Family reviews: 'Astro Boy,' 'Amelia'

8:14am on Oct 22, 2009; Modified: 8:23am on Oct 22, 2009

Parents' guide to select new movies:

'Astro Boy'

Rating: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language.

What it's about: a scientist creates an indestructible robot version of his son after the boy dies.

The Kid Attractor Factor: An animated boy with rockets for legs.

Good lessons/bad lessons: All that garbage from our disposable culture is going to end up somewhere.

Violence: Quite a bit — a child is vaporized and robot brawling is a plot element.

Language: Disney clean.

Sex: None, although Astro Boy does like his short-shorts.

Drugs and alcohol: None.

Parents' advisory: The pop culture references will be over the heads of the very young, but it's harmless animated action fare.

'Amelia'

Rating: PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking.

What it's about: The ground-breaking aviatrix finds fame, love, failure and despair during her adventurous life.

The Kid Attractor Factor: It's like a book report brought to life, with action, humor and heartbreak.

Good lessons/bad lessons: If you let others tell you what you can't do, you'll never achieve anything.

Violence: A plane crash.

Language: Pretty darned clean.

Sex: Not as chaste as you might think, with romance in and out of marriage.

Drugs and alcohol: Cigarettes, booze.

Parents' advisory: A solid, entertaining history lesson that's suitable for anyone 10 or older.

Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel

Family Reviews

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