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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
Best: Really engaging, excellent learning approach.
Very Good: Engaging, very good learning approach.
Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Movie reviews for magic and fantasy, monsters, ghosts, and vampires & trains

426 results
  • Review
    Beautiful Creatures

    Lush book adaptation mixes romance, fantasy, some violence.
    AGE
    13
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Cloud Atlas

    Enormous scale and spectacle, but weak characters, story.
    AGE
    15
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia

    Ghost story relies on creaky old clichés to generate scares.
    AGE
    15
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    A Monster in Paris

    French monster movie encourages looking past the surface.
    AGE
    8
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Scary Movie 5

    This dumb, raunchy series should have given up the ghost.
    AGE
    15
     
    Learning
    Select
    (Movie, 2013)
  • Review
    Evil Dead

    Gore-filled horror remake entertains but can't top original.
    AGE
    17
     
    Learning
    Select
    (Movie, 2013)
  • Review
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    Tolkien tale isn't as great as LOTR, but better for tweens.
    AGE
    11
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

    Not enough magic to mostly unfunny Carell-Carrey comedy.
    AGE
    14
     
    Learning
    Select
    (Movie, 2013)
  • Review
    Rise of the Guardians

    Holiday icons defend childhood in gorgeous adventure.
    AGE
    7
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Oz the Great and Powerful

    Colorful prequel is scarier, less magical than the original.
    AGE
    10
     
    Learning
    Select
    (Movie, 2013)
  • Review
    Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess

    Darling royal tot is steeped in princess stereotypes.
    AGE
    3
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2

    Final Twilight focuses on Edward and Bella's legacy.
    AGE
    14
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Jack the Giant Slayer

    Fantasy violence eased by humor in tween-friendly adventure.
    AGE
    11
     
    Learning
    Select
    (Movie, 2013)
  • Review
    Barbie in the Pink Shoes

    Barbie teaches kids about classic ballets; some romance.
    AGE
    5
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Monsters, Inc.

    Cute, kid-friendly monster movie; may scare sensitive kids.
    AGE
    5
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    The Flying Machine

    Mixed-media movie celebrates life of Polish composer Chopin.
    AGE
    7
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Toys in the Attic

    Foreign stop-action film blends the beautiful and grotesque.
    AGE
    9
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Warm Bodies

    Despite violence, book-based zombie romance is OK for teens.
    AGE
    14
     
    Learning
    Select
    (Movie, 2013)
  • Review
    Tales of the Night

    Six stunningly animated fairy tales with a few mild scares.
    AGE
    8
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Hotel Transylvania

    Father-daughter comedy works as intro to monster movies.
    AGE
    7
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Paranormal Activity 4

    Fourth in spooky series runs out of ideas -- and scares.
    AGE
    16
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

    Brisk, outrageous action movie has tons of witchy violence.
    AGE
    16
     
    Learning
    Select
    (Movie, 2013)
  • Review
    The Possession

    Demonically scary movie has low gore, strong characters.
    AGE
    14
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Frankenweenie

    Burton's creepy young Frankenstein is perfect for tweens.
    AGE
    9
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2013)
  • Review
    Resident Evil: Retribution

    Plenty of gore -- and more 3-D -- in fifth RE installment.
    AGE
    16
     
    Learning
    Select
    (DVD, 2012)