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~Family-in-Mind Reviews

Greed, Madness, and a Fiendishly Evil Dragon: A Movie Review of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Some friends and I made our way into a crowding movie theater and sat down with our giant special edition Hobbit cups and a bucket of popcorn. All of us were excited to see the second film in the Hobbit trilogy! The story set up in 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey continues (for another two and a half hours!) in the second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The twelve dwarves the the hobbit Bilbo must brave orc hunters, giant spiders, hostile elves, and not to mention a giant (and angry) dragon!

The film stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage as dwarf prince Thorin Oakenshield, and Benedict Cumberbatch as the voices for both Smaug the dragon and the mysterious Necromancer.

SUMMARY

   The film starts as a kind of historic epilogue to the movie (as in the first one). A year before the current adventure, the wizard Gandalf "happens" to run into Thorin Oakenshield in an inn. He councils him to find the precious jewel of Thorin's grandfather, which is the only thing that will unite the dwarf clans. Gandalf tells Thorin he will need a burglar (who is obviously Bilbo Baggins)...

   Twelve months later, Bilbo is acting as a sneaky lookout, watching the pack of vicious orcs that were hunting him and the dwarves in the previous film. Just as he is about to return to Gandalf and the dwarves, though, he sees a huge and ferocious bear. He, of course, reports this to the others.

   Gandalf urges the company to hurry because there is only one place where they can be safe from the orcs, who are closing in. There is a catch, though: the person who they will stay with will either welcome them...or kill them all.

   Fortunately, he doesn't harm them, but we learn that is not fond of dwarves. The only reason this man, Beorn, helps them on their journey (by giving them horses to outrun the orcs) is because he hates orcs more than dwarves. 

   The company finally makes it to Greenwood (now called Mirkwood because of the darkness that has ascended upon it), though Gandalf must leave them to confront a great evil. He leaves them with one command: do not leave the path. Well, they do just that and Bilbo must climb a tree to see which way is east. Although, when he comes back into Mirkwood, the dwarves are gone. They have been captured by giant, hungry spiders. It is up to Bilbo to rescue them again.

   After a battle with giant spiders (and one of their babies), the dwarves are caught by wood-elves and Bilbo must figure out a way to save them...once again!

   Eventually, they make it to Lake-town, near the mountain Erebor, which was their original quest. The company splits up: a few stay in Lake-town, while Bilbo, Thorin, and several others go to Erebor to search for the hidden doorway. 

   While they are away, Laketown is attacked by orcs. Also, the company at the Lonely Mountain (Erebor) find an angry dragon on their hands. During all this, Gandalf is fighting a dark power, after discovering a terrible secret.

   The Desolation of Smaug, like its predecessor, ends with a cliff hanger. This time, though, we have two or three of them. Trust me when I say that this film will not leave you without suspense, after or during the movie. 

CONTENT

   While both Hobbit films had orc creatures, The Desolation of Smaug has much more violence with them. As in previous Middle-earth films of Peter Jackson's, the second Hobbit film had multiple battles scenes, many of them with blood. A couple of orcs are beheaded in the film, not to mention the dwarves, elves, and men who are shot at or killed on-screen. These are definitely the most violent scenes of the movie. Also, some of the creatures will likely frighten younger kids: the orc hunters (as mentioned), the massive dragon Smaug, a giant bear, and large spiders. In addition to this, there is a Necromancer who takes form in a shadow and later as the silhouette of a human-like figure; his voice and battle with one of the heroes might scare children. 

   It is implied (and stated by elf king Thranduil) that the elf prince Legolas is fond of Tauriel, captain of the elven guard. There is really no romance between them, not even a kiss. The dwarf Kili obviously takes a liking to Tauriel and when she locks him in a cell, he says, "Aren't you going to search me? I could have something down my trousers" (this is the same dwarf that was earlier hiding lots of weapons). It later appears that Tauriel has feelings for him, though there is also nothing really beyond Kili's crude comment.

   I don't recall any foul language in the film.

   As in the previous Hobbit film, both the heroes and villains use magic. Gandalf (and the briefly-seen Radagast) are both wizards. Also, the Necromancer from the first movie returns and uses dark magic against one of the wizards. There is a clear contrast between the wisdom and goodness of Gandalf and Radagast, as opposed to the evil powers of the Necromancer.
   I have read mixed reviews (and heard mixed opinions) of The Desolation of Smaug. Obviously, to make three films, the director had to add a lot from the book and even change a few things. For fans of The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit movies can never be just like the other trilogy, since its story is much different. I really enjoyed the film and if you like fantasy and adventure, this is a good choice. Even with some complicated plots and a few other things, this was still a great movie.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 161 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images)

Director: Peter Jackson

Producers: Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson

Music: Howard Shore

Year of release: 2013

Primary audience: Teens, adults

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

   Family-in-Mind Reviews would like to extend a very Merry Christmas to all of our followers!

   It is certainly easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmastime; presents, "stocking stuffers," treats, and no shortage of ridiculous advertisements. We see images of Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman everywhere we look, so we do not want this to cause us to forget what Christmas is truly about.

   Rather than talking about this subject, I will instead list some good verses to remind us of the true "Reason for the season" and God's great gift to all mankind...

"And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." - Luke 2:10

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." 

- John 3:16

   So as we open our stockings and wrapped presents, it will be a great idea to find some things to focus on Christ. Our family will read the Bible passage and this year we will hopefully watch the film The Nativity Story. So instead of watching Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (which are both good films, don't get me wrong!), are there any Bible-related films to find for Christmas?

   

Merry CHRISTmas!

