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Parents Television Council Reviews Reviews for Parents PTC entertainment reviews provide parents with information concerning current entertainment offerings, including recommended ages suitable for a particular film and specific information about the content of sex, violence and profanity. Television, DVD and film reviews are all carefully evaluated using the stringent guidelines established many years ago by the PTC (see ETS for more information). You can trust PTC entertainment reviews to guide you through the process of selecting appropriate entertainment for you and your family. Armed with the information contained in PTC reviews parents can be the final arbiter of what they or their family sees. THEATRICAL RELEASES:
Ramona and Beezus
Release Date: July 23, 2010 MPAA rating: G Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Based on the beloved characters created by children’s book Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Beezus tells of the difficulties caused by Ramona Quimby, age 9½. Ramona is an unconventional child (sister Beezus calls her both “Ramona the brave” and “Ramona the pest,” and both appellations are appropriate) whose creativity charms, and whose rambunctiousness frustrates, her parents, teachers, and everyone who comes into contact with her. ► more
Release Date: July 14, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for fantasy action violence, some mild rude humor and brief language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is an enjoyable action-packed comedy that will appeal to teens and families. Of particular note is one sequence which pays tribute to the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” sequence in Disney’s animated classic Fantasia. The Parents Television Council does not recommend this movie for viewers under age seven. ► more
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Release Date: June 30, 2010 MPAA rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Yellow
Bella’s life seems, for once, to be going well. Her romance with the vampire Edward is proceeding smoothly, with Bella now fully accepted by Edward’s vampire “family,” the Cullens. But the idyll is shattered when their old foe Victoria organizes an army of vampires to murder Bella. Victoria’s reappearance leads Bella to renew her friendship with Jacob and his family of werewolves. Can Bella’s presence unite the Cullens and the werewolf clan against this new threat? And will her growing feelings for Jacob overcome her love for Edward? ► more
Release Date: June 18, 2010 MPAA rating: G Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
With their owner Andy grown up and moving on to college, Andy’s toys – cowboy Woody, cowgirl Jessie, astronaut Buzz Lightyear, and all the rest – question their future. Woody insists it is their duty to stay in the attic, where they will always be there for Andy; but the other toys jump at the chance to be donated to the Sunnyside Daycare Center, where they will be surrounded by children who play with and love them. But Sunnyside turns out to be a nightmarish prison, dominated by the stuffed bear Lotso. Can Woody save his friends from daycare? And can all the toys face existence without an owner. ► more
Release Date: May 21, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
“What happens AFTER ‘Happily Forever After’?” is the question faced by the gang in this fourth movie in the Shrek franchise. The ogre Shrek has married his beautiful princess ogre Fiona; but domestic life, with its endless noise, dirty diapers, and demands to “fix the outhouse” cause Shrek to long for the good old days when he was a monstrous ogre, feared by all and free as the wind. ► more
Release Date: May 14, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Sophie is frustrated. She and her fiancé Victor are on a romantic getaway to Italy, but all the food-obsessed Victor wants to do is meet with suppliers for his start-up restaurant. Then Sophie discovers the “secretaries of Juliet” – a group of ladies who answer letters from the lovelorn left at the spot where Juliet (of Romeo and) was reputed to live. ► more
Release Date: May 7, 2010 MPAA rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Red
Tony Stark seems to be on top of the world. The billionaire inventor is also the acclaimed super-hero Iron Man, who has successfully “privatized world peace.” But forces are assembling which will do their utmost to bring Stark low. ► more
Release Date: April 30, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for some rude humor, mild language and brief smoking Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating:
Dan Sanders has problems. In charge of building a small housing development in a wooded area, Dan faces resentment from several sources: son Tyler misses life in the big city; wife Tammy has been conned into organizing the local school’s annual Forest Festival; and the animals around the house are acting strangely, almost as if they want to drive Dan away. But when Dan’s tyrannical boss orders Dan to level the entire forest, Dan must face the mutiny of his family, the anger of environmental activists – and the forest animals’ Furry Vengeance. ► more
Release Date: April 16, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for some thematic elements Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Living amidst the poverty of 1957 Monterrey, Mexico, a group of poor boys discover the joys of Little League baseball. At the urging of the town’s priest, Padre Esteban, former U.S. minor league baseballer Cesar Faz agrees to coach the boys. Inspired by their dream, the boys overcome poverty, disapproving parents and prejudice to score their first victory on U.S. soil. Relying on their religious faith and love of the game, the team embarks on a record-breaking winning streak that leads them all the way to the Little League World Series – where a miracle cements their place in history and changes their lives forever. ► more
