Chasing Your Dreams: A Movie Review of "Tangled"

Disney is known for its animated retellings of fairytales. Many of us have seen the classic films Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Then in the 1980s and 90s came some new fairytale movies: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin are just a few. In 2010, Disney returned to the princess fairytales they were so well known for. They released the family musical Tangled, centered on the story of Rapunzel of the long hair.

Tangled is, to this date, one of the best-selling Disney DVDs of all time and broke records in theaters when it was released. In theaters, it is Disney's third highest-grossing film (just behind Frozen and The Lion King). The film includes the voices of Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, Zachery Levi as convict Flynn Rider, and Donna Murphey as "Mother" Gothel.

SUMMARY

   In a magical land, a king and queen are going to have a child. But the queen becomes very ill, and so the king initiates a search for a mystical flower that was grown from a drop of sunlight. The plant is found, but little do the royal soldiers know, they were being watched by a mysterious woman who would use the flower's magical healing powers.

   The queen is cured, and she gives birth to a baby girl. The girl's hair shines golden, just like the sunlight from which the magical flower grew. But in the middle of one night, the mysterious woman, named Gothel, kidnaps the baby girl.

   She takes the baby, whom she names Rapunzel (nicknamed "Flower") to a hidden tower. There, Rapunzel's hair grants long life to Gothel, just as she had from the flower many years ago. Her hair has the magical powers to heal. 

   The king and queen launch floating lanterns every year on the birthday of their missing daughter, hoping against hope that she will one day reappear. From Gothel's tower, Rapunzel grows up seeing the lanterns every year.

   As she grows older, she longs for the freedom to go find these floating lanterns (which her "mother" Gothel says are merely stars). One day, while Gothel is gone, a fugitive thief sneaks into the tower to hide. Rapunzel, not quite sure what to do, knocks the man out with a frying pan. Once the man, Flynn Rider, is conscious, she informs him that she has hidden his bag which contains a precious treasure. The two make a deal: Flynn takes Rapunzel to see the floating "lights," and she will then return his bag to him.

   So the two set off on an adventure (accompanied by Rapunzel's pet chameleon Pascal), though it is the first time Rapunzel has been outside of the tower since she was kidnapped as an infant. Eventually, Flynn takes Rapunzel to a pub full of rough, dangerous-looking customers in an attempt to scare her away from her quest. However, it turns out that the people, just like Rapunzel, have dreams that they wish for to come true. They help Flynn and Rapunzel escape from guards, who are tracking Flynn.

   Rapunzel and Flynn, now joined by the royal horse Maximus, arrive at the kingdom. They enjoy an afternoon of celebrations, treats, and dancing. To watch the flying lanterns, the two take a boat out on the lake. This is where they realize that their new dream is each other.

   However, Gothel has joined with two former partners-in-crime of Flynn. The criminals kidnap Flynn and turn him over to the royal guards, while Gothel takes Rapunzel back to their tower. But Flynn will not give up until he saves Rapunzel from the imposter, Gothel.

CONTENT

   Any violent content within Tangled is pretty minimal. It is not too unlike that of the classic Loony Toons. Rapunzel knocks Flynn out with a frying pan. He also gets knocked about while tied up in a chair. Later, they nearly drown while trapped in a cave. There are several sword fights throughout the movie. The most violent scene is when a person is stabbed unexpectedly. Also, a lady's appearance becomes gruesome, and she falls from a building, though she turns to dust before hitting the ground. 

   Any sensual content is pretty minor. However, both Mother Gothel and Rapunzel wear dresses that show at least a little bit of their chest. In one scene, Gothel briefly flirts with a short, bearded man wearing a diaper (apparently supposed to be like Cupid, as he carries a bow). There are a couple of kisses between Rapunzel and Flynn.

   Throughout Tangled, magic is used. Rapunzel's hair heals wounds and grants long life to Gothel. 

   It is interesting to note that this film, in 2010, is the last Disney film to date in which the princess finds true love with a prince. 2013's Frozen and 2014's Maleficent both found the princesses discovering their happy ending through family love, rather than romantic love. It's an interesting trend that the princess no longer is happy with the prince. This can have both positive and negative effects, but Tangled still held to the classic Disney prince-princess relationship.

   Tangled is certainly one of my favorite cartoons from Disney Pictures. When our family went to see it in a theater, I was assuming I would find it boring and dull. I was very wrong! Tangled is a delight for all ages of both genders. It includes adventure, romance, comedy, and great music. The songs are great Disney tunes, including When Will My Life Begin?, Mother Knows Best, I've Got a Dream, and I See the Light. The musical numbers were done by Alan Menken, a veteran Disney composer, who has previously worked on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Enchanted (with lyrics by Glenn Slater, who also did the lyrics for Little Mermaid).

   In one scene, Rapunzel expresses concern at what she will do once her dream of seeing the "floating lights" is fulfilled. Flynn tells her that the great thing about dreams is that, once one has been found, we get to chase another one. This is true! God gave us a great gift when He gave us the ability to dream and wish for things. Chasing your dreams can be wonderful, yet there is also a danger. As fallen humans, we can easily fall into the temptation to place our desires in front of God's plan for us. Our plans can often conflict with God's plans. We need to be careful not to let our dreams become idols. How do we do this? God has not said it is evil to want something (assuming it is a good thing), though it is evil to covet something; it is wrong to want something so badly that we believe we cannot find happiness without it. When we find ourselves dreaming for something, we need to remind ourselves that we can be happy without it, no matter how much we wish for it. 

