All of the big films this week are rated R, but a very popular blockbuster arrived on DVD this week. Christy Lemire offers up a rundown of the film’s themes and content to help determine if it’s suitable for your kids.
NEW ON DVD
Rating: PG-13, for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem.
Kids around 8-10 and older probably will be fine watching this massive cog in the Marvel Cinematic Universe machinery, which will end up being one of the biggest box-office hits of the year. This time, Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) square off over how much autonomy the Avengers should have when so much collateral damage lies in the wake of their good deeds. Their superhero buddies take sides depending on whom they agree with philosophically, with some old friends from previous Marvel movies joining in the mix. Like 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War comes from the brother directing team of Anthony and Joe Russo. And like that previous film (and every other Marvel movie), there’s a ton of violence and destruction. But the film also addresses that head-on in a smartly self-referential way. Explosions and extended sequences of hand-to-hand combat abound, as well as the disturbing sight of the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) being activated as a killing machine with specific, sequential code words. This is about on par with all the other Marvel movies in terms of whether it’s appropriate for your kids. If they’ve seen other ones, they should be OK here. I brought my Marvel-savvy, 6-1/2-year-old son to a screening of Civil War this past summer and nothing frightened or disturbed him. And despite the movie’s serious themes, much of the dialogue is knowing and playful as the Avengers poke fun at themselves, each other and pop culture in general.
