Ages 7 and up
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (93 min., PG) A superior second sequel in the animated series about animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo who end up on the island off Africa — except this time they end up in Monte Carlo. Under-7s may find some of the mayhem, especially now that the animation is more emphatic in 3-D, a little too harrowing. The script includes semi-crude toilet humor. The word “Bolshevik” is used in place of a barnyard epithet.
The middle ground
Moonrise Kingdom (94 min., PG-13) Wes Anderson’s oddball love story about two alienated 12-year-olds in 1965 is not for middle schoolers or preteens. It weaves in adult themes and includes a nongraphic but startling make-out scene that involves French kissing, talk of feeling aroused, and the girl inviting the boy to touch her breasts. Adults use midrange profanity.
Rock of Ages (123 min., PG-13) This musical featuring ’80s rock songs includes strongly implied sexual situations and subtly implied drug use, so it isn’t great fare for middle schoolers, despite the PG-13 rating. Tom Cruise’s character, Stacee Jaxx, and his scantily clad groupies seem perpetually high in ways that chugging Scotch doesn’t explain. Characters engage in occasional midrange profanity, crude sexual slang, and toilet humor. The heroine (Julianne Hough) sees hookers on the street and later dances in a strip club.
Snow White and the Huntsman (116 min., PG-13) The level of violence and disturbing images make this a solid, sometimes R-ish PG-13, and probably not entertainment for preteens. Fight scenes include many swords and daggers piercing flesh, though there’s not a lot of blood. More disturbing are images of Charlize Theron’s evil queen, reforming out of a pool of dead crows and tar; rotting animal corpses; tree branches turning into writhing serpents; and a huge, roaring troll. The queen’s brother threatens Snow White (Kristen Stewart) in a subtly sexual way, and there’s other, milder sexual innuendo. The movie also includes a nongraphic bedroom scene and brief toilet humor.
R-rated
Hysteria (100 min., R) A doctor in late-Victorian England (Hugh Dancy) invents a forerunner of the vibrator in this low-key comedy. The movie includes numerous scenes in which female patients are “treated” for their supposed “hysteria,” and although they’re completely dressed and also covered with a kind of drapery, it’s very clear what’s happening. The doctors always remain serious and are never sexually involved. The rest of the film is not R-ish at all.
Lola Versus (87 min., R) Greta Gerwig’s title character has to deal with her canceled wedding. The film includes sexual situations, though without nudity, as well as strong sexual slang and profanity. Characters smoke pot and recall using other drugs. Infidelity and betrayal are central themes.
Prometheus (110 min, R) In this “Alien” prequel, the voraciously hostile, invasive creatures are a kind of slimy, hissing snake-squid hybrid, but with teeth. They attack and invade and destroy victims from within. These are the creatures of nightmares and not for under-17s who don’t have parental OK. We see at least one or two characters’ heads explode when the aliens invade them. The script includes occasional profanity, sexual innuendo, and a homophobic joke. There’s a steamy but nonexplicit sexual situation. A character undergoes a self-administered surgical procedure that’s gruesome.