Not recommended under 13, PG to 15 (Viol. Scary scenes)
This topic contains:
Children under 13 | Not recommended for children under 13 years. |
Children aged 13-15 | Children aged 13-15 years should view this movie with parental guidance. |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Superman Returns |
Classification: | M |
Consumer advice lines: | Moderate violence |
Length: | 154 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
After scientists discover traces of his homeland, Superman (Brandon Routh) goes on a personal odyssey to find Krypton. He returns five years later, with a clearer understanding of his purpose, to a much changed world, in as much in need of his help as ever before. Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) is now a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, and is engaged to Perry White’s (Frank Langella) nephew Richard (James Marsden). She also has a young son, Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu). Superman discovers that his alter ego, Clark Kent, has only been missed by Jimmy Olsen at his former workplace, The Daily Planet.
In the meantime, Lex Luther(Kevin Spacey), who during Superman’s absence got out of jail on a technicality, has been busy using technology from Krypton to harness energy and create land masses for real estate. Furthermore, he ensures that Superman won’t interfere in his schemes by developing a stock of Kryptonite. During Lex’s first attempts to create a land mass, there is a widespread power shortage in Metropolis, creating chaos and putting Lois and a shuttle mission in peril. Superman is able to save the day in spectacular fashion and has his first re-encounter with a less than impressed Lois.
Back at the Daily Planet, the competing news stories of the city-wide power shortage and Superman’s return become the focus for Lois, Jimmy and Clark. Following a lead and taking her son along with her, Lois correctly finds Lex Luther at the centre of the energy crisis plot and once again, is caught and at his mercy. As Lex’s grand plan unfolds, risking the lives of millions of people, Superman must again face his old adversary and save the woman he loves, no matter the costs to himself.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Natural disasters, people in danger
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
There is some violence in this movie including:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
Children in this age group may also be disturbed by the above-mentioned scenes.
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
All of the above mentioned violent and scary scenes could scare or disturb children aged eight to thirteen, particularly the scene in which there are tidal waves and earthquakes in Metropolis, with innumerable accidents, gas leaks and fires.
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Children over the age of thirteen years will cope better with the violence but could still be concerned by some of the more threatening situations and violence portrayed in the movie.
None
There are a couple of sexual references:
None
One scene in which Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent go to a bar and there are patrons drinking there.
There is very little coarse language in this movie, including:
Superman Returns is an action adventure movie of good versus evil. Adults and older adolescents may enjoy the action sequences and special effects, the developing love triangle storyline, and picking up on the deliberate similarities between the current version and the 70s and 80s depiction of Superman.
The main messages from this movie are good triumphing over evil, and not being afraid to live up to your potential and purpose.
Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:
This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as.
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
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Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
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