Which movies are fun for the whole family and which ones are treats just for you? Find out!
In theaters now:
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Short Story:
Fortysomething Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the dream. He has a good job, married to his high school sweetheart, nice house. But everything falls apart when he finds out his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) cheated on him and wants a divorce. Having been out of the game, Cal doesn't know the first thing about dating so he is taken on as a wingman to handsome player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling).
What They're Saying:
"It's a pleasure to come across the sharply funny and touching Crazy Stupid Love. It's a live one with a dream cast that keeps springing playful surprises." -- Rolling Stone
"Carell and Gosling, each willing to take his character to the point of caricature in order to find the truth in him, have a nicely barbed chemistry together." -- Village Voice
Good for Kids?
With an all-star cast and great reviews, this movie is not to be missed by mature teenagers and adults looking for a heartfelt film. But it's rated PG-13 and Common Sense Media says that the movie "deals head-on with some mature subjects, including infidelity and the art of seduction" and features a fair amount of "crass language" and "tame" sexual content -- so it's probably best to leave the little ones with a babysitter. Click here for the full Common Sense review!
The Smurfs
Short Story:
The Smurfs have landed in Central Park! When the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) chases the Smurfs out of their village, they wander into a portal that instantly transports them to N.Y.C. They take shelter with Patrick and Grace Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays) -- and get into plenty of shenanigans -- while they attempt to find a way back home before Garagamel finds them.
What They're Saying:
"The Smurfs may be blue, but their movie is decidedly green, recycling discarded bits from other celluloid Happy Meals like Alvin and the Chipmunks, Garfield and Hop into something half animated, half live-action and all careful studio calculation." -- Entertainment Weekly
"Why does the villain Gargamel have a name that sounds like a sore-throat product? Why are there countless male Smurfs and only one female? (The mind boggles.) Why do they only know one song, and why is it so irritating? So many questions." -- Seattle Times
Good for Kids?
The classic Saturday morning cartoon is back! Parents will be able to take a walk down memory lane with their favorite blue Smurfs. Rated PG, this animated flick could be fun for the whole family: Even though it didn't receive rave reviews, Common Sense says adults should expects some laughs as well as enough goofy jokes for the kids. Click here for the full Common Sense review!
Cowboys & Aliens
Short Story:
In 1800s Arizona, Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up with no memory and a shackle around his wrist. When he arrives in the town of Absolution, he learns he is a wanted criminal -- but when a spaceship attacks the town, he must team up with Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), the man who wants him behind bars, to defeat the aliens.
What They're Saying:
"What makes the movie work, really, is that above and beyond the conventions themselves doing their jobs, the actors seem truly invested..." -- MSN Movies
"Cowboys & Aliens is one of the silliest movies ever made, but so many otherwise serious people have attached their names to it that, as Arthur Miller wrote in Death of a Salesman, attention must be paid." -- New York Observer
Good for Kids?
What's a Western/sci-fi film without plenty of shootouts and explosions? With a PG-13 rating, Common Sense says to be prepared for lots of action and drinking in the town saloon. So, although this in the perfect film for teens and adults, it's best not to bring the wee ones. Click here for the full Common Sense review!
In case you missed:
Friends with Benefits
Short Story:
Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis) don't believe in Hollywood romantic-comedy clichés, so they decide to keep things simple... and be friends with benefits. Naturally, they soon discover that having a purely sexual relationship while remaining pals is a while lot more complicated than it seems.
What They're Saying:
"Friends With Benefits follows rom-com formulas as if directed on autopilot, but that's not to say it isn't fun." -- Chicago Sun-Times
"Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis make for engaging leads in this unexpectedly fresh R-rated comedy." -- The Hollywood Reporter
Good for Kids?
Even though Kunis and Timberlake have plenty of teen fans, this movie is for the adult crowd only! Common Sense says the film has partial nudity, swearing and a mature plotline, so it would probably be best to hire a babysitter if planning to see this R-rated raunch-fest. Click here for the full Common Sense review!
Captain America: The First Avenger
Short Story:
After being deemed unfit for military service in WWII, scrawny Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers for a top-secret experimental program that turns him into the well-muscled, red-white-and-blue-wearing fighting machine known as Captain America. As a superhero defending America, Steve battles Nazis, the villainous HYDRA corporation and his archnemesis the Red Skull (perennial movie bad guy Hugo Weaving).
What They're Saying:
"Evans, who played the Human Torch in two less-than-fantastic Fantastic Four films, brings such humor, heart and vigor to virtuous Steve that our rooting interest holds even when the action gets to be standard-issue." -- Rolling Stone
"It's paced and designed for people who won't shrivel up and die if two or three characters take 45 seconds between combat sequences to have a conversation about world domination, or a dame." -- Chicago Tribune
Good for Kids?
Comic-book fans and action-movie lovers will dig this movie -- but Common Sense tells parents that there are plenty of fight scenes and a PG-13 rating, so this one is best for teens and older. Click here for the full Common Sense review!
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