fly in on huge, creepy bats. The dialogue makes repeated use of "hell," and has at least one "damn." The excellent script is rich in words that adults can easily explain to kids. The ending has a compelling, if unsubtle, message about conserving water.

-- FINE FOR KIDS 10 AND OLDER:

"DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES" PG -- Kids 10 and older (and some between 8 and 10) will surely have fun at this sequel, even though it doesn't feel nearly as effervescent as the first film ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid," PG, 2010). Still, like its predecessor, " ... Rodrick Rules" gains wit and charm from the periodic use of ink drawings and narration based on the books by Jeff Kinney that spawned the films. Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) heads into seventh grade, hoping to become more popular and hang out with the cute new girl (Peyton List). But Greg's pal Rowley (Robert Capron) remains sadly unhip, and his teen brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) still delights in tormenting him, despite Mom's (Rachael Harris) insistence that they get along. Greg's school year gets off to a bad start when he's the object of scorn at the roller rink. It's downhill from there after Rodrick throws a forbidden party while their parents are away and Greg agrees to keep Rodrick's transgression a secret. The movie's position on truth-telling versus tattling is a little vague.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Aside from gross-out humor -- bubble gum on a "recycled" pizza slice, a chocolate stain on the seat of Greg's pants -- the movie is squeaky-clean. Rodrick's party involves only soda pop and gulps of whipped cream. He uses black eyeliner when he drums with his band, but no drugs, booze or smoking. A new band member is older, scruffier and spacier, but isn't shown imbibing anything. Greg and Rowley watch "The Foot," a scary movie about a severed foot that chases people.

-- PG-13s:

"SOURCE CODE" -- Ingeniously conceived and thrillingly executed, "Source Code" will transfix teens who like actual science, science-fiction and cerebral thrillers. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, a recent war vet who wakes up on a train heading toward Chicago. His flirty seatmate Christina (Michelle Monaghan) seems to know him, but he doesn't know her. In the restroom, he doesn't recognize the face in the mirror -- then the train blows up. Colter awakens in a kind of capsule. He's told by Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), a military officer speaking via computer screen, that he will be sent "back in" to the train, and will have another 8-minute window in which to prevent the explosion and find the bomber. Colter comes to understand that he is part of a scientific experiment in short-term time travel. Though his body was injured in war, his mind and spirit are being inserted, in 8-minute intervals, into someone else's body, so he can prevent the train bombing and stop a worse nuclear event intended for Chicago. The scientist (Jeffrey Wright) who invented this process and the officer dealing with Colter don't always agree on the ethics of it. "Source Code" is a high-stakes kick.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The film does not depict serious injuries. However, Gyllenhaal's character gets into rough and occasionally lethal fights. One passenger he tackles appears Middle-Eastern and the racial profiling issue comes up. The script includes occasional midrange profanity. The idea of a nuclear terror device going off near a major city is highly unsettling and chilling.

"INSIDIOUS" -- From the people who brought us the ultraviolent "Saw" (all R-rated) series comes this attempt at scaring moviegoers in a less gory manner. Alas, teens may find "Insidious" sorta lame, though it's OK for them to see. It's as if creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan have gone from "Saw" to "Tweezers." Renai (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Patrick Wilson) are still unpacking boxes in the big, old house they've just moved into with their two young sons and a baby. Immediately, there are odd noises. Then objects mysteriously relocate. Images of ghosts appear fleetingly. Then their older son slips into an unexplained coma, and Josh's mother (Barbara Hershey) brings in a friend who deals with the spirit world. The reluctant Josh must cross over and brave angry and demonic entities to rescue his son. Teens who feel left flat by the cliched "Insidious" and its unsurprising "surprise" ending should check out "Poltergeist" (PG, 1982), which really does the job.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The movie features rare midrange profanity, a chaste marital bedroom kiss, and near the end, a moment of brief but intense though bloodless violence. The early seance-like encounters with the spirit world are noisy, but only marginally scary.

"SUCKER PUNCH" -- A messy mix of graphic-novel storytelling and video game action, "Sucker Punch" wangled a PG-13, but is not for middle-schoolers, or even some high-schoolers. It exploits the sexuality of female characters, while purporting to be about finding yourself. In a lurid prologue, 20-year-old Babydoll (Emily Browning) has just lost her mother. In trying to defend herself from a drunken, violent stepfather, she accidentally shoots her younger sister. Stepdad commits her to a grimy mental hospital and bribes a crooked orderly (Oscar Isaac) to schedule Babydoll for a lobotomy. The film then switches into fantasy mode, as Babydoll awakens in what appears to be a brothel/nightclub where all the young female patients are trained in erotic dancing by Madame Gorski (Carla Gugino) and, it's strongly implied (though not shown), required to give sexual favors to male visitors. As she dances, Babydoll slips into a second fantasy world, in which a wise man/warrior (Scott Glenn) sends her into battle. Believing freedom awaits them, she leads the other young women into her fantasies. Sadly, "Sucker Punch" never overcomes its snarled plot and smarmy atmospherics.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Violent and steeped in sexual innuendo, "Sucker Punch" should be an R. The movie depicts lethal and realistically bloody stabbings, as well as intense battlefield sequences with robotic warriors, fire-breathing dragons, bombs and more. The female characters are never shown in sexual situations and we never actually see Babydoll dance, but the implication is strong that they work as prostitutes and erotic dancers. All the young women dress in scanty, comic-book-style costumes.

