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Movie Reviews From A Family Perspective
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titles released after July 2005.
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I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Inside
Man
In The Shadow Of The Moon
Incredible Hulk, The
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Invincible
It's A Wonderful Life (on DVD)
Iron Man
I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY
Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames with Steve Buscemi and Dan Aykroyd. Universal. Comedy. Written by Lew Gallo, Barry Fanaro and Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Directed by Dennis Dugan.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Chuck Levine (Sandler) and Larry Valentine (James) are the pride of their fire station. Grateful Chuck owes Larry for saving his life in a fire, and Larry calls in that favor big time when civic red tape prevents him from naming his own two kids as his life insurance beneficiaries. All that Chuck has to do is claim to be Larry’s domestic partner on some city forms. Easy. Nobody will ever know. But when an overzealous bureaucrat becomes suspicious, the new couple’s arrangement becomes a citywide issue and goes from confidential to front-page news. Forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds, Chuck and Larry must now fumble through a charade of domestic bliss under one roof.
REVIEW: The message: the gay lifestyle should be accepted and respected in today’s America. And in case you missed the message due to the comic pratfalls and the immature humor that ranges from fat jokes to gay jokes to juvenile daydreams about scantily clad twin sisters kissing one another, the stars repeat the message over and over.
There’s some funny stuff, these two guys being proven talents, but most of the wit is based on sophomoric or crude humor, and the message becomes not only the central theme, but one accompanied by a subtle threatening.
There’s a scene where a religious group is picketing a gay club. The hostile minister calls one of the leads a “faggot.” (There are some zealots who actually behave this way.) He is rightly punched in the mouth for his disrespectful name calling. My problem with the scene is that it is the only one having anything to do with Christian behavior. Gay groups have been verbally attacked by church groups more concerned with America’s culture than Christ’s teachings. And now it’s payback time. It’s as if those involved in this production are saying “We are gunning for you, Christians.”
We Christians blew it when it came to reaching out to the gay community. There are haters in religion, for sure, but most of us just simply don’t know how to express our perspective without it appearing to be pious finger pointing. Now everybody lives by a perspective. Everybody. But if your perspective is that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, you are perceived as intolerant. Of course, there are a couple hundred different denominations, with lots of takes on the Christian perspective. Therefore, I hate to offer mine, knowing it won’t sit well with some. But it just seems to me that if the two most important commands are to love God and to love one another, as Jesus instructed, shouldn’t we be attempting to satisfy those two directives? Won’t all the other commands fall into place if we keep our thoughts on those two? “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” Matthew 22:36-40. And won’t the desire to follow His leading be our most effective witness?
Watching this pivotal scene is unnerving. For it slyly depicts an anti-Christian conviction. It states that we followers of Christ are the enemy – not just the haters with a disguised objective, but all of us. In this one scene, in this rather silly movie, it becomes clear that in the eyes of those who seek the rights of the downtrodden, we Christians are the threat to American justice. We are the Hitlers. And since we are seen as a jeopardy to the pursuit of homosexual happiness, we must not only be challenged but vanquished. I think things are going to get a little tough for the faithful in America’s future. Is it because we showed too much of Christ’s concern, or not enough?
PG-13 (lots of crude humor taken from fat and gay jokes as well as other crudities mixed in; the word “faggot” is used, but to make a point of how hurtful it is meant and taken; around 15 obscenities; several minor expletives; I caught one profane use of God’s name; a bigot is punched; we see firemen endangered in their line of work; there’s a great deal of sexual innuendo and several sexual scenes meant to titillate; backside nudity as several firemen are seen showering; several women dressed scantily, the camera roaming over their bodies; two guys pretending to be gay, several others coming out of the closet, some acting effeminate; a long running gag has to do with a child displaying homosexual tendencies).
Back to topDenzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe. Universal. Written by Russell Gewirtz. Directed by Spike Lee. Opens 3/24/06
This clever cat-and-mouse crime caper has a tough detective matching wits with a dangerous bank robber. Suddenly the volatile situation becomes even more complex when a power broker surfaces with a hidden agenda.
