The Sorcerer and the White Snake

Parents need to know that The Sorcerer and the White Snake is a 2011 Chinese film about an herbalist who falls in love with a woman whom he does not realize is actually a 1,000-year-old snake-demon and tries to save her as a master Buddhist monk tries to send her back to the demon world, thus righting the balance of the universe. There is frequent martial arts-style violence throughout the film -- characters do battle with swords and knives, and, in one instance, send thousands of bats at a character -- but what is most troubling for younger or more sensitive viewers is the nightmarish imagery throughout the film. Demon images -- bat-demons and snake-demons, for instance -- frequently appear, and in one scene the monk does battle in a hellish landscape of lakes of fire and spewing lava. Also, early in the film, two beautiful snake-women are shown very close to one another, holding one another in a provocative manner. This is an excellent film that is best for teens and older. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.