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Movie Reviews From A Family Perspective
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Saving
Sarah Cain
Saw
II.
Scary Movie 4
Scoop
Seeker, The
Serenity
September Dawn
Sex in the City
She's the Man
Sky High
Sleepwalking
Smile
Something New
Spiderwick Chronicles, The
Stealth
Step Up 2 The Streets
Superman Returns
Surf’s Up
Arriving January 15, 2008 on DVD from Fox Faith, from director/producer Michael
Landon, Jr. (The Last Sin Eater, Love’s Abiding Joy)
and writer/producer Brian Bird (Touched By An Angel, The Last
Sin Eater), and starring Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H) and Tess Harper
(Tender Mercies) plus newcomer Lisa Pepper in the lead role.
FILM SYNOPSIS: When successful, self-absorbed Sarah Cain (Lisa Pepper) travels to Amish country to attend her sister’s funeral, she discovers that she is now the legal guardian to her five Amish nieces and nephews. Faced not only with instant motherhood, but also with the culture shock of a lifetime, she must decide whether to raise the children in the city or return them to their Amish roots.
REVIEW: The film is produced by Believe Pictures and Redemption Films. Well, that’s subtle. Then, an opening scene has Sarah’s editor chastising his writing staff for their lackadaisical offerings. I sat there mentally rewriting the actor’s dialogue during this scene. That’s not a good sign. More alarms signal this reviewer that he might be in for 90 minutes of lazy and all too familiar storytelling when Sarah’s phone rings at her sister’s funeral. Oh, please. (I suppose that happens nowadays, but I hate the thought that human beings are so controlled by the ever present mobile phone.) Despite the production companies’ names, which blare “religious story on the way,” and Elliott Gould’s clunky introduction, gratefully, the film builds into a warm, well-constructed drama, one touched with spiritual themes. Lisa Pepper, though more pretty than interesting, is adequate in a role we’ve seen done with more likeability by Raising Helen’s Kate Hudson – and several others for that matter. Here, it’s the kids who win you over. Neither precocious nor overly cutesy, each is interesting and genuine. They serve to remind us of the value of being true to yourself and what strength of character is needed when standing for what you believe.
It has a made-for-TV feel, and some may refer to it as the homogenized version of Raising Helen, but it has merit, mainly due to metaphorical theme…one where youngsters are torn away from the life they know and must adapt to a new world. This is something every new Christian undergoes, and therefore can relate to. Added to this scenario is the inclusion of faith and values built on biblical principles rather than just humanism. This actually was handled with subtlety. Never preachy, it incorporates spiritual beliefs into the child characters, which affect those around them.
I was moved by the kids’ performances, engrossed in the story and awed by the locales, beautifully captured by director of photography Matthew Williams. It’s a film I’ll watch again.
Fox Faith releases Saving Sarah Cain on DVD January 15th, 2008. The family drama stars newcomer Lisa Pepper in the lead role, with able support from Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H) and Tess Harper (Tender Mercies). Directed by Michael Landon, Jr. (The Last Sin Eater, Love’s Abiding Joy), the film was written by Brian Bird (Touched By An Angel, The Last Sin Eater).
DVD Specs: Saving Sarah Cain is presented on DVD in widescreen
format (1.78:1 aspect ratio) with English 5.1 Dolby Surround sound with English,
Spanish and French subtitles. DVD special features include Making-Of
featurette, deleted scenes and trailers.
Not rated (the film deals with the loss of parents and children being yanked
from their home and moved to a new city and life; the lead’s boyfriend
enters her apartment using his own key; this would suggest he sometimes stays
there, but there are no sexual situations, indeed, it appears that the lead
is chaste; the subject matter may be disturbing to very young viewers).
Donnie
Wahberg, Franky G., Beverley Mitchell, Dina Meyer, Shawnee Sith, Glenn
Plummer, Tobin Bell. Lions Gate Films. W-Leigh Whannell, Darren Lynn Bousman.
D-Darren Lynn Bousman. Opens 10/28/05
Jigsaw, the disturbed mastermind who wreaked havoc on victims
in last year’s
SAW, is back for another round of horrifying life-or-death games. “Saw
II” has several people locked in a house, with most getting killed
in ghoulish and sadistic ways. The villain at one point says, “Oh yes,
there will be blood.” There is that.
When I was a kid, I couldn’t get enough of the Dracula movies on late
night television. The black & white photography, his demeanor and the
fact that he slept in a coffin surrounded by “children of the night” made
Bela Lugosi seem otherworldly. Though they unnerve, some of us have always
enjoyed those spooky thrillers. But looking back on the movies that were
manufactured in Hollywood’s infancy, you’ll notice that most
were actually morality plays – good vs. evil parables. Occasionally,
that remains true of today’s cinema. “Signs” is a great
example. Sadly, most horror flicks today are fueled by studio special effects
departments capable of giving audiences gore fests. Lessons of morality usually
take a back seat.
Though there was an attempt at clever storytelling in the first episode, “Saw
II” not only puts the moral in the backseat, it assigns cleverness
to the trunk. I began to feel like I was viewing a porno movie. Oh, not that
there is any sexuality involved, but like porno, it maintains the illusion
of giving while in reality it is stealing from the viewer. Now a familiar
word in the moralist’s quiver – desensitize –nonetheless,
that word speaks pointedly of where we’ve come as an audience. Today
young movie fans can stomach this sight of blood oozing from the head of
a victim bashed by a spiked ball bat or the sounds of endless screaming.
No problem. In fact, the gorier the better.
Now, I realize I’m sounding as if I’m saying, movies were better
long ago. Well, that statement is true, mostly, but that isn’t my point.
When Lugosi’s Dracula was brought from stage to screen, the studios
were mandated to offset prurient or horrifying imagery with the inclusion
of a moral. Evil had to be seen defeated by film’s end. For instance,
there was a powerful message not just concerning right and wrong in Dracula,
but of the saving grace of Christ Jesus. The count had to look away from
the cross. Indeed, he had to flee from it. Even though Count Dracula was
fiction, still the imagery of the cross respected and even subtly reminded
moviegoers of the strength of Christ.
R (At least 5 profanities and 40 obscenities, but mainly
the film gets its rating for its subject manner – a madman sees to
it that his victims put themselves in situations that lead to torture and
death. One victim is shot in the eye, one pushed into a vat of syringes,
another clubbed with a spiked bat, and one has his throat slit, allowing
for blood to gush like a fountain. And so forth. The devilish devices are
constructed from a sadistic mind, but one can’t escape feeling voyeuristic
and somewhat masochistic viewing such situations).