Release Date: April 9, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for thematic material Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Based on a true story, Letters to God tells the story of Tyler Doherty, a young boy stricken with cancer, and the lives he touches: his worried mother Maddie, feisty friend Sam, troubled teen brother Ben, and alcoholic postman Brady McDaniels. Tyler’s example of courage, perseverance, and – most of all – the letters he writes to God inspire others and lead them to put their faith in God and turn to Jesus Christ. ► more
Release Date: March 31, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Teen idol and Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus appears in her first dramatic role in The Last Song, a movie written by acclaimed romance novelist Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, and Nights in Rodanthe. Miley plays Ronnie Miller, a musically brilliant but troubled teenage girl. Forced to spend the summer with her father, whom she still resents for divorcing her mother, Ronnie meets an attractive teenager named Will. This relationship opens Ronnie to growth in other parts of her life; and over the course of time, Ronnie gradually learns to love…and to forgive. ► more
Release Date: March 19, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for some rude humor and language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Release Date: March 12, 2010 MPAA rating: PG-13 for violence, sexual content, language and smoking Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Red
Tyler Hawkins is a troubled youth. Though from a wealthy background, he struggles to deal with his own rage over his brother’s suicide and his father’s unloving and neglectful attitude. As a young girl, Ally Craig saw her mother murdered before her eyes, and was raised by an overly protective – and at times, borderline abusive – father. When the two meet, their mutual pain and compassion draws them together and grows into love, in the looming shadow of an even larger tragedy… ► more
Release Date: February 12, 2010 MPAA rating: PG for action violence and peril, some scary images and suggestive material, and mild language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Based on the hit book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief introduces Percy, son of a mortal woman and the Greek sea god Poseidon, who has grown up concealed among normal American teenagers and ignorant of his parentage. When the god Zeus’ thunderbolt is stolen, Percy is suspected of being the thief. Chased by monsters out of mythology, Percy is led to Camp Half Blood, home to other offspring of gods and mortals. There Percy, his satyr protector Grover, and feisty warrior girl Annabeth team up on a quest to save Percy’s mother from the death god Hades, find the missing thunderbolt, and stop a war between the gods – a war that will devastate the world. ► more
Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squequel
Release Date: December 25, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for some mild rude humor Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
The Chipmunks -- self-centered Alvin, brainy Simon and naïve Theodore – are back in this CGI adaptation of the cartoon favorite. This time around, the boys interrupt their concert tour and are taken in by slacker Toby and forced to attend high school. Despite being bullied and Alvin lured away by the “popular kids,” the Chipmunks stick together through thick and thin – until their embittered former manager Ian Hawke returns to steal their thunder with a new musical group, featuring three lovely Chipettes. ► more
Release Date: December 11, 2009 MPAA rating: G Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Release Date: December 18, 2009 MPAA rating: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Red
In the year 2154, an Earth corporation is mining an energy-producing ore found on the planet Pandora. Pandora’s natives, the tribal Na’vi, resent and resist mankind’s exploitative presence. To befriend and study the Na’vi, human scientists have created alien-looking bodies, or “avatars,” which are inhabited by human minds. Crippled Marine Jake Sully is embodied in an “avatar” as part of a mission to discover the Na’vi’s weaknesses and gain their trust; but as he comes to understand Na’vi culture and life on Pandora, Sully finds his sympathies beginning to change…► more
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Release Date: November 20, 2009 MPAA rating: PG-13 for some violence and action Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Yellow
A sequel to the wildly-popular teenage vampire film Twilight, New Moon finds shy but determined teenager Bella Swan and young vampire Edward Cullen deeply in love. So great is Bella’s devotion that she begs Edward to make her a vampire so that she can spend eternity with him, a decision with which Edward’s vampire “family” concurs. But after Bella is threatened with harm, Edward believes it is best for him to leave her life completely. Bella is emotionally devastated, but over time her friendship and budding romance with teenager Jacob eases her pain. But Jacob has a supernatural secret of his own…► more
Release Date: November 20, 2009 MPAA rating: PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Yellow
