"Shorts" (PG, 1 hr., 29 min.)

Uneven and a little slapdash, "Shorts" still offers considerable fun for kids 8 and older, even after inspiration and energy start to evaporate in its last act. Told in chapters that jump around in time -- the way a kid would say, "wait, wait, I forgot to tell you such-and-such happened first" -- it's a cautionary tale with a high silliness quotient.

The movie brims with comic-bookish special effects -- rampaging crocodiles, swooping pterodactyls, a giant booger with an eyeball in it (yech!). Kids have names like Nose Noseworthy and Loogie. There's bullying, but it's done for comic effect and there's no real mental anguish portrayed. Director Robert Rodriguez lets kids take the lead here, as he did in his "Spy Kids" trilogy ("Spy Kids," 2001; "Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams," 2002; "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," 2003 -- all PGs), and the adult roles are all played by first-rate actors.

The story, created by Rodriguez with ideas from his kids, unfolds in a company town called Black Falls, where everyone works for nasty Mr. Black (James Spader), who manufactures an all-purpose device that works as everything from a cell phone to a baby monitor. Mr. Black's nasty daughter Helvetica (Jolie Vanier) and her brothers love to torment Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett), a nerdy grammar school kid whose mom (Leslie Mann) and dad (Jon Cryer) work for Mr. Black. Into the lives of these characters drops the Rainbow Rock, a multicolored stone found at the end of a rainbow by a kid named Loogie. It turns out to be a wishing rock with more powers than your average genie. In Toe's hands, when he wishes for "friends," it conjures up miniature UFOs and aliens that cook him a meal, clean his room, and then, unfortunately, destroy his science class. As the rock changes hands, it wreaks more havoc than happiness.

The film is a goofy comedy, but it does have special effects and characters that could unsettle under-8s. In addition to the animals described above (one kid is swallowed by a croc, then vomited back up), which appear like magic when the kids use the Rainbow Rock, there is plenty of gross humor, as mentioned. The bullies pelt poor Toe with rocks at one point. Mr. Black seems very evil and tells his nasty daughter "it's not bullying if you win." The film ends on a note of niceness, however, that feels genuine, with a moral -- whatever you wish for, it had better be worthwhile, because you might get it.

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Beyond the Ratings Game: Movie Reviews for various ages

-- OK FOR MOST (BUT NOT ALL) KIDS 6 AND OLDER:

"Ponyo" G -- This stunning, wildly imaginative fable by the Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki ("Howl's Moving Castle," PG, 2005; "Spirited Away," PG, 2002) has English dialogue voiced by American actors and offers delights for most kids 6 and older. Miyazaki tells a complex story, though, and the film's 5-year-old hero faces dangers that could scare some kids under 8. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid," it begins with a goldfish who lives in the sea with her father, Fujimoto (voice of Liam Neeson), a wizard who keeps the sea in balance. His daughter escapes, washes up near a seaside town, gets stuck in a jar, and is rescued by a kind 5-year-old boy named Sosuke (Frankie Jonas, the Jonas Brothers' 8-year-old sib). He puts her in a pail of water, names her Ponyo, feeds her ham, and is shocked when she starts talking (voiced by Noah Cyrus, 9-year-old sis of Miley Cyrus). Petrified that Ponyo will turn human, Fujimoto sends an army of fish to snatch her back. (Their eyes in the waves are truly creepy.) Sosuke is crushed. His mom (Tina Fey) doesn't quite understand and his dad (Matt Damon) is out at sea. Ponyo uses magic to become a real girl and return to Sosuke. When the newly human Ponyo tries to copy everything Sosuke does, it's charming and funny. Her wizard father and sea goddess mother (Cate Blanchett) finally facilitate a happy ending. Despite all the peril, no one gets hurt and it all passes like a great watery dream. One angry phrase, "Bug off!" is used, and Sosuke's mom appears to grab a can of beer to drink.

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-- OK FOR KIDS 8 AND OLDER:

"Shorts" PG (NEW) -- "Shorts" offers much chaotic fun for kids 8 and older, though inspiration and energy start to wane in its last act. It's told in chapters that jump around in time the way a kid might say, "Wait, wait, I forgot to tell you such-and-such happened first." Comic-bookish special effects show rampaging crocodiles, swooping pterodactyls, and, for grossness, a giant booger with an eyeball in it. Kids have names like Nose Noseworthy and Loogie. There's bullying, but done for comic effect, not mental anguish. Director Robert Rodriguez lets kids take the lead, as he did in his "Spy Kids" trilogy (all PGs). In a company town called Black Falls, everyone works for nasty Mr. Black (James Spader). Mr. Black's mean daughter Helvetica (Jolie Vanier) and her brothers love to torment Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett), a nerdy kid whose mom (Leslie Mann) and dad (Jon Cryer) work for Mr. Black. Into all their lives drops the Rainbow Rock, a multicolored stone found at the end of a rainbow by a kid named Loogie. It's a powerful wishing rock. When Toe wishes for "friends," it conjures up miniature UFOs with aliens that cook him a meal, clean his room, and then, unfortunately, destroy his science class. In various hands the rock conjures up the creatures mentioned above and wreaks more havoc than happiness. Some elements could unsettle kids under-8. One kid is swallowed by a croc, then vomited back up. The bullies pelt poor Toe with rocks, and later, Mr. Black tells his daughter "it's not bullying if you win." The film ends on a note of niceness and a moral: Whatever you wish for, it had better be worthwhile -- you might get it.