   ~Family-in-Mind Reviews

Bravery in A Most Unlikely Hero: A Book Review of Lois Lowry's "Number the Stars"

When wickedness and evil invade your country, what will you do to stand up for it? When you mention the heroic acts of people during the 1940's, we think of adults helping Jews. Names like Corrie ten Boom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Oskar Schindler pop into our heads. What about children, though? Lois Lowry's Number the Stars is a work of historical fiction about a young Danish girl and her Jewish friend.
Number the Stars, published in 1989, was the Newberry Medal winner the following year.

SUMMARY

   Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her friend Ellen Rosen walk home from school, Annemarie's little sister Kirstie tagging along behind. On their way home, they are stopped by Nazi soldiers (as Denmark is being occupied by Germany), who question them about all sorts of things. Kirstie gets angry, but the soldiers just laugh and let them go.

   Bad news reaches the Johansens that night. Annemarie's late sister's fiancé tells them that the Nazis are shutting down Jewish stores in Denmark. This spells out bad trouble for their neighbors, the Rosen family. The next day, it is discovered that the Nazis have obtained lists of Danish Jews from the synagogues and will use them to arrest all Jews they find.

   Mr. and Mrs. Rosen disappear, and Ellen stays with the Johansens. She disguises herself as the dead eldest Johansen daughter, Lise (pronounced LEE-ZA). While Kirstie sleeps with her parents, Ellen and Annemarie stay in the other bedroom.

   However, that night Nazi soldiers enter the Johansen apartment, searching for Jews, specifically the Rosens, as they were not to be found in their own apartment. The door to the girls' bedroom is shut, so Annemarie has enough time to realize Ellen is wearing a necklace of the Star of David and rips it off her neck. She does not have time to hide it safely, but must keep it clasped in her hand. When the Nazis see Ellen, they notice how her hair color does not match anyone else's. The Johansens are able to trick them, using an old baby picture of the real Lise who once had dark hair (as opposed to blond).

   Once the soldiers have left, Mr. Johansen calls his brother-in-law, Henrik. He uses a secret code to explain that Mrs. Johansen is bringing her daughters for a visit...along with a Jewish child.

   Eventually, Annemarie's mother takes the Rosen family to her brother. Hours later, though, Annemarie discovers her mother outside with a broken leg (she tripped on a dark trail). The two also discover a packet sitting by the steps of Henrik's house. "Mama" knows that it is vital to the Rosen's escape. Annemarie must brave the dangers of a dark forest, as well as Nazi soldiers (and their dogs), to save the Rosens and Uncle Hendrik from certain doom.

CONTENT

   While this is a book about Nazi-controlled Denmark, it is not as violent as one might expect. Number the Stars is a children's book, of course. There is some minor violence, though. Mrs. Johansen is smacked by a soldier, along with several tense encounters with Nazi soldiers (one including their dogs). The dangers of Jews being captured by Nazis are not specifically stated, but are hinted at (i.e. something along the lines of, "If they are caught..."). As this book is for kids, there is not specific or graphic Holocaust violence.

   There is no sexual content in this book.

   I was surprised at the language used in the story, as a kids’ book. There was one use of d*** and some inappropriate uses of God's name (all by Annemarie's mother, I recall). This annoyed me that someone would put these words in a children's book (not that it is alright for any age). 

   Apart from the language, I was extremely pleased with Number the Stars. It was a wonderful story about two Danish girls living under Nazi oppression. Without depicting the utter horrors of the Holocaust, it was able to introduce kids to that time period. It definitely deserved the Newberry Medal.

   You probably will not want kids younger than nine to read this, but older kids might just find Number the Stars to be a treasure!

GENERAL INFORMATION

 Number of pages: 138

Author of book: Lois Lowry

Published in: 1989

Primary audience: Children (older elementary), pre-teens

Assuming Responsibility: A Movie Review of Dave Filoni's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"

Two armies fight a civil war for control of the galaxy and supply routes are a vital part of this. The Republic agrees to rescue the kidnapped son of an alien gangster in order to gain use of his supply routes. First, the Jedi heroes must get through a tightly-woven web of villainous mysteries...and survive a surprise attack.
The film did fairly well at the box office (it was just behind The Dark Knight), though not as well as it likely could have done due to a sudden decision to make the film. The movie stars the voices of Matt Lanter as Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker, Ashley Eckstein as Jedi student Ahsoka Tano, and James Arnold Taylor as Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

SUMMARY

   The Republic is stuck and spread out in various parts of the galaxy known as the Outer Rim, due to the number of Separatist-controlled "hyperlanes" (or supply routes). They must get more routes so as to get around their enemies. Meanwhile, the gangster Jabba the Hutt's son is suddenly kidnapped.

   Far off on the crystal planet Christophosis, Jedi warriors Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi lead battles against the robot armies of the Separatists. Although they make a victory, the droids return in greater forces and have an energy shield protecting them. To make matters harder, Jedi master Yoda sends a Jedi student named Ahsoka Tano. She is to train under the leadership of Anakin. The two of them must sneak past the droid soldiers and destroy their shield generator.

   Although the two bicker at first, they begin to develop a good bond. During the battle, Republic leaders agree to assist in finding Rotta the Huttlet, son of Jabba, so that they may gain use of his hyperlanes. Anakin and Ahsoka are tasked with the mission of locating and getting Rotta.

   Anakin and Ahsoka arrive on the jungle planet Teth and, with clone trooper soldiers, enter an abandoned temple (after a battle against enemy droids). They make their way to the prisons, attacking enemy droids on the way. They find Rotta and make their way out to the courtyard. Little do they know, a droid is recording their every moves, including Anakin saying, "I hate Hutts."

   The Jedi are attacked by droids, accompanied by Sith warrior Asajj Ventress. They narrowly escape and make their way to the sand planet Tatooine, home of Jabba. They are attacked by enemy droids and must make a crash-landing.

   Eventually, they arrive at Jabba's palace, though there is another unexpected surprise waiting there.

