Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (Unrated)
Age 6+
Female-led SpongeBob spinoff has slapstick action and mild peril.
Coming from the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, this hybrid of live action and animation shines the spotlight on the squirrel sidekick Sandy (voiced by Carolyn Lawrence). The violence is slapstick, the peril is not truly worrisome, and the villain Sue Nahmee (Wanda Sykes) and her minions are over-the-top silly. Still, be prepared for bizarre images of distorted bodies that may disturb small children. There’s a reference to a character’s flesh being sewn together (with an animated visual), and a human head bounces around and gets attached to nonhuman bodies. Expect some potty humor and use of “butt.” Sandy is a great role model who is passionate about her work as an environmental scientist, and teamwork also looms large as Sandy and SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) come to the aid of their friends. (86 minutes)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (TV-MA)
Age 14+
Intriguing teen mystery has drugs, violence and language.
Based on the books by Holly Jackson, this mystery series stars Emma Myers as Pip, a girl who is motivated to solve the five-year-old murder of another teen in her small U.K. town. We see a bloody head wound, and one character threatens sexual assault. Drug use and dealing play a major role in this story, and characters are seen snorting ketamine at a wild party. Rohypnol use is another plot point, and underage characters drink alcohol frequently. Language includes “s—” and “f—.” Teens kiss and find romance. There’s some discussion of nudes, and a character finds condoms while snooping in another teen’s room. While there is definitely some edgy content, Pip (the titular “good girl”) is driven by a strong sense of justice and often learns from her mistakes. (Six episodes)
Batman: Caped Crusader (TV-Y7)
Age 9+
Lots of action in stand-alone superhero stories; violence.
This animated superhero series has a retro, film noir vibe and lots of cartoonish violence and action — gunfire, fistfighting and explosions. One character drowns in a suitcase, and another is fatally stabbed. Batman (expertly voiced by Hamish Linklater) breaks a villain’s hand. Language includes “damn,” “a–,” “load of bull,” “freaking” and “hell.” Older, comic-loving kids should enjoy this group of fresh, action-packed tales from the heart of Gotham City. (10 episodes)
Available on Prime Video.
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