'KANDAHAR'

Rated R for violence and language.

What it’s about: An MI6 agent has his cover blown after an operation in Iran and needs to escape in Afghanistan while being pursued by the Taliban.

The kid attractor factor: None — this is an adult action movie.

Good lessons/bad lessons: You have to return home to know what you are fighting ...Read more

ATLANTA -- Angela Stanton-King felt hopeless.

She had recently given birth, didn’t have a job and had just spent 18 months in prison.

She had to restart her life with her four children. Homeless and going from shelter to shelter in 2007, while trying to find work, Stanton-King said that no one was willing to give her a chance.

In a moment ...Read more

If you are the parent of a newly minted college graduate, believe me when I say this: I know exactly how you must be feeling right now.

I know, for example, how on the one hand it feels like just yesterday that you were trying to help your child squeeze two semesters’ worth of comforts and belongings into half of a 120-square-foot dorm room ...Read more

'FAST X'

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and some suggestive material.

What it’s about: The "Fast and Furious" team kicks off the first part of a three-part finale with a globe-trotting, diesel-fueled adventure.

The kid attractor factor: The automotive action will be a draw for teens.

Good lessons/bad ...Read more

When 28-year-old Navy veteran Carisma Carter pulled her car up to the front of the Atlanta VA Clinic, her seat was pushed far back from the steering wheel to make room for her big belly. Carter was 8 months pregnant.

“I’m having two boys, twins. It’s my first pregnancy,” she said.

Carter knows the pregnancy risks she could face as a ...Read more

'BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER'

Rated PG-13 for sex-related material throughout, and for language.

What it’s about: The ladies of the randiest book club in Brentwood set out for a post-pandemic adventure in Italy.

The kid attractor factor: This is aimed more at adult women, not so much appeal for kids.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Follow the ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Senate is teeming with proposals, many bipartisan, to combat what supporters say is Big Tech’s failure to combat child pornography and otherwise promote the safety and privacy of minors online.

There’s been movement on several of these bills. But Senate passage, let alone enactment, for any of them still seems elusive ...Read more

'GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3'

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements.

What it’s about: The third installment of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" Marvel series focuses on the origin story of Rocket Raccoon, and his past as an experimental lab animal.

The kid...Read more

'ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET.'

Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving sexual education and some suggestive material.

What it’s about: This adaptation of the classic Judy Blume young adult novel finally hits the big screen, following the trials and tribulations of Margaret Simon, contending with puberty, sixth grade gender ...Read more

'GUY RITCHIE'S THE COVENANT'

Rated R for violence, language throughout and brief drug content.

What it’s about: The story of a bond between an Army sergeant and Afghan interpreter forged during a harrowing journey.

The kid attractor factor: This military melodrama is pitched at adults — not much appeal for kids.

Good lessons/bad lessons:...Read more

Melissa Cassem still cannot make sense of what happened to her family at their home in the Sierra Nevada during a recent heavy snowfall.

In late March, the Cassems were snowed in after a historic winter storm dropped 10 to 15 feet of snow in Alta, California, about 60 miles northeast of Sacramento. The family had moved to Placer County from the...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Simona Rodríguez's sudden death in December 2020 jolted her husband, Ricardo.

The couple had shared 42 years of their lives. They'd raised two children after immigrating to the United States. They'd dreamed of visiting relatives in Mexico, but Ricardo lacked the legal documents that would've given him the freedom to travel ...Read more

'RENFIELD'

Rated R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use.

What it’s about: This modern twist on the Dracula story focuses on his familiar, Renfield, who realizes he's in a toxic relationship with the centuries-old vampire.

The kid attractor factor: Teens might be drawn to the horror-comedy genre and the ...Read more

DENVER — The 12-year-old lay in a bed in the intensive care unit, gasping for breath during a severe asthmatic reaction.

While deciding whether to intubate him, Dr. Carly Muller couldn’t take her eyes away from the handcuffs chaining the boy to the hospital bed. Or the guard standing above him. The boy was in the custody of the juvenile ...Read more

'THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE'

Rated PG for action and mild violence.

What it’s about: Head off to the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario and Luigi to save Princess Peach from Bowser in this classic video game animated adaptation.

The kid attractor factor: It's animated! It's a video game! Colors! Songs! Cute creatures!

Good lessons/bad lessons: ...Read more

'DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES'

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action/violence and some language.

What it’s about: The classic geek game gets the big, fun, action-adventure treatment on the big screen.

The kid attractor factor: The creatures, the fantasy, the adventure, oh my!

Good lessons/bad lessons: Failure is an option, and it's OK....Read more

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Why don’t parents like their kids to play with fake guns? – Henry, age 11, Somerville, Massachusetts

A major reason parents don’t like kids to play with pretend guns is...Read more

When the pandemic locked down America three years ago, Eric Hailey, 41, saw for the first time how much his wife, Carla, did to support their family.

"When she said before how busy she was with the house and the kids, I didn't realize how much she did," said Eric, who owns Max Fitness gym in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. "But when I stayed home ...Read more

'JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4'

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language.

What it’s about: America's favorite assassin fights for his freedom, through Osaka, Berlin and Paris.

The kid attractor factor: Not much — this is an action movie for grown-ups.

Good lessons/bad lessons: First and foremost, be nice to dogs.

Violence: Extreme...Read more