CONTENT

   While the violence in the film is certainly not PG-13 material, it is about as graphic as other movies of its kind (such as The Adventures of Tintin). Guns are fired not only at droids, but also at human clone soldiers. While there is no blood or gore, clone troopers are shot. Lightsabers are also used during battles. Also, the Sith assassin Ventress might be frightening for younger children. In one scene, a tray is brought before Jabba bearing the heads of several aliens (this is bloodless, as I recall). The violence is the same as some other PG films, though it might be tense for some kids.

   There is no sexual content, though the clothing of some female aliens are inappropriate. Ahsoka's outfit shows her stomach, but no more than that. An alien dancer in Jabba's palace wears tight-fitting clothes, though she can only be seen for a few seconds. While dueling Obi-Wan, Ventress removes her skirt and throws it at him (she does have pants on underneath). On a related note, Jabba's uncle Ziro the Hutt is male, though he is purple and talks like a woman (with a southern accent), as well as wearing feathers. 

   The word d*** is spoken briefly once, but other than that, the word "scum" is used.

   The mystical energy field called the "Force" is mentioned and used by both Jedi and Sith. Anakin tells Ahsoka about the "will of the Force" (which made me think the Force is supposed to be like a sort of deity). This, of course, follows the Eastern religions where good and evil must be balanced, and that both are equal. This twists reality where God is sovereign and will triumph over Satan; well, to be honest, He already has triumphed when His Son died on the cross.

   I enjoyed The Clone Wars, though not as much as the other six films or even the following TV Show that recently ended with its fifth season. Parents will want to be present while younger children watch the film, but kids in elementary and older should be fine with most of the content. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 98 minutes

Rating: PG

Director: Dave Filoni

Producers: George Lucas, Catherine Winder

Music: Kevin Kiner (original score by John Williams)

Year of release: 2008

Primary audience: Children, family

A Vengeful Hero: A Movie Review of Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel"

When the word "superhero" is mentioned, what do you think of? Most of us will think of traditional heroes that have been around for decades: Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, and especially Superman. Possibly the most-portrayed hero of all time, the alien superhero recently got a new film, appropriately titled Man of Steel.
Man of Steel made the most money out of any Superman movie ever, and that includes Superman: The Movie and Superman Returns. It is also currently the second highest-grossing reboot film of all time (following The Amazing Spider-Man). The film stars Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Amy Adams as news-reporter Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon as evil General Dru-Zod.

SUMMARY

   The alien planet Krypton is being torn apart by overuse of natural resources, as well as a civil war between the rightful leaders and rebels. Scientist Jor-El has tried to save his planet, but he sees that there is no hope, so he and his wife Lara plan to send their son Kal-El off the planet. They will send him to a planet called Earth.

   As Lara prepares a space ship holding her infant son, rebels attack her and Jor-El's home. The rebellion's leader, General Zod, tries to stop the ship from leaving. When he fails in this, he murders Jor-El, though he and his team of leading rebels are soon banished to the Phantom Zone. Krypton soon explodes after this, causing them to be freed of their bonds. This is not the last time Zod will enter the scene, of course.

   Go forward about twenty years or so and we meet Clark Kent, a mysterious and somewhat dark young man. The audience is shown a rather angry Clark, as we go back and forth between his childhood and adulthood. In chronological time, the infant Kal-El lands on Earth and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who name the boy Clark. 

   All the events leading up to Clark's adulthood are displayed. One day, while he is in Antarctica (visiting his secret cave), he is discovered by Lois Lane, reporter for Metropolis' The Daily Planet. He disappears, and Lois begins a search for the "mystery man."

   Eventually, General Zod and his band of rebels come to Earth in search of Kal-El, now named Superman. He and Lois are taken into custody, but are aided in escape by the "consciousness" of Jor-El (which was quite strange). 

   City-wide disaster strikes as Zod attacks both Smallville (Clark's home) and Metropolis (location of The Daily Planet). Pretty soon, though, this turns into worldwide chaos as Zod's machines begin changing Earth to be hospitable for Kryptonian aliens, rather than the native humans.

   For those who know the Superman stories, be prepared for a nearly completely different look at Kal-El's origin story. It will take the whole story and basically flip it upside down. 

CONTENT

   I believe that the violence in Man of Steel far exceeds that of any previous Superman film, even Superman Returns. There are punches, blood, many gunshots, and fights using superpowers. Sadly, some of the violence concerning Superman is out of revenge and anger. There is one scene where we see a Kryptonian woman being engulfed in flames, as well as a scene where human children are in a sinking bus. The violence and graphic content of this film rivals, if not passes, that of The Avengers. However, although the violence is intense, it is not what I would call gory.

   As in all Superman movies (and really all superhero movies), there is a romance between the superhero and the lead female. I recall only one or two kisses between Superman and Lois Lane. Also, the rebel commander Faora-Ul (a female Kryptonian) wears tight-fitting armor. On this topic, Clark Kent is seen for at least a few scenes without a shirt. Soon after this, Clark is in a bar and a man touches a woman's behind (Clark defends her). Towards the end of the film, a female soldier says that Superman is "hot."

   There is a moderate use of foul language. Lois Lane, I recall, contributes much of this. The film includes a few uses of God's name, besides multiple uses of d***, a**, and h***.

   Jor-El appears to Superman, Lois Lane, and General Zod on a few occasions, all of which are after his death. When Superman questions this, Jor-El explains that it is his "consciousness" which I took to mean spirit. This bothered me, but there were also some other things in the spiritual area. There are some clear connections between Jesus Christ and Superman (sent to save Kryptonians and humans, communes with his father), one of which is a scene with him in water with his hands outstretched, as if on a cross. I am not sure whether the filmmakers meant this as a mockery or not, but these things are still present.