Finally, a smart heist-caper movie. I mean, this is one you have to pay attention to and think over after leaving the theater. With a jaunty score, lively direction and solid performances from the leads and supporters, this is one of the best suspense dramas I’ve seen in years. What’s more, it’s about something more than a good cop up against a bad bank robber. It has a theme about justice ultimately prevailing and your sins finding you out. The front story is deceptive, with a satisfying conclusion. Alas, there is one problem: there are nearly one hundred obscenities, mostly the f-word emanating from the cast. And no one in the film seems immune from such usage, including Mr. Washington, who professes to be a Christian in real life. Though I am glad to report the actor did not misuse the name of God, he was quite liberal with the use of other foul vocabulary. A story this smart, with otherwise sparkling dialogue, deserved better than the constant and desensitizing use of the f-word as a means to express frustration, fear, and even comic relief.
R (three crude sexual comments; nearly 100 obscenities, mostly the f-word, but also a man calls a woman by an objectionable word in one scene; a misuse of God’s name and two of Christ’s; we see several shootings and two brutal beatings; innocent hostages are mistakenly shot by the police; we see a person get shot in the head at point blank range, his blood spurts out; the lead lives with his girlfriend; some provocative and suggestive dialogue between the two over the phone and kissing in person, but no graphic situations; a couple of people, including the macho head thief, are seen smoking; it has a positive message about men determined to right evil, but many will be offended by the coarse).
Documentary from ThinkFilm. Opened 9/7/07 with a wider release scheduled that month.
FILM SYNOPSIS: The incisive documentary features the accounts of the surviving members of the Apollo teams who walked on the moon.
REVIEW: I was teenager, working a summer job as a performer at an amusement park, on July 20th, 1969, the day the first man walked on the moon. The management allowed me to make the announcement to the folks at the park’s Opera House that the Apollo team had landed. What a roar of applause. This was really something. I mention this personal experience because it demonstrates how we were all united by NASA’s endeavor. It was one of those defining moments when all of America stood together and was proud of being American.
This documentary gives a fresh perspective of those achievements, allowing for the spiritual implications that affected the men on those explorations. At one point, we even hear Charles Duke from the Apollo 9 mission give his testimony. I couldn’t believe my ears; a man was declaring his faith in Jesus Christ and there were no snickers from audience members. Indeed, my fellow moviegoers were moved, realizing that there is something far bigger than man, or even space itself.
One of the best film-going experiences of the year, In the Shadow of the Moon engages, uplifts and unites.
PG (two minor expletives, but no harsh language; we learn of the death of three astronauts, caused by a fire; and there are a couple of nerve-racking moments when another capsule is endangered).
Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, William
Hurt. Universal. Action/thriller. Written by Zak Penn and Edward
Harrison. Directed by Louis Leterrier. Opens 6/13/08
FILM SYNOPSIS: Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton)
desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells
and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him. Living in the
shadows—cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross
(the elfin-like Liv Tyler)—Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive
pursuit of his nemesis, General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), and the
military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power.
As all three grapple with the secrets that led to the Hulk’s creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as the Abomination, whose destructive strength exceeds even the Hulk’s own.
REVIEW: The first installment of The Fantastic Four had some humor, but the special effects were so-so and the dialogue less than. Due to sloppy writing, that production had little heart. The heroes didn’t seem to do much for others, the story constrained to their own desires to return to normalcy. Surly, narcissistic and charmless, the foursome was dreary. All that changed with Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The effects were as good as I’ve seen. And the pacing, the humor, the action, and even the dialogue are superior not just to the first installment, but to many action/adventure wannabes. The Hulk, which came out in 2003, was also a dud, with its brooding lead character nearly as grumpy as Reverend Wright. So to expect that the filmmakers would learn from Fantastic Four isn’t mind-stretching. But it just goes to prove, Hollywood execs may produce this stuff, but I doubt they see it.
The film does not focus on the Hulk as a crime fighter, but as a tragic figure running from the law. Same as in the first film. He’s The Fugitive on steroids, a moping brute from Marvel Mountain, unhappy about his destiny. (Funny, I seem to be the only superhero happy about having super powers.) He’s not fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. He’s just fighting to keep adolescents from thinking about the plot. The Hulk is loud, dark, violent and completely unsuitable for little kids.
The computer-generated special effects are effective, and the targeted audience will get a kick out of the sight of the not so jolly green giant smashing through walls and throwing tanks around as if they were Tonka toys, but the film only sputters to life for moments when the green guy gets down and dirty. The rest of the time, everyone looks bored.
