Family Film Reviews

NEW THIS WEEK

-- A SURPRISINGLY HILARIOUS EASTER BUNNY SPOOF MIXING LIVE-ACTION AND ANIMATION:

"HOP" PG -- Kids 8 and older as well as parents can't help but get a charge out of "Hop." Kids 6 to 8 may also have fun, but miss a lot of the jokes. This animation/live-action mix has a sharply funny script and droll characterizations. E.B. (voice of Russell Brand, raised to the treble clef) 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 position supervising the making of candy for Easter baskets and delivering them around the world each year, a la Santa Claus. So E.B. sneaks away to Los Angeles in search of fame. Fred (James Marsden), an unemployed 30-something living with his parents, nearly runs E.B. over, and E.B. takes advantage of that guilt to endear himself. (In a prologue we learn that as a child, Fred actually saw the Easter Bunny in his yard, 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 the Pink Beret bunny squad to bring E.B. home, and Fred falls victim to their tranquilizer darts. Back on Rapa Nui, the evil chick Carlos (Hank Azaria) is organizing a coup to topple the Easter Bunny. Fred and E.B. are soon in the middle of that battle.

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 in this film.

-- A COOL THRILLER THAT'S FUELED MORE BY BRAIN THAN BRAWN, BUT STILL GIVES OFF AN ADRENALINE CHARGE:

"SOURCE CODE" PG-13 -- Teens who like science-fiction and just plain science, as well as cerebral thrillers, will totally get into the ingenious "Source Code." Jake Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, a recent war vet who wakes up on a train on the outskirts of Chicago. His flirtatious 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 talking to him via a computer, that he will be sent "back in" to the train, and will have another 8-minute chance to prevent the explosion and find the would-be bomber. It takes several such forays before Colter understands that he is part of a scientific experiment. Though his body was injured in previous combat, his mind is being inserted, in 8-minute increments, into someone else's being, so he can prevent the train bombing and stop an even worse event that an as-yet unidentified terrorist intends for Chicago. The scientist (Jeffrey Wright) who invented this process and the officer communicating with Colter don't always agree on the ethics of it. For Colter, falling suddenly in love and knowing he may soon die certainly raise the stakes. This is a tough tale to summarize, but the premise is developed to thrilling, character-deepening effect.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The repeated explosions do not involve the depiction of serious injuries. However, fights that Gyllenhaal's character gets into are rough and occasionally lethal. One passenger he approaches with suspicion appears Middle Eastern and the issue of racial profiling comes up. The script includes occasional midrange profanity. The idea of a nuclear terror device possibly going off near a major city is a key plot point and highly unsettling.

-- AIMING AT A BROADER AUDIENCE, THE "SAW" CREATORS GO FROM ULTRAVIOLENCE TO PABULUM:

"INSIDIOUS" PG-13 -- From the people who brought us the ultraviolent "Saw" (all R-rated) series comes this attempt at scaring moviegoers in a less gory way acceptable for teen audiences. Alas, teens may find "Insidious" pretty lame, with no cliche left unused. 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 grade-school-age sons and a baby. Almost immediately, there are noises. Then things put on one shelf are found somewhere else. Then images of ghosts appear fleetingly. Then one son slips mysteriously into a coma, and, when doctors can do nothing, Josh's mother (Barbara Hershey) brings in a friend who deals with the spirit world. Soon, the reluctant Josh must brave those sometimes angry and demonic spirits to save his son. Teens who are disappointed with the laughably cliched "Insidious" and its unsurprising "surprise" ending should check out "Poltergeist" (PG, 1982), which really does the job well.

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

-- AN INCOHERENT, VIOLENT, SEXUALIZED FANTASY:

"SUCKER PUNCH" PG-13 -- A messed-up mix of graphic-novel storytelling and video game action, "Sucker Punch" wangled a PG-13 rating, but it is not for middle-schoolers, or even some high-schoolers. It exploits the sexuality of female characters, while purporting to be about finding yourself and being free. In a lurid film-noirish prologue, 20-year-old Babydoll (Emily Browning) has just lost her beloved mother. In trying to defend herself from a drunken, violent stepfather, she accidentally shoots her younger sister instead of him. He commits her to a grimy mental hospital where he bribes a crooked orderly (Oscar Isaac) to schedule Babydoll for a lobotomy. The film then switches into a 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, must give sexual favors to male visitors. As she dances -- and she has a special gift to entrance men, we're told -- Babydoll slips into a second fantasy world, in which a mysterious wise man/warrior (Scott Glenn) gives her superpowers and sends her into battle. Seeing this as a way of escape, Babydoll leads the other young women patients (Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung) into her warrior fantasies, retrieving items that are supposed to win their freedom. "Sucker Punch" never overcomes its snarled plot, smarmy atmospherics and murky message.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Very violent and steeped in sexual innuendo, "Sucker Punch" is a PG-13 that could be an R. The movie depicts lethal and realistically bloody stabbings, as well as those intense fantasy battlefield scenes 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 characters dress in scanty, comic-book-style costumes.

