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What to watch with your kids: ‘No Time to Die,’ ‘Star Wars: Visions’ and more

October 8, 2021 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
Daniel Craig, left, and Ana de Armas in “No time to Die.” (Nicola Dove/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios)
No Time to Die (PG-13)

Age 14+

Violent Bond adventure is flawed but still epic, emotional.

No Time to Die” is the 25th James Bond movie and the fifth with Daniel Craig in the lead role. It’s more epic, tragic and emotional than is typical for the franchise, and despite its length (163 minutes), it’s worth seeing for teen and adult fans. Expect the usual guns and shooting, fighting, chases, crashes and stunts. While there’s little blood, characters are killed, some by gruesome, face-blistering chemical weapons. A child and a teen are in peril at different points; the teen shoots a gun and falls into an icy lake. Characters kiss passionately and lie in bed together; there’s the suggestion of nudity, but nothing explicit is shown. Infrequent language includes a use of “f---” and a use of “s---,” plus “a--,” “Jesus Christ,” etc. Characters drink frequently in social situations, and one minor character appears drunk. Smoking is also shown.
(163 minutes)

In theaters.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (PG-13)

Age 14+

Noisy violence and forced comedy in poor super-sequel.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is the sequel to 2018’s “Venom,” with Tom Hardy returning as Eddie, the reporter who’s also host to a scary, fanged alien symbiote known as Venom (the character was originally an enemy of Spider-Man). Like the first movie, this one suffers from forced humor, shouting and lots of noisy smashing. Violence includes mass destruction, many minor characters being killed in bloodless ways, fighting, smashing, pounding, brutal attacks, eye-gouging, strangling, biting, bullying and some guns and shooting. An animated flashback shows the worst violence, in cartoon form: murders, abuse and bullying. Two characters kiss briefly but passionately, a woman’s naked bottom is seen in the cartoon sequence, and a woman with an ulterior motive flirts with Venom and calls him sexy. Fairly strong language includes a use of “f---,” plus “s---,” “son of a b----,” “a--hole,” “p---y” and more. (90 minutes)

In theaters.

Lucas the Spider (TV-Y)

Streaming

Age 3+

Adorable spider and friends teach positive lessons.

Lucas the Spider” is an animated TV series based on the popular YouTube channel of the same name. It features the painfully adorable Lucas (voiced by Simon Webster) and his friends as they navigate problems that will be relatable to any preschooler. The characters are kind and model positive social-emotional skills. There are brief moments of mild sadness, fear and adventure, but there’s no iffy content in this charming series. (Seven-minute episodes)

Available on Cartoon Network.

Star Wars: Visions (TV-PG)

Streaming

Age 10+

Anime anthology is stylish and fun for fans; some violence.

Star Wars: Visions” is an anime anthology series that takes place in the Star Wars universe. The initial run features nine 15- to 20-minute episodes produced by six Japanese animation studios. The stories use plenty of imagery and ideas familiar to Star Wars fans (alien species, locations, lightsabers and some brief cameos by well-known characters) but take place outside of the Star Wars canon. Like other Star
Wars-related series, there’s no notable profanity or sexual content, but violence is shown throughout in the form of laser gunfights, sword fights and other large and small battles. (Nine 15- to 20-minute episodes)

Available on Disney Plus.

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