   This is truly an enjoyable movie. If you are a fan of Frozen, you will likely fall in love with this film as well. This is definitely feels like a classic Disney fairy tale, but with some new twists. I'm sure Tangled will have your family laughing and maybe even crying. 5 stars!

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 100 minutes

Rating: PG (for brief mild violence)

Directors: Nathan Greno, Bryon Howard

Producers: John Lasseter, Roy Conli, Glen Keane

Music: Alan Menken (score and music), Glenn Slater (musical lyrics)

Year of release: 2010
Primary audience: Kids, family, pre-teens

Discovering Who We Are: A Movie Review of "How to Train Your Dragon 2"

On the island of Berk, things have changed a lot since we first met Hiccup and his friends (both humans and dragons). Now, the island is home not only to the Vikings, but also to their pet dragons. However, things take a turn for the worse when an insane warrior unleashes an army of mind-controlled dragons.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 was a huge success for 2014. It received high reviews and made more money than any other animated film in 2014 (at the time this review was written). The film stars the voice talents of Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, Cate Blanchett as Valka, a dragon trainer, and Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast, Hiccup's father and chieftain of Berk.

SUMMARY

   The film opens five years after the first film in a way reminiscent of the original How to Train Your Dragon, though with one radical difference: dragons are now part of everyday life on Berk. This includes competitions involving flying dragons and catching sheep.

   Hiccup and his dragon companion Toothless have begun exploring new territories, mapping them as they go along. However, Stoick, Hiccup's father, wants to pass on the role of chieftain to his son. Hiccup is less than thrilled and admits to his "fiancée" Astrid that he fears he is not suited to the task as his great father has been. 

   While Hiccup and Astrid talk, Hiccup notices dark smoke rising in the horizon. The humans, with their dragons Toothless and Stormfly, go to investigate. They find the destroyed remains of some sort of fort that is stuck in a giant formation of ice. They meet a dragon trapper named Eret who tells them he works for a man named Drago Bludvist, who is raising an army of dragons under his control. 

   Hiccup and Astrid, with their dragons, escape Eret and his men. They return to Berk and warn Stoick of the trouble. Stoick tells Hiccup he knows of Drago: he is an insane man who claimed to have the power to control dragons. Years ago, when the Viking chieftains refused to bow to him as their ruler (in exchange for protection from dragons), he called in armored dragons. Stoick was the only chieftain to survive the attack.

   Hiccup wants to attempt to reason with Drago in the hopes of preventing war. Stoick tells his son that there is no reasoning with the lunatic, and that Berk must prepare for invasion. 

   However, Hiccup and Astrid leave the island in search of Drago. They find Eret and allow him to "capture" them, in order to meet Bludvist. Yet Stoick, his friend Gobber, and some young dragon riders come to save Hiccup and Astrid. Hiccup escapes from his father and friends, so he and Toothless continue their search for Drago.

   They are captured (for real this time) by a mysterious, mask-wearing dragon rider named Valka. She reveals a truly life-shaking secret to Hiccup and shows him a hidden island where dragons live in peace. She tells Hiccup that, like him, she was unable to kill dragons and instead befriended them and learned all of their secrets. She shows Hiccup an Alpha-species dragon, whom all other dragons in the area obey. 

   Soon, Stoick and Gobber track Hiccup to the "dragon island," where they meet Valka. Meanwhile, Astrid and the other young adult dragon riders, with assistance from Eret, find their way to Drago. They are captured by Drago's men, as are their dragons. 

   Eventually, Drago's army attacks Valka's secret home. She and the Berk dragon riders fight Drago's forces to protect it, but are defeated when Drago reveals his own Alpha dragon. His Alpha defeats the other one and begins controlling all of the dragons, even those belonging to Berk's Vikings. The Berk dragon riders also suffer a hard casualty of the battle.

   Bludvist and his army make way for Berk where they plan to steal the remaining dragons and conquer the Viking world. However, Hiccup and his friends race to defend their island in a final battle against Drago. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

   How to Train Your Dragon 2 definitely has its violent scenes. Kids of kindergarten age or younger might be frightened by the battles or the dragons. There are many explosions (complete with fire and destruction) as well as battles between both dragons and humans. In one scene, a dragon kills someone by blowing fire; we see the dead body of the person, though it appears mostly unharmed. Also, there are several scenes where dragons threaten humans. Drago Bludvist might scare young children, as he is a dark, foreboding character. Not to mention, he is violent and murderous. Twice we see wounds: one is when a man reveals scars on his chest, and the other is when Drago removes his metal arm, revealing the stump of his original one. Besides this, there are some more mild violent scenes and references, including some mild cruelty to sheep.

   While there are no specific swear words used, there are a couple of unfinished sentences ("what the..." and "kick [his]..."). There is a small amount of name-calling. Also, a young woman calls Eret, "Son of an Eret," perhaps implying something more crude.

   There are three kisses in all, two including Hiccup and Astrid, another between a married couple. But worse than this are scenes in which the young dragon rider Ruffnet eyes Eret several times, including slow-motion shots of his arms. Two young Viking men compete for Ruffnet's affections throughout the entire film.

   Related to the above paragraph is one scene that sparked some controversy among audiences. While a married couple engaged in an argument, Gobber turns to Hiccup and says, "This is why I never married. This and one other reason." While this could have been taken many different ways, director Dean DeBlois said that it implies Gobber is homosexual. Otherwise, this won't be fully understood by younger kids. Even teens and adults could have taken this a different way, had it not been for the director's comment in an interview.