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-- OK FOR KIDS 8 AND OLDER:

"MARS NEEDS MOMS" PG -- A boy goes on a harrowing trip to Mars before he realizes how much his mom loves him in this uneven animated tale (in 3-D). "Mars Needs Moms" is no "Rango," but it can be touching and amusing at times. Since it hinges on the fear of losing a parent it may be too grim for kids under 8. It was made with "motion-capture," a charmless technology in which live actors play the characters and their performances are digitally mixed into the animation. A broccoli-hating 9-year-old boy named Milo (voice of Seth Green) has harsh words with his mom (Joan Cusack), and before he can apologize, she's abducted by a Martian spaceship. Milo stows away as it lifts off. On Mars he finds a female-dominated militarist society where babies are hatched and raised by "nanny-bots." The Martians plan to drain mothering info from Milo's mom's brain to program their bots. He must rescue her, and gets help from Gribble (Dan Fogler), an Earthling who grew up solo on Mars after they took his own mom.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Milo is perpetually falling off high places. Though he's nearly weightless on Mars and unhurt, it's visually scary. The males in Martian society are dreadlocked and relegated to working on a huge trash heap. The portrayal seems pointlessly racial, though only adults may notice. The Martian guards threaten the protagonists with laser guns.

"RANGO" PG -- This wildly inventive animated Western ought to charm kids 8 and older as well as their parents. Better yet, 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 girl lizard named Beans (Isla Fisher) and be a real hero. For three-quarters of its length, "Rango" abounds in rich visual and character humor for kids, and witty allusions to classic films for adults. But the big battle at the end becomes a little 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 enjoy this sequel, even though it doesn't feel quite as effervescent as the first film ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid," PG, 2010). But like its predecessor, "... Rodrick Rules" gains wit and charm from the periodic use of ink drawings and narration gleaned from the books by Jeff Kinney on which the films are based. 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 older brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) still delights in tormenting him, despite Mom's (Rachael Harris) efforts to force them to get along. Greg's school year gets off to a bad start when he becomes the object of older kids' 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 back 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 for his garage band, but no drugs, booze or smoking. A new band member is older and 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:

"LIMITLESS" -- Visually kicky and verbally smart, "Limitless" takes the idea of mind-focusing drugs and runs with 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 stars as Eddie, a wannabe writer who can't put his ideas onto a page. He's a slob, he drinks, and now his girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) is dumping him. Then he runs into his drug-dealing former brother-in-law (Johnny Whitworth), who offers him a little pill, stolen from some pharmaceutical lab, and tells him it'll sharpen his mind. Eddie takes it and in short order he 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). Eddie is now totally hooked on the drug, but he only has a limited supply after his brother-in-law is murdered. He also starts to have side effects and trouble with loan sharks and the 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 also a jokey reference to a condom. The film opens and closes with a suicide theme, and one guy threatens to skin Eddie. In addition to drug abuse, characters smoke and drink. The script contains midrange profanity.

"BATTLE: LOS ANGELES" -- Shot with a deliberately shaky camera and designed, despite the silly Marines-versus-space aliens plot, to look like a World War II flick, "Battle: Los Angeles" barely stops to breathe. Profound it is not, 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 rather 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.

