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Family Film Reviews

Jane Horwitz

"Journey to the Center of the Earth" (PG, 1 hr., 32 min.)

If "Journey to the Center of the Earth" is being shown in the new digital 3-D format anywhere near you, try to see it that way, because not all theaters have the equipment yet. From the first moment that prehistoric bug's antennae pop out at you, you know it's going to be fun. It is far from great filmmaking and, as with most live-action 3-D, seems dimly lit. It is also wildly simplistic and a little cheesy, but still not a bad amusement park ride of a movie. And it just might spur some kids to read the classic Jules Verne sci-fi novel that inspired the film. The language is very tame, with rare instances in which words that sound like something rude (such as the metamorphic rock called "schist"). However, kids under 8 may be frightened when the three protagonists careen roller-coaster style through an abandoned mine shaft, then fall down a huge tunnel toward the Earth's center, or when a huge dinosaur chases them, or when giant piranhas leap at them, or when man-eating plants lunge at them, teeth snapping.

Brendan Fraser plays geology professor Trevor Anderson, whose lectures put students to sleep. He tries listlessly to carry on his late brother Max's study of "plate tectonics," the movements of the Earth's crust as affected by earthquakes and volcanoes. When his sullen 13-year-old nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) visits, they find Max's old copy of Verne's novel and from notations into the margins and fresh seismic data, Trevor decides his brother was onto something real when he disappeared. They fly to Iceland in search of a volcanic tunnel leading to the Earth's core. Hannah (Anita Briem), a pretty mountain guide who scorns "Vernians" who believe the science-fiction novel was fact, grudgingly leads them to the peak in question. The trio are trapped inside a cave and are hunting for a new way out when they fall and discover a world within a world.

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (PG-13, 1 hr., 50 min.)

Fantastic goblins, elves, ogres, rock monsters and people-eating tooth fairies populate this extraordinary-looking film. With a blend of computer effects and gorgeous animatronic puppetry, these creatures often upstage Hellboy (Ron Perlman), the horned, tailed, brick-red superhero and his other "freak" comrades in the secret Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense and their struggle against otherworldly evil. This sequel to "Hellboy" (PG-13, 2004), again written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and based on Mike Mignola's graphic novels, lays its visual riches over a rather tedious gothic narrative and clunky fight scenes.

Although "Hellboy II" is a bit of a watch-checker, teens may forgive its faults in appreciation of the look of the film and Hellboy's tough-talking, cigar-chewing, head-banging, fist-thumping, heart-of-gold superhero persona. The level of violence and the scariness of the monsters (even the tiny, cute ones, which burrow into human victims and eat them) make the movie a bit too intense for preteens. There are also impalings, stabbings, an implied beheading, bone-cracking fights, slimings, and an infant in peril (but rescued by Hellboy). The movie contains toilet humor, beer-drinking, mild profanity and sexual innuendo.

This time Hellboy takes on the evil Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), royalty from an ancient underworld realm. Nuada intends to unleash the long-buried Golden Army to free all magical creatures and destroy humankind. With Hellboy's literally fiery pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), the gilled, classical-music-loving "aquatic empath" Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), and a new team member, the gaseous "protoplasmic mystic" Johann Krauss (voice of Seth MacFarlane), they set out to stop Nuada. The prince's twin sister, the good Nuala (Anna Walton), helps them. The plot thickens a tad when Abe falls for her. Hellboy, who is both human and monster, must choose his allegiance in the war with the underworld.

Beyond the Ratings Game: Movie Reviews for various ages

-- OK FOR KIDS 6 AND OLDER:

"WALL-E" G -- This computer-animated robot romance from the geniuses at Pixar breaks enchanting new ground, artistically, comically and technically. Yet the mild existential dread inherent in its central idea -- a trash-covered Earth abandoned by all but robots -- and the way the narrative slows in the middle could mean occasional fidgets or upsets for tots. The Family Filmgoer still recommends "WALL-E" for 6 and older because it is funny and exciting. Slightly scary bits include roaring dust storms and fiery spaceship landings. WALL-E is a trash-compacting robot in Manhattan some 700 years hence. He's squat and grungy, with binocular "eyes" and tractor tread "feet." He collects knickknacks, has a cockroach as a pal and loves to watch an ancient tape of "Hello Dolly!" (G, 1969). One day he finds a sprouting plant. A spaceship lands and offloads a sleek, white robot, EVE. WALL-E is smitten, but when he shows EVE the plant, she abruptly ingests it and the spaceship scoops her up. WALL-E hitches a ride as it shoots out to a starship where humans have lived since leaving Earth. Weightlessness has made them blubbery and weak, so robots do everything. WALL-E and EVE realize they must lead a robot uprising to save humanity. WALL-E is preceded by "Presto" (G), a hilarious animated short about a magician and his rabbit.

