Handpicked by Our Editors

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
4

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Why We Recommend It

Celebrate the American spirit with this classic about a senator who battles corruption while fighting for his dream.

Read our full review
Princess Protection Program
4

Princess Protection Program

Why We Recommend It

This wholesome story about friendship, self-acceptance, and inner beauty gives tweens some food for thought.

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Movies New in Theaters

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the sixth movie in the Harry Potter franchise promises to continue the series' trend toward darker, heavier material. Fans f... read more

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Stardust

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this John Hughes-esque teen comedy about a nerdy valedictorian who declares his love for the most popular girl in high schoo... read more

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Sixteen Candles, Say Anything, Ferris Bueller's Day Off

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I Love You, Beth Cooper
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Bruno (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this mockumentary following a faux Austrian fashion correspondent's quest to become famous in America seems likely to be eve... read more

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Borat, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, Da Ali G Show

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Bruno
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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the third installment in the Ice Age franchise is likely to appeal to kids (even the preschool set) as much as the first tw... read more

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Shrek, Madagascar, Monsters, Inc.

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
3
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Public Enemies (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this 1930s-set crime drama starring Johnny Depp as infamous bank robber John Dillinger is full of very realistic violence th... read more

Other Choices

Bonnie and Clyde, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Chicago

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Public Enemies
4
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My Sister's Keeper (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this tearjerking drama explores some heavy themes that younger audiences may find difficult to process without guidance. A... read more

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Terms of Endearment, Stepmom, Steel Magnolias

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My Sister's Keeper
3
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this sequel to 2007's Transformers is edgier and less kid-friendly than the first. Kids will want to see it because they're ... read more

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Transformers, Iron Man, Independence Day

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
1
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Whatever Works (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this tepid Woody Allen comedy tackles mature themes like threesomes, homosexual relationships, and infidelity, though there'... read more

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Annie Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Match Point

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Whatever Works
2
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The Proposal (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this charming romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds has a much talked-about scene in which the leads, bo... read more

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Two Weeks Notice, Notting Hill, Romancing the Stone

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The Proposal
4
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Year One (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this farcical romp through the Book of Genesis -- which was originally rated R but got edited down to an edgy PG-13 -- is fu... read more

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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Dumb and Dumber, Wayne's World

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Year One
2
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Food, Inc. (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this documentary is a hard-hitting exposé on the food industry, especially the elite group of powerful corporations behind ... read more

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Super Size Me, An Inconvenient Truth, Roger & Me

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Food, Inc.
4
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Call of the Wild (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this sweet but predictable film inspired by Jack London's classic novel is squeaky clean -- there's no nudity, drinking, smo... read more

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Free Willy, Babe, Fly Away Home

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Call of the Wild
2
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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this action-packed remake of the gritty, same-named 1970s thriller is intense and violent and not meant for young kids. The ... read more

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State of Play, The Bank Job, Inside Man

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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
3
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Imagine That (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Eddie Murphy father-daughter comedy is aimed squarely at families, so expect your kids to be interested. The good news ... read more

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The Game Plan, Fly Away Home, Mulan

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Imagine That
3
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My Life in Ruins (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this romcom probably isn't on most kids' radar, with the exception of teen girls who love romantic films. Sexuality includes... read more

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Before Sunrise, The Holiday, Love Actually

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My Life in Ruins
3
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Away We Go (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that older teens may be intrigued by this indie drama because of star John Krasinski and writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. It... read more

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Parenthood, Father of the Bride, Lymelife

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Away We Go
3
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The Hangover (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this hilarious but extremely raunchy comedy from the director of Old School is decidedly not for younger teens. Let's face i... read more

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Role Models, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Old School

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The Hangover
4
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Land of the Lost (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this big-screen version of the cult-classic 1970s TV show has lots of vulgar language, as well as an extended sequence in wh... read more

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Night at the Museum, Zathura: A Space Adventure, The Goonies

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Land of the Lost
3
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Drag Me to Hell (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that many of the scares, jumps, and jolts in this horror/action movie from Spider-Man director Sam Raimi are played for comic eff... read more

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Poltergeist, The Ring, The Birds

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Drag Me to Hell
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Up (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is the second Pixar movie (after The Incredibles) to receive a PG rating, mostly due to a few potentially frightening s... read more

Other Choices

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, James and the Giant Peach, Bee Movie

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Up
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Dance Flick (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this lowbrow comedy is much raunchier than the teen-friendly dance movies it's spoofing. There's lots of gross-out humor, in... read more

Other Choices

Save the Last Dance, Step Up, Stomp the Yard

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Dance Flick
2

New on DVD

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Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is a review of the theatrical release and not the "unleashed and unrated" version available on DVD that may i... read more

