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Arthur the King

While the redemptive messages in this feel-good story might get many a tail a-wagging, its profanity is worth a growl or two.

In Theaters

Love Lies Bleeding

Forty-Seven Days With Jesus

Kung Fu Panda 4

Streaming & DVD

Ricky Stanicky

Mother Teresa & Me

The Teacher’s Lounge

Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate

Plugged In Blog

Episode 225: Reflecting on the Oscars, plus ‘Dee & Friends in Oz’

‘We’re All Imperfect People.’ An Interview with Kung Fu Panda 4 Director Mike Mitchell

Movie Monday: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Kicks to Big Win

On the Radar: ‘Magic Mushrooms,’ ‘Chroming’ and  ‘Sharenting’

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Animal Control

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

Hot Wheels Let’s Race

Megamind Rules!

The Gentlemen

YouTube Channels

Rocky Kanaka

Mike Winger

iHasCupquake

Unspeakable

1989 (Taylor’s Version)

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

Midnights (3am Edition)

Doctor (Work It Out)

Stick Season

Texas Hold ‘Em

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Penny’s Big Breakaway

A Little to the Left

The Inquisitor

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Nothing Else But Miracles

Waverider (Amulet #9)

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Dune Messiah

Fourth Wing

Because of Winn-Dixie

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Radio and tv, frequently asked questions (faq).

Plugged In looks at films through a biblical worldview filter, keeping families—especially those with children in the home—ultimately in mind. Realizing the MPAA’s ratings system is greatly lacking (and often untrustworthy), we strive to be reliable “information providers,” highlighting both the positive and negative content elements, a requisite for discerning individuals regarding the making of wise entertainment choices. While providing a numerical rating for each movie and varying colors of caution for broad age ranges in an effort to help categorize where a film generally stands within the cultural context, we refrain from telling people to view or not view a specific film. Instead we outline content in categories such as “sexual,” “drug and alcohol,” “violence,” “crude or profane language,” “spiritual,” etc., then provide summation and perspective for that content, equipping families (and individuals) with information they can draw upon to assist in making media decisions.

According to a poll of Plugged In readers, 70% watch R-rated movies. Additionally, since many R films target teens (especially raunchy comedies and horror flicks), our reviews help families navigate this prominent area of the culture. By reading our reviews, parents gain a clearer understanding of what Hollywood is aiming at their kids, and what their children’s peers are consuming. Also, by having a content breakdown of R movies, parents can articulate why a particular film fails to meet the family standard. Beyond observing a “label,” this reinforces moral boundaries for adolescents.

A California mom alluded to this benefit when she told us, “Last weekend my son, age 16, saw a very disgusting film at a friend’s home. Only after that did I find your website. This created a very meaningful two-hour discussion with him on values and media choices. However, the next weekend he asked to go see another R-rated film. We said ‘no.’ My son then asked, ‘How about if I check it out on that website Mom likes?’ My husband, smiling, said, ‘Sure!’ A few minutes later my son emerged from the office and said, ‘You guys wouldn’t want me to see it.'”

Yes! To write a comprehensive and meaningful review, this is a must. And that goes for listening to music albums and tracks, playing video games and watching specific episodes of a TV series, too.

No. Because most unrated video versions of films add negative content, we feel that our review of the rated version continues to do the job it was intended to do—help families make discerning choices about the entertainment they consume. There is rarely a good reason for families to intentionally watch a film with more negative content in it than the original release contains.

Not all theatrical releases are made available to us before they hit the cineplex. But even when we do get to screen a movie early, a professional code of ethics called an “embargo” requires that we wait until either the day of or the day before its release to post our review. We realize that not all reviewers abide by this, but it’s important to us that Plugged In operate with integrity, both in the way we write our reviews and the way we publish them.

We almost always choose to review the unedited version. The so-called purifying process used on “clean” CDs and downloads is usually nothing more than the bleeping (or overdubbing) of some of the most egregious obscenities. In the case of gangsta rap, the censor might also excise words such as “murder,” “drive-by” and “bullets,” along with extreme references to drug use. But savvy listeners can easily fill in the blanks. A teen named Alicia wrote us, “Some of my friends have gotten the edited version of Eminem and they think it’s OK. But it’s not like you don’t know what’s being cut out.”

Focus on the Family’s  “Family Safety”  page is a good place to start.

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Plugged in reviews of movies now in theatres.

There are lots of new movies in theatres and maybe your child has mentioned one or two of them to you. But what are these movies really about and how can you find out without having to go see them yourself? 

With Plugged In movie reviews, you'll find a detailed breakdown of up-to-date films, including spiritual content, sexual content, violent content, the amount of crude or profane language, content involving drugs and alcohol, other negative elements as well as positive aspects of the film. 

