Reviews: What's New This Week
Categories: Fun & Activities, Media, That's Entertainment, Shopping
Here is a look at what's new this week in family entertainment as adapted from reviews and ratings by Common Sense Media. Click on the links to read the reviews in full.
In Theaters Now: Old Dogs
Featuring Robin Williams and John Travolta, "Old Dogs" is a predictable comedy about a clueless dad and his best buddy trying to figure out fatherhood. The film is light on violence and bad language, but doesn't skimp on the flirty scenes and references to sex. Throw in some drunkenness and adult immaturity and you've got a formulaic comedy that tries too hard to be funny. Rated PG, OK for Kids 8+
DVD: Santa Buddies
The latest installment in the popular Golden Retriever 'buddy' movies, "Santa Buddies" features a Christmas theme and a new buddy named Santa Paws. The plot is unoriginal but kids who like talking dogs will enjoy the ride as Santa's best friend ventures out into the real world to save Christmas. Rated G, OK for Kids 5+
TV: Skyrunners
Two brothers must save the world in "Skyrunners," an alien-invasion-meets-high-school-drama movie. The underlying message of brotherly love may be lost on viewers as the boys race through space while trying to impress girls and outrun a government agent with a secret agenda. Aimed at tweens, the film has very little violence or romance and the language is clean. Rated TV-PG, OK for Kids 9+
Books: Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice
Everyone's favorite Siamese cat who thinks he's a chihuahua is back in "Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice." This time, the playful cat is going to Mars thanks to a little chili powder and lot of imagination. Original and fun, author Judy Schachner's latest effort is sure to please her loyal fans. OK for Kids 5+
Music: My World
Justin Bieber makes the tween heartthrob scene with his first album, "My World." The album's seven songs feature clean and sweetly naive lyrics about love, break-ups and prom dates. If the tunes sound somewhat familiar, it's because many of them were previously released as singles. OK for Kids 10+
Web: Fanlala
A celebrity gossip site where kids can connect with friends, meet new ones and play games, "Fanlala" offers lots of opportunity to come across inappropriate content. While the videos and photos are reviewed by site administrators, comments, user-created quizzes and profile images are not. In addition, many of the articles link to other sites that are not at all moderated. Iffy for Kids 12-13
Games: The Princess and the Frog
For Nintendo DS and DSi, "The Princess and the Frog" is an easy-to-play adventure game based on the new Disney movie of the same name. Players follow the storyline as they solve puzzles and play games. The graphics are beautiful and the cooking and music activities add an extra bit of fun. Rated E, OK for Kids 7+

In Theaters Now: Old Dogs
Featuring Robin Williams and John Travolta, "Old Dogs" is a predictable comedy about a clueless dad and his best buddy trying to figure out fatherhood. The film is light on violence and bad language, but doesn't skimp on the flirty scenes and references to sex. Throw in some drunkenness and adult immaturity and you've got a formulaic comedy that tries too hard to be funny. Rated PG, OK for Kids 8+
DVD: Santa Buddies
The latest installment in the popular Golden Retriever 'buddy' movies, "Santa Buddies" features a Christmas theme and a new buddy named Santa Paws. The plot is unoriginal but kids who like talking dogs will enjoy the ride as Santa's best friend ventures out into the real world to save Christmas. Rated G, OK for Kids 5+
TV: Skyrunners
Two brothers must save the world in "Skyrunners," an alien-invasion-meets-high-school-drama movie. The underlying message of brotherly love may be lost on viewers as the boys race through space while trying to impress girls and outrun a government agent with a secret agenda. Aimed at tweens, the film has very little violence or romance and the language is clean. Rated TV-PG, OK for Kids 9+
Books: Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice
Everyone's favorite Siamese cat who thinks he's a chihuahua is back in "Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice." This time, the playful cat is going to Mars thanks to a little chili powder and lot of imagination. Original and fun, author Judy Schachner's latest effort is sure to please her loyal fans. OK for Kids 5+
Music: My World
Justin Bieber makes the tween heartthrob scene with his first album, "My World." The album's seven songs feature clean and sweetly naive lyrics about love, break-ups and prom dates. If the tunes sound somewhat familiar, it's because many of them were previously released as singles. OK for Kids 10+
Web: Fanlala
A celebrity gossip site where kids can connect with friends, meet new ones and play games, "Fanlala" offers lots of opportunity to come across inappropriate content. While the videos and photos are reviewed by site administrators, comments, user-created quizzes and profile images are not. In addition, many of the articles link to other sites that are not at all moderated. Iffy for Kids 12-13
Games: The Princess and the Frog
For Nintendo DS and DSi, "The Princess and the Frog" is an easy-to-play adventure game based on the new Disney movie of the same name. Players follow the storyline as they solve puzzles and play games. The graphics are beautiful and the cooking and music activities add an extra bit of fun. Rated E, OK for Kids 7+

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