Wouldn’t it be great to talk to your house pets? I wonder what my dog Joey would have to say… of course it’s something only Dr. Dolittle would know. Dr. John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.), is a famous doctor and veterinarian for England’s Queen Victoria. He secludes himself and becomes a hermit as he’s sad and depressed after losing his wife seven years earlier. However, when he gets word that Queen Victoria is sick, Dolittle, and his group of talking animals, embark on a fascinating journey to find a cure for the Queen. Dolittle is based on the children’s 1922 classic novel, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle.

Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: January 17, 2020
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 8+
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Maybe

Talking Points:

• The film highlights the importance of helping others. Dr. Dolittle says, “It’s only by helping others that we can truly help ourselves.” This could spark a good parent/child conversation.

Sexual Content: None

Violent/Disturbing Content:

• A human is attacked by a tiger and bats.
• Soldiers point guns at a boy.
• A character holds a knife to his enemy’s face.
• A cannonball is fired at a boat filled with animals; we see the animals struggling to survive.
• A teen jumps from a high bridge onto a passing ship.
• There’s the mature subject matter of death as the main character’s grieves the wife’s death.
• A scary character threatens humans.

Crude or Profane Language:

• We hear “damn” and name calling such as “shut up.”
• There is potty humor focused on gas and butt jokes.

Drug and Alcohol Content:

• Dolittle performs surgery on a wounded squirrel and uses a sleeping gas to knock out him out.

Will Kids Like It? Maybe

• I got mixed reviews from kids in the theaters. An 8 year old boy thought it was boring, though his 5 year old sister liked it.

Overall this is a family friendly movie, though parents need to be aware of the moderate violent content. Depending on the child, Dolittle is appropriate for kids ages 8 and up.

Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her little brother Charlie (Gabriel Bateman) love action and adventure. One of their favorite things to play is “Viking and Knight” with their Playmobil set. However, when their parents die in a car crash Marlo’s longing for adventure slows down as she becomes the caretaker for Charlie. Though peril ensues when Charlie magically disappears into the Playmobil world. Now Marlo encounters a unique experience as she must travel to find her brother, and bring him back home. Playmobil: The Movie is an animated adventure based on the popular figurine toy.

Rating: 4 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: December 6, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 6+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: Mild

• Flirting

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

• Mature subject matter of death as the two young siblings parents die in a car accident.
• Playmobil toys fight against each other with swords and other weapons.
• Vehicles are blown up.
• Several of the toys are frozen by a freeze ray.
• An alien electrocutes some guards with her tentacles.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

• Name calling such as “wench,” idiot,” scum,” jerks,” and “pea brain.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Mild

• A character goes unconscious after drinking a drugged martini.
• A character spills a sleep serum on himself.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

• Overall this is a fun and entertaining film for young kids. Parents need to be aware of the moderate violent content.

“They’re creepy and they’re kooky. Mysterious and spooky. They’re altogether ooky, the Addams family.” That’s part of the catchy tune from the classic 60’s cartoon The Addams Family. The spooky, though entertaining, Addams family is back with Gomez, Moritcia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Uncle Fester and Grandma. When the family moves to New Jersey they quickly realize that that the town is not ready to accept the eccentric family.  Things get interesting when TV personality Margaux Needler realizes that the Addams’ creepy mansion is in the way of her selling all the houses in the neighborhood. However, the Addams don’t plan to change a thing, and that’s when the adventure begins. The Addams Family is an animated comedy based on the classic cartoons.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: October 10, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 8+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

• The film highlights the importance of not judging others and to accept one another.

Sexual Content: Mild

• Mild flirting.
• It’s mentioned that a character puts her underwear in the freezer.
• We see Uncle Fester naked in the bathtub. His lower half is covered with water.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

• Characters fight with explosives and weapons. Wednesday often shoots her brother with arrows.
•  People throw rocks and boulders at the Addams’ house, hoping to destroy it.
• At school the Addams’ daughter shocks the dissections frogs back to life.
• We see bullying at school.
• Most of the creepy violence is done in a comedic way.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

• Name calling such as “stupid,” and “creepy.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is a fun and entertaining movie for the whole family. Parents need to be aware of the moderate violence.