   Much of the disaster in the movie is caused by Hiccup who refuses to comply with his father's wishes. When Stoick tells Hiccup to stay on Berk, rather than searching for Drago, Hiccup and Astrid leave Berk. Later, once Stoick finds Hiccup, he tells his son not to continue looking for Drago, but to return home. Again, Hiccup flees with his dragon.

   Although there are these areas of concern, there are also some good aspects of the movie. One of the main aspects of the film is that Hiccup is trying to discover who he is. In the end, he does discover his purpose. All humans have a purpose, because we have a loving and all-powerful God. Ultimately, our most important purpose is to glorify God. Astrid tells Hiccup that his purpose can be found in his heart, but true and lasting purpose will never be found in ourselves alone, but only through Jesus Christ.

   As far as the acting, it was very good. Gerard Butler and Cate Blanchett were magnificent in their voice acting as Stoick and Valka respectively. On the whole, the acting was pretty convincing.

   Just as with the previous film, John Powell's musical score is fantastic once again. The score was reminiscent of the original movie, while still having its own feel. Also, the song For the Dancing and the Dreaming (performed by Gerard Butler and Mary Jane Wells), while relatively short, was a nice touch to one of the scenes. 

   To be honest, I really loved How to Train Your Dragon 2. So, yes, this whole review is a little biased. However, if you enjoyed the previous movie or Dreamworks' Kung Fu Panda films, this will likely be an enjoyable film for you. Young boys, I'm sure, will also be thrilled to see the return of Hiccup and Toothless.

   Even though there are some tense scenes for smaller kids, this is still a film I believe many families will enjoy. I certainly recommend it as one of the year's best family movies.

GENERAL CONTENT

Length: 102 minutes

Rating: PG (for adventure action and some mild rude humor)

Director: Dean DeBlois

Producers: Bonnie Arnold

Music: John Powell

Year of release: 2014

Primary audience: Family, pre-teens, teens

Update: Rating System of Age Appropriateness

   In the "About Family-in-Mind Reviews" page is a link to the new guide to Family-in-Mind's rating system on age appropriateness. This link explains what is meant by "teen," "pre-teen," etc. It will also give warnings on what you might possibly encounter in a movie for each age group. You can also get to this guide by clicking here.

~Family-in-Mind Reviews

Win At All Costs?: A Movie Review of "Ender's Game"

Imagine that earth is invaded by alien warriors who nearly destroy humans. They are eventually defeated, but it seems they will return with an even greater force. To stop this, the space fleet trains children in combat, hoping they will become the leaders to destroy alien threats.

This basically sums up the introduction to the sci-fi thriller Ender's Game, about a genius teenager who is enlisted for strategy and battle training, in hopes of becoming the commander to defeat alien armies.

Ender's Game was one of 2013's most successful films, as it earned over $61 million in North America alone. The movie stars Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, Harrison Ford as Col. Hyrum Graff, and Hailee Steinfeld as Petra Arkanian.

SUMMARY

   After an introduction of the human-alien war, the film's storyline jumps right into Andrew "Ender" Wiggin's life (he is first shown as a teenager). A pair of officers from the International Fleet (IS) keep an intense watch on Ender. Within the first ten minutes or so of the film, a special IS monitor is removed from his neck.

   After this, at school, Ender is confronted by some bullies. He is attacked by their leader, Stilson, but knocks him down and repeatedly punches him. Later, when questioned about his actions, Ender says he was making sure he won all of the future fights with Stilson.

   Soon, Col. Graff from IS comes to the Wiggin home and explains that Ender needs to go to Battle School. He does give Ender a choice, but strongly suggests taking the chance. Ender agrees and soon finds himself on board a space shuttle with several other adolescents.

   Once reaching Battle School, Ender is eventually put into a group of cadets, though he is mostly resented by the others. It is later learned that this was intentional, as Graff and Major Gwen Anderson planned to study his behavior.

   Ender and his team participate in "battle games" which are war simulations that are fought in a giant, zero-gravity battle room. Ender soon learns how to maneuver and take action within the gravity-free area.

   Afterwards, he is sent to a new group named Salamander Army, which is commanded by a teen named Bonzo. There is immediate loathing between Ender and Bonzo, leading to the higher-ranking teen to forbid Ender from actively participating in the battle games...or even training. However, fellow cadet Petra secretly trains with Ender, helping him hone his abilities.

   During a battle game, although ordered not to interfere with the battle, Ender takes action against orders, which leads to a victory for his team. He then cunningly gets Bonzo to let him practice openly.

   Later, Ender begins to play a computer game on a tablet-like electronic. The game includes images of not only a Formic alien, but also Ender's siblings Peter and Valentine. Monitoring his actions in the game, Col. Graff makes Ender the commander of his own team.

   Yet this is not as great as it may seem. Ender's squad is put into extremely hard battles, including having to fight two teams at a time. And still, Ender's Dragon Army does exceedingly well, mostly due to his genius strategies.

   But one of the teams beaten was Salamander, making Bonzo even more enraged at Ender. Bonzo and a pair of his soldiers confront Ender while taking a shower. Ender proves himself resourceful by spraying the hot water on Bonzo. Eventually, Ender knocks Bonzo down, who hits his head on the hard ground. Bonzo dies, traumatizing Ender.

   After this turn of events, Ender is allowed a break from Battle School and is taken to a secluded, peaceful spot on earth, where he is also permitted to have a visit from Valentine. After talking to his sister, Ender decides to return to space in order to continue with the next part of his training.

   Ender is taken to an abandoned alien planet where humans have set up a base of operations from which to command their fleet. Ender begins training under the tutelage of a battle hero named Mazer Rackham. Also, Ender's teammates from Battle School have been promoted to train with him. The group simulates life-like battles with a visual alien fleet.