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Kung Fu Panda, The Forbidden Kingdom, Shaolin Soccer

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Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
1
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12 Rounds (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is a review of the theatrical release and not the DVD that comes with what's described as "two alternate endings a... read more

Other Choices

Die Hard: With a Vengeance, The Dark Knight

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12 Rounds
2
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Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009, Rated G)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this 3D concert is G-rated. There's nothing inappropriate to keep away the hordes of adoring primary-school fans, who along ... read more

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Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, The Cheetah Girls: One World

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Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
3
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Two Lovers (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this indie drama stars Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow but is not a teen-oriented romance. The movie covers several matu... read more

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Proof, We Own the Night, Requiem for a Dream

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Two Lovers
1
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Princess Protection Program (2009, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie centers on two exemplary teen heroines who demonstrate that friendship, character, and self-confidence are the ke... read more

Other Choices

Enchanted, The Princess Diaries, Princess

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Princess Protection Program
4
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Dragon Hunters (Chasseurs de Dragons) (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although this is an animated adventure story, many of the images are scary and our heroes face great danger in scene after s... read more

Other Choices

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Coraline

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Dragon Hunters (Chasseurs de Dragons)
3
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Mr. Troop Mom (2009, Rated G)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the central character's mom is dead, and her father is so busy with his work that a babysitter plays the parent role at firs... read more

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Camp Rock, Daddy Day Camp

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Mr. Troop Mom
3
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Phoebe in Wonderland (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although children figure prominently in this fantasy-tinged drama, it deals with themes that are too mature for tweens and y... read more

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My Girl, Alice in Wonderland, The Velveteen Rabbit

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Phoebe in Wonderland
3
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Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although most of the content in this by-the-book romantic comedy is age-appropriate for older tweens and young teens (there'... read more

Other Choices

The Devil Wears Prada, Never Been Kissed, Confessions of a Shopaholic

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Confessions of a Shopaholic
2
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The Pink Panther 2 (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this sequel to 2006's The Pink Panther is very similar to its predecessor. It's full of slapstick scenes involving pratfalls... read more

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The Pink Panther, The Return of the Pink Panther, Mr. Bean's Holiday

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The Pink Panther 2
2
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Inkheart (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this family-friendly fantasy is based on author Cornelia Funke's best-selling young adult novel. As in the book, there's a d... read more

Other Choices

Bridge to Terabithia, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The NeverEnding Story

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Inkheart
3
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Garfield's Pet Force (2009, Rated G)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Garfield is thrown into the role of action hero when an alien invader turns his world upside down. The alien and Garfield bo... read more

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Kung Fu Panda, Ratatouille, The Incredibles

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Garfield's Pet Force
1
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Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that, like all of Tyler Perry's Madea films, this comedy alternates between comedy (the parts featuring the Madea character) and ... read more

Other Choices

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns

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Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail
2
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Friday the 13th (2009) (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this slasher remake is a never-ending series of bloody, brutal, violent murders perpetrated by a mutilated sociopath. There ... read more

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Funny Games

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Friday the 13th (2009)
1
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Crossing Over (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this mature drama isn't likely to be on most teens' must-see lists. In the same vein as Traffic and Crash, it attempts to ca... read more

Other Choices

Crash, Traffic, Babel

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Crossing Over
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Fired Up (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is a review of the PG-13-rated movie and not the unrated DVD. Expect to find more adult content in the unrated DVD. Thi... read more

Other Choices

Bring It On, Drumline, Election

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Fired Up
2
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The International (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this thriller about financial corruption probably won't be on most teens' must-see list. Just as well: Not only is it full o... read more

Other Choices

Run Lola Run, Michael Clayton, The Interpreter

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The International
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Gran Torino (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that even though this drama is about a prejudiced character coming to know and accept people of another race, it's loaded with ra... read more

Other Choices

Flags of Our Fathers, About Schmidt

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Gran Torino
3
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Spring Breakdown (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is a comedy that takes the concept of spring break to its most outrageous levels. While there is no actual nudity, coll... read more

Other Choices

Mean Girls, Election, Bring It On

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Spring Breakdown
2
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He's Just Not That Into You (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this romantic comedy, while often charming, reinforces the idea that being in a relationship is the surest way to be happy. ... read more

Other Choices

When Harry Met Sally, Love Actually, Sex and the City: The Movie

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He's Just Not That Into You
3
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Revolutionary Road (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this 1950s-set adult drama deals with themes that are probably too intense for younger teens. It explores a marriage on the ... read more

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Far From Heaven, Pleasantville, Titanic

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Revolutionary Road
3

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Common Sense Media's movie reviews and ratings for all ages are based on child development principles. We give you trustworthy information so you can pick what's best for your family. We may know media, but you're the expert on your kids.