Monday Movie Review

Larissa and I watched The Sentinel last week. We have had the movie sitting on our chest of drawers for weeks and just haven't had a chance to watch it. I'll make this short: It was nothing memorable.

It had all the right elements: a great cast (Michael Douglass, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, and Kim Basinger), good points of intrigue (secret service agent having an affair with the president's wife, falling out with his best friend because friend suspected him of having an affair with his wife, assassination attempt against the president), and decent effects, but it just didn't all come together. The storyline got in its own way at times and character development was really weak.

Bottom line: Don't waste your time or your dime.

Monday Movie Review

A couple of reviews for you:

This weekend I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks together with the family. I had low expectations for the movie, but I can honestly say it was the funniest movie I have seen in quite some time. You don't have to think. Just sit back and enjoy. Plus, if you grew up in the '80s and were a fan of the animated Saturday morning series, it will take you back.

Horton Hears a Who: Probably one of the best adaptations of a Seuss book you'll see. Visually, it was really cool. Very reminiscent of the illustrations in the Seuss books. Plus, I love the basic theme of the story: a person's a person no matter how small. A good starter for talking with your kids about the value of every person, and particularly to talk about where that value comes from.

10,000 B.C.: I was trying to kill a couple of hours the other day while I was having the car serviced, so I went to see this. It did serve that purpose. The movie was decently entertaining with some cool visual effects. However, it was nothing memorable and had no real storyline connected to the redemptive story.

The real problem with the story was that the history and the geography were just all off. As a history major, this bothered me to the point that I had a really hard time paying attention to the plot. The story takes place in 10,000 B.C. (as the title may give away), but in the movie, Egyptians are building fully developed pyramids. All wrong. Additionally, the main character seems to begin his journey somewhere in Europe or northern Asia, but somehow winds up in central Africa, approaching Egypt from the south. Oh well, that may be confusing to you. I know it was to me. Suffice it to say, it killed a couple of hours for me, but I would not recommend this one as anything worth your time.

Monday Movie Review

I didn't have terribly high expectations for Rocky Balboa. The first two films in the Rocky franchise were two of the best sports movies of all time. I absolutely loved the third one, although I was a fourth-grade boy at the time, so my evaluation was probably based more on the nature of the underdog taking on an evil opponent in the form of Clubber Lang (Mr. T) and the fact that I loved the song Eye of the Tiger by Survivor than on the merits of the movie itself. By the time the fourth installment came along, even I, as a twelve year old boy, could tell that the premise of the film was stretching reality a little and played on Cold War fears still hanging on in America.

By the time of the fifth installment, I couldn't even bring myself to watch the movie. Sylvester Stallone had become too much of an action hero, Rocky had become too much of a franchise, and it seemed that there just were no contendors left for Rocky to fight. I have never seen the movie in its entirety, but have seen most of it when it has been on TV. It's not worth the cellulose the film was printed on.

So, when Rocky Balboa came along, I wasn't expecting much. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I watched it this weekend. Now, don't get me wrong, it was definitely cliched and was a stretch of the imagination. But it picked back up on some of the gritty feel of the first two movies. Several references were made throughout the film to scenes from the first movies, so it carried some nostalgia with it.

In short, the movie is about a fifty-something year-old, retired Rocky who is running a restaurant (named Adrian's) in Philly and mourning the death of his love, Adrian (That's right, only one "Yo, Adrian" in this movie.) When an ESPN computer simultion shows that Rocky would win in a fight against current heavyweight champ Mason "The Line" Dixon, Dixon's promoters arrange an exhibition match between him and Rocky. Rocky agrees to the match, wanting to be rid of some "stuff" he still has inside of him. The movie is predictable, and it definitely is not going to win any awards, but it is enjoyable and it has a redemptive message, and to be honest with you, that's more than I expect from a lot of movies. I guess what makes the film at least believable enough to keep you watching is the fact that George Foreman had actually already done it.

Best line from the movie: Rocky: "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place. It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! "

It's not near as gritty or inspiring as the first, but if you were a fan of the first, you will definitely find yourself wanting to cheer for Rocky again.

Monday Movie Review

Okay, I know it's not Monday, but it's close enough.

