X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PG-13, 2009)

Let me just say that I'm an adult horror fan, I tend to laugh at horror movies and the violence here was a bit much for me. This stuff passes for normal nowadays and your older teen, if they watch action movies, can probably handle it. The deaths of characters who aren't basically immortal are handled very seriously, and a lot of the misbehavior (specifically the violence and drug use) is shown with two basically immortal guys who cannot die. Why would they not smoke and drink? It won't kill them. In that sense it's a bit less harmful than other characters. That's why I have little moral issue with the violence and drinking here, but do think it should be saved for older kids who can grasp that they have nothing in common with Wolverine. And yet there is moral stuff here. This movie is about Wolverine developing a conscience. That's a pretty good idea. Wolverine's girlfriend always tries to find non-violent solutions to problems, again acting as a sort of conscience. The characters who try to fight, aside from Wolverine, get killed in various ways. It's not a broad, anti-fighting movie. It's personal, nuanced, more provocative of discussion than any specific outcome. Perfect for older kids who need to find their own moral compasses through discussion anyway. In terms of the actual movie, it's kinda slow and confusing. I'm a casual X-men fan and I had to watch with about six wikipedia tabs open. Well produced, decent CG (and I hate CG, so that says something), great acting from Jackman and the lady who played Wolvie's girlfriend. Ryan Renolds is a show stealer, and that rapper guy was... surprisingly decent.