   While Man of Steel was the most visually-stunning Superman film, I would strongly disagree that it is the cleanest or the most moral. Superman is portrayed much darker than in previous films. With the 1970's Superman, we had a noble and heroic superhero, but with 2013's version we have a vengeful and angry superhero (which might have something to do with producer Christopher Nolan, of The Dark Knight fame). This bothered me a lot. You might enjoy Man of Steel, which I did at points (particularly some of the musical scores), but it has little to redeem itself.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 143 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language)

Director: Zack Snyder

Producers: Christopher Nolan, Charles Rovan, Emma Thomas, Deborah Snyder

Music: Hans Zimmer

Year of release: 2013

Primary audience: Teens, adults

The Unintentional Hero: A Book Review of Donita K. Paul's "DragonSpell"

A young girl has lived virtually her entire life as a slave—that is, until she is called by the land's creator and ruler to undertake a dangerous mission to rescue stolen dragon eggs.
DragonSpell is the first book of the teen DragonKeeper series. The series is not too well known, though it was named 2005's Christy Honor Book.

SUMMARY

   Kale Allerion has lived all her life as a slave. Her masters are not necessarily cruel, but Kale's situation is certainly not what you would call a wonderful existence. One day, she is freed to go to the Hall, where people are trained to serve Paladin, the counterpart of Wulder. The book opens with Kale travelling to the capital city Vendela, talking to a farmer.

   Eventually, she must obey Wulder by reclaiming dragon eggs stolen by the evil wizard Risto. The rest of the book follows her adventures on the way to Risto's castle, accompanied by her new friends Dar, Leetu Bends, and some dragons. Also, along the way she learns about Wulder and what it means to obey him.

   The climax of the story is surprising and exciting!

CONTENT

   DragonSpell has some violence in the same vein as The Chronicles of Narnia series. While there is injury, death, and battles, it is not too detailed. Fans of C.S. Lewis' work will recognize a similar approach to this violence.

   There is no sexual content at all, which I was pleased with.

   I recall no foul language anywhere in the book.

   There is the use of spells in this book, and some of the characters are wizards (good and bad, according to the story). There are also some scenes where the heroes speak to each other through their minds. DragonSpell is definitely a Christian book, though if a parent is concerned with magic and how their child will react to it, they might want to either pre-read the book or find a different one. The magic contained in the book is similar to The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. It is not real witchcraft and is meant to be something entirely different than sorcery and dark magic.

   It is rare to find a series written for teens that is clean and also presents a Christian worldview. Donita K. Paul's DragonKeeper series does just this! I really enjoyed DragonSpell, as I also enjoyed the following books in the series. It will appeal to both boys and girls, which is another plus. 

   Paul's writing style made me feel like I was really in the magical land, and any author that can do that is a favorite of mine! 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of pages: 339 

Author of book: Donita K. Paul

Published in: 2004

First in a five-book series

Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens

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Murders from A-Z: A Book Review of Agatha Christie's "The ABC Murders"

Original 1936 cover

Imagine that an insane man begins a trek to commit 26 murders. The victim's last name begins with a certain letter, as does the name of the city they live in, such as "Betty Barnard in Bexhill." Detectives hurry to apprehend this man before he commits more murders. This actually happens in Agatha Chrisite's mystery fiction The ABC Murders.
 The main characters are Hercule Poirot (a famous character in Agatha Christie's books) and his friend Capt. Hastings (who narrates much of the novel). The end left me surprised and astonished, as Agatha Christie has a knack for doing that.

SUMMARY

   Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (that's "air-kewl pwa-ro") receives a letter from the mysterious ABC. It warns of an impending murder in Andover. He tells the authorities, but none of them quite take it seriously.

   When a Mrs. Ascher is murdered in Andover, then they certainly get serious about the whole thing! Poirot and a friend, Captain Hastings, investigate the murder scene. All they find of much value is an ABC Railway guide which has no fingerprints.

   Poirot gets another letter, this time signaling a murder to occur in Bexhill-on-Sea. It appears that the mysterious murderer has a crazed mania with the organization of the alphabet. Poirot, Hastings, the police, and a psychologist work together, but they can't seem to nab the crook.

   Finally, after a third murder in Churston, the relatives and friends of the victims join forces with Poirot to unravel the mystery.

   Let me tell you that the end will leave you utterly, amazingly, and in all other senses, surprised!

CONTENT

   The ABC Murders is, as the title implies, a murder mystery. This has a substantial amount of violence. The murders include hitting the head, strangling, and stabbing. There are also a few scenes in the book where blood is either mentioned or described. As in other Agatha Christie murder mysteries, she does not hold back details such as the look on the victim’s face. 

   One of the victims had a boyfriend, but as she is dead, there are no sensual moments there. Also, one of the victims clearly was fond of his secretary and his wife was fatally ill (as well as "out of it" most of the time), but he is loyal to his wife. He treats his secretary more like a daughter than anything. Once or twice, Poirot teases Hastings about admiring a beautiful girl or wanting to stay with a girl (this is a minor part of the book).

   There is some language in the novel, including a few uses G**, d***, and h***.

   While the mystery itself is enough to draw a reader into the story, there are also insights into human character (specifically that of an insane person). While I think there are both good and bad sides to psychology, The ABC Murders provided some interesting ideas, whether I agreed with them or not.

   This mystery book is certainly not appropriate for children. Teens will likely be able to handle it, but any younger and you might want an adult to pre-read the book. I personally very much enjoyed it, and it is always fun to try to figure out the mystery as you read the novel.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of pages: 256 (first edition)

Author of book: Agatha Christie

Published in: 1936

Primary audience: Teens, adults

I Scream, You Scream, the Kids Scream for Energy: A Movie Review of Pete Docter's "Monsters, Inc."