PG-13 (several minor expletives, and two or three obscenities; I caught one use of God’s name followed by a curse, and the expression “oh my God” crops up several times; there are two unstoppable forces going toe to toe, smashing anything and everyone who gets in their way; lots of running, car chases, explosions and gunfire, not to mention endless combats between Hulk and the Abomination; some blood, yes, but it’s green; one sex scene, but stopped midway as Bruce tells Betty he can’t get too excited (or he’ll turn into Greeny); a nude shower scene with private parts hidden; the military is portrayed in a bad light, nefarious and ineffective). Intended Audience: People who like to see cars get thrown
DVD Alternatives: King Kong (the 1933 version). It’s moody and absorbing. The sequence as our fearless band of explorers comes across the uncharted island where the giant ape lives is outstanding. And remember, as Robert Armstrong said to a policeman after the planes shoot down the monster ape from the Empire State Building, “It was beauty killed the beast.”
Or: The Incredibles. This hilarious, action-packed, animated adventure has a put-upon superhero family now denying their superpowers and living under a government protection plan. Taking on grown-up themes such as the suspicion of infidelity and a barrage of violent do-or-die histrionics, Pixar Animation Studios and filmmaker Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) incorporate cartoonish slapstick with thoughtful PG-rated wit.
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent,
Shia LaBeouf. Paramount Pictures. Written by David Koepp. Directed
by Steven Spielberg. Opens 5/22/08.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Older and slower, our intrepid hero
is now on a quest to find a mythical ornament that may contain mystical powers.
Of course, there are always others seeking what Indy seeks. Thus begins
another Saturday morning action adventure, with some old faces and some new
adding to the excitement.
REVIEW: Recently I screened an Indiana Jones-like film coming out later this summer. I gave it a positive review, all the while knowing it didn’t have the same panache as a Spielberg/Lucas treasure exploring adventure. And the reason is not just that Mr. Spielberg’s company has more money or more know-how. That goes without saying. But there’s an added ingredient – a love of film. Oh, I suspect most filmmakers love their work, but George Lucas (here, producing) and Steven Spielberg have an all-consuming love affair with cinematic storytelling. Here’s how they display that affection. Both look at each aspect of the job and fine-tune it. Then they stand back and ask, “Now, how can we make it even better?” Then they do.
There is one small problem with their most recent action love fest. There’s nothing new in it. Indy (Harrison Ford) is now a sexagenarian, so except for the sequences dominated by Mr. Ford’s body double/stunt man, the action is just the teensiest bit slower. He uses that whip a lot and each derring-do feat seems a replay of those already done time and time again.
I’m grateful that the filmmakers have allowed older actors such as Mr. Ford and Ms. Allen to play central characters in a summer blockbuster. But they don’t do anything or say anything they didn’t 25 years ago. That said, the attending audience didn’t seem to mind that it was a mere retread of exploits past. Nor did they object to the convoluted, somewhat silly premise, or the film’s Titanic-like length. They were nostalgic and delighted with the humor and the magic as if seeing it for the first time.
Best scene: Indy finds himself in the middle of an atomic bomb testing site – with seemingly no place to hide before the blast.
Best death-defying stunt: Indy and his young charge are on a motorcycle, having to defend themselves against a carload of Russian spies. The sequence has Indy pulled off the back of the bike into the car, then escaping by exiting the opposite window back onto the fleeting cycle. It drew applause.
PG-13 (five or so obscenities, the harshest being SOB and the s-word, and four of five minor expletives; one “for God’s sake, but I caught no profane use of God’s name or Christ’s; beginning to end violence, with several jolting or scary images such as a man completely devoured by CGI created large-scale ants – this could be unsettling for little ones with the image of ants covering this man, even entering his mouth and being able to drag him beneath the ant hill; there are other violent images, including a man about to blow a poison dart only to have it blown into his own mouth; the leads find themselves in many perilous Saturday morning matinee-type situation; the filmmakers avoid grotesque or graphic amounts of blood; the rebellious young man has a tendency to disrespect his elders, but we eventually come to find him to be a person of substance; members of the FBI are portrayed as idiots – you be the judge as to whether that’s a just call).
Running Time: 122 min.
Intended Audience: Older kids and up
Mark
Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks. Disney. Family sports drama.
Written by Brad Gann. Directed by Ericson core. Opens 8/25/06
From the studio that brought you The Rookie and Remember the Titans comes Invincible, inspired by the true story of Vince Papale (MARK WAHLBERG), a man with nothing to lose who ignored the staggering odds and made his dream come true. When Dick Vermeil (GREG KINNEAR) the new head coach of the Philly Eagles, hosted an unprecedented open tryout, the public consensus was that it was a waste of time - no one good enough to play professional football was going to be found this way. Certainly no one like Papale - a down-on-his-luck, 30-year-old substitute teacher and part-time bartender who never even played college football. The film has to do with beating the odds and realizing that you'll never beat those odds if you don't try.
