THE ROCK OF ETERNITY — If my calculations are correct, by the time I am a grandparent there will be enough superhero movies available to stream 24 hours a day for years without seeing the same one twice.

That means that there are going to be some really good superhero movies, but also some really bad ones. Fortunately, “Shazam!” falls into the good superhero movie category and I cannot wait to let my grandkids watch “Shazam!” with me when they come along.

If your kids (or grandkids) are begging you to take them to “Shazam” this weekend, you may want to know if it is going to be appropriate for them. Here is what to expect as far as the content in “Shazam!” to help you determine whether or not it will be appropriate for the kids.

Violence

This is a superhero movie in which the good guys beat up the bad guys and vice versa.

There is plenty of fighting in this film but very little that would rise above cartoon-style violence. There are couple exceptions where we see some scary-looking demons throw innocent people from buildings or kill them in other ways that I was little surprised to see, but it was not enough to put me off of the movie.

There also was a fair amount of violence between kids. There is an element of the story that involves bullies picking on kids. Things get worked out in the end, but this movie does tackle some real-world problems that involve violence.

Blood and gore

There is very little blood and no gore in this film. The most blood we see is a very mild nosebleed. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if it was a nosebleed or if the character just had some dirt near his nostril.

Language

The trade-off for less blood and gore was a little more language than I expected. None of the language rose above the typical PG-13-level words — there was just a little more of it.

The language is more than just profanities. There are terms used in this film that are meant to belittle one of the characters with a disability and degrade some kids who are foster children.

Sexuality

While there is no nudity or anything remotely sensual shown on screen, there is a scene involving a strip club that one of the characters goes into and right back out of very quickly.

We never see the inside of the establishment or find out what goes on in there. Later, some children find themselves inside the same place, but again, we do not see inside or know exactly what they saw other than some vague jokes made about their experience.

Review: Cast, strong story make 'Shazam!' hilarious and enjoyable

“Shazam!” is an absolute blast and well worth putting your Marvel vs. DC squabble aside to embrace this movie.

Drugs and alcohol

There is one scene where two underage characters attempt to drink a beer. I don’t want to ruin the scene, but they quickly decide against it. I don't think this scene glorifies or encourages underage drinking, but it does set up a great joke.

Positive messages

I spend a lot of time writing about the potential negative aspects of a film, but I think it is just as important to point out the positive message of a film if it has one.

“Shazam!” has a great story and message about family and belonging to a group of people that love and respect you for your strengths and weaknesses. This film puts the importance of family in whatever form it may take at the center of the story probably more than any other superhero movie I have seen.

Beyond the imaginary problems superheroes face, this film takes on actual real-life issues that everyday people face. And it does so in a way that we humans can relate to and possibly draw some useful inspiration from.

Conclusion

On the surface, “Shazam!” is a basic PG-13 superhero movie with all that you have come to expect from movies in the genre with a similar rating.

What “Shazam!” does offer that most similar movies don't is it has heart, it does not take itself too seriously and it leaves you with a real-world feeling of hope.

If nothing else, it is worth seeing to have a lot of fun and feel a little better about your own situation and the power of your family.

"Shazam!" is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material.

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