The Post-Gazette reviews movies from a family perspective:

'300'

Rated: R.

Suitable for: Older teens and above. The R rating is appropriate.

What you should know: Frank Miller's graphic novel inspired this retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fight to the death against Xerxes and his Persian army. It is a manly man's movie, to be sure.

Language: None.

Sexual situations and nudity: We see women's bare breasts and a man's naked behind. Couples briefly are shown engaged in sex, willingly or otherwise.

Violence/scary situations: The body count, mainly humans but some animals, is in the thousands. Soldiers are killed by spears, arrows and swords, and a few tumble to their deaths. Mounds or carpets of corpses are depicted, and the battlefield violence is almost nonstop. A couple of characters, a deformed hunchback and a severely diseased man, could be frightening to younger viewers.

Drug or alcohol use: None.

'The Ultimate Gift'

Rated: PG.

Suitable for: Tweens and above.

What you should know: This is from the Fox Faith label and stars Drew Fuller from "Charmed" as a spoiled young man who lives off his trust fund. His grandfather (James Garner) tries to teach him a series of life lessons from beyond the grave. There's nothing in the movie you couldn't see on TV.

Language: A handful of mild profanities are used.

Sexual situations and nudity: Kisses are exchanged.

Violence/scary situations: The movie opens with the news of the grandfather's death and a child dies of leukemia. A couple of adults are kidnapped, and they are shown either in makeshift cells or cuffed around a tree. People are hit on camera or off, and the remnants of a fatal plane crash are found.

Drug or alcohol use: Thugs get drunk. Adults consume wine or brandy, and a joke is made about someone being on crack again.