"JANE EYRE" Limited Release -- Likely to cast a spell on literary-minded high-schoolers, this adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" is a darn good film -- darkly emotional and as storm-tossed as the book. Those unfamiliar with the novel, though, may not always be able to follow the narrative. The film contains nothing inappropriate for middle-schoolers, but they could have a hard time with its starkness. In 1840s England, Jane Eyre, a young orphaned girl (Amelia Clarkson as young Jane), is rejected by her relatives and sent to a boarding school where religion is used as a cudgel. Cut to the stoic, guarded, grown-up Jane (Mia Wasikowska), who takes a job as governess to a rich man's ward at remote Thornfield Hall. The gruff master, Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender), is drawn to Jane's innocence and makes her fall in love with him. But when he tries to wed her, his mad first wife, hidden in the attic, proves a moral impediment. Jane flees and finds shelter with kind people, but cannot forget Mr. Rochester.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The students at Jane's childhood school are beaten, underfed and freezing. Her best friend there dies in the night. The sexual charge between Jane and Mr. Rochester is apparent, though never explicit, and the innocent Jane is fascinated by a mildly suggestive nude painting. After an incident (not shown) with the madwoman, a visitor has a bloody gash in his neck. Mr. Rochester, that rascal, smokes and drinks.

"RED RIDING HOOD" -- High-schoolers may find it impossible not to giggle through this pseudo-serious medieval horror/thriller. The violence is relatively understated, but there is a strong sexual attraction theme that isn't so appropriate for middle-schoolers. Amanda Seyfried (wearing non-medieval red lipstick) plays Valerie, sister of a girl killed by a werewolf in their village. A clerical "werewolf hunter" named Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) arrives, but treats the townsfolk brutally. The werewolf pauses during one rampage to speak to Valerie. Since she, and only she, can understand it, Valerie is dubbed a witch. Her would-be lover (Shiloh Fernandez) and ex-fiancee (Max Irons) both help her escape Father Solomon. Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the first "Twilight" (PG-13, 2008) teen vampire film, also directed this, but the similarities are somehow snicker-inducing.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The werewolf attacks are quite stylized and not too graphic, but there is considerable spattered blood and images of severed hands and bloody tissue that could be human. Fights include fatal stabbings and axings. One young man is tortured to death in a metal contraption over a fire, but this is not graphic, either. At least one sexual situation between Valerie and Peter gets very steamy, though not explicit.

-- R's:

"WIN WIN" Limited Release -- Rated R for language, "Win Win" is a beautifully written and acted comic parable ideal for high-schoolers who enjoy a low-tech character comedy now and then. Paul Giamatti plays Mike, a New Jersey attorney who does something unethical to augment his waning income: He has himself named guardian for Leo (Burt Young), an old man with dementia who seems to have no family. Mike does it for the monthly guardian's fee. But Leo does have family. First his teenage grandson Kyle (Alex Shaffer) shows up, 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 sweet kid. And, it turns out, he's a fine wrestler. Mike and his law partner (Jeffrey Tambor) recruit Kyle for the hapless high-school team they coach and Kyle turns them around. Mike and his wife (Amy Ryan) take a liking to the boy, as do their own children. Win Win" becomes a story about 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.

"PAUL" -- Sci-fi and satire fans 17 and older will glean some giggles from "Paul," though the film seems to try harder to emit raunch and profanity than actual wit. A couple of British sci-fi geeks, Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost), make a pilgrimage to famous UFO landing sites in the American West. Near Area 51, their RV collides with a real space alien who has just escaped from long-term custody. He calls himself Paul, cusses like a longshoreman, eats live birds, and has an omni-sexual obsession, along with a love of toilet humor and marijuana. Graeme and Clive let Paul travel with them, though his presence creates some jealousy between the friends. They soon realize they're being trailed by a secret agent (Jason Bateman), and two clueless FBI guys. They also bring in Ruth (Kristen Wiig), the daughter of a religious fanatic, and she is horrified by Paul's explanation of evolution.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The script abounds in strong profanity (endless use of the F-word), sexual slang, homophobic slurs and all sorts of sexual innuendo. Paul, Clive, Graeme and Ruth all get high on marijuana, and Paul smokes cigarettes, too. The alien also encourages a kid to shoplift. Some lethal gunplay occurs near the end. The film's satiric view of fundamentalism may well offend some moviegoers.

"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 works out of his Lincoln Continental and cuts deals with the D.A.'s office for mugs who are usually guilty. He has good relations (including sexual relations) with his ex, Maggie (Marisa Tomei), a prosecutor, and shares custody of their little girl. Then a wealthy young man (Ryan Phillippe) hires Mick to clear him of a charge of assault and attempted murder of a prostitute. The case ultimately inspires Mick to go against his own nature 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 steamy sexual situation, and McConaughey is, of course, often shirtless. The story touches on drugs and prostitution, and the dialogue features strong profanity, crude sexual slang and a nasty homophobic slur. Characters smoke and drink.