What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the film includes several scenes of knock-down, spectacular (but cartoonish) violence, where kids with superpowers slam each other into walls and through windows, or zap one another with freeze rays and fireballs. One particular kid is sulky, others are anxious, and several are bullies, dunking one child's head in a toilet, throwing someone's cap in the mud, tripping, harassing, and beating up smaller kids. At the beginning of the film, superparents save the city, while a TV announcers says, "Evil has struck our morning commute," which some sensitive viewers might want to discuss, in relation to the recent London underground attacks. There is some mild profanity.
- Families can talk about the relationship between Will and his parents. Worried that he'll disappoint them, he deceives them concerning his lack of superpowers; once he gets these powers, the father deceives the mother about his punishment of the son for "nearly destroying" the school cafeteria.
- How do Will's lies to his parents and friends lead to confusion andregret?
- How does the film challenge the hero/sidekick dichotomy butreaffirm the hero/villain dichotomy?
- How does Will learn to appreciateloyalty over popularity?