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Summer Movie Reviews
By Kimberly Gadette
July 2007

Summer is here! Along with applying judicious amounts of summer sunblock, following is a review that just might help in applying a bit of parental "screen block" as well.

SPIDER-MAN 3

Staring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst
MPAA Rating—predicted: PG-13 (prior Spider-Man movies were rated PG-13 for "stylized action violence")

Plot: Happy Peter Parker, balancing girlfriend M.J. with his Spider-Man duties, doesn't remain happy for long. He becomes quickly tangled in a web of three villains (Sandman, Venom and Green Goblin, returning via Osborne's vengeful son). Spider-Man also battles his own inner demon, as depicted by a new black suit that literally, painfully pulls at him. Per producer Avi Arad, this film's goal was to "beat up Peter Parker harder, to see if he can take it, to see if he's still a hero."

Concerns: Between a sand-dune Goliath, his face contorted in rage, a black webbed shell consuming both Spider-Man and Venom (graphically crawling up their faces as if to suffocate them), a gas chamber filled with poisonous green smoke that converts Harry into the Green Goblin, sadistic weapons and deathly battles, parents need to assess this film carefully.

SHREK THE THIRD

Voices: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake

MPAA Rating: PG for some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action

Plot: The King (Fiona's father) is dying. Though Shrek is heir apparent, all he wishes to rule is his beloved swamp. Joined by Donkey and Puss-in-Boots, he sets off to find the rightful heir—Fiona's underachieving, teenage cousin Artie. With Shrek gone, Fiona and her princess gal-pals have to fend off a coup led by evil Prince Charming.

Concerns: Prior Shrek films have elicited complaints over potty humor. There are anatomical jokes, some sexual innuendo that will fly over children's heads, and a projectile vomiting scene. A populated sailing ship burns, causing the passengers to jump overboard. Alternatively, the themes of acceptance, loyal friendship, girl power and selfless love, combined with the fun of viewing fairytale stars in different settings, far outweigh some of the cruder humor.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END

Staring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action/adventure violence and some frightening images

Plot: Captain Jack is rescued from Davy Jones' locker. The three heroes must sail off the edge of the map to confront their foes. They call on the Pirate Lords from around the world to join them in a final battle—not just against their own extinction, but in a fight to defend the entire swashbuckling nation.

Concerns: The tentacled beast who entrapped Jack returns, along with the undulating, octopus-faced Davy Jones. But many of the sea/pirate monsters from the prior film are gone, with the conflict now concentrated on battling the water itself (whirlpools, tidal waves, a precarious duel on a mast during a storm). There is colorful pirate language, and battles with characters who are killed and/or drowned. Even worse, rock legend Keith Richards appears as Jack's father…which could easily frighten anyone at any age!

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Staring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson

MPAA Rating—predicted: PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.

Plot: In his fifth year of study, Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of adults, both at the Ministry of Magic as well as Hogwarts. With Dumbledore stripped of power, Harry takes matters into his own hands, choosing a small group of students ("Dumbledore's Army") who will learn how to defend themselves against the gathering forces of evil.

Concerns: With Voldemort back in power, the threat of death to Harry and his friends intensifies. The film opens with Dementors (hooded fiends, decayed hands, no eyes) attacking Harry and his cousin. The new authority at Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge, is a sadist—during detention, she forces Harry to write his repentance in his own blood. A well-loved character is murdered. Though the heroes remain noble, the negative slant on weak authority figures might add to parents' objections.