Video Alternative: And Then There Were None. Superb adaptation of the Agatha
Christie suspense thriller about a group of colorful guests invited to a
secluded mansion, where their mysterious host intends to systematically murder
them. Eerie and mysterious, but not graphic in its violence. Barry Fitzgerald,
C. Aubrey Smith, Judith Anderson, Walter Huston.
Alexander Ludwig, Ian McShane, Gregory Smith. 20th Century Fox/Walden Media. Sci/Fi action adventure. Written by John Hodge. Directed by David L Cunningham. Opens 10/10/07
FILM SYNOPSIS: This parable concerns a teenage boy who discovers he is the last of a group of immortals who must battle the forces of darkness. Going back and forth in time, our hero discovers clues, some dating back to biblical times, that will lead to a climatic confrontation.
REVIEW: My first reaction was that this good vs. evil action adventure was a nightmarish muddled mess: too scary and complex for little ones, too simplistic and boring for adults. But on further reflection, the allegorical aspects, along with having a teenager as its main protagonist, may appeal to adolescent males.
The folks at Walden Media (The Chronicles of Narnia, Because of Winn Dixie, I Am David) have a track record that attests to the fact that story and a significant message should still be the essential special effects when making a fantasy. I suspect that the producers here are betting on the intended audience having read the book series, much like the Potter people did before they went to see those movies. The extra information the books would no doubt supply may give a deeper meaning to the goings-on in the movie. Without that info, however, many of us find it difficult figuring out the film’s symbolism.
The Seeker gains special abilities as he finds each of the six hidden magical mysterious buttons needed to save the world from dark forces. The Rider is a combo of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse bent on destroying the Seeker, then our world. So why doesn’t he destroy the kid before he gets all the powers?
The young hero has just turned fourteen, a difficult age, which the film points out –several times. As I recall, though it’s been 100 years, a 14-year-old boy is going through many changes. He discovers that he has some powers, but also discovers that 14-year-old girls have more powers. This may be the real revelation in this boy-bent actioneer.
Warner Bros. gave 14-year-old females Nancy Drew a few months ago, a movie that promoted a self-thinking young lady as a positive role model for preteens and up. Walden Media has now given boys of the same age the equivalent male counterpart.
The film contains lessons, family is lifted up, as is church-going and self-sacrifice, and it is a clean movie, devoid of crudity and objectionable language. The pacing is stilted and slow in the beginning, but as the action gears up, it becomes more involving. It’s far from the quality of the Narnia film, but the intended audience may find it satisfying.
PG (though there’s a lot of comic-book action, it’s the spooky imagery that might be disturbing for little ones; there are battles fought against an evil being, both villain and hero displaying magical powers; the parents drink wine with a meal; there are some scary images, including people attacked by snakes, dogs, demonic birds and an apocalyptic horseman who brings pestilence to the world; these images are unsuitable for little children).
Running Time: 94 min.
Intended Audience: Preteens and up.
Morena Baccarin,
Adam Baldwin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nathan Fillion, Ron Glass, Summer Glau,
Sean Maher, Jewel Staite, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk. Universal. Futuristic
action-adventure. W&D- Joss Whedon.
The film centers around Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family - squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal.
When Mal takes on two new passengers-a young doctor and his unstable, telepathic sister-he gets much more than he bargained for. The new passengers are fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe, who will stop at nothing to reclaim the girl. The crew that was once used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the horrific, cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space.
Taken from the cancelled TV series, “Firefly,” the movie is a cerebral stew of New Age thought and Star Wars action adventure. Occasionally, I said occasionally, funny, the film is also extremely violent and ultimately intellectually unsatisfying.
At one point a dying sage tells our cynical “hero” that he doesn’t care what he believes, just so long as he believes. That’s the Hollywood Studio System’s noncommittal answer to how moviemakers should deal with religion. But who would be satisfied with such a conviction? True religion is not merely the power of positive thinking. A follower of any religion believes in his theological persuasion based on there being a celestial being. A Buddhist believes he’s right. A Muslim believes he’s right. A Christian believes he’s right. No disciple of those theologies will be satisfied with the edict that faith is more important than the deity he subjects himself to. So who is this filmmaker trying to placate? Not the audience. Just the studio owner.
Occasionally witty, jam-packed with special effects, and full of movement, the film unfortunately becomes oppressively violent, with countless jujitsu fights, space zombies devouring their victims, and plenty of blood-producing gunfire. Abducting bits and pieces from finer examples of the futuristic genre, it’s rather like a Frankenstein’s monster of sci-fi films.
PG-13 (1 profanity and 2 obscenities, plus a few minor expletives; one brief sexual conversation and an implied sexual encounter; religious philosophy that combines New Age, Buddhism and Christianity, the result being spiritually unsound; the violence deserved an R-rating, with countless people being beaten, eaten or blown up).
Vid. Alt. The Adventures of Robin Hood. The most colorful film, ever, with Errol Flynn the quintessential swashbuckler, “Robin Hood” sparkles with action, witty dialogue and one of Hollywood’s best musical scores.
Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Craig Bierko, Carmen Electra, Shaquille O’Neil, Dr. Phil, Bill Pullman, Chris Elliott, Leslie Neilson. Dimension Films. Comedy spoof. Directed by David Zucker.
The irreverent comedy series continues with Scary Movie 4 spoofing the latest box-office blockbusters. This time out, the filmmakers focus on War of the Worlds, The Grudge, The Village, Saw and Saw II, Million Dollar Baby and several others, along with biting lampoons of George Bush and Michael Jackson. Legendary comedy director David Zucker takes aim at some of the best fright films, the latest box office hits, music and pop culture. The storyline, what there is, concerns Anna Faris and Regina Hall returning as the dim-witted Cindy Campbell and her self-serving, sex-crazed pal, Brenda, joined this time around by Craig Bierko (“Cinderella Man”), as they battle to save the world from a ruthless alien invasion.
I don’t know how this has happened, as I have been reviewing films for over eighteen years, but somehow I missed Scary Movie, Volumes One, Two and Three. I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, the most recent addition to the series being helmed by David Zucker (Airplane!, the Naked Gun franchise), and I must admit, I laughed at several quips, parodies and slapstick buffooneries, but I soon became uncomfortable with the nonsense I was putting in my head.
There is no limit, no area of life that goes unscathed in these films. The bawdiness becomes raucous, the scatological humor disgusting and the politically incorrect jokes mean spirited. Very often comedy relies on the outrageous, but a great many laughs were drawn out of audience members by the sheer audaciousness of its filmmakers. Case in point; a blind Carmen Electra entering a fellowship hall, thinking it is her outhouse, sitting on what she thinks is the toilet seat and, well, let’s just say, the scene is an extended one where “crudity” seems too tame to describe.