   Finally, Ender and his squad are given one last challenge, this time with fleet officers watching. The visual screen shows a battle near the aliens' home planet, though Ender's fleet is far outnumbered. He employs surprising strategies, attempting to win this final test.

   Ender and his squad pass the test, but Col. Graff tells them something that had been kept secret, causing the victorious Ender to become deeply angered. 

   The film does end with a few shocks and surprises for those who do not already know the plot. 

CONTENT

   The majority of this film is no more violent than a Star Wars movie, though there are some tense moments. At the beginning, a monitor is removed from the back of Ender's neck (he screams during this process). Once removed, the machine is placed in a glass of water, turning the liquid red due to blood. Also, when Ender gets into a fight with a bully, he repeatedly punches the other teen, causing a bloody nose. While at home, Ender is attacked by his older brother Peter, who begins to choke him (this scene is especially disturbing, as Peter forces Ender to wear a kind of mask). Yet again, Ender gets into a fight with a sort of bully. Ender kicks the boy, who falls and hits his head on hard flooring, which leads to his death. In addition to this, there are battle games that teenagers participate in. They fire paralyzing lasers at other teens; however, this does not cause death or injury, but only "freezes" the affected part of the body. While playing a computer game, Ender guides his mouse character to burrow into a giant's eye. Finally, during the fleet battle simulations, there are multiple explosions.

   As far as language, a** and G*d are each used once, as well as a use of "gosh." There is also a mild reference to male private area. 

   Sexual content is pretty mild, although it does have a presence in the film. Pre-teens and teens of both genders sleep in the same rooms (on different bunks), yet nothing sexual is shown (there are not even any kisses). During a class at Battle School, while talking about a test, one cadet says to another, "Your mother cheated; that's why you look like a plumber." Also, Ender is shown in the shower, from the waist upwards. When is confronted by some bullies, his only covering is a towel (as there is no wall, door, or even curtain with the shower). 

   While this film is geared toward teenagers, it certainly is not like other "teen-flicks" that include gore, sex, or things of that nature. This is much more like a fusion between the World War II movie Tora! Tora! Tora! and a Star Wars film. However, it still is pretty violent for younger children especially.

   An interesting note is the morality of war. At one point, Graff tells Ender that nothing matters but that they win. Ender retorts that how they win is what matters. Even though the Formic aliens are the mortal enemies of humans, Ender finds compassion for them after learning so much about how they think. This film really explores what it means to know your enemy and, not to mention, the moral or immoral ways a war can be fought.

   The special effects of Ender's Game are superb and amazing. In a time when most movies have stunning effects, it is pretty hard to impress. I must say that the effects of this film impressed me very much. The final battles are especially amazing!

   I found this to be an enjoyable and thought-provoking film. But because of some intense violence, including some blood, this is certainly not for younger kids. While a good amount of the first half of the movie is mild and mostly dialogue, it still has intense and frightening scenes for children, including the aliens. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 114 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for some violence, sci-fi action and thematic material)

Director: Gavin Hood

Producers: Linda McDonough, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Robert Chartoff, Lynn Hendee, Orson Scott Card, Ed Ulbrich

Music: Steve Jablonsky
Year of release: 2013
Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens

God is Surely Alive: A Movie Review of "God's Not Dead"

"My God's not dead; He's surely alive; He's living on the inside; Roaring like a Lion." The quote is a line from the Christian song God's Not Dead (Like a Lion). For Christians, it is evident that our Lord is completely alive (more so than us!), and He is guiding history and the future. Yet there are billions worldwide that reject and speak against the belief in any supernatural being. 

The film God's Not Dead mainly depicts a freshman college student who is instructed by his professor to defend his stance on God's existence. Although it gained much criticism from the secular community (which is hardly surprising), the film had a great box office success with over $8 million during its opening weekend.

The movie includes Shane Harper as college student Josh Wheaton, Kevin Sorbo as Prof. Jeffery Raddison, and Trisha LaFache as journalist Amy Ryan.

SUMMARY

   God's Not Dead opens with wordless introductions to the various characters of the film, playing actor Shane Harper's song Hold You Up in the background. This gives the audience an overall, general feel of the characters.

   The film really starts to get going when college freshman Josh Wheaton goes to get signed-up. After he tells one of the college workers that he is taking Professor Raddison's philosophy class, the worker notices Josh's cross necklace. He says that Josh might want to consider switching classes, bearing in mind that Raddison's class would be like the"Roman Colosseum" for Josh (with "people cheering for [his] death."). However, Josh sticks with the current class.

   Josh sits down for the first session of Raddison's philosophy class and discovers why exactly he was being warned. The professor hands out blank pieces of paper and tells them to sign their names and write the statement "God is dead." Everyone does it. That is, everyone except Josh Wheaton. 

   So atheist Professor Raddison and Josh come up with a challenge. Josh will be given three twenty-minute sessions in which to present his case for a true and living God. After some thought and consulting a local pastor, Josh takes up the challenge, against the wishes of his parents and girlfriend. His reasons are that he wants to be a witness to his fellow students and to stand up for God. He uses C.S. Lewis' excellent quote, "Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief."

   After this, several more characters enter the picture. Mark is a shrewd, selfish businessman. His sister Mina, a Christian, is in a relationship with the atheist Prof. Raddison. Mark and Mina's mother suffers from dementia, who gives a surprisingly clear refutation to her son's arguments concerning his life and hers. 