I watched Elizabethtown a couple of weeks ago, and I must confess, I watched it rather reluctantly. The name alone seems to give off red flags that this is going to be a major chick flick. But, it came highly recommended by Michael McMinn, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Fortunately, it's not really a chick flick. The movie is really more about a man finding his sense of identity in the world. Drew (Orlando Bloom) is a shoe designer in Seattle who loses his dream job after developing a shoe that is an abysmal failure for the Nike-esque company for which he works. He is about to take his own life when he receives a call from his mother telling him that his father has just died. Drew is given the responsibility of going to Elizabethtown, KY, where his father was visiting his family, to make arrangements for his father's cremation and memorial service.

On the flight to Kentucky, Drew meets a bubbly flight attendant named Claire, brilliantly played by Kirsten Dunst. The rest of the film is about Drew trying to navigate his way through family relationships, funeral arrangements, his own grief over the loss of his father, and his struggle for identity in the loss of his job. Claire continues to be a source of sunshine and sanity for Drew throughout the process. Claire tells Drew that he failed, but it is not the end of his life and helps him to understand that his identity and worth as a human being are not tied to his accomplishments or failures in the business world.

One of the best lines from the film comes from Bill Banyon, a friend of Drew's father, Mitch. Drew informs Bill and the local funeral home director that Mitch wished to be cremated, so there will be no body at the funeral. Banyon responds with, "Is there such a thing as partial cremation?"

At the end of the film, Drew begins his journey back to Seattle, but he promises Claire that he will drive across country with the urn with his father's ashes instead of flying back home. She maps out the route for him and puts together a sound track for him to listen to on the way. This is the final stage of healing for Drew.

Kirsten Dunst does an excellent job playing a southern girl. She passibly pulls off the accent, and she really nails the attitude and persona of the new southern lady. Orlando Bloom, on the other hand, is at times distracting. He does a good job of portraying a melancholy but emotionally constipated male. But the fact that his British accent keeps creeping through is distracting. It's kind of like watching Kevin Costner try to pull off a British accent in Robin Hood.

This is really a good movie, which surprised me given it's title (it just sounded so girly). The soundtrack is incredible, as you might expect from a film by Cameron Crowe. As a bonus, if you are a fan of Paula Deen, she makes a cameo as Drew's aunt.

Monday Movie Review

After several recommendations from a lot of different people, I finally watched Facing the Giants this weekend. The film tells the story of a struggling Christian school football team and how their coach inspires them by his faith and commitment to God to go on to win a state championship.

As for the review, let me begin with the what all the people who recommended this movie: "This is a really good movie. The acting is pretty bad, but the movie is really good."

So, if you are going to watch this movie, you need to start out with that caveat in mind. The storyline is pretty good for what the film sets out to accomplish, but the quality of the acting and the production is not the best.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie and agreed with the basic concept that the film tried to portray, namely "with God, nothing is impossible." You have to understand that that is the message that the film is trying to convey. Most movies asks you to suspend reality somewhat to bring across their point, and Facing the Giants is no different. If you are able to suspend reality, and accept the storyline, then Giants effectively teaches the power of God to overcome any struggles we may face and conquer the "giants" in our lives.

Every thread of the storyline reinforces this point. (Spoiler Warning) The coach's car is falling apart and an anonymous donor gives him a new Ford F-150 pickup truck. The coach also receives a $6,000 a year raise when the teams starts winning. The commitment of the coach and the football team leads to a revival on campus in which one of the team members becomes a Christian and is reconciled to his father. The coach, with God's help, is able to turn the football team around and save his job. The coach and his wife, struggling with issues of infertility, are able to get pregnant, not once but twice. The football team, defeated in the first round of the playoffs and facing elimination, are reinstated in the playoffs because the team that beat them is disqualified for playing two inelgible players. The football team then goes on to face the Giants, four time state champs who are bigger, stronger, faster, and better coached. The game comes down to a field goal attempt in which the undersized, less than confident, second string kicker named (you guessed it) David must kick a fifty-one yard field goal to win the game with two seconds left on the clock.