PG-13 (Dear Reader, while I will give a few examples in order to give you an idea of the no-boundaries raunchiness of this film, I am not going to go into much detail in the subsequent categories. I see no reason to put certain imagery or words in your minds. As for the crudeness, one of the female leads is supposed to be a nymphomaniac. She refers to her vagina by using the p-word. This is just one example of vocabulary used to shock the audience. The film is rife with crude visuals and language. One use of the f-word, five or so of the s-word, including some from TV guru Dr. Phil, who begins to mouth an even harsher obscenity before getting knocked out.
There are three misuses of Jesus name. Certainly played for laughs, but there’s a great deal of slapstick brutality including a man sawing off his trapped foot, only to discover he’s cut off the wrong foot. There’s a lot of crotch-grabbing, running into things. In one scene a man beats up an elderly woman, thinking she has become a zombie. There’s another scene where a Tom Cruise-like celebrity gets into a fist fight with an Oprah-like talk-show host. A man accidentally shoots himself in the rump while placing a gun in his pants. Transferring it to the front, the gun goes off once again. The sexual content ranges from a visual of two pigs humping to Carmen Electra posing provocatively in sexy underwear. Backside bareness of Leslie Neilson as he accidentally shoots himself with a ray gun than doesn’t harm the individual, but disintegrates the clothing. He then aims the gun at members of the UN. De-clothed, they run amuck, camera angles and props covering their private parts. There is a running gag concerning two gay men. The film is full of sexual innuendo and suggestiveness. I caught no drug references. In one scene a Michael Jackson look-alike is gathering children together in order to protect them from invading aliens. The implication is that he is a child molester. The film’s vulgarity goes on and on).
Woody
Allen, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Ian McShane. Focus Features. Comedy/suspense.
Writer/Director: Woody Allen. 7/28/06
In Woody Allen's new contemporary comedy, a college journalist (Scarlett Johansson), visiting friends in London, happens upon the scoop of a lifetime. Aided by a mediocre magician and the spirit of a dead reporter, the neophyte sleuth investigates a British aristocrat (Hugh Jackman), whom she suspects to be a serial killer, and whom she is falling for.
The film begins with a middle-aged reporter discovering he has died and sailing into eternity, the vessel captained by the scythe-carrying Grim Reaper. On board the dead reporter is given a clue from a fellow passenger that will solve a case involving several murders. So he jumps ship, temporarily escaping death’s journey, in order to work on the case. This opening is extremely funny, and very clever. What’s more, it’s just the first of many humorous plot developments.
If you appreciate Mr. Allen’s neurotic comic inventiveness and narrative intricacy, this will surely please. Here Woody is in top form, as is his costar, Scarlett Johansson, who stretches her thespian wings and flies gracefully into the world of whimsy.
Scoop is inventive, somewhat layered, and often hysterical. Sad to add, there is a fly in the ointment. Besides the implied sexual romps between Ms. Johansson and Hugh Jackman, there is the misuse of God’s name. Where Mr. Allen has avoided the crudity and obscenity found in most of today’s comic adventures, he still manages to use Jesus’ name, and that of our Heavenly Father, as a means of relieving frustration. Nearly halfway through, suddenly, Mr. Allen utters his customary “Jesus.” A few moments later, Ms. Johansson follows that irreverence with “Christ.” Four times our Lord’s name is spoken without spiritual regard, and in the last scene, Mr. Allen uses God’s name followed by a curse.
It’s another film that maintains sex before marriage is an accepted social practice. Though the scenes are not graphic, it is clear that the characters in this film have little moral objection to jumping in the sack with a person they barely know. But this is not what grieves me. I come back to the characters’ misuse of our Savior’s name. I realize this occurs in nearly every movie aimed at grownups, but it’s still like hearing nails on a chalk board to the Christian’s soul. Though Mr. Allen is a gifted storyteller and a comic genius who often incorporates the question of God’s existence into his works, he is not a man who honors the holiness of the creator or respects the Christian belief that Jesus is the son of God. He’s probably not trying to be offensive. That name simply has no spiritual meaning for him.
I make it a policy not to tell people to “go to this movie, stay away from that one.” And I’m not going to start now. Given the synopsis and content, I believe moviegoers can use their own consciousness to decide whether to support a movie. The picture is funny, a witty vehicle for its stars, but Scoop is also a film that, while steering clear of all other objectionable language, profanes the names we hold most dear. So, let that consciousness be your guide.
PG-13 (five profanities; though the subject of a serial killer is a main plot point, we do not see any actual killings. A woman is pushed off a boat and it appears she is drowning; two sexual situations; we see the couple kissing and sleeping together, but no graphic activity).
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Christopher Noth, Jennifer Hudson. New Line/Warner Bros. Comedy/drama. Written by Michael Patrick King, Candace Bushnell. Directed by Michael Patrick King.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Four years after the end of the long-running HBO series, the ladies return still looking for the fairytale ending or at least the right pair of Jimmy Choos. Carrie gets the great apartment in Manhattan with her love of ten years, Big, and sooner than you can say “You’ve come a long way, baby,” she is proposed to. Her wedding takes center pages coverage in Vogue and the guest list mounts to over 200. But since this happy ending is coming within the first 30-some minutes, we can assume that dramatic events will disrupt the joyous occasion.
REVIEW: I used to get my hair cut in a woman’s salon. Know what I discovered? Sexual comments flowed far freer there than in the barber shop down the street. And depending on how secular the group, the verbiage became distinctly graphic. This film seems to reflect that uninhibited worship of the flesh or the material. And women in the audience gleefully responded much the way I suspect suffragettes did after garnering the right to smoke in public.
Never having seen the TV series, I am what is known as a SITC virgin. Indeed, I kept looking for Teri Hatcher, suddenly realizing she’s in that other TV series about women behaving badly. I knew it was going to be bawdy, but honestly had no clue as to just how raunchy the material would become, with its humor ranging from less than subtle sexual references to sight gags concerning pubic hair and diarrhea. Even more disturbing than the several sexual situations, which were played out like a porno film, was the attitude toward the priorities of life. The Sarah Jessica Parker character is rich and lives to shop. (She has shoes that cost over $500.) Watching this film you’d have no idea that there was poverty in the world or that anyone cared about spiritual matters. It’s downright decadent.