Original 2001 poster

2013 3D release poster

Most young children are scared of what things when they go to bed? Dark, scary noises and...monsters! Those monsters are waiting in the closets, always ready to come out growling. In Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc. the monsters "scare because they care." It is their job to scare because human screams provide clean energy for their world.
If you have seen the recent film Monsters University, then you will see that Monsters, Inc. is a continuation of the storyline. It was, however, made first. It did well at the U.S. box office the first week, though it steadily dropped for its second and third weeks. The movie stars the voices of John Goodman as James P. "Sulley" Sullivan, Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski, and Steve Buscemi as Randall Boggs.

SUMMARY

   Mike and Sulley are two average monsters, working at the mega-corporation Monsters, Incorporated. Sulley is the top scarer at work, with his best friend Mike as his assistant. Their lives are quite normal: Sulley works hard at his job, Mike has a good relationship with his girlfriend, and they have no unexpected surprises in their lives.

   Oh, wait...one evening after work, Sulley sees a lone door on the "Scare Floor." He enters the human room, but finds nothing. Then he turns around to find a little human girl playing with his tail. The big, strong, and scary monster becomes timid and afraid of this girl getting near him. You see, the monsters believe that human children are toxic. "A single touch could kill you!" as the CEO of Monsters, Inc. says.

   The "Child Detection Agency" (CDA) is in a state of panic when reports of a human girl are received. Mike and Sulley hide the girl in their apartment after a close call at a sushi restaurant. While Mike is intent on figuring out a plan to get rid of the little girl, Sulley begins to grow close to her. Then Sulley has an idea: they disguise her as a monster, take her to work, and plan to send her back through her door.

   This proves harder than they thought. Because Mike did not turn in paperwork, he is denied access to the right door card. 

   Eventually, Mike tries to return "Boo" (as Sulley affectionately names her), but Sulley wants to keep her with them. The three of them soon uncover an evil plot right inside their factory!

   The movie ends with a touching scene, but I won't go into detail so as not to spoil the ending.

CONTENT

   The film is, of course, centered around monsters scaring children. On several occasions we get scenes of this, which could possibly frighten young kids. Also, towards the end of the movie, there is some mild slapping, choking, and a chase scene. I doubt this would get it a PG rating, but parents will want to watch the film with children who are easily scared.

Mike has a girlfriend named Celia and there is a scene or two with kissing.

   There is no swearing in the film.

   Monsters, Inc. is a family-favorite of ours. It is a classic Disney/Pixar film, and any family is sure to enjoy this!

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 92 minutes

Rating: G

Director: Pete Docter

Producer: Darla K. Anderson

Music: Randy Newman

Year of release: 2001

Primary audience: Children, family

Update to Blog: Translation Feature

   As our foreign audience has been growing recently, there has been a new feature added. Those who do not read English may now translate our site into another language. The feature includes over fifty languages from which you may choose. The Translate feature is found on the right hand column at the bottom of the other features (under the Blog Archive).

~Family-in-Mind Reviews

Return to Earth: A Movie Review of Andrew Stanton's "Wall-E"

Scientists and our government are promoting all sorts of ideas about how the world will come to an end. Global warming, meteorites, burning up because of the sun, or being covered in garbage. Disney/Pixar's film Wall-E presents one of those events as actually occurring. In the year 2105, earth is evacuated into space by a company called BnL (Buy 'n' Large). Robots called "Wall-E"s are left to clean up the garbage in hopes of making earth a better place for returning humans.

I have read that the director of Wall-E was a Christian, and there are elements of this film that may confirm that. Wall-E won the Global Award and Academy Award for Best Animated Picture. The movie starred the voices of Ben Burtt as Wall-E, Elissa Knight as EVE (the female robot whose duty is to find life on earth), and Jeff Garlin as B. McCrea, Captain of the Axiom spaceship.

SUMMARY

   Humans have evacuated earth, at least for a time, due to increasing garbage. The company BnL has built Wall-E robots to clean up the garbage. But when the film starts, the year is 2805 and there is only one Wall-E robot left living. He has been doing his garbage clean-up job for 700 years!

   One day, though, a sleek, white spaceship appears quite dramatically. A high-tech robot named EVE exits the ship and begins scanning everything around. Wall-E quickly discovers first-hand that she is armed with a dangerous gun, but he continues to try to make contact.

   He eventually befriends EVE and takes her back to his small home and shows her his favorite "treasures" that he has collected over the years. Then he shows her his latest find: a plant in a boot. EVE scans the object, hides it inside her metal body, and then shuts down. Wall-E watches over her until one day when a spaceship comes and picks her up...but he stows away.

   After travelling through space, Wall-E and EVE arrive at the giant ship called the Axiom. He soon finds out that the humans have their every need cared for by robots, computers, and machines. Plus, since they have been in space for their entire lives, they are all very overweight. 

   The movie continues with Wall-E and EVE trying to get the plant to the Captain, working against evil and controlling robots in the meantime.

CONTENT

   There is some violence throughout the movie, but this is a Disney film and it is made for families. EVE fires her gun a few times, but no one is harmed. Also, the Auto-Pilot robot uses his electric needle to fry a robot. Humans are never really injured throughout the film, but robots definitely are.

   The movie is not inappropriate. Wall-E has a kind of romantic relationship with the female robot EVE (this is kind of strange, but that wears off by the end of the film). Also, two of the human passengers (John and Mary) seem to have a romantic relationship, but there is not really much that comes from this. One other thing, at the beginning of the movie, is when Wall-E is searching through garbage and finds underwear and covers his eyes with it.

   There is, thankfully, not any foul language in this film.

   Wall-E presents somewhat apocalyptic events which may possibly offend some parents. With the government pushing so many apocalyptic views of the future, Christians can toss off conservation as unimportant. It is very important, though not for the reason the government and scientists say; Christians are called by God to care for the earth as our home. 

