'Astro Boy'

Rated: PG.

Suitable for: First-graders and up.

What you should know: Set in the future, this is an animated story about a scientist who creates Astro Boy to replace the son, Toby, who has died. He has Toby's memories, plus superpowers.

Language: A little bit of menacing talk, but certainly nothing obscene or profane.

Sexual situations and nudity: None.

Violence/scary situations: Toby dies in an accident, although that is handled as delicately as possible. It's disturbing when his robotic replacement, Astro Boy, is rejected by his father. Lots of action-fueled peril and a girl separated from her parents feels abandoned, but that ends happily.

Drug or alcohol use: None.

'Amelia'

Rated: PG.

Suitable for: Tweens and older.

What you should know: Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank is Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. In summer 1937, she set off on a flight around the world that ended in tragedy. Richard Gere plays her husband, publisher George P. Putnam, and Ewan McGregor is her lover, pilot Gene Vidal.

Language: A couple of uses of profanity and a few mild four-letter words.

Sexual situations and nudity: An unmarried couple kiss and it's obvious they later spent the night together. A woman and man, married to others, kiss passionately and references are made to their affair.

Violence/scary situations: A plane is caught in a lightning-charged thunderstorm, a takeoff attempt ends in an accident and, most disturbing of all, is the prelude to the disappearance of Earhart and her navigator.

Drug or alcohol use: Adults are shown drinking or with glasses of champagne, beer and stronger alcohol.

'Where the Wild Things Are'

Rated: PG.

Suitable for: First- or second-graders and up, keeping your child and the following in mind.

What you should know: This was inspired by Max Sendak's popular book, and while there is no single scene that will make you want to shield your child's eyes, it's dark overall.

Language: One stronger version of "darn."

Sexual situations and nudity: None.

Violence/scary situations: A boy runs away and sails, through choppy waters, to an island and arrives after nightfall and meets the creatures who live there. Also has a school lesson about the sun burning out some day, snowball and dirt-clod fights, destructive tantrums, talk (only) about bashing in brains and the accidental loss of a monster's arm.

Drug or alcohol use: Adults briefly are shown with wine glasses.

'Couples Retreat'

Rated: PG-13.

Suitable for: 15-year-olds and up.

What you should know: Four couples head to a remote resort where they discover that counseling is mandatory for all of them, not just the pair contemplating divorce. Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman lead the cast. The movie's initial rating of R was appealed and a PG-13 awarded.

Language: At least a dozen mild four-letter words along with a common three-letter word for "butt."

Sexual situations and nudity: Partial nudity of a man, photographed from behind; a scene in which a woman drips candle wax on her bedmate; a massage that results in unintentional arousal; suggestive yoga maneuvers and talk about sex partners.

— Scripps Howard News Service

Violence/scary situations: Sharks appear near swimmers.

Drug or alcohol use: Adults consume beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks.

— Scripps Howard News Service