“Parents need to know that Epic is an animated adventure from the same studio behind the Ice Age franchise and Rio. Part eco-friendly tale and part tiny-creatures story, Epic (which was inspired by the characters in William Joyce‘s children’s book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs) centers on a teen girl who’s magically shrunk into the world of miniscule armed archers called Leafmen who protect the forest from evil. There’s a central good vs. evil theme, as well as a parent vs. adolescent storyline that should appeal to kids, but know that there are definitely battles and even a small body count (mostly due to arrows). The main villain is merciless and believes that it’s his mission to destroy the forest and rule over a rotting wasteland. In addition to the violence, there’s a romantic nature to two relationships in the movie, as well as several flirty (and snotty) jokes courtesy of a slug voiced by Aziz Ansari. Expect some insult language (“stupid,” “idiot,” etc.).”  -Common Sense Media

Mary Poppins

“Parents need to know that Mary Poppins is a classic 1964 musical about a nanny with supernatural powers. Though the pace is rollicking and sometimes chaotic, there are no dangerous or dark elements. Melodic music, fancy dancing, and cartoon segments will engage even the youngest viewers. The father of the family is shown drinking brandy, but isn’t drunk; minor characters smoke cigars.” –Common Sense Media 

A Dog’s Purpose

“Parents need to know that A Dog’s Purpose is an emotional drama based on W. Bruce Cameron’s 2010 novel about a dog (voiced by Josh Gad) that’s reincarnated several times from the 1950s through the 2000s (the dog keeps its memories/personality, despite being different breeds and genders). There are some violent/upsetting scenes: An alcoholic, abusive father pushes his wife and son; a man kidnaps a girl, threatens her, throws her in the water, and shoots at a police officer and his dog; a neglectful dog owner keeps his dog chained and then purposely lets him go astray; and a fire causes a catastrophic injury for a young man. Strong language is infrequent (but includes “s–t”), and couples don’t do much more than kiss. Look for clear messages about empathy and the importance of companionship, both human and animal. Before the movie’s release, a controversy emerged about whether the animal performers were mistreated on the set; an investigation proved that the video was edited in a misleading manner.” –Common Sense Media