   As stated earlier, I have read that the director of Wall-E was a Christian. While there are Christian themes that come up in the film, there is no mention of God at all. So this is a good movie, but don't expect to get a great spiritual message. 

   In conclusion, Wall-E has an extremely slow beginning. In the first fifteen, twenty minutes, there are few spoken words (and those come only from Wall-E and EVE). Once the two robots reach the Axiom, things start to move at a fast pace, and that is when the main comedy starts.

   I think this is a good family movie and will entertain everybody (though parents might enjoy the first little while more than the kids). It is a fun, rather light-hearted adventure!

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 98 minutes

Rating: G

Director: Andrew Stanton

Producer: Jim Morris

Music: Thomas Newman

Year of release: 2008

Primary audience: Kids, family

(For more on the Christian themes in Wall-E, here is an article from Christianity Today, which can be found at the following link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/juneweb-only/andrewstanton.html)

Fall of a Republic: A Movie Review of George Lucas' "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith"

A deceitful mastermind plots to overthrow a government and become the dictator. He must first find an easily-corruptible person to aid him in his task. He chooses a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker and pushes him to become an evil Sith warrior. The final installment of the Star Wars "prequel" trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, follows this storyline, ending the tale of Anakin Skywalker and beginning the saga of the evil Darth Vader.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith received the best reviews of the three prequel movies, yet it had fewer Academy Award nominations as the previous two films. It was the only Star Wars film not to receive a nomination for Best Visual Effects, which is hard to believe. The movie starred Hayden Christiansen as Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker, Ewan McGregor as Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine.

SUMMARY

   The Clone War, which begun in Attack of the Clones, has been raging for three long years. The Jedi have heroically led clone troopers in battles both on planets and in space. The film opens with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi chasing the evil Separatist leader General Grievous, who has captured Chancellor Palpatine. 

   After making their way through a battle in space, the two Jedi manage to land inside the giant flagship of General Grievous. They finally reach the Chancellor, but must face Count Dooku, Sith leader of the Separatists. Once they have defeated the Count, Anakin must rescue Palpatine while carrying an unconscious Obi-Wan. 

   While trying to escape, the three are captured by battle droids and are taken to General Grievous. The Jedi are able to retrieve their lightsabers, but Grievous escapes to fight another day. Anakin, though, is faced with having to land a crashing battle ship.

   The movie continues, and Obi-Wan is sent to track down Grievous, who is hiding on the sinkhole planet Utapau. Meanwhile, Palpatine subtly begins to bring Anakin to the "dark side" by shaking his trust in the Jedi Council. 

   During the last battles of the Clone War, Palpatine turns Anakin to the dark side and orders the clone troopers to murder their Jedi leaders. As the Republic is turned into a tyrannical empire, Obi-Wan and Jedi Master Yoda must face the evil they unwittingly helped protect. But, by the end of the movie, there is still a hope...

CONTENT

   Revenge of the Sith is the only one of the six Star Wars films to be rated PG-13. Most of the violence is about the same as Attack of the Clones, though there are some parts that deserve the rating. Four Jedi go to confront the newly discovered Sith lord (who is really Palpatine). During the fight, three Jedi are cut with lightsabers and the last is shot with "Sith lightning." While using the lightning, Palpatine's appearance changes hideously. Also, one scene shows a Sith being burned (we see mostly his face) and later the audience sees his burned flesh being torn off. Towards the end of the film, Padmé gives birth to children. She cries out multiple times, though we only see her face during this. And during an attack on the Jedi Temple, it is implied (not shown) that children Jedi are killed, though we see many other Jedi being shot. 

   I don't recall anything too inappropriate. I believe there are one or two kissing scenes between Anakin and Padmé. Also, in another scene, she wears clothing that shows the very top of her chest (though there isn't really anything immodest).

   I don't recall any language at all in this film.

   The use of the Force is ever-present, though it is slightly darker in Revenge of the Sith. In a scene where Anakin speaks with the Chancellor, he is told of a Sith master who could influence the "midhi-chlorians" to create life and stop people from dying. 

   So this is not a movie for children. Some pre-teens may be able to handle the more violent parts, but that is up to their parents. Revenge of the Sith has many tense moments, not all of them necessarily violent. The last twenty, thirty minutes are the most graphic, containing Anakin's fall to the dark side.

   While a good film for teens and adults, parents will definitely want to find another movie if they want to find something for the entire family.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 140 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Director: George Lucas

Producer: Rick McCallum

Music: John Williams

Year of release: 2005

Primary audience: Teens, adults

The Trick That Reunited a Family: A Movie Review of "Jurassic Park III"

A boy is lost on an island, separated from his parents. If that isn't bad enough, the island is literally infested with dinosaurs! The boy's divorced parents sneakily enlist the help of paleontologist Alan Grant, a survivor of Jurassic Park. The Kirbys (the parents), Alan Grant, and his friend must survive long enough to find a way to escape the island.
There you have the plot of Jurassic Park III in a nutshell. The third installment of the Jurassic Park Trilogy received mixed reviews, many of them criticizing the "been there, done that" plot.
The film stars Sam Neill as Alan Grant, William H. Macy as Paul Kirby, and Téa Leoni as Amanda Kirby.

SUMMARY

   Young Eric Kirby is parasailing with his mom's friend over an exotic island. It seems fun at first, but things take a turn for the worse when their boat is attacked...by what? 

   Some time later, Alan Grant gives a speech on recent dinosaur findings. He runs into questions concerning Jurassic Park and is annoyed. Afterwards, he tells intern Billy Brennan that he might want to find a new career. The two are soon approached by a man named Paul Kirby.