The lady leads are gifted, as easy with a throwaway quip as with the portrayal of being a jilted lover, and the story’s bottom line is a simple revelation no romantic comedy goes without – everybody wants to be loved. But these positives are outweighed by the over-long (145 minutes) screenplay (loaded with endless ordeals being resolved much the way soap operas do before fading to commercial), trite dialogue, and the boorish portrayal of men.
Special note must be made of Jennifer Hudson. She delivers nearly every line as if reading it off a cue card. I sat there in disbelieve that this actress had won an Oscar (Best Supporting for Dreamgirls). I realize there is very little great screen acting these days, the emphasis mostly placed on technical cinematic achievements meant to satisfy male 14-year-olds, but that’s no excuse for bad acting. I don’t blame Ms. Hudson. She American Idolized the nation and found Hollywood’s door of opportunity opening. Good for her. But now producers are populating theatrical releases with television’s semi-idols, despite their dramatic limitations.
My main problem isn’t so much with the filmmakers as it is with the concept. I suppose it’s true that the culture has become self-indulgent and vulgar, but shouldn’t this art form at some point do more than merely reflect society’s shortcomings? Shouldn’t filmmakers actually give us an example to live up to? Which one of these women would you want to be like? Each is either self-obsessed, materialistic, or secure only in her white picket-fenced world. They are brassy and oblivious to anything spiritual.
R (a great deal of sexual banter and situations that go beyond bawdy; around 15 obscenities, mostly the s- and f-words and mostly from women; two misuses of Jesus’ name and several uses of the expression “Oh my God;” no real violence other than a jilted bride-to-be hitting her man with the bouquet; five or six sexual situations, most graphic in detail; one of the leads constantly views her neighbor having sexual relations with different women; a dog is seen humping a pillow, we see it over and over; both male and female nudity, including male frontal nudity; a couple of times we see gay men kiss; a whole lot of sexual talk, including sexual euphemisms in from of a child; they drink to celebrate, they drink to forget, they drink when they reunite, which they do often, screaming like middle graders).
Running
Time: 145 min.
Intended Audience: Adults, possibly females who wish to live
vicariously.
DVD Alternatives: Enchanted April. A delightful fable about four women in 1920s London escaping inattentive husbands and repressed lifestyles by renting a castle in Portofino. They soon discover the estate has a magical effect on all those who stay there. Witty dialogue, dreamy cinematography, and savory performances from Joan Plowright, Polly Walker and the rest of the cast.
Back to topAmanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Robert Hoffman III, David Cross, James Kirk. Dreamworks. Comedy. Written by Ewan Leslie, Kirsten Smith, Karen McCullah Lutz. Directed by Andy Fickman. Opens 3/17/06
Viola disguises herself as her brother, Sebastian, taking his place in a new boarding school so she can join the boys’ soccer team. There she falls for her roommate, a hunk under the misconception that Viola is a guy. He falls for her friend Olivia, who has a crush on Sebastian, who is really Viola. To complicate things even more, the real Sebastian shows up.
Shades of Shakespeare, this idea of false identities and comic misunderstandings was handled in the Barb’s play, Twelfth Night. As I viewed his work dumbed down for today’s teenagers (that’s not a dig at the youth, but rather an observation of how teen audiences are viewed by Hollywood) I wondered how Mr. Shakespeare would react to his play now looking more like a laugh-track-fueled TV sitcom than a witty farce.
Shakespeare insisted that you suspend all reality while viewing Twelfth Night, but his language of thought and feeling made for pleasurable listening. Here we have a TV child star droning on through sophomoric narration about everything from women’s rights to alternate uses of a tampon. (Okay, I better explain that one. Her roommate discovers a box of tampons in Viola’s suitcase. At this point Viola is supposed to be Sebastian. The explanation; they are great for nosebleeds.)
Adults may find this retooling of classic literature beyond silly and resentful that each adult character is clueless, but teenage girls may enjoy the fact that the quick thinking lead gets the best of both worlds, pretty in pink in some scenes and carefully smudged while on the soccer field in others.
PG-13 (Actually the film avoids crudity. That said, the preconceptions girls have about guys leads to some comic crudeness as the lead attempts to emulate the male of the species -spitting, grabbing the crotch, etc. Most of this happens in a brief montage. The lead utters the s-word under her breath in one scene and again in another scene. There are a couple of minor expletives – damn and hell. God’s name is followed by a curse one time by a snobbish woman; Jesus name is also misused once. In accordance with today’s teen vernacular, variations of “Oh God” are heard two or three times. Teen boys get into a brawl over a girl. There’s some visual slapstick on the soccer field. There’s a comic cat fight, but overall, it’s fairly tame. The lead slaps her bullying boyfriend. There are a few sexual innuendos and certainly love is in the air, but besides some kissing in a few scenes, there are no graphic sexual encounters. In a “comic” situation, a boy and a girl have to proof their gender. He drops his pants, she lifts her shirt. We see only the crowded stadium’s reaction. A girl falls for a guy, not realizing he is a she. But there are no pro-gay intentions. There is some sensuality as the camera roams the backsides of two girls in one scene and the opening of the film shows beach babes in brief attire and we see high school cheerleaders in very brief costumes. There is a positive statement made form the male lead concerning treating girls with respect. Ditto, for the female lead.
Kurt Russell, Kelly Preston, Lynda Carter, Michael Angarano, Danielle Panabaker, Steven Strait, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Cloris Disney. Leachman. D- Mike Mitchell. Opens 7/29/05
The son of two superheroes is entering an elite high school designed to mold today’s power-gifted students into tomorrow’s superheroes. But there is a problem for young Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano). He has yet to receive his powers. Indeed, there is a growing fear that he is doomed to be a powerless “sidekick.” To make things worst, an overbearing gym coach, a school bully and girl problems are becoming super frustrating. Ah, but world-rescuing powers are on the way, and Will and his parents are about to save mankind while discovering that sidekicks are heroes too.
“Sky High” soars due to charming and humorous performances, a witty concept and dialogue, effective editing and pacing, and a thoughtful lesson or two about friendship and family. There will be the inevitable comparisons with “The Incredibles,” a film about a superhero family that remains in a league of its own, but “Sky High” is also a rarity, in that it satisfies due to a wise script that doesn’t rely upon crudity or effects alone in order to hold attention. Occasionally, a film aimed at the family succeeds in pleasing child and parent, alike. This one does. Where most of the comic book adventures this summer have been less than stellar, “Sky High” is fabulously funny family-friendly fare.