   Also included is Mark's girlfriend Amy who is a humanist, liberal reporter/blogger. She interviews Duck Dynasty stars Willie and Korrie Robertson, attempting to hurt their reputation as hunters. Later, she makes a discovery about herself that brings her to a stressful collapse.

   There is also Ayisha, a young Muslim woman who has secretly converted to Christianity. The final side characters are Rev. Dave and his missionary friend Rev. Jude, who are trying to visit Disney World. 

   Eventually, Josh learns of Jeffery Raddison's troubled childhood, which led him to a hatred of Christianity. The third session of Josh's defense of God is turned into a heated debate with the professor. 

   The film ends with the Newsboys dedicating their song God's Not Dead (Like a Lion) to Josh.

   A final message before the credits encourages viewers to text the words "God's not dead" to everyone they know.

CONTENT

   For a film rated PG, there are several tense and somewhat violent moments. An ill woman breaks down in screams and sobs after fully realizing the reality of her approaching death. There are several verbal fights, including screaming, mostly between Prof. Raddison and Josh. Also, a young woman is smacked twice by her father and forced from their apartment building. Closer to the end, a person is hit by a car and we briefly see some blood.

   There is no language in the film and only a kiss or two between an unmarried couple.

   While God's Not Dead is one of the best Christian films I have seen in a while, there were some flaws in the religious aspect. Certainly, the Christian message was strong and undoubtedly will come off that way to audiences. However, there are a few flaws in the arguments, as well as little biblical evidence during Josh's sessions. He relies somewhat heavily on evidence from theists, rather than born-again Christians. Also, towards the end of the film, a dying man is told that he can "accept Jesus." The saving grace from Jesus Christ is something He gives us, not something we earn ourselves. Though we humans have free will, Christ chooses us, not the other way around. 

   Also, really every non-Christian character is portrayed in a negative light: the cruel businessman, an abusive Muslim, an embittered atheist professor, a despairing humanist reporter, etc. I know many secular people who are kind and have good morals (on a human level). Are they saved by Christ? No. Are they cruel and abusive? No. Are there non-believers like that? Certainly, yes. I think the point of portraying secularists the way they did was to further show the hopeless reality of a life without God, once everything is boiled down. People without the LORD are always empty, though they can easily cover it up and ignore their emptiness. 

   And yet there is a lot of good in the movie. For one thing, the main focus of the film is one Christian's risk when defending God before a class full of skeptics. There are also some good arguments that can be used in favor of an intelligent Creator, though most of them are not straight from Scriptures.

   As can be expected, the secular society really smashed this film with their criticism and bad reviews. As I said earlier, this is not surprising. One secular review said that God's Not Dead was actually a disaster of a film. Many others have said that it is full of hateful, Christian propaganda. We can expect these lies from a world that is embittered toward God. Matthew 10:22 tells us, "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved." Josh Wheaton is a good example of this verse. He is persecuted by his professor because of his stand for Christ, but God promises to bless the believer who is faithful to Him. 

   However, secular reporter Steve Pulaski from Influx Magazine said, "God's Not Dead has issues, many of them easy to spot and heavily distracting. However, it's surprisingly effective in terms of message, acting, and insight, which are three fields Christian cinema seems to struggle with the most." [1] If you would like to read a review from a secular viewpoint, I would suggest this one. It was given a "C+" rating and has a somewhat fair review of the film.

   The acting, however, displayed some of the finest talents in Christian film. The acting of Kevin Sorbo and Trisha LaFache were particularly excellent. Next time a secular acquaintance tells you Christian films have terrible acting, simply give them God's Not Dead as a good example. The film included the talents of two veteran television actors: Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Andromeda) and Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman).

   With some admittedly visible flaws, as well as both emotional and physical violence, God's Not Dead is not a perfect movie. To be honest, no movie is! It may not even be one you want younger children to see. Yet it is a wonderful film and one of the few Christian films that has done as well as it did. It is obviously a much better choice than many of today's films, and it is one that has a rarely positive message.

   I thoroughly enjoyed God's Not Dead, and I pray it can be used as a way to gain a witnessing opportunity for the broken and the lost souls of this troubled world.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 113 minutes

Rating: PG (for thematic material, brief violence and an accident scene)

Director: Harold Cronk

Producers: Michael Scott, Russel Wolfe, Anna Zielinski

Music: Will Musser (score)
Year of release: 2014
Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens, adults

[1] "God's Not Dead." Influx Magazine (www.influxmagazine.com).

 http://influxmagazine.com/gods-not-dead/ Retrieved October 11, 2014.

The Boy Who Became a King: A Movie Review of "The Sword in the Stone"

Most everyone knows of England's mythical hero King Arthur, his wife Queen Gwynevere, and the Knights of the Round Table. But how did Arthur become the great and legendary king everyone knows him as? Disney's classic animated film The Sword in the Stone retells T.H. White's book about the boyhood of Arthur.

The Sword in the Stone received an Academy Award nomination for George Brun's musical score. The songs were done by the very duo behind the award-winning songs of Mary Poppins. The film stars the voices of Rickie Sorensen; Richard Reitherman; and Robert Reitherman as Arthur (nicknamed "Wart"), Karl Swenson as Merlin the magician, and Junius Matthews as Merlin's pet owl Archimedes.

SUMMARY

   The movie opens with England's king dying, without an heir of any kind to leave behind. However, a magical sword appears in an anvil, which bears an inscription that says whoever removes the sword is the rightful king of England. And yet no one can remove it. The legendary sword is forgotten and Great Britain enters into the Dark Ages.

