How Family-Friendly is Warcraft?

Rating: PG-13, for extended sequences of intense fantasy violence.

The big-screen version of the Warcraft video game is a giant, noisy, computer-generated extravaganza crammed with massive battles between hulking orcs and sword-wielding knights. If that’s your thing, have at it. But if you’ve never played the game before, you’re likely to be confused (as I was), because it’s often difficult to tell who’s doing what to whom. The violence is pummeling and relentless, full of fighting, shooting and stabbing, but it’s also rather fake-looking and cartoonish. Having said that, the orcs’ appearance alone may be rather startling to some younger viewers. There’s also quite a bit of magic at play here as warlocks use their powers for good and evil. I brought my movie-savvy, 6 ½-year-old son with me to the screening and he didn’t find anything frightening; actually, he was quite bored and squirming the whole time. I’d say this is fine for kids around age 10-11 and older.

Rating: PG, for some thematic elements, rude humor and action.

Kids around age 6 and older will be just fine watching this extremely timely animated Disney movie. It’s a smart, clever allegory about prejudice and race relations. But before you cringe at the prospect of a heavy-handed, preachy tale, just know that Zootopia handles some tricky, emotional issues with great deftness, humor and honesty. Basically, it suggests that we’re all a little racist, whether or not we think we are, and acknowledging as much is the first step to true understanding and harmony. Heavy stuff potentially, but it’s packaged in the context of a lively and thriving urban center called Zootopia, full of adorable creatures – predators and prey alike – who’ve found a way to co-exist peacefully. Ginnifer Goodwin provides the voice of a plucky bunny named Judy Hopps, the first of her species to join the city’s police force. She teams up with an unlikely ally – sly fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) – a con artist who helps her investigate a series of attacks in which predators are suddenly turning savage, which breeds rampant mistrust. Kids will delight in the furry animals, colorful settings and charming details, but might feel a little frightened during the brief moments when some of the animals lose control.