Ah, the dog days of summer are upon us … the time when days seem longer and lazier, tank tops and flip-flops replace jackets and boots, and such phrases as “beat the heat” and “the mercury is rising” become part of the daily lexicon (and really become quite annoying after the gazillionth time you hear them). And with the summer, of course, comes approximately three months of Mondays–Fridays sans school, which makes kids squeal with glee and parents cringe at how to fill the spare hours without losing their minds.
Movies have always been a mainstay and, seriously, what better way to, ahem, beat the Texas heat than escaping to a cool and comfy spot and letting the big screen entertain you. In relative terms, it doesn't cost too much, and it's practically guaranteed to provide a diversion the whole fam will enjoy (the incessant requests for highly sugared snacks notwithstanding).
Now, I'm no professional movie reviewer by any stretch of the imagination, but I can offer you some tips on a couple of flicks out now: “Man of Steel” and “Epic.”
Let's start with the Superman film first: Unlike some action movies, it has a decent storyline. And that storyline is, as the PG-13 rating implies, pretty tame (i.e., nothing overtly violent or inappropriate). But here's the krypton: Even from an adult standpoint, the movie is extremely intense — as in, 148 minutes of adrenaline-producing, eardrum-beating, speaker-shaking action. That it's in 3D only magnifies the overwhelming in-your-face effect. There are some mildly creepy images every now and then, as well, which — combined with the intensity — can be disturbing to youngsters, especially those who are more sensitive to loud noises and super-stimulating situations than others.
“Epic,” on the other hand, is a charming little film with a sweet plot (albeit a bit on the saccharine site) and a good takeaway message involving the good guys, who respect and protect nature, and the bad guys, who seek to destroy it and claim the ruins as their own. Loosely based on “The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs,” a children’s book written by William Joyce, it’s rated PG for “mild action, some scary images and brief rude language.” Kids will laugh at the silly scenes and good-natured ribbing between certain characters; we adults will marvel at its exquisite details and lifelike animation and wonder (as I did) how on earth digital artists can create such realistic images as that.
All in all, two good choices involving the age-old theme of good vs. evil: one that's totally apropos for viewers of any age, the other, well, not as much — but both bound to bust any notions of boredom for at least part of a summer afternoon.
