Life is good for Buck, a St. Bernard/Scotch Collie dog. His owner is Judge Miller, he lives in a beautiful California home, and everyone in town knows the beloved dog. However, Buck’s life dramatically changes when he is stolen from his family and is sent to the Yukon to work as a sled dog. Luckily, John Thornton (Harrison Ford), comes across the poorly treated dog and saves his life. Together the man/dog duo go on an adventure to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon in the 1890’s during the Klondike Gold Rush.  The Call of the Wild is a family-friendly adaptation of Jack London’s classic novel.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: February 21, 2020
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 8+
Sexual Content: None
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

Sexual Content: None

Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive

• There are physical fights between men, and also men and dogs.
• A dog is beaten by a man with a baton.
• Animals are killed by other animals.
• Dogs are pushed to extreme, they are even whipped to keep working.
• A character bleeds to death.
• A character is trapped in a burning cabin.

Crude or Profane Language: Mild

• We hear “hell,” and “damit.”

Drug and Alcohol Content: Moderate

• Characters are shown drinking alcohol in bars.
• A man frequently drinks whiskey and it’s clear he has a drinking problem.

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is a wonderful family film. Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and drug and alcohol content.

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.