   The three men and Paul's wife Amanda go to dinner. The couple explains that they are wealthy and enjoy taking adventure tours (Mount Everest, to name one). They convince Dr. Grant to take them on an airplane tour of the dinosaur island. Grant declines, but Paul eventually coaxes him with a checkbook.

   On the airplane, Dr. Grant begins talking about the dinosaurs, but the Kirbys (along with their other "friends") seem to be occupied on something else...

   The airplane is then landed (to Grant and Billy's utter horror), and Amanda begins calling for "Eric." Unfortunately, this attracts the attention of a massive dinosaur: Spinosaurus. What ensues is an intense dinosaur attack, complete with a broken airplane and dino lunch.

   The Kirbys eventually come clean and tell Grant and Billy that they are looking for their lost son. The rest of the film shows running from dinosaurs and looking for Eric.

CONTENT

   Jurassic Park III definitely earns its PG-13 rating through violence (and, yes, language). There are multiple scenes of dinosaur attacks, each of them featuring at least some amount of blood. In one scene, we see a man being eaten by a dinosaur and some of his blood drops on Amanda. In another scene, a man's neck is snapped by velociraptor dinosaurs. This is just as violent as the previous two Jurassic Park movies, if not even more gory.

   The movie is rather clean in the area of sensuality. There is one brief scene when Amanda's back is turned to the screen, but you can tell she is in her underclothes (we see from her back up). This is for a split second and we don't see anything specifically, but it is not really necessary for the film. Also, Paul and Amanda Kirby are divorced.

   Language is moderately heavy in the third Jurassic Park movie. There are several uses of d***, G**, among some others. 

   The matter of evolution is present, but it is thankfully not pressed as hard as in Jurassic Park, the first movie. I did like one scene, in an abandoned breeding room; Amanda asks what it is and Grant responds, "This is what happens when you try to play God." That, I think, is a very important lesson for today's scientific age when cloning is a growing issue.

   In conclusion, viewers will want to watch Jurassic Park III with caution. Today violence, gore, and blood in films can sometimes (and sadly) be a source of enjoyment. We need to be careful not to get joy out of death and violence.

   The third Jurassic Park sadly does not quite have the great moments that the others did (although, it was nice to see a divorced couple reunited). There is a lot of action and chasing, action and chasing, action and...well, you get the idea. It is a decent adventure film, but it has several flaws to keep an eye on.  

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 92 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for intense sci-fi terror and violence)

Director: Joe Johnston

Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Larry J. Franco

Music: Don Davis (Original scores by John Williams)

Year of release: 2001

Primary audience: Teens, adults

Earth's 'Fightiest' Heroes: A Movie Review of Joss Whedon's " Marvel's The Avengers"

What will happen when six superheroes team together? They will save humanity, right? Wrong! First, they need to clear their differences and stop fighting each other before they can start fighting evil alien soldiers.
The Avengers was, by far, one of the highest-anticipated superhero films ever. In fact, several individual superhero films were made in building up to it (i.e. Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, Iron Man). It received countless good reviews, as well as becoming the third highest-grossing film worldwide. The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson (as secret agency director Nick Fury) and Tom Hiddleston (as villain Loki). The main superheroes are played by Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Capt. America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk/Dr. Banner), and Chris Hemsworth (Thor).

SUMMARY

   In a top secret facility, scientists in the agency S.H.I.E.L.D. work on an extra-terrestrial cube. It has the power to open portals into other worlds...and that is just what it does. The evil villain Loki of Asgard comes into our world, bent on domination and destruction.

   He takes control of the minds of many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, then escapes with the "cosmic cube." Meanwhile, the rest of the agents must escape before the area blows up. Already has a fast-paced start, huh?

   We find out that S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury has been trying to assemble a team of superheroes to defend the world from extra-terrestrial threats. His candidates are of a wide-variety: the scientific Tony Stark (Iron Man), the super soldier Steve Rogers (Captain America), the brilliant Bruce Banner (The Hulk), and the "god" Thor. 

   While he does finally get them all together, they all begin bickering and arguing. They are fighting each other, not Loki. But they are forced into action when Loki makes his strike in Germany, where he is captured.

   The remainder of the film holds many surprises, but I will not spoil them. Let's just say it includes a portal into space that transports an army of alien soldiers, led by Loki. The Avengers must learn to work with each other's differences to protect their world.

CONTENT

   The violence is rather intense. People are shot, stabbed, and more (the creators of the movie have no fear of displaying at least some amounts of blood). There is one scene where Loki uses a weapon to "carve" a man's eye out, so as to gain entrance into a secure area (this is bloodless, but creepy and gruesome). With explosions, goblin-like aliens, and more, this is not a movie for young children.

    Earlier in the movie, the agent "Black Widow" is tied to a chair and is being interrogated. She is wearing a tank-top, and she performs acrobatic stunts. While this scene is not the worst that could have been shown, Black Widow is not very modest. Also she and agent "Hawkeye" have some sort of relationship, but there is absolutely nothing sexual (I don't even recall a single kiss between them). On the other hand, Tony Stark/Iron Man has at least two kisses with his girlfriend Pepper Potts, and it is implied that they are living together. 

   The language, while not completely overbearing, is certainly an issue to consider. At least a few uses of d***, G**, and h***. There is also one use of SOB. 

   In one scene, Tony Stark drinks some sort of alcohol, though it is not clearly stated. 

   There are good lessons in The Avengers concerning working together and defending America's freedom. There is one excellent scene where Loki orders a large crowd to bow to him. Everyone does, but an elderly man stands out of a wheel-chair. He says, "I don't bow to men like you." Loki smiles and replies, "There are no men like me." The man angers Loki by saying, "There are always men like you." This film is strong in showing that humans will fight for freedom and should never willingly come under the dominion of a tyrant.