   A long time later, a young orphan named Arthur is living with a grumpy retired knight named Sir Ector, and his bully son Kay. One day, while assisting Kay on a hunt, Arthur (or Wart, as everybody has named him) causes an accident, and Kay misses his targeted deer. The arrow from Kay's bow went into a dark forest and Wart is forced to go after it.

   While looking for the arrow, Arthur stumbles upon a little old cottage. Inside, he meets the powerful magician Merlin and his talking owl Archimedes. Merlin tells Arthur he is prepared to become the boy's tutor. Arthur is interested but reluctant. Merlin and Archimedes then accompany Arthur back to Sir Ector's dilapidated castle.

   Later, Sir Pellinore, a friend of Ector's, comes to the castle bearing wonderful news. The winner of the New Year's Day jousting tournament is to become king of England. Ector decides to get Kay into rigorous training for the tournament, making Arthur Kay's squire.

   In order to begin teaching Arthur, Merlin uses magic to continue Arthur's chores while they leave the castle. Afterwards, they have amazing adventures as they are transformed into fish, squirrels, and birds. Arthur is taught about wit, wisdom, love, and courage during the lessons. 

   During one lesson, Arthur as a bird finds himself trapped in the cottage of Mim, a witch of dark magic. Coming to the rescue, Merlin and Mim engage in a battle of wits. Each of them turns into some sort of creature in order to gain the upper hand over the other. Merlin reigns triumphant even with treachery and lies from Mim, as he infects her health as a bacteria. This further enforces his lesson of cunning for Arthur.

   Finally, the day of the great tournament comes. But Arthur forgot Kay's sword in the tavern at which they were staying. Arthur searches for another sword and finds one in an overgrown churchyard. He pulls the sword from an anvil, as light shines down on him from an undefinable source. 

   When he takes the sword to Kay, Ector takes a look and realizes what sword it is. Arthur leads a large group of people back to the churchyard, and he places to sword back into the anvil. Many men attempt to pull it out, but none can. Finally, Sir Pellinore gives Arthur a chance to prove himself. 

   The boy removes the sword from the stone and is declared as king of England. He begins his reign using the lessons taught by his wise tutor Merlin.

CONTENT

   Since The Sword in the Stone is a Disney cartoon, the violence is rather minimal. There are some sword fights and jousting, but the most injuries anyone suffers are a bruised head or a fall from their horse. Mim tries to harm Merlin during their duel, using dangerous animals as ways to destroy the wizard. She might also come across as frightening to younger children when she turns herself into different creatures.

   Aside from some minor name-calling (such as "Wart"), there is no foul language in the movie.

   There is a scene when Mim turns herself into a beautiful woman and Arthur is amazed by her appearance. Also, while squirrels, Arthur and Merlin run into a pair of female squirrels. During this, Merlin sings the song The Most Befuddling Thing, which is all about love and romantic feelings. While the song is relatively harmless, parents might not want their children getting their views of romance from Disney. However, this could be a good place to discuss the world's definition of love versus a biblical one.

   Since Merlin is a wizard and Mim is a witch, both obviously use magic. Merlin declares his magic as good and helpful, while Mim openly brags that hers is dark magic. Either way, sorcery of some kind or another is heavily involved in the film. There are no real-life spells used, but Merlin uses several magical chants throughout the film. Parents will have to judge whether or not they believe this is appropriate for their kids.

   While the songs aren't Disney's best, there are a few that are enjoyable. These include Higitus Figitus, That's What Makes the World Go Round, and Mad Madam Mim. The songs, as I stated above, are from the same two brothers who penned the music for Mary Poppins.

   Sword in the Stone is definitely not my favorite Disney film, though it did have the personal touch of Walt Disney himself. I do find it interesting and pretty good. It is a relatively clean film, unlike many so-called "family" movies of today. Depending on your personal decisions about magical content, this is a great movie for kids and families.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 79 minutes

Rating: G

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman

Producer: Walt Disney

Music: George Bruns (score), Richard & Robert Sherman (songs)

Year of release: 1963
Primary audience: Kids, family

The Heritage of All Mankind: A Movie Review of "The Monuments Men"

In 1943, World War II is in full swing in Europe as the Allied armies are forcing the Axis powers to retreat further towards Germany. However, precious artistic works of mankind are being destroyed in the midst of heavy fire. A single Lieutenant devises a plan to create a small band men to go in and rescue works of art before the Nazis can steal them.

The Monuments Men boasts a huge cast, including several famous names. The film stars stars George Clooney (as Lt. Frank Stokes), Matt Damon (as Lt. James Granger), John Goodman (as Sgt. Walter Garfield), Bill Murray (as Sgt. Richard Campbell), Hugh Bonneville (as Lt. Donald Jeffries) Jean Dujardin (as Lt. Jean-Claude Clermont), Bob Balaban (Pvt. Preston Savitz), and Cate Blanchett (as Claire Simone).

SUMMARY

   America has been in World War II for just under a year now and the Allies are finally driving the Germans back into their own territory. But Lieutenant Frank Stokes tells the President that victory will not mean as much if precious works of art are destroyed in the war, whether by weapons or thieves. 

   Stokes is given permission to create a new group of seven man named the "Monuments Men." These men are historians, art experts, and museum curators, not specially trained soldiers. Yet they are given command and head to Europe to lead the hunt for artwork stolen by Nazis.