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-- OK FOR KIDS 10 AND OLDER:

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" PG -- The saga of boy wizard Harry Potter remains compelling in this handsome, if sunless film, based on the sixth book in J.K. Rowling's series. A kind of place-holder for the two-part finale, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," scheduled for 2010 and 2011, the movie has fewer action sequences, a lot of ruminative dialogue, and assumes an audience's near-total knowledge of the books. The PG rating means the action sequences are less violent but the movie is iffy for children under 10. It has frightening images, as when the Death Eaters collapse a crowded London footbridge, and when skeletal beings swarm out of an underground lake to attack Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). One character is cursed and dangerously flung about. Another appears to die of poisoning, but revives. There are broken noses and other wounds. As Harry and his friends are in their later teens, there is romantic longing and more sexual innuendo. Harry is sweet on Ron Weasley's (Rupert Grint) sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright), while Hermione (Emma Watson) loves Ron, but he flirts with Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave). Harry meets Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), who knows secrets about the Hogwarts years of Tom Riddle, who grew up to be Lord Voldemort.

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-- PG-13s OF VARYING INTENSITY, PLUS A PG MORE FOR TEENS:

"The Time Traveler's Wife" (NEW) -- Good actors and the best intentions don't save this film adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's popular (and serious) novel from seeming turgid and contrived. It is a love story, told in a dizzying array of flashbacks and flash-forwards. Since a traumatic event of his childhood, Henry (Eric Bana), a librarian, has involuntarily and abruptly time-traveled across decades. He arrives naked wherever he's transported, steals clothes, eludes police, and copes until he travels back to a more familiar period in his life. He meets Clare (Rachel McAdams) when he's in his 20s. She knows him, but he doesn't recognize her. That's because they met when Clare was a child and Henry was older. They marry and try to make a life, despite his sudden absences and reappearances Yes, it defies logic. One can see how a tale like this -- the book uses interior monologues -- can become a metaphor that reflects how love relationships swing between closeness and estrangement. But the film never makes the people or the time travel all that profound. More suited to high-schoolers, it opens with a harrowing (nongraphic) fatal car crash in which little Henry loses his mother (Michelle Nolden). There is other brief violence, frequent back-view nudity, steamy implied sexual situations, implied miscarriages with hemorrhaging, talk of a vasectomy, midrange profanity and drinking. Henry uses his time-traveling ability to cheat at the lottery.

"Bandslam" PG -- This is a pretty traditional high-school flick, but director/co-writer Todd Graff gives "Bandslam" a nice, not-too-jagged, edge that turns high-school cliches inside out and celebrates uniqueness. The PG reflects a subtle but unmistakable portrayal of teenage depression and mild sexual innuendo, including kissing. There's an amusing scene in which the protagonist, Will Burton (Gaelan Connell), is showering while his mom (Lisa Kudrow) sits on a closed toilet seat to talk to him. He yells "inappropriate!" from behind the shower curtain until she leaves. One character loses a parent. Students viciously tease Will about his absent father's long-ago drunk driving accident. A smart but reclusive kid trying to survive as the new guy at a big high school, Will has an encyclopedic knowledge of rock 'n' roll. His new school takes part in a "bandslam" garage band contest, and he's recruited by cheerleader Charlotte (pop singer/actress Aly Michalka) to help improve her band. He's also drawn to a the un-cheerleaderish Sa5m (the 5 is silent), played by Vanessa Hudgens of the G-rated "High School Musical" series.

"Julie & Julia" -- A sizable minority of high-schoolers may appreciate the colorful characters, smart dialogue and gorgeous food in this savory adult-oriented fable. "Julie & Julia" tells parallel stories. One is based on Julie Powell's book and blog about how, in 2002, she challenged herself to make all 524 recipes in Julia Child's cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." The other story is taken from Child's "My Life in France." The modern half of the film is a genial fable with the immensely likable Amy Adams as Julie. But the main dish is Child's life in Paris as a diplomat's wife after World War II, when she learned French cooking and, with husband Paul's (Stanley Tucci) support, wrote the cookbook (with Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck) and launched her pioneering TV show. Meryl Streep is wondrous as an idealized, funny Julia Child. Writer/director Nora Ephron's happy film floats gracefully between mid-20th century Europe and 21st-century Queens. The movie has a few strongly implied but nongraphic marital sexual situations and mild sexual innuendo. There is heavy smoking, drinking, tipsiness, rare but occasionally strong profanity, and a reference to suicide.

"(500) Days of Summer" -- A fresh indie romantic comedy like "(500) Days of Summer" ought to charm discerning high-schoolers. It has a timeless look, a hip altie rock soundtrack, and few pop-culture references. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to be a writer, but toils at a greeting card company. His story unfolds in a mix of flashbacks, tracing the 500 days that elapse between his falling for the boss' new secretary, Summer (Zooey Deschanel), her breaking up with him, and his getting over it. Tom confides his longing and pain to friends (Geoffrey Arend and Matthew Gray Gubler), who become a kind of Greek chorus. The film has profanity, crude sexual slang and innuendo, verbal references to porn, several implied sexual situations, and drinking due to depression. Not for middle-schoolers.