"LIMITLESS" -- Visually kicky and verbally smart, "Limitless" takes the idea of mind-focusing drugs and pushes it into sci-fi land. Since it's about drug addiction and has surprisingly tough violence for a PG-13, it is more for high-schoolers. Bradley Cooper plays Eddie, a wannabe writer who can't put his ideas onto a page. He's a slob, he drinks, and his girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) dumps him. Then he runs into his drug-dealing former brother-in-law (Johnny Whitworth), who offers him a little pill, stolen from a pharmaceutical lab, assuring him it'll sharpen his mind. Eddie takes it and in short order seduces his landlord's wife, cleans his apartment, writes his novel, makes a killing on the stock market, slicks up his appearance, and gets hired by a financial mogul (Robert De Niro). Now totally hooked, Eddie's in trouble. His drug supply is finite, side effects make him hallucinate, and he's tailed by loan sharks and cops. Maybe he should go back to aspirin.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The violence nears R territory, with high-caliber gunfire, eye-stabbings, face-gashings, bone-cracking fights and much blood. Sexual situations are comically implied, with shots of entangled legs and the sound of moans, and there is a jokey reference to a condom. A suicide theme opens and closes the film, and one guy threatens to flay Eddie. Characters smoke, drink and use midrange profanity.

"BATTLE: LOS ANGELES" -- Shot with a deliberately shaky camera and designed, despite the Marines-versus-space aliens plot, to look like a World War II flick, "Battle: Los Angeles" is not profound, but it's a roller-coaster ride likely to carry along action-loving teens. It may be a little too intense for some middle-schoolers. Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), back from a tough tour in the Middle East where he lost some men, plans to retire. Then alien-aircraft appear and start spewing robot warriors and major firepower against cities around the world. So he's back on the front lines, taking a stand with his small unit to save L.A.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The violence is heavy for a PG-13, though wounds are not particularly bloody or graphic. There's also an "ick" factor involving gushy internal organs of alien fighters, though they seem outwardly robotic. The dialogue includes nonexplicit sexual innuendo amid the occasional soldierly banter, and some occasional midrange profanity. One subplot involves the fears and emotions of a young boy whose civilian dad (Michael Pena) is badly hurt.

-- R's:

"WIN WIN" Limited Release -- High-schoolers who now and then enjoy a richly populated saga about everyday people will revel in the comic morality tale, "Win Win." Paul Giamatti plays Mike, a New Jersey lawyer who does something unethical to augment his scarily waning income: For a monthly fee, he has himself named guardian for Leo (Burt Young), an old man with dementia who seems to have no family. But Leo does have family. His teenage grandson Kyle (Alex Shaffer) shows up first, followed by Kyle's fresh-from-drug-rehab mom (Melanie Lynskey), who is Leo's estranged daughter. Kyle has dyed hair, smokes and barely talks, but he's a good kid and, Mike learns, a fine wrestler. Mike recruits Kyle for the losing team he coaches. He and his wife (Amy Ryan) take a liking to Kyle, as do their own kids. "Win Win" is a story of redemption and the expandable nature of familial love, but never feels like a sermon.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The R rating reflects mostly strong profanity. Characters, including the teenage Kyle, smoke, and there is a subplot about Kyle's mom's drug abuse.

"THE LINCOLN LAWYER" -- Juniors and seniors in high school, say, 16 and older, will be entertained and in no risk of having their moral compasses de-magnetized by this character-rich legal thriller. Matthew McConaughey crackles -- as does the terrific supporting cast -- as Mick Haller, a charming but sleazy defense attorney who uses his Lincoln Continental as his office and cuts deals with the D.A.'s office for mugs who are usually guilty. He has good relations (including sexual) with his ex, Maggie (Marisa Tomei), a prosecutor, and shares custody of their daughter. A wealthy young man (Ryan Phillippe) hires Mick to clear him of a charge of attempted murder of a prostitute, but Mick sees this is a case that may force him to ethics-up and be a hero.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A relatively mild R, "The Lincoln Lawyer" uses stylized but disturbing crime re-enactments, shows bloodied murder victims and a lethal shoot-out. Mick and Maggie engage in a nongraphic but still steamy sexual situation. The story refers to drugs and prostitution, and the dialogue features strong profanity, crude sexual slang and a nasty homophobic slur. Characters smoke and drink.