What to watch with your kids: “Shazam! Fury of the Gods and more
Inspiring true story with a strong female lead, salty language.
“The Lost King” is a touching British drama with a strong female lead and occasionally foul language. It is based on the true story of how amateur historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) uncovered the remains of King Richard III. The film treats Philippa with great empathy and affection, showing very well that this is her story. Diligent in her research, she is committed to revealing the truth about Richard III, proving that it is never too late to find a new passion. She lives with chronic fatigue and encounters sexism in the workplace. But she’s determined not to let it weigh her down or define who she is. There is also a positive, highly normalized portrayal of a stable divorced family. Expect foul language, including “f—,” although it’s very rare. And one character refers to the other as an “old queen,” which could be considered homophobic. (108 minutes)
Extreme, exaggerated violence in Reeves’ action epic.
“John Wick: Chapter 4” is the fourth movie in Keanu Reeves’ popular action series. It’s also the longest – almost three hours! – but the filmmakers use the extended runtime to create a truly spectacular, dazzling visual epic – although of course the themes still revolve primarily around violence and revenge. And it is extremely, outrageously violent. Expect guns and shooting, high kill count, bloody wounds, blood spatter/sprays, fighting, kicking, punching, throat cutting, stabbing, bow and arrow, swords, falls from large places, car chases and crashes, characters getting hit being hit by cars or against cars (or other hard objects), an attack dog and much more. Language contains a few words such as ‘f—‘, ‘motherf—er’, ‘s—‘, ‘a–hole’, ‘a–‘, ‘b—–d” , “hell”, “damn” and a French swear word. Adult characters drink in social settings. (169 minutes)
Roller skating besties star in wholesome sitcom.
“Saturdays” is a sitcom about roller skating BFFs: Paris (Danielle Jalade), Ari (Peyton Basnight) and Simone (Daria Johns). Executive produced by Marsai Martin (“Black-ish”), the show features an all-black cast and celebrates the identities of the characters as well as their individual personalities. The storylines are pretty wholesome (and free of the teen crush so common in these types of shows). Expect brief verbal arguments between family and friends, but no name-calling. Some subplots revolve around adult romance and losing weight to improve your appearance. Otherwise, there’s no offensive content in this kid-friendly comedy. (15 half-hour episodes)
Available on Disney Channel and Disney Plus.
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