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» We enable adults to determine whether a movie is appropriate for them or their children, according to their own criteria. Unlike the MPAA we do not assign an inscrutable rating based on age but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE/GORE & PROFANITY, on a scale of 0 to 10, and we explain in detail why a film rates high or low in a specific category; we also include instances of SUBSTANCE USE, a thorough list of DISCUSSION TOPICS that may elicit questions from children, and the MESSAGE the film conveys. Since our system is based on objective standards, not the viewer's age or the artistic merits of a film, we enable adults to determine whether a movie is appropriate for their own children...

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COPYRIGHT POLICY

» You can print a page for your own use or to share with friends; sure, you can e-mail a page to a friend; and yes, please go ahead and link to our site. However, any commercial reproduction of anything appearing within this site without our written permission is illegal and in really bad taste and we will take action to prevent...

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Battleship - 3.6.5

A multi-national naval exercise is interrupted by an alien invasion. A force field prevents nuclear weapons from attacking the aliens and the survival of the human race depends on figuring out how to battle at sea with conventional weaponry. Based on the Hasbro board game of the same name. With Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Tadanobu Asano, Hamish Linklater, Liam Neeson, Peter MacNicol, John Tui, Jesse Plemons and Gregory D. Gadson. Directed by Peter Berg. [2:11 - PG-13]

The Dictator - 7.6.6

Sacha Baron Cohen stars as a ruthless dictator from an oil-rich small North African nation. Wanting to pursue a nuclear weapons program, he visits the United States with his brother (Ben Kingsley) to address the United Nations, but he ends up stripped of his position and has to get a job in an organic grocery store run by an activist (Anna Faris). Also with Jason Mantzoukas and J.B. Smoove. Directed by Larry Charles. [1:23 - R]

Dark Shadows - 4.6.4

A witch (Eva Green) is angry that a rich man (Johnny Depp) spurned her, so in retaliation she puts a spell on him in 1772, burying him alive as a vampire. Then he's accidentally dug up in 1972, and finds out that his descendants on the family estate are so dysfunctional that the matriarch (Michelle Pfeiffer) pays a live-in psychiatrist (Helena Bonham Carter). The vampire aims to set things straight. Also with Christopher Lee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Gulliver McGrath, Jonny Lee Miller and Jackie Earle Haley. Directed by Tim Burton. [1:53 - PG-13]

Bernie - 3.5.5

Based on the true story of a beloved assistant funeral director (Jack Black) who began a relationship with a wealthy older woman (Shirley MacLaine), known for her bad attitude, only to end up shooting her and storing her body in the freezer and charitably spending her money until he was caught. Also with Matthew McConaughey. Directed by Richard Linklater. [1:44 - PG-13]

The Perfect Family - 4.4.3

A devout Catholic wife and mother (Kathleen Turner) has been nominated for "Catholic Woman of the Year" but as she goes through the motions required to win the award, she almost loses what is most important to her -- her family. Also with Emily Deschanel, Jason Ritter, Richard Chamberlain and Elizabeth Pena. Directed by Anne Renton. [1:24 - PG-13]

The Avengers - 2.7.3

When a blue cube opens a door to other worlds and the evil deity Loki (Tom Hiddleston) comes through and starts turning humans into his minions, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and other superheroes come together to protect humanity. Also with Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Paul Bettany. Directed by Joss Whedon. [2:22 - PG-13]

Darling Companion - 4.3.4

The story of an empty nester (Diane Keaton) that rescues a dog along a freeway. But after the dog runs away on a walk, she must confront her disappointment with her husband (Kevin Kline), an emotionally distant surgeon. Also with Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Elisabeth Moss, Sam Shepard and Mark Duplass. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. [1:43 - PG-13]

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - 4.3.5

Several retired English men and women, including a newly widowed woman (Judi Dench), a couple (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton) that has lost its savings, a woman (Maggie Smith) with no family and no job and nervously awaiting a hip replacement, a judge (Tom Wilkinson) returning to his childhood home, a man (Ronald Pickup) looking for a new life and a new woman and a multiple divorcée (Celia Imrie) looking for a new husband travel to India to try out a ritzy new retirement hotel. When they arrive, they find it's not so ritzy. Also with Dev Patel, Tena Desae and Diana Hardcastle. Directed by John Madden. [2:04 - PG-13]

Safe - 0.8.6

Jason Statham stars as a man with a dark past, suffering from guilt. When his wife is murdered, he becomes homeless and wanders the streets until one day he encounters a 12-year-old girl (Catherine Chan) hiding from Russian thugs. When he takes them on to protect her, he doesn't know just how deeply involved he will become. Also with Chris Sarandon, Anson Mount, James Hong, Reggie Lee, Robert John Burke, Sándor Técsy and Joseph Sikora. Directed by Boaz Yakin. [1:35 - R]

The Raven - 2.8.5

Edgar Allen Poe (John Cusack) helps a police detective (Luke Evans) track down a serial killer that is using Poe's stories to stage killings; plus, he has kidnapped Poe's fiancée (Alice Eve) as his next victim. Also with Brendan Gleeson, Sam Hazeldine and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Directed by James McTeigue. [1:50 - R]

The Pirates! Band of Misfits - 2.3.2

Animated feature about a pirate (voiced by Hugh Grant) and his loser crew that dream of finally winning the annual Pirate of the Year Award against their archenemies (voiced by Jeremy Piven, Lenny Henry and Salma Hayek). The pirates must survive dangerous voyages from Blood Island to foggy London, but Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) presents obstacles for them in this Victorian-era "reality show." Also with the voices of Martin Freeman, Al Roker, Brian Blessed, Brendan Gleeson, David Tennant and Ashley Jensen. Directed by Peter Lord & Jeff Newitt. [1:27 - G]

The Five-Year Engagement - 7.4.9

A man (Jason Segel) proposes to a woman (Emily Blunt) and they begin planning their wedding and their future together; when she is offered a post-doctoral position at a university in Michigan, they leave their San Francisco home thinking it will be a two year delay in their plans. But it doesn't turn out that way and as more time passes, it becomes harder and harder to pin down a wedding date. Also with Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Rhys Ifans and Kevin Hart. Directed by Nicholas Stoller. [2:04 - R]

The Lucky One - 6.5.4

A U.S. Marine (Zac Ephron), on his third tour of duty in Iraq, finds a discarded photo of a woman (Taylor Schilling). Keeping it in his pocket, he is convinced that the image saved him from death several times and when he returns home, he walks across the country on foot in search of the woman in the photograph. He finds more than he bargained for, but also more than he dreamed. Also with Blythe Danner, Jay R. Ferguson, Riley Thomas Stewart and Joe Chrest. Directed by Scott Hicks. [1:40 - PG-13]