'Street Kings'
Rating: R for strong violence and pervasive language.
What it's about: A cop who cuts corners in chasing down and “dealing with” the bad guys finds himself caught up in a murder and a cover-up.
The kid attractor factor: Keanu Reeves is the cop. Chris Evans is his sidekick.
Good lessons/bad lessons: No good lessons, unless “beware the bully with the badge” counts.
Violence: Plentiful and graphic.
Language: Plenty of L.A. cop profanity.
Sex: None.
Drugs: Alcohol and cigarettes are used and abused.
Parents' advisory: A seriously violent cop picture that lives up to the need for “under 17 not admitted.”
'Nim's Island'
Rating: PG for mild adventure action and language.
What it's about: A plucky little island-dwelling girl's dad is lost at sea, so she e-mails a famous adventure writer to come help her find him. But the adventure writer is no adventurer herself.
The kid attractor factor: Abigail Breslin, a cute lizard, a cuter pelican and a cuter-still sea lion, all battling obnoxious tourists on a South Sea island.
Good lessons/bad lessons: “I must be the hero of my own life story.”
Violence: Sharks, rock-climbing accidents, slapstick stuff.
Language: No profanity. The ratings board fibbed.
Sex: Hand-holding in the South Seas. Sigh.
Drugs: Umbrella drinks are served.
Parents' advisory: A very entertaining kids fantasy about growing up on a desert isle with friendly critters. Adults may go for the spectacle of seeing Jodie Foster upstaged by a sea lion.
