There were some vulgar words, sexual inuendos, even 12 year olds dating was odd to me, and the issues with maternal death and being able to "come back" from ghost form could be confusing to a younster.
Casper
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Haunted house tale not as mild as the cartoons.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6–7
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Casper was written by Polly M. Robertus
Parents need to know that the cartoon Casper and other Casper movies are much milder than this one. There are deaths here and much talk about the spirit world and grieving the loss of parents. The main character, Kat, sees one parent as a ghost, and another parent dies and comes back with the help of an invention. Kat also has a crush on Casper, who died as a tween boy. Casper's ghost uncles can be crude and mischievous and they take Kat's father out drinking at a bar.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about fantasies and ghosts. What is appealing about ghost stories? Why do you think Casper is friendly while his uncles are looking to cause trouble? Why do you think so many ghost stories take place in mansions?
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More on Casper
What’s the Story?
Motherless Kat Harvey (Christina Ricci) and her father (Bill Pullman), a psychologist who helps spirits complete their journey onto death, move into Whipstaff Manor. The nasty Carrigan Crittenden has hired the doctor to rid her recently inherited property of its ghosts so she can hunt for the treasure hidden somewhere within its walls. One of the ghosts, Casper, develops a crush on Kat, while his rowdy ghost uncles make life comically difficult for everyone. When the Harveys throw a Halloween party, Kat and Casper discover a "resurrection machine" built by Casper's father, as well as the "treasure." Carrigan wants the machine for her wicked plans, and eventually there's a mad chase about the house, and in and out of spirit worlds. In the end, Casper faces a tough choice: his life, or Dr. Harvey's?
Is It Any Good?
Viewers on the younger side should find the haunted house in CASPER pretty cool. Great special effects and fine acting should entertain 9- to 12-year-olds, who may also like the mild romance between Casper and Kat, but teens will find the scares too mild and the tone too sentimental at times.
That said, the relationship between Kat and her father is genuinely sweet. Cathy Moriarty as Carrigan is enjoyably Cruella de Vil-ish, and sidekick Dibs (Monty Python's Idle) has funny moments. Cameos by Don Novello as the exorcist, Father Guido Sarducci, and Dan Aykroyd as Ghostbusters' Dr. Ray Stantz are good in-jokes. The Victorian Gothic set -- with a nifty revolving panel and roller-coaster-ride to the basement -- is indeed cool.
Movie Details
Studio: Universal Pictures, Director: Brad Silberling
Run time: 100 minutes
Theatrical release: 05/26/1995, DVD release: 09/23/2003
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language and thematic elements.
Run time: 100 minutes
Theatrical release: 05/26/1995, DVD release: 09/23/2003
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language and thematic elements.
Our Members Say
See all 4 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Cute, but not for early elemetary years.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
I think Casper is an amazing movie!!! It's the the best movie i ever saw!
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
could have been better
it starts out cute, but there's plenty of violence and bad language. towards the end of the movie, the villain screams out, "you b--ch!!" (referring to a female dog).
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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