The First Slam Dunk (PG-13)
Basketball anime about personal loss is a winner; language.
“The First Slam Dunk” is based on writer/director Takehiko Inoue’s popular 1990 basketball-themed manga series/franchise, Slam Dunk. The action takes place over the course of a high school basketball championship game, breaking away to give glimpses into key players’ personal stories, especially point guard Ryota Miyagi (voiced by Shugo Nakamura in the original Japanese and Paul Castro Jr. in the English dub). He lives in the shadow of his brother, a promising athlete who disappeared years earlier, traumatizing their family. He also gets bullied, targeted by a group that beats him bloody. But he’s a fantastic example of the importance of perseverance, both in facing life’s challenges and in working with a team to reach a goal. The teen characters frequently incorporate insults and profanity into their speech, including “a–hole,” “bastard,” “moron,” “s–t,” “goddammit,” and more. (124 minutes)
The Slumber Party (TV-PG)
Sweetly innocent take on “The Hangover” has crushes, a kiss.
“The Slumber Party” is a tween-friendly comedy about the shenanigans of a group of 14-year-old girls during a wild slumber party. There are some moments of peril, but no one’s ever genuinely scared or in danger. Romance includes two of the characters having crushes on older boys. One girl is filmed mildly “grinding” while on a homecoming float. There’s a lot of buildup to a single kiss between two teens. Expect a bit of mild insult language (“psychopath,” “freaky”) and a bleeped out “s–t.” Messages touch on the importance of going outside your comfort zone and trying new things before judging them, and the movie shows that families come in all shapes and sizes. (82 minutes)
Available on Disney Plus.
Funny, dramatic series reunion has kissing, social drinking.
“Zoey 102” is a movie sequel to the hit 2000s teen dramedy series “Zoey 101.” Star Jamie Lynn Spears and almost everyone from the cast of the original show — which aired from 2005 to 2008 on Nickelodeon — return. Themes of the movie include friendship, teamwork and the importance of honesty. The movie’s content is tween-friendly overall, but you can expect some social drinking and partying by adults, kissing, and characters waking up in bed together. An underlying storyline is that a killer is on the loose in Santa Monica, and a victim is shown in a body bag. (101 minutes)
Available on Paramount Plus.
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