One problem. Once again, a film aimed at the family implies that the lead sleeps out of wedlock with his lady. I wouldn't want my concern to appear as pious castigation. But in a film otherwise careful to avoid PG-13 content, why would a studio feature fornication. "But Phil, it's a fact of life." So is abstinence before the wedding night, but that lifestyle is almost never presented in movies. And today it appears to be of little importance even in a Disney family feature.
Fornication aside, Invincible is an enjoyable film experience. The best sports film since The Rookie, the story moves along with energy and passion. The football sequences are involving, as are the lead performances. Its positive themes include caring and sacrificing for others, and following the impossible dream. It's a follow-your-star, sports-underdog movie with one goal - to make you feel good. It scores.
"I'm confused, Phil, are you saying go to it or not?" Up to you. I've given the good and the bad. If you should decide to attend with your kids, you might find a suitable time to express why we attempt to follow biblical teachings despite the world's acceptance of anti-biblical behavior.
Rated PG (I caught only two minor expletives; football field collisions; it is implied that the lead couple sleep together after falling in love and before they get married; several scenes take place in a bar where everybody knows your name; lots of beer drinking; it shows some men trying to escape problems through the bottle; one very positive message has to do with seeing through someone else's pain and reaching out to them, putting their needs before your own).
For more information visit: disney.go.com/disneypictures/invincible
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (on DVD)
One of the best films of all time is now in color…
With all due respect to the producers of Citizen Kane and Casablanca, my choice for best film of all time would be IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The reason? Well, consider its theme: a man contemplating suicide is given the chance to see what life for others would be like if he had never been born. Perhaps the most important film Hollywood ever produced, it demonstrates how we can affect the lives around us. Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey reminds us that we touch so many people and can have a real influence on those souls. Director Frank Capra has given the world a great gift with this Christmas classic.
And now it’s in color! Paramount Home Video has just released a 2-disc collector’s set, which includes a documentary on the making of the film and a special tribute to Frank Capra narrated by his son. Plus, the box set has both a brand new color version, as well as a restored black and white version, (both in pristine shape).
I have never been a fan of colorization, because old black and white classics were lit with b&w film in mind. Shadows and texture added to the look and mood of a film and the addition of computer coloring seemed to detract from those qualities. But with an improved technique of colorization, some pictures have actually taken on a new exuberance. It’s A Wonderful Life is one of those. The look is simply splendid, even to the point of enhancing the production.
The DVD set will be released on November 13th.
IRON MAN
Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub and Gwyneth Paltrow. Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment Present. Written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway. Directed by Jon Favreau.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment's big screen adaptation of Marvel's legendary Super Hero Iron Man will launch into theaters on May 2, 2008. Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the story of a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.
REVIEW: Formative elements such as smart and witting writing (considering the genre), involving direction, perhaps the best special effects I’ve seen, and actors doing what good actors do best, make this one of the best of the Marvel comics come to film. True, the last third becomes top heavy with the standard combativeness we’ve seen with the Fantastic foursome, the mutating Transformers and the go-go Power Rangers, but by then Mr. Downey and his supporting actors have cast their spell, drawing us into a mesmerizing action adventure that’s also a morality tale.
I do have a concern. While it has a comic book feel, the amount of visceral violence gained the film a PG-13 rating. Because of the amount of violent imagery already aimed at kids by the world’s entertainment community, I question this film’s suitability for younger moviegoers. Indeed, when our protagonist found himself in a bad way, a traumatized child (way too young for such a movie) started screaming.
I was also disappointed, but not surprised, by the inclusion of several obscenities and even a couple of profane uses of God’s name. Is that language now appearing in the action comic books?
PG-13 (six or so obscenities – mostly the f-word and four or five minor expletives; at least two profane uses of God’s name; a great many action scenes, with many folk meeting their doom by shootings and explosions; soldiers are bombed and shot by terrorists; the lead undergoes a strange operation to save his life after he is wounded by an explosion; women and children are threatened by terrorists; a lot of visceral action by combative machines; some sexual tension between the lead and his pretty assistant; some drinking).
© 2008 Good News Tucson™