Now, let me say loud and clear that I absolutely and completely agree with the basic premise of the movie that nothing is impossible with God. I can affirm in my own life that God has done some things that I thought were absolutely impossible. However, I think the movie overstates its case. Literally everything in the movie works out for the best. And that is not how life often works. God can do the impossible, but he is also sovereign, and sometimes his purpose and plan for our lives means that we will face difficulties that won't always easily be wrapped up.

I would have enjoyed the movie more if it had shown the reverse side of this coin. Had the coach and his wife continued to praise God without getting a child, had the team not went on to the state championship, had some tragedy struck the football team, I would have more readily accepted the movie as a reflection of real life. The coach and players continually say, "We praise God when we win, and we praise God when we lose." The full force of the movie and its impact as a whole would have been greater to me if there had been a realistic representation of the latter part of that statement.

As it now stands, the film could be construed as reinforcing a health and prosperity gospel, that if you love God and have enough faith and serve him, everything will always turn out perfect. That is why I offer a caution in viewing the film. It is a great movie for Christian families, so long as you understand that it does not represent the whole story. Be sure to talk to each other about the reality of the Christian life. Remember, being faithful to God's call for his life led Jesus to a cross and countless other believers to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Beyond that, the movie also gets preachy at times. I completely support the idea of realistically depicting the lives of people of faith in film. I think realistic people of faith are sadly absent from television and movies. I think it is awesome that a church (the movie was produced, written, directed and cast by members of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA) would step out in faith to produce a movie as a means of conveying the Christian message. However, the dialogue in the movie often sounded like it came directly from the pastor's sermon for the week. People of genuine faith and conviction and character usually talk about their faith without using phrases that sound, well, like a sermon.

I would also caution against trying to use the movie as an evangelistic tool. Although, it gives a clear statement of the value of faith in God, it is a little too over the top for the average unbeliever. If you have someone who is very receptive to the gospel and very close to crossing the line of faith, then the movie could be an effective tool. But for the average spiritual seeker, I would advise using some other tools. For one, the quality of the movie might be a distraction to your friend. If they are quickly turned off because of the quality of the movie, you may have lost the opportunity for further conversations. I would recommend movies with spiritual themes that can serve as conversation starters with your friends (movies like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan, or Harry Potter).

In summary, I enjoyed Giants and will share it with my family and Christian friends, while recognizing that while trying to communicate its message, it leaves unsaid some important aspects of facing the giants in our lives with faith in God. Enjoy the movie, but we aware of its shortcomings and be careful about trying to use it to win people to faith.

Superman Returns!

One cool spring evening in 1979, my mom, my dad, my brother and I loaded up into my dad's little blue Ford pick-up and went to the Howard Auto Theater, the drive-in movie theater outside of Nashville, AR.

There was a long line of cars backed up the highway waiting to get in, and we waited for what seemed like an eternity for our turn. We finally got in, and my dad got a spot about four rows back, a good view of the screen and close to the bathrooms and concession stand. He backed the truck into the spot, and once we got our hot dogs and popcorn, we all got in the back of the truck, wrapped up in quilts, and waited for the movie to start.

I still remember like it was yesterday that big S-shield flying across the screen followed by the name "Superman" and the first strains of John Williams' magnificent score. For the next two hours, I was as excited as a six-year-old boy can be. Superman was officially one of my heroes.

Well, last night I relived the moment as LaRissa and I took our four kids to see Superman Returns. I had pretty high expectations and was not disappointed. The kids had the same reaction I did as a kid. They thought it was one of the best movies they had ever seen. It was awesome for me to live out the experience with them ("The son becomes the father and the father becomes the son.")

Much has already been said about how Superman is a Christ-figure in the current Superman installment as well as in Richard Donner's Superman: The Motion Picture and Superman II (I highly recommend Stephen Skelton's The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero), so I won't give a detailed analysis. However, there is one moment in the film that is especially worthwhile in this regard. Superman has left earth to try to find the remains of his home planet, Krypton, and has returned to earth after a five year absence. The world has moved on without him, and Lois Lane has written an editorial entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." Lois tells Superman, "The world doesn't need a savior." Superman responds, "You said the world doesn't need a savior. But I hear people crying out for one every day." Isn't that really what being a Christian in the world is all about? Responding to a world that is crying out for a savior everyday.

I, for one, am so glad Superman has returned!