   Unfortunately, the officers of the U.S. Army refuse to change their battle strategies for the sake of protecting art. The Monuments Men split up to cover better ground: Stokes sticks with the U.S. Army; Lt. Jeffries leads a rescue mission for a Belgian cathedral; Lt. Granger seeks out French art historian Claire Simone; Sgt. Campbell and Private Savitz hunt down a Van Eyck altarpiece; and Sgt. Garfield and Lt. Clermont go off in search of other pieces of art.

   Eventually, the team gets back together, minus a few men lost in combat. They begin locating secret hordes of art within castles, mines, and other places. However, time is running out as they learn that the Nazis are blowing up their stolen art collections. To make matters worse, the Russians are also attempting to steal as much artwork as they can.

   In the climax of the movie, the team must enter a mine and rescue as much artwork as possible before the Russians get there. 

CONTENT

   As this is a war film, there is a good amount of violent content. Two main characters die: one is shot, and we see blood staining his uniform; the other is shot and died a little while later, with some blood in the scene. There are many other wounds sustained in the film, some containing blood. Also, while not depicted, the Holocaust is mentioned. A man mentions that his grandfather was sent to a concentration camp, and a Nazi officer says he should be thanked for his work in the Holocaust. In connection with this, a barrel full of gold teeth is found.

   The inappropriate language in the film is moderately heavy, including seven uses of s***, as well as several uses of d***, God's name, and h***. Christ's name is also used around a half-dozen times.

   In Paris, Claire Simone attempts to lure Granger into an adulterous relationship against his wife. But, in a good moral twist, Granger resists, yet still continues historical research with her. Besides this, there are some nude sculptures as well as nudity in artwork, but none of these artworks are focused on in particular. 

   Also, there is some smoking throughout the film, as well as some brief scenes including alcohol.

   Aside from some foul language, The Monuments Men is an enjoyable movie, I think. There is plenty of action and drama, but also some spattering of comedy (mostly from Bill Murray). The movie is not likely for everyone, but I believe most might enjoy it. 

   The acting was superb, especially with the performances of George Clooney, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett. Also, the musical score by Alexandre Desplat was really great and fit perfectly with the film.

   Those who have read the historical book upon which the movie is based will notice the change in names and even the number of the Monuments Men. I am not entirely sure why certain things such as names were altered, but it could have something to do with the descendants of the real soldiers involved.

   There are some good points made about the importance of art to civilization. Our international history is vital to our future, I believe, and The Monuments Men displays this. Yet there is still some argument in the film of whether the art is worth human lives.

   The Monuments Men is certainly not for the whole family, but some pre-teens might possibly enjoy parts of it. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 118 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for some images of war violence and historical smoking)

Director: George Clooney 

Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov

Music: Alexandre Desplat

Year of release: 2014
Primary audience: Teens, adults

Words Are Life: A Movie Review of "The Book Thief"

The late 1930's bring great changes to Germany. The Nazi party is fully in control and their plans for world domination are about to be put into effect. Yet in the midst of this upheaval, one young girl quietly lives her life. The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, the title character, as she is taken into a foster home, steals books, and befriends a Jew.
The movie stars Sophie Nélisse as Liesel Meminger, Geoffrey Rush as her foster parent Hans Hubermann, and Emily Watson as his wife Rosa.

SUMMARY

   The Book Thief opens with a voice narrating the beginning of Liesel's story. She is on a train with her mother and ill brother. The train makes an unscheduled (yet necessary) stop, during which Liesel finds a book dropped in the snow. She picks it up and hides it in her coat. 

   Eventually, Liesel is taken to a foster home (we are not told why her mother is sending her, but it is implied that she might have been a Communist). Rosa Hubermann, her new foster mother, displays her rough personality. Her prodding does not get Liesel to budge from the car. After Rosa gives up, Hans goes to the car and invites Liesel outside, calling her "Your Majesty." That does the trick. Liesel begins to learn how to live with the Hubermanns, though Rosa is convinced Liesel is a mute, as she will not speak. On her first night, Hans shows acts of kindness to her, and a special bond begins to form between the two.

   On the first day of school, Liesel is accompanied by Rudy Steiner. However, things are worse at school than at home. Liesel cannot write and signs her name with "X"s. Later, she is taunted by fellow classmates, and a fight breaks out. Through this, Liesel finds a second true friend in Rudy.

   After school, Hans tells Liesel that he is not a very good reader, and they can help each other. They start by using the book Liesel stole while the train was stopped. Hans soon sets up a blackboard in the basement, where Liesel can keep track of every new word she learns. Liesel Meminger becomes quite the reading aficionado.

   As time goes on, Liesel becomes part of the Hitler Youth and (at a Nazi book burning) is forced into throwing books into a massive bonfire. However, after the crowd leaves, "the book thief" manages to find a book that escaped the fiery fate.

   Eventually, the movie reaches the historic event known as Kristallnacht (or "the Night of Broken Glass"), a night of great violence and persecution towards Germany's Jewish population. Max Vanderburg, a Jew, is able to escape the massacre. He flees to the Hubermanns' home, as Hans was a friend of Max's father. The Hubermanns hide Max in their basement, and he befriends Liesel, as they both love books and words. 

   The Hubermanns, Liesel, and Max undergo struggles and a final, climatic disaster. 

CONTENT

   While The Book Thief has a lot of dialogue, there are some tense scenes. Within the first few minutes, a small child dies, and blood comes from his nostrils. Liesel also fights the school bully, but the worst is a skinned knee. However, there are several wartime bombings and one scene in which an army truck explodes violently. Also, the Kristallnacht scene depicts some violent persecution of the Jews. Toward the end of the film, the audience is shown the dead bodies of several people. One scene also includes a crowd of weary people being prodded and hurried along by Nazi soldiers (the victims are clearly Jewish). 