Based on the true story of Baltimore Ravens football star Michael Oher, The Blind Side shows how homeless African-American teen “Big Mike” is taken in and eventually adopted by the Touhys, a well-to-do Southern family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Michael's presence gives the Touhys insight about themselves and their lives. ► more
Release Date: October 16, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Toby is a boy genius, son of the robotics expert Dr. Tenma. When Toby is tragically killed, his father implants Toby’s memories and personality into a robot copy of his son. But when Tenma and the government of Metro City turn against him, the robot Toby befriends a group of fellow orphans – and ultimately finds his destiny as the super-heroic Astro Boy! ► more
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Release Date: September 18, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for brief mild language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
As a boy, Flint Lockwood dreamed of being a great inventor. Flint’s father just wants Flint to join him working in the family bait shop, but Flint pursues his dream and invents a machine that can make any kind of food rain from the sky. Suddenly, Flint is popular and the hero of his town – until the machine goes out of control…► more
Release Date: August 14, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for some thematic elements and mild language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Bandslam is the story of Will Burton (Gaelan Connell), a high-school student who’s bullied and disliked by everyone. But Will is also a talented and passionate student of music; and when he moves to a new school, he’s dragged into helping the beautiful Charlotte (Michalka) organize her garage band. Will’s musical talent forges the band into a contender at Bandslam, the nation’s largest amateur band competition. But will his friendship with Charlotte and commitment to her band threaten his growing romance with his shy classmate Sa5m (Hudgens)? And will Charlotte and her band beat the hunky, wildly popular Ben’s band at Bandslam? ► more
Release Date: August 14, 2009 MPAA rating: G Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
A little boy, Sosuke, finds a goldfish near his seaside home and names her Ponyo. But Ponyo is a magical being, the daughter of an undersea wizard and the Goddess of the Sea. When Ponyo falls in love with Sosuke, the power of her love transforms her into a little girl. But it also throws Nature out of balance, causing storms and flooding – and only the innocent love of the little boy and magical girl can save the world. ► more
Shorts: The Adventures of the Wishing Rock
Release Date: August 21, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for mild action and some rude humor Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Toby Thompson’s life is miserable. His older sister picks on him. His parents, obsessed with their job at Black Box Industries, barely know he exists. Worst of all, Helvetica Black (the daughter of his parents’ boss) hates him and has her brother’s gang bully him every day. But when the magical Rainbow Rock, which has the power to grant any wish, appears and makes the rounds of the neighborhood kids and parents, Toby – and everyone in Black Falls – is launched on the adventure of a lifetime! ► more
Release Date: July 31, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for action violence, some suggestive humor and language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
It looks like just another boring summer vacation for Tom Pearson. His older sister Bethany is obsessed with her obnoxious boyfriend Ricky; his elderly grandmother, irresponsible uncle and irritating cousins are also along for the trip; and, worst of all, his father Stuart is insistent that he and Tom bond by fishing every day. But when Tom and his cousins discover tiny aliens in the attic of their rented summer house, their vacation turns into a desperate attempt to save the Earth from an alien invasion in which adults are helpless – and the kids are in charge! ► more
Release Date: July 24, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for some mild action and rude humor. Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Yellow
G-Force - the covert government program that uses animals for espionage – must prove that it is worthy of continued government funding. So guinea pig super-agents Darwin (Sam Rockwell), Blaster (Tracy Morgan), Juarez (Penelope Cruz), and star-nosed mole, Speckles (Nicholas Cage) infiltrate the headquarters of sinister industrialist, Leonard Saber. They hack into Saber’s network and uncover a devious plot for world-wide domination. Unfortunately, they lose the key evidence to implicate Saber and save their program. With the agents sold off as pets, they must find a way to regroup and save the world from total destruction. ► more
Release Date: July 1, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for some mild rude humor and peril. Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Mammoths Manny and Ellie, saber-tooth tiger Diego, Sid the sloth and the rest of the Ice Age gang return in this latest installment in the animated series. With Ellie pregnant and Manny preparing for a life of fatherhood, the goofy Sid becomes jealous. Wanting a family of his own, Sid “adopts” three giant eggs – which hatch to reveal young tyrannosauruses! Though his “children” wreak havoc among his Ice Age friends, Sid is thrilled with his new family…until their real mother comes to reclaim them, leading Manny, Ellie and Diego on a dangerous mission to rescue Sid from the dinosaur’s hidden land at the Earth’s center. ► more
Up
Release Date: May 29, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for some peril and action. Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green.