PG (devoid of objectionable language and crudity, the script maintains an uplifting standard due to creativity and respect for audience members; there is cartoonish violence – come on, it’s a story about caped crusaders and arch villains – therefore parents should attend with little ones, but the filmmakers are careful to add humor to the battle scenes in order to ward off fears; lessons are learned about respecting others and the film presents a positive family example).
AnnaSophia Robb, Charlize Theron, Nick Stahl.
FILM SYNOPSIS: When her boyfriend is arrested, a woman and her 11-year-old daughter move in with her brother. Disgusted with herself for not providing a stable home life for her daughter, the woman takes off in the night, leaving the unqualified bachelor uncle to care for the girl. They begin to bond, but more trouble awaits. He loses his job, that same day he receives an eviction notice, and the county shows up to place his niece into foster care. Of course, she’s unhappy about this, because the other kids are mistreating her. So, the two sneak off, road-tripping, hoping for a better life. But here comes another obstacle to the happy-ever-after. The young man, also emotionally wounded by an uncaring father, takes his niece back to his father’s farm. The father is abusive, always has been, always will be. This leads to violence before the ending credits.
REVIEW: The deep moral lesson: today is the first day of the rest of your life. But before the girl gets a hug from her mother and the uncle drives off into the sunset, they go through an endless array of indignities, injustices and emotional energies. I mean, these people go through a plague of problems. My first reaction to this excess was that it was overdone, heavy-handed, melodramatic and false. But to be fair to the filmmaker, some people are beleaguered by life’s travels. Indeed, problems seldom come in ones for any of us. So I underwent the bleakness of the entire film in hopes of a positive ending message. SPOILER ALERT: The father, played with venomous abandon by Dennis Hopper, has beaten his son down mentally, treating him with disdain and without the slightest indication of love. He begins doing the same to his granddaughter. And when he starts slapping her around, well, his son has had enough and beats the old man to death with a shovel. Now, here’s why I give away this plot point. Watching the Dennis Hopper character slapping the girl after he has humiliated his own son, I was right there picking up that shovel along with his son, beating that monster to death. As I left the theater, I felt uncomfortable with my violent reaction – even toward such a villainous screen character. The movie managed to illicit an emotional reaction from me. But was it a reaction I should be having?
There’s much pent-up rage in each character and never do any of them seek a spiritual healing. Towards the end, he tells his niece that she has awakened him, that he has spent his life sleepwalking. But I didn’t see a formidable resolution. I mean he murders his father and feels nothing but relief. When he tells the niece that “today is the first day of the rest of your life,” the truism seems rather anemic. The filmmakers (Charlize Theron is one of the producers) offer no satisfying conclusion to life’s difficulties.
If anything, the film points out that we continue to make the same mistakes. I assume that’s a deliberately placed theme. As I say, there doesn’t seem to be a real resolution. The young man leaves in a truck, with no driver’s license or money. The girl and her mother reunite, but the woman still has no job or place for them to live. What’s been addressed? They missed each other? Things could be worse? The filmmakers go out of their way to avoid the happy Hollywood ending, which most “artists” hate. But there doesn’t seem to be a legitimate path given as an example how to better your circumstances. I suppose the filmmakers would disagree with my conclusion.
I understand Ms. Theron underwent a nightmarish childhood. Fortunately for her, she was endowed with great looks and an equal amount of great talent. These tools helped her rise above her circumstances. But I don’t see how her example is helpful to those not so blessed.
I found the film frustrating and dispiriting. Heck, it would dispirit
Tennessee Williams.
R (there’s a great deal of cursing in this film – and
by every character, including the kid, indicating the ignorance of the screen
characters and the willingness of the audience to accept such discourse as
acceptable movie dialogue; around 25 obscenities – a split between the
s- and f-words; six or so profane uses of God’s name or Christ’s;
the grandfather slaps his granddaughter, then begins beating her. His
son kills him by beating him to death with a shovel; one sexual situation indicating
the mother’s proclivity to have sex with strangers; a couple of brief
sexual conversations between blue-collar workers; smoking and drinking by several
characters; the 11-year-old is seen smoking and flirting with boys her age).
DVD Alternative: Tender Mercies. Robert Duvall stars as a country western singer on the skids until a religious widow and her little boy take him in. The film addresses many of the same topics, but includes a spirituality missing in Sleepwalking. Rated PG for some objectionable language in the beginning. But when the Christian woman has an effect on his life, out goes the profanity. Oscars went to Duvall and writer Horton Foote.
The film begins in a rural Chinese village after the abandonment of a newborn. The infant, born with a facial deformity, has been discarded, but found by a kind-hearted man who raises her as his own daughter. Halfway across the world, another baby is born on the same day, this one to a life of privilege where she grows up in Malibu, California. Though worlds apart, these two girls will affect each others lives – and most likely the lives of those who view this movie.
Writer/director Jeff Kramer wrote the story after he realized that his own teenage daughter had been profoundly affected by her involvement in a humanitarian organization known as “Operation Smile.” It is a medical organization founded in 1972 to help children around the world born with facial deformities. Their outstanding work has bettered the lives of thousands of children and helped open doors for a westerner to make a movie with complete endorsement by the Chinese government.
“Working in China was challenging,” says Kramer. “China is rooted in decades of separation, but the mutual respect we experienced resulted in relationships that will last a lifetime. Artistic integrity and work ethic was as good as I’ve ever experienced. Everybody was eager to show their best stuff.”
He furthered his feeling about working with the Chinese. “After a brief period of establishing comfort, the Chinese, American and international crew worked without barriers. Even the language differences were overcome through the art of filmmaking. In the small town, Jinjxi, where we shot a good portion of the film we were treated like family. Local artists were painting pictures of our sets and giving them as gifts.”
The story concerns Katie (Mika Boorem – “Blue Crush,” “Sleepover”) a self-centered teen from an affluent Malibu family, cute and at the top of the social order at her school. Struggling with adolescent issues, including whether or not to have sex with her boyfriend, Katie is beginning to sense that there is more to life than what’s offered by her preferential world. When a favorite teacher presents an opportunity to get involved with a charitable group, she hastily agrees to travel to China as a volunteer, not realizing that this trip will change her life.
Meanwhile, Lin (Yi Ding – “The Joy Luck Club,” “The Amazing Panda Adventure”) has grown up in a Chinese village protected by her loving adoptive father who learns of the medical organization. He takes Lin to the far-off big city where he and his daughter hope for a miracle. But when he is injured in an accident, they are unable to get to the surgeons before they return to America. They sadly retreat to their hometown. Once again Lin’s dreams of escape from her self-imposed isolation go unfulfilled.