"Kung Fu Panda" PG -- In ancient China, a pudgy panda dreams of being a Kung Fu fighter in this very funny, artfully animated tale. "Kung Fu Panda" doesn't rely on easy pop-culture jokes or double-entendres. It unfolds as a classic hero's journey, with wildly inventive humor and delicately spun messages about being "your own hero." Po the panda (voice of Jack Black) lives with his dad, who's a goose (James Hong), and works in their noodle shop. At the local palace, Kung Fu master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), a red panda, holds a contest among the Furious Five -- Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross). The winner will fulfill a prophecy to defeat the evil snow leopard (Ian McShane). Flinging himself over the palace walls to see the contest, Po crash-lands into the midst of it. A wise old turtle (Randall Duk Kim) says Po must be the chosen one. Master Shifu trains Po in a riotous sequence. The fights are intense but stylized. The yellow-eyed snow leopard may scare tots. Fine for kids 6 and up and many younger.

-- BETTER FOR KIDS 8 AND OLDER:

"Journey to the Center of the Earth" PG (NEW) -- From the first moment a prehistoric bug's antennae pop out at you in the digital 3-D version of "Journey to the Center of the Earth," you know it'll be fun, so try to see it in theaters offering that format. Mind you, it is wildly simplistic and a little cheesy, but still not a bad amusement park ride of a flick. It might even spur some kids to read the classic Jules Verne sci-fi novel that inspired it. The language is tame, with an implied joke about a type of rock called "schist." Kids under 8 may be scared when the protagonists careen roller-coaster style through a mine shaft, or free-fall down a tunnel to the Earth's center, or are pursued by a huge dinosaur, giant piranhas, sea serpents and man-eating plants. Brendan Fraser plays geology professor Trevor Anderson, who tries to carry on his late brother Max's study of the movements of the Earth's crust. When his sullen 13-year-old nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) visits, they peruse Max's copy of Verne's novel and, using Max's margin notations and new seismic data, Trevor decides his brother was onto something. They go to Iceland in search of a volcanic tunnel to the Earth's core. Their mountain guide (Anita Briem) scorns "Vernians" who believe the novel as fact. They're trapped inside a cave and, while looking for a way out, fall into Verne's world within a world.

"Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" G -- Kit Kittredge may be kind, perky and enterprising -- a model tween of the 1930s -- but star Abigail Breslin never lets Kit become cloying. The movie gets overearnest now and then, but is mostly atmospheric and fun. Girls 8 and older who love the "American Girl" dolls and novels about girls living at different eras in U.S. history will delight in this feature. There's no reason why young boys couldn't enjoy Kit's adventures either. The script touches in a gentle way on people losing their homes and jobs in tough times. Kit befriends a teenage hobo (Max Thieriot) and his little orphaned companion (Willow Smith). Eager to be a newspaper reporter, she follows them around, sees their hobo camp, writes a story debunking anti-hobo prejudice and tries to get a cranky newspaper editor (Wallace Shawn) to print it. Meanwhile, Kit's dad (Chris O'Donnell) loses his business and goes away to seek work, and her mom takes in eccentric boarders. When money is stolen, Kit risks her safety to catch the thief. There are chases and threats from bad adults, but no one gets hurt.

-- PG-13s OF VARYING INTENSITY:

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (NEW) -- A blend of computer effects and gorgeous animatronic puppetry, the goblins, elves, ogres, rock monsters and man-eating tooth fairies that populate this extraordinary-looking film often upstage Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his team of "freaks" at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. This time the horned, brick-red superhero takes on Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) of an ancient magical underworld realm. Nuada intends to reactivate the long-buried Golden Army to free all magical creatures and destroy humankind. With Hellboy's literally fiery pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), the gilled "aquatic empath" Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and the gaseous "protoplasmic mystic" Johann Krauss (voice of Seth MacFarlane) they try to stop Nuada and are helped by his twin sister, the good Nuala (Anna Walton). This sequel to "Hellboy" (PG-13, 2004), again written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and based on Mike Mignola's graphic novels, lays its visual riches over a rather tedious narrative and clunky action choreography. Yet teens may really like the film's wildly imaginative look and Hellboy's tough-talking, cigar-chewing, head-banging heart-of-gold persona. The mayhem and the monsters (even the cute little ones that burrow into humans and eat them) make the movie too intense for preteens. There are also impalings, an implied beheading, bone-cracking fights, and an infant in peril (rescued by Hellboy). There is toilet humor, beer-drinking, mild profanity and sexual innuendo.