Disney/Pixar’s first 3-D movie, Up follows the adventure of Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old man who uses thousands of balloons to uproot his house and travel to South America to find the legendary Paradise Falls. Carl and his wife Ellie always dreamed of visiting this place and following in the footsteps of their favorite explorer, Charles Muntz. After his wife passes away, and Carl is threatened with the prospect of moving into a retirement home, he decides to leave it all behind him. However, he doesn’t realize that he has an eight-year-old stowaway on board -- a zealous Boy Scout named Russell. Together, they make it to Paradise Falls and find the rare and wondrous Skype bird, while Carl also befriends a devoted dog named Dug. ► more
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Release Date: May 22, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for mild action and brief language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
This sequel to Night at the Museum finds former night watchman Larry Daley now a successful businessman and inventor. Larry is dismayed to learn that his secret friends – the exhibits at the Natural History Museum, who magically come to life at night – are being boxed up and shipped to the Smithsonian for storage. But when the evil ancient pharaoh Kahmunrah is also returned to life with the goal of conquering the world, Larry is launched on a wild adventure alongside General Custer, Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart and many others, in a battle to save the world from Kahmunrah – and his museum exhibit friends from being forgotten. ► more
Release Date: May 9, 2009 MPAA rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Red
This "reimagined" version of the iconic science-fiction TV show tells the story of young rebel-turned-starship officer James T. Kirk, who must learn to work with stoic Vulcan officer Spock to stop an invading alien's plan. Along the way, Kirk assembles his team of familiar characters and assumes command of his famous ship, the U.S.S. Enterprise. ► more
Release Date: May 1, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and some thematic elements Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: green
The alien world of Terra is a paradise, inhabited by gentle beings...but the Terrians' idyllic existence is cut short when their world is invaded by human beings. Can humans and Terrians learn to live together in peace? ► more
Release Date: May 1, 2009 MPAA rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Red
Following the pattern established by other recent movies based on Marvel Comics characters, X-Men Origins: Wolverine faithfully recreates much of the atmosphere and plot of the comics, but with language and levels of intense violence which make it inappropriate for younger viewers. The Parents Television Council does not recommend this movie for viewers under age 13.► more
Release Date: April 22, 2009 MPAA rating: G Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Filmed by the creators of the Emmy-winning Discovery Channel series
Planet Earth, Disney Nature's Earth continues the tradition of
Disney's "True-Life Adventure" series by showcasing the drama and beauty of the
animal kingdom and the natural world. Because of its brilliant photography,
gentle narration and poignant vignettes of nature, the Parents Television
Council is proud to award
Earth the
PTC Seal of ApprovalTM.
►
more
Release Date: April 10, 2009 MPAA rating: G Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
This Friday, Disney’s mega-hit teen TV singing sensation Miley Cyrus comes to theaters in Hannah Montana: The Movie. The Parents Television Council is thrilled to recommend Hannah Montana to parents and families as a delightful family-friendly film, and is honored to award it the coveted PTC Seal of ApprovalTM. ► more
Release Date: April 10, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for intense sequences of action/violence and brief mild language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: green
Based on the Japanese comic, cartoon and video game franchise Dragon Ball, this movie tells the story of Goku, an unusual teen. Though trained in magic and martial arts by his adoptive grandfather, Goku is bullied and shunned at school. But when the demonic Lord Piccolo kills Goku's grandfather, Goku learns about the Dragon Balls. ► more
Monsters vs. Aliens
Release Date: March 27, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Susan Murphy‘s wedding day is
ruined when she is hit by a meteor and transformed into a fifty-foot tall
woman dubbed “Ginormica.” Suzy is imprisoned with other monsters the
government has captured: Dr. Cockroach, a mad scientist who is also a giant
roach; the Missing Link, a girl-crazy half-fish/half-ape; Bob the blob; and
the 350-foot Insectosaurus. Suzy and the monster team are called upon to
stop a giant alien robot terrorizing San Francisco. Will Suzy and her new
friends be able to defeat the evil alien Gallaxhar? And will Suzy ever
return to her normal size?