After arriving in China, Katie becomes overwhelmed by viewing the deformed children in person. It is heartbreaking and more than she can handle emotionally. Her first instinct is to leave for home, but a compassionate nurse (Cheri Oteri – “Saturday Night Live”) helps the youngster through the initial ordeal and soon Katie begins to see the profound impact of her efforts.
Learning of Lin’s disappointment and the fact that she was born on the same day, as herself, Katie sneaks off to find the girl. Katie is changing. Her journey to China has suddenly become selfless. And that is the missing element to life she has searched for. Caring for others brings her purpose and fulfillment.
Writer Jeff Kramer has a gift for succinct dialogue, while his pronounced directing skill seamlessly moves the narrative, giving the audience an engaging story. His adventure/drama quickly becomes involving, offering something for teens and adults alike. As for the disfigured little ones seen in the film, though the filmmakers do not shirk from their responsibility, they handle the photographing of the afflicted children with taste and discretion. The children are not exploited nor will these scenes frighten off caring but squeamish audience members.
Now about that rating.
Executive producer Martin O’Neal, a born-again Christian and member of Perkinston Baptist Church in Perkinston, Mississippi, explains why “Smile” received a PG-13. “The reason given by the MPAA was that Katie has a decision to make regarding sex. Her boyfriend, played by Eric von Detten, is pressing her to have sex with him. There is some talk on the subject and there is a somewhat brief make-out scene in a truck. There is no nudity of any kind; however, the suggestion of the subject brought the rating.”
It becomes apparent quickly that Mr. O’Neal and Mr. Kramer are concerned not just with the message of a film, but its content as well (the film is devoid of crudity or abusive language). That concern was made clear when O’Neal explained the name of his production company – Dark Forest.
“I wanted to tie my past (and present) work history, if you will, with my religious beliefs. I am a forester and graduated from Mississippi State in 1992 so I naturally like forest themes. I came up with the Dark Forest name at the same time I was trying to come up with my animated logo for the company. The logo shows the viewer going through a dark forest (this dark forest represents the world we live in). As the viewer comes upon an opening in the forest we see a single ray of light penetrate the canopy (this light represents God’s revelation, mercy and love for mankind). The light illuminates a single lily (this lily is the ‘Lily of the Valley,’ who is Jesus Christ). So the theme is God shows mercy and love for us through his Son Jesus.” Again, wow.
Smile. Mika Boorem, Luoyong Wang, Beau Bridges, Sean Astin, Cheri Oteri, Linda Hamilton, Yi Ding. W-&D-Jeff Kramer.
PG-13 (A mother discusses sexual matters with her teen daughter and supports her decision to get birth control pills. There is a make-out scene, but the girl realizes that she is not ready for sex and puts an end to it. Though some may be concerned with the brief sexuality, the filmmakers felt the issue needed to be addressed and do it with discretion.)
Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Simon Baker, Mike Epps, Blair Underwood, Wendy Raquel Robinson. Focus Features. Romantic Comedy. Written by Kriss Turner. Directed by Sanaa Hamri.
Kenya (Sanaa Lathan), a successful African-America woman, is on the verge of making partner in her company. Her romantic life, however, is not as winning. After much nagging from her friends, uptight Kenya agrees to a blind date with laidback Brian (Simon Baker), a free-spirited landscape architect. There’s just one small problem with Brian. He’s Caucasian. The handsome gardener – picture a young Robert Redford – doesn’t think race should keep them apart and he pursues the romance, while Kenya and her snobbish family are stunned. Soon, however, Kenya warms to love’s flame. But there are adjustments to be made, and to complicate matters, an IBM (Ideal Black Man) played by Blair Underwood – think young Billy Dee Williams – enters the picture.
In film, it’s easier to deal with prejudice from a black perspective, and writer Kriss Turner and director Sannaa Hamri use the race card to full advantage. They bravely address race issues, revealing a submerged hostility that still resides between blacks and whites. At the same time, their statement is one addressed decades ago in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”: love is difficult enough to find in this world – why should pigmentation be the eliminating factor?
“Something New” is an entertaining look at race relations, wrapped within a mildly amusing script. Alas, many will be put off by some crude sexual comments and the free sexual lifestyle. To the characters in this film, race is to be considered before going to bed together, but evidently marriage is not. And although the film goes easy on the objectionable language, we have the inevitable lover’s quarrel, which crescendos with Christ’s name uttered in frustration, then topped by the angry profaning of His Father’s.
PG-13 (there are a few crude sexual comments made by a group of women friends; there are a couple of instances where the leads, shall we say, enjoin; the s-word has replaced milder forms of verbal releases of frustration in movies and it pops up here on several occasions by the female lead; 2 misuses of Christ’s name and one use of God’s name followed by a curse; these profanities are spoken by the leads; there is some sexual repartee between the female lead and her girlfriends; some social drinking; the film deals frankly with prejudice, but gives a positive message about love by film’s end).
Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Sarah Bolger, with Joan
Plowright and David Strathairn and the voices of Seth Rogen and Martin Short. Paramount
Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. Kids fantasy. Based on the Books
by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, David
Berenbaum, John Sayles. Directed by Mark Waters.
FILM SYNOPSIS: From the beloved best-selling series
of books comes The Spiderwick Chronicles, a fantasy adventure for
the child in all of us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment
the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their
mom) leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great,
great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange disappearances
and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames
Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what's really going on,
they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and the creatures
that inhabit it.
REVIEW: Imagination stirring and action packed, Spiderwick
Chronicles is for adolescents the stuff that dreams are made of. And,
if you look beyond the maniacal hobgoblins and ogres, the magical griffins
and trolls, and the dainty fairies and sprites, you’ll find a life
lesson or two. The kids battle the villainous creatures of the forest
using their wits and anything else they can muster to cause the green-blooded
ghouls to go splat. The girl even gets to do battle with a sword – she’s
pretty good, too. It’s energetic, fast-paced and imaginative. But
beware; it is a bit frightening for very little ones. The leads are
in near constant danger, only steps ahead of their evil-looking tormentors. One
child behind me, maybe 4-years-old, asked his daddy to take him home. I
wanted to beat the father for not taking the little guy out of the theater. But
maybe he was right. The dad wanted his son to face his fears – and
that was the very theme of the movie. Still…
This film has been rated PG for scary creature action and violence, peril and
some thematic elements.