"Hancock" -- The ever-watchable Will Smith plays a drunk, slovenly, rude, amnesiac superhero in "Hancock," a movie with a great premise but dismal follow-through. Yet high-schoolers may like watching the star's witty performance. John Hancock (Smith) catches bad guys and saves folks in peril all over Los Angeles, but his flying is sloppy, his flat-footed landings tear up the streets and he wrecks stuff. He also sleeps on benches clutching a bottle of booze and grabs at women's derrieres. Angelenos can't stand him. Then he rescues a public relations man named Ray (Jason Bateman) who decides to befriend and rehabilitate Hancock, but there's a catch. Hancock recognizes Ray's wife (Charlize Theron) and she clearly knows him, but Hancock has no memory of why. This angle grows ever more implausible and the special effects look as thrown together as the story. The movie is highly profane for a PG-13 and an iffy choice for middle-schoolers. It has gross-out humor, sexist and homophobic jokes and mild sexual innuendo, a bank robbery with terrified hostages wired with explosives, gun battles and perhaps fatal wounds.

"Get Smart" -- Eureka! They've re-imagined the 1960s sitcom and yet retained its charms -- bad jokes, bad accents and a goofy blend of slapstick and spy shtick, executed in high deadpan. "Get Smart" will get laughs from teens who don't know the old show and adults who do. Steve Carell plays Maxwell Smart as a brighter bulb than Don Adams did on TV. Carell's Max is a bit of a geek, but also a gifted analyst at CONTROL, the agency set up to stop KAOS, a cabal bent on world domination. Max longs to be in the field like macho Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson, formerly The Rock). After KAOS attacks CONTROL headquarters, the Chief (Alan Arkin) dubs Max Agent 86 and teams him with the highly competent and (to Max) distractingly pretty Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). They set off to catch uranium thieves. The film uses Arab stereotypes in one scene and includes comic shootouts, fights, chases and other mostly mild mayhem, rare profanity, toilet humor, fat jokes and sexual innuendo. There are rats, too.

"The Incredible Hulk" -- While not as cool as "Iron Man" (PG-13), "The Incredible Hulk" is an entertaining ride, with impressive, deafening, but nongraphic mayhem. This take on the Marvel Comics anti-hero has the frenetic energy of a good chase flick, but its dialogue and quiet scenes don't crackle much. It is five years after scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) was damaged in an experiment. Now, when angered, he turns into the huge, seething, green Hulk. He has been living incognito in Brazil, practicing anger management and avoiding a U.S. general (William Hurt) who wants to harness his Hulkness for the military. Pursued by Army commandos, Banner makes his way to Betty (Liv Tyler), his love, who is also the general's daughter. Middle-schoolers may blanch at the huge hypodermic needles and gross scenes in which the general's top Hulk hunter (Tim Roth) undergoes the same experiment and morphs into the reptilian Abomination. There is semi-crude language, a brief, nonexplicit sexual situation and smoking. More for high-schoolers.

-- R's:

"Wanted" -- The visual effects in this sci-fi thriller (based on the comic books) are spectacular -- a train hanging off a trestle, one car plummeting into a gorge with people inside it, for example. But the film works because the characters remain vivid through it all. Director Timur Bekmambetov needed an actor of James McAvoy's skill to play anxiety-ridden office drone Wesley, who goes from wimp to hero. The gun-toting Fox (Angelina Jolie, in tattooed, dominant mode) shanghai's him into the Fraternity, a secret thousand-year-old club of assassins, led by Sloan (Morgan Freeman). They train themselves to achieve superhuman speed and shooting skills. Their targets, all evildoers, are given to them in a code woven by the mystical Loom of Fate. Wesley believes he's going after his father's killer. "Wanted" depicts blood-spattering shootings, beatings and target practice with animal and human corpses, yet it is all just surreal enough to be watchable. There is an explicit sexual situation, rear-view nudity, strong profanity and swarming rats. OK for 16 and older.

"The Happening" -- This cautionary thriller about an airborne, plant-bred toxin that disorients people and causes them to commit suicide as if in a trance is not writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's best work ("The Sixth Sense," PG-13, 1999), but its understated creepiness casts a real spell. That noted, the dialogue can be clunky and the catastrophes repetitive. Mark Wahlberg plays a science teacher who, with his wife (Zooey Deschanel), his pal (John Leguizamo), and his pal's daughter (Ashlyn Sanchez) flees to the countryside. Though a largely understated R, the movie depicts two graphic gun murders and a video of a lion tearing off a man's arms. There are strongly implied but nongraphic hangings and gun suicides, people jumping off buildings, mild profanity and sexual innuendo. OK for most high-schoolers.

(c) 2008, Washington Post Writers Group.

This news arrived on: 07/10/2008

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