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more
Alien Trespass Release Date: April 3, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for sci-fi action and brief historical smoking Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
The year: 1957. The place: Mohave, California. The incident: a flying saucer crash. When his prisoner, the monstrous Ghoti, escapes from the saucer, the alien space marshal Urp possesses the body of astronomer Ted Lewis. Will Urp-as-Dr. Lewis, waitress Tammy, and teenagers Dick, Penny and Cody be able to convince Police Chief Dawson of the monster’s existence…or will the Alien Trespasser DEVOUR THE EARTH?! ► more
Race to Witch Mountain
Release Date: March 13, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for sequences of action and violence, frightening and dangerous situations, and some thematic elements Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Las Vegas cabdriver Jack Bruno picks up an unusual fare: Seth and Sarah, two children who ask him to drive them out into the middle of the desert. Seth and Sarah claim they are from another world, on a mission to retrieve an important alien artifact -- a claim Jack comes to believe when the children demonstrate their otherworldly powers. ► more
Watchmen
Release Date: March 6, 2009 MPAA rating: R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Red
Although based on a comic book and set in a universe with costumed superheroes, the newly-released movie Watchmen contains extremely graphic violence, full-frontal nudity, explicit sex, frequent profanity and greatly disturbing imagery. Parents are strongly cautioned that the PTC does not recommend this movie for any viewer under age 18. ► more
Release Date: February 13, 2009 MPAA rating: G Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
The producers of the award-winning IMAX films Deep Sea 3D and Into the Deep 3D score another success with Under the Sea 3D. Featuring spectacular scenes of the undersea world of Papua New Guinea’s Coral Triangle, the Great Barrier Reef and the sea life native to the regions around Southern Australia, Under the Sea 3D offers an intimate look into the underwater world, and the exquisitely beautiful, treacherous and sometimes comical creatures that live there. ► more
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Release Date: February 13, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for some mild language and thematic elements Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Yellow
Journalist Rebecca Bloomwood is a “shopaholic” – a reckless spendthrift who has run up huge debts due to her love of clothing and uncontrolled use of her credit cards. Aspiring to a position at a top fashion magazine, Rebecca catches the eye of financial magazine editor Luke Brandon, who is impressed by Rebecca’s writing. Rebecca’s column, “The Girl in the Green Scarf,” makes Brandon’s magazine wildly popular. But Rebecca’s addiction to shopping, her increasing debt – and the lies she tells to hide them – soon jeopardize her job, her relationship with her best friend Suze, and her growing attraction to Luke. ► more
MPAA rating: PG for fantasy adventure action, some scary moments and brief language Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Based on the best-selling novel by Cornelia Funke, this movie tells the story of Mo Folchart, a “silvertongue” – a person possessing a magic power which makes characters in any book he reads aloud appear in the real world, and sends real individuals into the world of the book. Having inadvertently exiled his wife and brought to life villainous characters from the rare fantasy novel Inkheart, Mo and his daughter Meggie search the world for another copy of the book in an attempt to bring her back. The rougish character Dustfinger wants Mo to send him back into the book to rejoin his family; but the book’s villain Capricorn wants to remain in our world – and will stop at nothing to do so…► more
Hotel for Dogs
Release Date: January 16, 2009 MPAA rating: PG for brief mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor. Overall PTC Traffic Light Rating: Green
Andie and Bruce are teenage siblings forced to live with grungy foster parents. While saving their dog Friday from the pound, the teens find an abandoned hotel inhabited by stray dogs. With the help of several other teens and Bruce’s skill at inventing machines to feed, bathe and care for the dogs, the siblings transform the building into a “Hotel for Dogs,” and by defying the evil Animal Control Office, round up all the strays in the city. In the process, the lonely teens make a family for the dogs…and for themselves. ► more |
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The Last Song
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Inkheart