PG (the villainous ogre starts to use the s-word just before he meets his demise; several times the expression “oh my God,” or variations of that phrase are uttered by the teen leads; that’s the nearest anyone comes to praying; the parents are divorced, the husband living with another woman; it’s all comic book-like, but there is an endless parade of nerve-tingling battles between the youngsters and evil creatures; constant peril; the boys are scratched by the creatures, as is the sister while she defends herself with a sword; a child stabs a man, but it is an evil creature in disguise; we see green goo coming from wounded magical beings).
Running Time: 90-some.
Intended Audience: Kids, eight and up. Too scary for very little ones.
Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Sam Shepard, Joe Morton, Richard Roxburgh. Columbia. Action/thriller. W- W.D. Richter. D- Rob Cohen. Columbia. 7/29/05
This action thriller concerns a trio of elite pilots (one white, one black, one brunette) who find themselves battling an out-of-control prototype drone fighter plane equipped with artificial intelligence and the ability to precipitate a nuclear war. (Imagine cocky Top Gun flyers up against 2001’s self-preserving HAL.)
I sometimes wonder if actors read past page 27 of the screenplays they contract themselves to. Far too many action adventure flicks open with a tantalizing premise, only to disappoint with over-the-top second and third acts that become more outlandish than a Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century cartoon. Such is the case with Stealth.
Obviously, the good-looking cast took the project seriously. Well, for them that meant spending lots of time in a gym with a studio-paid trainer. Wanting to portray a believable navy pilot, the bodacious Jessica Biel buffed up to look like she was tough enough to fly a supersonic jet. And just in case you can’t tell that she is buffed up beneath the snug flight uniform, there’s an R&R scene in Thailand where the former star of 7th Heaven walks by a lazy lagoon dressed in a brief, baby blue bikini, allowing the camera to show off all her pre-production efforts with palates and weights.
With its G.I. Joe dialogue, its frenzied, headache-producing skirmishes in the sky, and too, too many bad guys, the film becomes preposterous, often downright silly. What’s more it’s, not about anything. Where HAL in 2001 was a menacing force that said something about society’s ever-growing dependence on technology, this crazy computer only serves to launch our derring-do cast into battle mode. Like every other summer blockbuster, it’s all about speed, testosterone, noise, explosions, and, oh yeah, a buff babe in a brief, baby blue bikini.
PG-13 (4 or 5 profanities, as many obscenities – mostly the s-word, and several minor expletives; the misuse of God’s name and Christ’s only began in the last third of the film, a frustration for this reviewer as I thought for most of the film that they were going to be able to express fear and frustration without blasphemy; some sexual innuendo and it is implied that the three lead characters sleep around frequently; lots of violence, including people shot, stabbed and blown up; a villain, failed in his villainy, commits suicide).
Video Alternative: The Flight of the Phoenix (the 1966 version with James Stewart – not the recent remake/disaster). A superb cast star in this tense, action drama about a group of plane crash survivors attempting to rebuild their damaged aircraft in order to escape the burning Sahara desert.
Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Will Kemp. Touchstone Pictures. Musical/teen drama. Directed by Jon Chu. Toni Ann Johnson, Karen Barna. Opens 2/14/08.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Follow-up to Step Up, has rebellious street dancer Andie (BRIANA EVIGAN) landing at the elite Maryland School of the Arts. There she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school’s hottest dancer, Chase (ROBERT HOFFMAN), to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore’s underground dance battle The Streets, she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds.
REVIEW: If you’re 14, the premise of this film won’t seem overly familiar, you’ll relate to the baggy pants and backwards ball caps, the slang “Yo,” “Dude” and the term of endearment “This is my boy…” will no doubt be a part of your cultural communiqué, and you won’t be aware that screen acting consists of more than furrowing your forehead to convey frustration and removing your t-shirt to portray animal magnetism.
If you’re the parent of a 14-year-old, you could send them to worse films. The film contains positive messages, including showing respect for yourself and others, the importance of team work and the need for family. It avoids sexual promiscuity and most harsh language, and though the characters have tons of attitude, teen viewers may relate to the angst and the style of the leads.
Vintage moviegoers may view the film somewhat differently. Overall, the dancing is unspectacular, as is the poorly photographed choreography. The acting is poor, the humor (what there is of it) fledgling, and the dialogue unmemorable. But to suggest that today’s youth view Fred Astaire (Silk Stockings), Gene Kelly (American in Paris), or even Michael Flatly (Riverdance), would be perceived as old fogy-ish. So, to them I say, go, enjoy, and never mind that you’re ingesting fast food rather than a gourmet meal.
PG-13 (a couple of crude sexual remarks, but generally the filmmaker avoids most vulgarity; Obscene Language: The film has several minor expletives (damn, hell, ass), but I caught no harsh language; one misuse of Jesus’ name by a side character; three youths gang up on a lone victim; he’s punched and kicked; a toddler in the audience had to be taken out as she began crying during this scene; surprisingly, the film is geared away from graphic sexuality; we get lots of t-shirts pulled off and the female lead wears a somewhat revealing top, but she is not a tease, her desires run along the lines of wanting family and to be a good street dancer).
Running Time: 97 min.
Intended Audience: Teens & older
Cast:
Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden, Frank Langella, Eva Marie
Saint, Parker Posey, Sam Huntington, Kal Penn and Kevin Spacey. Warner
Bros. Sci Fi Action. Written by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris. Directed
by Bryan Singer. 6/28/06
PG-13, Entertainment: +3, Acceptability:
+2.5
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man
of Steel comes back to Earth only to discover that his beloved
Lois has moved on with her life and Lex Luthor is once again
doing dastardly deeds. This time Superman’s
nihilistic nemesis has found a way to form a new continent; its sudden evolution
will destroy existing nations, killing billions of people. This is not a
nice person.
What a pleasant surprise. After a couple of summers loaded with angst-ridden comic book vigilantes who spend the majority of screen time brooding over their super differences, finally a filmmaker returns to the more traditional superhero, one who knows himself and his purpose. Oh, he’s tormented over the love of a good woman, but when push to comes to shove, he realizes his duty. We come first.
The young unknown Brandon Routh does a credible job as the more-powerful-than-a-locomotive guy. At times he’s a reincarnation of Christopher Reeve (may God rest his soul) capturing the same put-upon buffoonery Mr. Reeve summoned for his Clark Kent. But Brandon Routh also adds his own charm and sensitivity to his character’s secret identity. As for his Super alter ego, he is believable. I think the kids will think he’s cool and the ladies will find him fetching in that custom fitted red and blue outfit. Not to worry guys. Something for us: with all due respect to Noel Neill and Margot Kidder, God and Warner Bros. gave us Kate Bosworth to appreciate from afar.