   There is one use of h*** and a few uses of G*d. Hans also utters two phrases: "God in heaven" and "Christ on a cross..."

   The Book Thief is refreshingly clean from sexual content, besides a small bit of flirting from Rudy to Liesel. 

   The story is narrated by Death personified. He is not said to be God, Satan, or a specific spiritual individual. The movie is, sadly, void of any reference to a living God and where the characters find refuge during the Nazi trouble. Without God, they turn to books; even good books are passive, though, and are no substitute for our Lord. 

   With that aside, however, the film brings out some great things about the use of words. Max tells Liesel "words are life," which is true in a certain sense; our earthly lives can change based on what we say to someone or write on paper. Another quote from Max is when he asks Liesel, "If your eyes could speak, what would they say?" As Christians, how can we translate what we see into our spiritual lives? 

   Also, as a John Williams fan, I do have to add that his music expands the emotions felt in this movie, and I found some songs being reminiscent of his music from Schindler's List.

   The Book Thief may not be an amazing film, but it is a very good one; it is one that brings out good points about the power of words. Sophie Nélisse and Geoffrey Rush shine marvelously as Liesel and Hans (Emily Watson was rather good, as well). The movie is obviously not a choice for the entire family, but it is one from which even adults can benefit. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 131 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for some violence and intense depiction of thematic material)

Director: Brian Percival

Producers: Karen Rosenfelt, Ken Blancato

Music: John Williams

Year of release: 2013

Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens, adults

Movietown News

   Family-in-Mind has a new movie blog: Movietown News (affectionately named for the newsreel from the opening scenes of Disney/Pixar's Up). In the future posts, expect to find movie news, commentary, and even some comedy posts! You can find it here.

Survival of the "Weakest": A Book Review of "The Pianist"

In September 1939, World War II began with Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland. Upon reaching Warsaw, the Nazis set up a ghetto for the Jews, and things appeared alright at first, perhaps just a little tense. Yet things escalated, and the true purpose of Germany was revealed: all Jews were to be killed.

The Pianist is a memoir by Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew. In his book, Szpilman recalls his time in the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw as he struggled to survive and hide from Nazi soldiers. It was published following the war, but because the Soviet Union disapproved, it was banned. It was not until the late 1990's that it was republished in German and English. It was later adapted into a film version, though Szpilman passed away before the movie was completed.

SUMMARY

   The Pianist's author is also the main character (as this is an autobiographical memoir), Wladyslaw Szpilman in the 1930's, at both Berlin, Germany, and Warsaw, Poland. When the Nazis rose to power, Szpilman returned to Poland in 1933.

   He begins working for the Polish Radio until Germany invades in the fall of 1939. The station goes off air as he plays one of Chopin's Nocturnes. Not long after, Warsaw surrenders to Germany. The Nazis put up notices for the Poles: they will be cared for by Germany. There is even a special section for Jews! This is a relief for many Jews, though some still suspected treachery.

   It doesn't take long for the true intentions of the Nazis to be made clear. Raids occur all over Warsaw, in which Jews are abused. A little later, Jews are required to hand in property and valuables to the German state; Jewish families are permitted to own only a small portion of money, regardless of the family's size.

   The Szpilmans did not go along with their enemies and instead hid their money and valuables in strategic places around their home. But by the time 1940 came around, a section of Warsaw had been blocked with walls, and rumors circulated that this was to be the ghetto for Jews. 

   Still, Szpilman and his family were fortunate enough to already be living within the ghetto walls; they would not have to evacuate and be subject to Nazi abuse...yet.

   The ghetto quickly became a terrible place to live: full of fear, unsanitary, under the watchful eye of Nazis. However, the worst was yet to come, but Wladyslaw would (quite miraculously) survive the horrors of occupation under the Third Reich. 

CONTENT

   As a memoir of the Nazi Holocaust, The Pianist has much strong violence, some of it told in detail. It includes (but is not limited to) shootings, beatings, verbal insults, and mass murder. In one part, an elderly Jew cannot move because he is paralyzed from the waist down. Nazi soldiers take the chair in which he sits and throw him out the window, where the man hangs in a tree. There is another scene in which Jews are instructed to lie on the ground; a Nazi commander then calmly walks down the row, shooting each Jew. 

   There are occasional uses of G*d and only once is d*** used. 

   I recall no sexual content, for which I was glad. However, this was a non-fictional book, and there were not many places where such things would fit.

   The Pianist is a good story of one man's survival of brutal tyranny and death. Christians who read the memoir will clearly see God's hand in this man's life, whether he recognized it or not. 

   Szpilman's memoir delves into the human psychology of a wartime Polish Jew. There are many rewarding scenes in the book, but this book will likely leave you with a sick feeling of those who did not make it out of the ghetto alive. And this is right, as human lives are created by God. As Scripture tells us, man is made in the likeness of God, our Creator. 

   Yet this book also proves that not all Germans of the time were like the Nazis, as Winston Churchill led Great Britain to believe. Even some of the soldiers were compassionate, as one sees in the memoir. 

   I would say this book is targeted mainly for adults. I am not suggesting that teens should not read this book (as I did), but no one, even adults, should read this book lightly. The Pianist is a remarkable account of German invasion and the war years in Warsaw, but it is also a grave story of man's depravity without God, when he is left to himself.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of pages: 224

Author of book: Wladyslaw Szpilman

Published in: 1946 (under the name Death of a City), 1998 (German/English editions), 2002 (movie tie-in edition)

Primary audience: Adults