   This is no film for young elementary-aged children. Some pre-teens might be able to handle the violence, though this is, of course, up to the parents. The Avengers is a wonderful superhero movie, complete with action, humor, and some romance (a little something for all tastes); teens and adults will likely enjoy this movie the most. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 142 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference)

Director: Joss Whedon

Producer: Kevin Feige

Music: Alan Silvestri

Year of release: 2012

Primary audience: Teens, adults

(The Avengers are nick-named "Earth's Mightiest Heroes." Thus, the title of this review includes "Fightiest" to signify their bickering before they work together.)

A Day in the Life of Charlie Brown: A Movie Review of Sam Jaimes' "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

Did you ever read any of the Peanuts Gang comic strips? Whether or not you have, just about everyone can recognize Charlie Brown and Snoopy. In 1967, the Broadway musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, showed for the first time. In 1985, a cartoon adaption premiered with the same name.

The movie starred the voices of Brad Kesten as Charlie Brown, Jessica Lee Smith as Lucy van Pelt, and Robert Towers as Snoopy.

SUMMARY

   The entire film basically takes you through a day of Charlie Brown's life. It has many adaptations from the original comic strips; Lucy's fondness of Schroeder, Charlie Brown's Valentine’s Day troubles, Snoopy's wild imagination, and a baseball game.

   The movie ends with the gang all meeting at the Brown family’s front porch and singing their friendly song "Happiness."

CONTENT

   As this is a kids/family cartoon, the most violent it gets is Charlie Brown getting bumped into and Snoopy pretending he is a wild animal.

    In one of the earlier scenes, Lucy sings a song about her and Schroeder getting married (the song "Schroeder"), obviously showing her love for him. In another scene, Charlie Brown debates about whether he should go talk to the "little red-haired girl" or not and ends up ruining his lunchtime.

   There is no foul language.

   During one song, Happiness, the children list the things that make them happy (i.e. “Happiness is finding a pencil, pizza with sausage, telling the time / Happiness is learning to whistle, tying your shoe for the very first time"). Christians know that true happiness can only by found in God, but this particular song is innocent, I believe.

   You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown has upbeat, jumpy music. While not a musical epic like Les Mierables or The Phantom of the Opera, it is a nice, family-friendly musical. It is kind of like a Peanuts version of The Music Man. Unfortunately, the cartoon version of the musical does not include the song My New Philosophy, which is a fun one, but it did include the nice song Happiness. 

   This was definitely geared for children, but the entire family can enjoy it. The songs are catchy, much like (as I said earlier) those in The Music Man. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a great family movie.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 50 minutes

Rating: NOT RATED

Director: Sam Jaimes

Music: Clark Gesner (music, lyrics, & composer), Ed Bogas (composer), Desiree Goyette (composer)

Year of release: 1967 (original Broadway musical), 1985 (cartoon adaption)

Primary audience: Kids, family

Update to Blog: "Is This Movie Good?" article

   You might notice that we have a new page on our blog. It is titled "Is This Movie Good?" The page is an article I wrote to help us think about whether or not a movie really is good. If you take the time to read, you will see five questions to ask yourself during and after watching a movie.

Enjoy!
~Family-in-Mind Reviews

They Were Blind, but Then They Saw: A Movie Review of Michael Apted's "Amazing Grace"

In America, we all know about the fight against slavery in the 1860's, but do you know much about the fight against it in England, during the late 18th century? The anti-slavery campaign was largely led by William Wilberforce, a godly and bold politician.
Amazing Grace did fairly well in the box office and won the 2008 Christopher Award and Best Spiritual Film. The movie stars Ioan Gruffudd as William Wilberforce, Romola Garai as Barbara Spooner Wilberforce, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Prime Minister William Pitt.

SUMMARY

   The film opens in 1797 with William, who is severely ill, taking a holiday with his cousin and wife. Although William and a Miss Barbara Spooner are both annoyed at attempts to put the two of them in a romance, William begins to convey the story of his battle against slavery.

   Fifteen years earlier, William is a rather young member of Parliament. He considers leaving politics for theology, but his friend William Pitt (along with some anti-slavery activists) implores him to stay in politics. He visits the aging John Newton, ex-slave ship captain and current pastor, who tells William he should fight against slavery.

   Years and years of disappointing attempts and failures follow. William becomes frustrated and tired with the political battles. He soon becomes quite ill, and the story comes back to 1797, with him and Barbara. It is she who tells him that he must continue battling slavery, and the two are married shortly afterward. The two have children, and William is given hope.

   William and his political allies find a backdoor way of weakening the slave trade. Twenty years after beginning his campaign, William Wilberforce's bill of anti-slavery is passed in 1807.

CONTENT

   I would not say that the content in Amazing Grace should give it a PG-13 rating, but the content is definitely not for a younger audience. There are references to violence and cruelty to human beings, as well as one scene where Wilberforce dreams of young African boys being burned. If the length of the film does not get to younger children first, then the violence in this matter might frighten them.

   There is not any bad sexual content. I don't even think there is but one kiss between husband and wife. I do recall one brief mention of adultery but nothing else.

   For all the good in this movie, there was some inappropriate uses of language, including a**, h***, and God's name. I wondered why they would include this in an otherwise clean movie.

   Amazing Grace is an inspirational and moving story about the evils of slavery and the political life of William Wilberforce. The acting by Gruffudd and Cumberbath, I thought, was especially wonderful. Apart from some violent descriptions and an occasional swear word, this is a clean family film that many will likely enjoy.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 118 minutes

Rating: PG

Director: Michael Apted

Producers: Terrence Malick, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt, Edward R. Pressman, Ken Wales 

Music: David Arnold

Year of release: 2006

Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens, adults

For an interesting interview with director Michael Apted, visit this link at Christian Answers: Spotlight, titled Faith, Politics, and Moviemaking: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2007/amazinggrace2007-interview.html