TL;DR
- Ages 5-7: Stick to "slapstick action" like Dog Man or The Bad Guys.
- Ages 8-10: The "sweet spot" for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and the upcoming A Minecraft Movie.
- Ages 11-13: Ready for the heavy hitters like Superman (2025) and Avatar: Fire and Ash.
- The Verdict: Action movies are great for teaching resilience, but watch out for the "2025 Edge"—even PG movies are leaning into more "rude humor" and intense sensory overload.
Action movies are basically the modern mythology. Instead of Hercules and Zeus, our kids have Superman and Spider-Man. They’re loud, they’re flashy, and they’re usually the first time our kids see a "hero’s journey" in real-time.
But here’s the problem: the line between "fun adventure" and "genuine nightmare fuel" has become incredibly thin. A movie like The Sea Beast is technically an action movie, but it feels very different from the gritty, war-torn intensity of the newer Avatar sequels.
If you’re trying to navigate the 2025 release calendar without accidentally traumatizing your second-grader, here is the Screenwise breakdown of what’s actually appropriate.
At this age, "action" should mostly mean "movement." You want movies where the stakes are high enough to be exciting, but the violence is clearly "cartoonish"—meaning characters bounce back, there’s no blood, and the bad guys are more "misunderstood" than "pure evil."
Released in early 2025, this is a perfect entry point. It’s based on the Dog Man books, so the humor is definitely in the "potty" category (expect some licking and sniffing), but the action is pure slapstick. It’s high-energy but low-stress.
This is essentially "Ocean’s Eleven for kids." It has car chases and "heist" action, but it’s all wrapped in a story about whether people can actually change for the better. It’s stylish, fast-paced, and won't leave them with questions about mortality.
The Kung Fu Panda franchise is the gold standard for this age group. It’s heavy on martial arts, but it’s "magical" martial arts. Po is a relatable goofball, and the "violence" is almost always used to illustrate a lesson about discipline or inner peace.
This is the age where kids start wanting "real" movies. They want the live-action stuff, the capes, and the bigger explosions. This is also where you have to start paying attention to the "Vibe Check."
Coming in April 2025, this is going to be the biggest movie of the year for this age group. It’s live-action mixed with CGI, and while there’s "combat" (creepers exploding, skeletons shooting arrows), the movie treats it like the Minecraft game—when things die, they just poof into tokens. It’s safe, but expect some "rude humor" like characters calling each other "Captain Butt Crack."
If your kid hasn't seen this yet, start here. It’s visually stunning and has some of the best action sequences in cinema history, but it also deals with real themes like loss and identity. It’s "intense" but in a way that feels empowering rather than scary.
The live-action remake of the How to Train Your Dragon classic is landing in June 2025. Expect the action to feel a bit more "visceral" because it’s not animated, but the core story remains a beautiful look at friendship and breaking cycles of violence.
By middle school, your kids are likely already seeing PG-13 trailers on YouTube. This is the stage where you move from "protecting" to "preparing." You’re looking for movies that have more complex moral dilemmas and higher stakes.
James Gunn is rebooting the Man of Steel in July 2025. While it’s Superman, it’s James Gunn's Superman. It’s rated PG-13 for a reason: expect more "edgy" language (shit, piss, asshole) and some intense city-destruction sequences. It’s still a hero story, but it’s definitely not for the Bluey crowd.
The third Avatar film hits in December 2025. These movies are basically war films set on a different planet. They are long (often 3 hours+), visually overwhelming, and can be quite violent. The themes of colonialism and environmental destruction are heavy. This is a "watch together" movie, not a "drop them off at the theater" movie.
This is a fantastic action movie, but a major warning for parents: it deals heavily with animal cruelty and can be very emotionally taxing. It’s great for 12-year-olds, but maybe too much for an 8-year-old who loves their dog.
When you’re looking at a new trailer, don’t just look at the rating. Look at the Three V’s:
- Violence (Consequence): Does the hero punch someone and they just fall down (slapstick), or is there blood and lingering pain? Slapstick is fine for little kids; consequence-based violence is for the older ones.
- Vocabulary: 2025 is the year of the "Mild Profanity." Even PG movies are sneaking in "hell," "damn," and "sucks." If you’re a "no-swearing" household, you’ll need to pre-screen even the animated stuff.
- Vibe (Sensory Load): Some kids are fine with the idea of a fight, but the sound of explosions and the flashing lights are too much. Movies like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are a sensory assault—great for some, overwhelming for others.
Action movies often get a bad rap for being "brain rot," but they can actually be a great way to talk about resilience.
When you’re driving home from the theater, ask:
- "Why did the hero keep going even when they were scared?"
- "Was there a way to solve that problem without fighting?"
- "What did the 'villain' actually want? Were they just mean, or were they hurt?"
This turns a 2-hour "explosion fest" into a conversation about emotional intelligence.
Action movies are a rite of passage. In 2026, we’re seeing a shift where "kids' movies" are trying to be "family movies" by adding more adult-lite humor and intense visuals.
If you have a 6-year-old, stick to the animated world of Dog Man. If you have a 10-year-old, get ready for the Minecraft Movie mania. And if you have a tween, use Superman as a bridge to talk about what it actually means to be a "good person" in a complicated world.
Learn more about how to use media to teach character strengths
Next Steps:
- Check out our full list of 2025 movie reviews.
- If your kid is obsessed with a specific character, search our media database to see if there’s a companion book or game that’s age-appropriate.