Here are a few reviews of new releases you may want to read up on: 

Stronger (R)

The Lego Ninjago Movie (PG)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (R)

Friend Request  (R)

Mother! (R)

American Assassin (R)

True to the Game (R)

Home Again (PG-13)

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Watch how mully saved one little girl's life.

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Did you know we have a team of Prayer Partners dedicated to lifting up the needs of not only Focus on the Family Canada, but families across the...

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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live.

Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

Each month, Plugged In is visited more than 1 million times by people looking for detailed information about what’s really in popular movies, videos, television episodes, songs and games. Entertainment industry ratings only tell you so much. We go deeper, diving into specific content and the meaning behind it. Our award-winning website also offers news and blogs.

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Plugged In Entertainment Reviews

Adam holz, paul asay and johnathan mckee, movie review: if.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to children’s imaginary friends when they’re inevitably forgotten, IF answer that question in a sweet way.

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About Plugged In Entertainment Reviews

Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

About Adam Holz, Paul Asay and Johnathan McKee

Adam Holz  After serving as an associate editor at NavPress' Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In's reviews along with hosting The Plugged In Show and the Plugged In Entertainment Review radio feature.   Paul Asay has been part of the  Plugged In  staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including  Time,   The Washington Post  and  Christianity Today . The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter  @AsayPaul . Jonathan McKee  is the author of over twenty books. He has over 20 years youth ministry experience and  speaks  to parents and leaders worldwide, He can be heard each week on the Plugged In Entertainment Review radio feature and The Plugged In Show. You can follow Jonathan on  his blog , getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.

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Movie Review: The Really Loud House Plugged In Entertainment Reviews on Oneplace.com

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The Really Loud House takes all the positives and negatives of its predecessor and turns them live action.   Read the Plugged In Review   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1005/29

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review – future simians swing through cinematic jungle

This hopefully final prequel to the original movie reveals the story of the crazed ape leader Proximus Caesar – but it’s time the franchise evolved

A fter four ambitious and successful pictures, the reboot-prequel Planet of the Apes franchise now comes to what could well be the end, approaching the moment at which Charlton Heston and his crew crash landed, in 3978, in the original movie. It’s where, in 1968, we came in. Of course, if this one is a big hit, yet another prequel-episode could theoretically be squeezed in. But I hope not.

It’s not that this movie is running low on energy or panache – it isn’t – but the story is tangled and contrived and weirdly anticlimactic because that original film is starting to loom over everything like the Statue of Liberty’s shadow. All that happens has to match up with what we know is coming. There have to be “good” apes we can root for, but also “bad” apes to make sense of the original’s imminent ape tyranny. There have to be “good” humans for the “good” apes to have a relatable relationship with – but they have to exhibit “bad” or anti-ape tendencies to align with this fundamental ape/human antipathy. And there has to be a lot of stuff about observatories and radio telescopes that are still, miraculously, functional.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is not at all bad, though reliant on storylines and ideas taken from The Lion King. And it’s a reminder that the original film is incomparably better than any of them, a satire on power created by author Pierre Boulle who also wrote the source novel of The Bridge on the River Kwai about a comparable topsy-turvy ironic enslavement of white men.

Here, we start “many generations” after the rule of Caesar, the apes’ tough but enlightened ruler, created by accident by humans during an anti-dementia drug trial. Now the humans have regressed to a primitive state and apes have a cruel and crazed leader, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), who presides over a chaotic coastal encampment set up near what appears to be an abandoned human vault, a sealed tomb which Proximus believes might contain the key to ultimate power … if only he could open it.

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But there is also a gentle and quietist ape colony, the Eagle Clan, who make a fetish of training eagles. Their leader is cruelly killed by Proximus and his troops using what appear to be rudimentary tasers. (Why the Eagle clan hasn’t invented bows and arrows is unclear.) This leader’s feisty young son Noa (Owen Teague) escapes into exile where in time-honoured fashion he is helped by a wise old guide, the ape Raka (Peter Macon). While on his mission to rescue his clan and family, Noa befriends a lone and attractive human, Mae (Freya Allan), who makes common cause with Noa but has secret objectives. They chance across Trevathan (William H Macy), a wise but cynical old guy who is the human equivalent of Raka.

It all leads to a confrontation with Proximus, who is a less interesting character than Caesar. The film becomes rather jumbled and preposterous by the very end, but not before some perfectly good action sequences, and the CGI ape faces are very good. This franchise has held up an awful lot better than others; now it should evolve to something new.

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This is a follow-up to the comedy Beetlejuice (1988), about a ghost who's recruited to help haunt a house. This is a follow-up to the comedy Beetlejuice (1988), about a ghost who's recruited to help haunt a house. This is a follow-up to the comedy Beetlejuice (1988), about a ghost who's recruited to help haunt a house.

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