One area that may be troubling for some viewers is Lois’s unwed relationship to the supposed father of her child. Marriage is under several attacks in this stage of society’s evolution, so it’s troubling when the residents of Tinseltown continually dismiss its importance. But here their singlehood serves a thematic purpose. Lois is still in love with Superman and we all know that Superman wouldn’t be hanging around a married woman, no matter how much he adored her. The film salutes love and integrity.
The action/adventure has a spiritual quality. At one point the confused Lois declares that the world doesn’t need a savior. But Superman insightfully responds, “I hear people crying out for one.” Besides being an action figure, Superman becomes a metaphor. He is not only a savior of the world, but one willing to lay down his life for each and every one of us. Remind you of anyone?
Director Bryan Singer got it right. He combined a provocative and action-packed storyline with a sensitive love story, giving us the best Superman movie to date.
Superman Returns is filled with humor, drama, tense action, and seamless special effects.
Summary
Crude
Language: In anger one character utters a crude term. Played for
laughs, it is suggested than one the villainess’s little doggies
ate another one.
Obscene
Language: Two minor expletives, but I caught no harsh or profane
language.
Profanity: None other than “for God’s sake.”
Violence: The
film is jam packed with intense action; Superman saves the day, but we see
car, train and airplane near crashes; Superman is shot in the eye at close
range, the bullet seen in slow/mo hitting his eye, the bullet then bouncing
off; a bad guy hits Lois and she is thrown around the room. Superman, without
his powers, gets beaten up and nearly dies; several main characters nearly
drown; most of the action is too intense for children.
Blood: Very little; Sex: There is one sexual innuendo
played for laughs and Lois now lives with a man outside marriage, raising a
child out of wedlock; Nudity: None; Homosexuality: None; Drugs: Lois’ new
love and Clark have a beer in a bar; Other: Though great fun for adults, the
violent nature of the story is unsuitable for little kids. Our heroes are put
in several perilous situations, with the lead getting brutally beaten after
the villain stabs him with a shard of Kryptonite.
Running
Time: 160 min.
Intended Audience: Teens and adults
Animated
comedy from Columbia Pictures. Voices of Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel,
Jeff Bridges, Jon Hedder, James Woods, Mario Cantone, Jane Krakowski. Columbia
Pictures. Directed by Ash Brannon, Chris Buck. Opens 6/8/07
REVIEW: Remember Chicken Run? You know, the claymation
comedy set at a chicken farm where a flock of hens are determined to fly
the coop before meeting a fowl fate. With enough visually going on to keep
little ones enthralled, it also contained sly, pun-riddled humor to keep
the most anti-animation adult amused. And let's not forget the sight gags.
Picture a rooster in solitary, ala Steve McQueen's Cooler Joe in The Great Escape. The expressive faces (chickens with teeth - is that great?), the pacing, adventure and witty dialogue make for a fun family movie outing. Well, Surf's Up is no Chicken Run.
Now, I admit, I've seen enough animated animal movies - especially ones about penguins. What's up with all the penguin movies? You want to see a penguin movie - see March of the Penguins, which is an insightful and humorous look at life for these creatures in the Antarctic. It's fascinating for kids and adults, alike. But enough with movies about penguins surfing or dancing. Surf's Up is not clever or witty enough to be an inspirational parable. And with the distinct lack of laughter among the youngest crowd members at the screening, I have to say it's not much of a kid's comedy, either.
The animation is top drawer, there are a few funny moments and the lesson of putting others first is clear and poignant, but considering how the studio has been putting its trailer in front of our captive eyes in theaters for the past year, I expected it to be at least as funny as Happy Feet. It isn't.
PG (I caught one mild sexual innuendo that will go over the heads of most little ones; there are a couple of poop jokes; when a character gets stung by a sea urchin, another character pees on it to counteract the poison; this is an actual remedy, but played for laughs as little penguins look on; a bully pushes others about and causes them to crash when surfing, but the filmmakers are careful not to abuse the littlest audience members).
Running
Time: 1 hr. 25 min.
Intended Audience: Family.
Jon Voight, Terrence Stamp, Taylor Handley, Lolita Davidovich, Tamara Hope.
Slow Hand Releasing. Period drama. Written by Christopher Cain, Carole Whang
Schutter. Directed by Christopher Cain. Opens 8/24/07.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Supposedly based on actual events, the film tells of a wagon train bent on settling in Utah during the 19th century. A romance begins, but the group is attacked and slaughtered by…Mormons.
REVIEW: Except for the graphic massacre at the end, September Dawn felt like a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie. A kind of Romeo and Juliet /Hatfields and McCoys love story, with the Mormons not wanting their young men soiled by the female Missouri pioneers. The actors, with the exception of Jon Voight and Terrence Stamp, were less than electrifying, probably destined to star in TBS sit-coms. And Voight and Stamp were trapped by one-dimensional roles and limited production values. Veteran writer/director Christopher Cain (The Stone Boy, Where the River Runs Black, Young Guns) – and the adoptive father of actor Dean Cain – seemed constrained by an insufficient budget and his own stodgy screenplay and rhythmless pacing. (Ouch. For the record, I’ve seen very capable work from this filmmaker.)
What’s more, I wasn’t sure of the film’s intent. In these politically correct times, it seemed confusing that a Hollywood production would point a negative finger at anyone’s faith (other than mainstream Christianity, of course). Here, they have made a very deliberate statement concerning the Church of Latter Day Saints. The world in general sees the Mormon church as a family-orientated group, one that dominates the goings-on in Salt Lake City, but this film wants us to know that there is much sinister activity in its history, and perhaps its leadership of today.
Then I thought for a moment that the filmmakers were using this episode in history (one denied by the church’s hierarchy, by the way) as a metaphor, stating that there are indeed religions to be feared. Perhaps it’s even meant as an indictment against the zealots who have declared war on Judaism and Christianity. But that doesn’t sound like anything that would come out of Hollywood, does it?
By film’s end, we are left with a bunch of dead people, an unrepentant Brigham Young and probably a very frustrated Mitt Romney.
R (besides the graphic killing spree at the end of the film, that leaves women and children slaughtered along with the men folk, we see a flashback where a Mormon accused of adultery has his penis cut off; though that scene is filmed darkly, it is unmistakable; some blood from the wounded and dying; we see a man get his throat cut; adultery is suggested in one scene; a discussion reveals that many of the Mormon men have several wives; backside male nudity in one non-sexual scene; though the film paints the Mormons as all bad, the Christian pioneers depicted are God-fearing people who pray and call upon their Creator for guidance and mercy).
Running Time: 110 min.
Intended Audience: Adults
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