Handpicked by Our Editors

Matilda
Age 8+
5

Matilda

Why We Recommend It

Clever Matilda handles bullying kids and berating adults with fantastical solutions that bend slightly dark and surreal.

Read our full review
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Movies New in Theaters

showing: fantasy
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Where the Wild Things Are (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that director Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are isn't appropriate for younger kids, even those who adore the book (there's a big difference between looking at a beautifully illustrated children's story ... read more

Age 9+
Where the Wild Things Are
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9 (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that this dark, futuristic Tim Burton-produced fantasy may be animated, but it's not meant for younger kids. Violence and scary scenes are prevalent throughout the film, with the main characters frequently battling killer robotic machines ... read more

Age 12+
9
3
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this is no PG movie -- in all ways, it's very similar to the previous two movies, which were rated PG-13. This film continues the series' trend toward darker, more intense material. For young children, the death of a major beloved ... read more

Age 12+
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
4

New on DVD

showing: fantasy
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Coraline (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this movie will scare young kids. Slightly less creepy than the book on which it was based, the movie is still quite dark, and the "other" world that Coraline discovers turns into a frightening, dangerous place where she ... read more

Age 9+
Coraline
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Dragon Hunters (Chasseurs de Dragons) (2009, Rated PG)
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 scene. The hunted "dragons" are ugly and vicious, and include a giant skeletal monster with blazing ... read more

Age 11+
Dragon Hunters (Chasseurs de Dragons)
3
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Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter (2009, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know...

that this isn't a sequel to the Watchmen movie, just supplementary material. The balleyhooed segment on this DVD, an R-rated pirate cartoon, is hideously violent and thematically grim, with murders, dismemberment of rotting corpses, and a ... read more

Age 16+
Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter
3
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Wonder Woman (2009) (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that though this cartoon derives from a vintage comic-book character, the script is pretty up-to-date with the violence, including beatings, stabbings, decapitations, and blood flowing from a human sacrifice. Sexually suggestive lines ... read more

Age 13+
Wonder Woman (2009)
3
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Princess (2009, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this made-for-TV movie, while charming, is likely to feed the obsession of any little girls who are already fascinated by the marketing juggernaut that is the "Disney princesses" (ABC Family is a Disney subsidiary). ... read more

Age 6+
Princess
3
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City of Ember (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this fantasy based on the popular middle-grade novel of the same name doesn't have much to worry about in the way of sexual content, language, drinking, or strong violence. But its constant tension and often-dark mood -- it's about a ... read more

Age 8+
City of Ember
3
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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this sequel to the enormously popular The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has more dark moments than the first movie. It broods on the nature of deceit, greed, and hunger for power. It also has a brutal one-on-one swordfight (some ... read more

Age 10+
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
3
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The Adventures of Food Boy (2008, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this movie is not for those with weak stomachs -- it has lots of theatrical (though mercifully camouflaged) vomiting and dares to eat disgusting food combinations. Male characters anchor the action while two appealing girl actors are ... read more

Age 10+
The Adventures of Food Boy
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The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this fantasy adventure has been aggressively promoted on Nickelodeon (which helped produce the movie). But even without the heavy rotation of commercials and cereal tie-ins, fans of the best-selling book series will want to see this ... read more

Age 8+
The Spiderwick Chronicles
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The Golden Compass (2008, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that this action-packed fantasy based on the first book in Philip Pullman's best-selling trilogy will feel threatening to young children. Animals and kids are in constant peril, and young kids will be upset by the threatened separation ... read more

Age 12+
The Golden Compass
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In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2008, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that this is an epic fantasy adventure in the style of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Despite the overwhelming number of negative reviews, tweens -- especially boys -- may want to see it, partly thanks to English action star Jason Statham ... read more

Age 12+
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (2008, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this movie, based on an 18th-century book of tall tales and directed by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, should have been PG-13. Though it's steeped heavily in fantasy, there are still graphic scenes of battle with many explosions, ... read more

Age 11+
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
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The Seeker (2008, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that one scene in this fantasy movie stands out as too much for younger kids: Hundreds and hundreds of snakes attack people in a church, pursuing the teen hero to a crypt littered with skeletons (one of which briefly comes to life). Black ... read more

Age 8+
The Seeker
2
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Justice League: The New Frontier (2008, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that this is a violent cartoon, with blood and dead bodies shown, and a little boy threatened with cult sacrifice -- although the worst of the gore and severed body parts seems reserved for monsters (specifically, mutant dinosaurs). There ... read more

Age 11+
Justice League: The New Frontier
3
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Stardust (2007, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that although this highly entertaining fantasy will appeal to kids with its mix of swashbuckling adventure and romance, it's darker than cinematic cousins like The Princess Bride. It's surprisingly violent, with several deaths and lots of ... read more

Age 12+
Stardust
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that even kids who can't read know about Harry Potter, and some kids who are too young for the content will want to see this fifth Potter movie (which is especially well timed, since the seventh -- and final! -- book hits bookstores July ... read more

Age 12+
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
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The Dark Crystal (2007, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this movie is quite dark. This Henson puppet creature feature is no Muppets Take Manhattan. Instead, it's a dangerous otherworld where dark forces have taken over and human-like beings called gelflings are rounded up, strapped to ... read more

Age 7+
The Dark Crystal
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Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme (2007, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that this cartoon derives from a Marvel comic book steeped in occult magic and mysticism, and sorcery that impinges on the real world (as opposed to fairy tales). It's wildly fantastical and not quite as campy as the comics (none of Stan ... read more

Age 11+
Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme
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Pan's Labyrinth (2007, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know...

that, while this gorgeous, subtitled Spanish fantasy-drama focuses on an 11-year-old girl's experience, it's not meant for children. It's full of mature themes and violent scenes (including the bloody death of a child) -- in fact, it ... read more

Age 15+
Pan's Labyrinth
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Eragon (2007, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that the movie's content is just right for the target 'tweener audience. It has its scary moments, with several scenes featuring dark woods, eerie wind, abrupt violence, big battles and a frightening evil wizard with red and black makeup. ... read more

Age 9+
Eragon
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MirrorMask (2007, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that although there's some potentially scary creature imagery in this fantastical plunge into a post-modern Wonderland, it's more weird and playfully grotesque than ugly or horrific. A menacing queen who sprouts black tentacles (through ... read more

Age 9+
MirrorMask
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