Hailed as one of the greatest movies of all time, I was a little disappointed. The story was inventive and well put together. I enjoyed the way everything slowly tied together from beginning to end, even though it all seemed like separate stories at first. While there was an over abundance of swearing, looking back at the movie (replaying scenes in my head) the language is not what I remember. Can’t say that I’d recommend this one.
Moral Rating: 2 of 5
The coolest part of the movie was Samuel L. Jackson. I’ve always been curious about this movie and my curiosity was increased after reading Thomas Hibbs Arts of Darkness. Hibbs states,
“Tarantino’s repudiation of linear narration suits a world out of joint where character development and unified story telling are impossible. The sequence of events in the film pivots around a remarkable chance event, the interpretation of which determines the destiny of the two central characters, Jules and Vincent.”
Great music, ok story. Vince Vaughn really gets annoying here, plus the language is pretty coarse. If you can get past that, this really is a nice story dealing with friendship and romantic relationships.
Moral Rating: 3 of 5
Trent’s character is portrayed as the enviable one, with Mike being the lame, whiny friend who can’t get over his recent split-up with his girlfriend. Trent seems to be a valuable friend, in that he doesn’t abandon Mike, and frequently tells him how “money” he is, but Trent seems to miss what Mike really needs. Mike ends up finding out what he needs on his own through making his own mistakes and discoveries. Because he does this by himself, he ends up happier in spite of all the help his friends were trying to offer him. It’s a big plus that the climax romantic relationship in the film has nothing to do with sex (at least through the end of the movie), is not shallow, and brings genuine happiness to Mike.
Besides the language pulling the moral rating down quite a bit, the positive message of quality relationships shines through.
I remember loving this show so much as a kid. While the fighting was rather laughable and the storyline a little corny, the film was still enjoyable. I don’t believe I’ll get my wife to watch Secret of the Ooze with me though.
Moral Rating: 2 of 5
Friendship and family are probably the two most important themes in the movie. By trying to supplant them with money or fun, sadness inevitably ensues.
Don’t watch this movie to get a moral lesson out of it, your kids are more likely to want to hit something and also learn some nice four-letter words rather than better understand the importance of family.
Nice thriller, though my wife said it was a bit lame because she guessed who Keyser Soze was half-way through the film, and so wasn't too impressed. We watched the T.V. version, and surprisingly it was pretty decent. They probably got rid of 80% of the language and left most of the violence in, but it was totally watchable - though still not for young kids.
Moral Rating: 3
The coolest line in the show is repeated twice, "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." At the end of the movie some people say they are even more scared than they were while watching it (maybe because you realize that "the Devil" has existed all along, but you let him reel you in to his story of pity). How often does Satan appeal to our emotions? Our emotions can be so strong that they often overshadow any good judgement we might receive from our conscience.
We are taught, with regards to the devil, "And behold, others [the devil] flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance." (2 Nephi 28:22) Though this is a great reference, the whole movie wasn’t that great of a moral lesson, other than to make sure you don’t get duped by Satan.
Benny is the caretaker for his mentally handicapped sister. He's forced to realize that she is capable of making some of her own decisions, and must learn to let her go as an excuse for himself to be more involved in life.
Entertainment Value - A
Great lighthearted, romantic-dramedy. Johnny Depp really made the movie.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3
The film produced a good message on the importance of making life happy. Life's too short to look for excuses to not be involved. We need to have the courage to make decisions that will increase our happiness. Benny used taking care of his sister as an excuse to not have a normal life. Surely it was done out of love at first, but if he really loved Joon he could have helped her get out on her own sooner. In the end they both end up breaking free, resulting in an increase of their happiness.
There is an implied sex scene that totally could have been done without; for some reason Hollywood (and as a result the world) thinks that sex is the only way to show a mature relationship between two lovers prior to marriage. Comedies have to have jokes about sex in them. It's almost as if the world revolves around sex. In a sense it does, at least that's how we all exist; but at the same time it's also how lives are torn apart. Satan can twist godly things in such a way that they destroy us instead of making us more holy.
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This is the second remake of The Shop Around the Corner (at least that I'm aware of). A small bookstore owner, Kathleen Kelly, and a multimillion dollar discount bookstore chain owner, Joe Fox, are in love online (choosing to keep personal information unknown to each other), but enemies in the professional world. When, through email, they decide to meet, Joe discovers who his pen-pal is without her knowing. While Joe's first impulse is to throw in the towel and give up on her, he ultimately realizes that he had fallen in love with the person who wrote the emails to him, and that he needs to try and win Kathleen's affection, getting her to look past her prejudices and see him for who he really is.
Entertainment Value - A
This is my favorite version of this story and also one of my all time favorite films. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are perfect together in their roles. I love the soundtrack.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4
At first sight, it might seem that displaying two relationships where neither couple is married but still live together can't be constructive. Similar to the play The Importance of Being Earnest where marriage is made light of and food is taken seriously, I think this is a commentary on the importance of marriage. We see both live-in relationships as unhappy, neither couple is in love with their significant other. As Joe and Kathleen's relationship matures (without any sexual encounters!), we see that the ultimate goal will be marriage. You don't see a marriage take place, but Joe mentions that had the issue of their professional differences not existed he would have asked her out..."for as long we both shall live", a direct reference to marriage.
Other elements that support this are that Joe's family is completely dysfunctional and is even mocked as being an "American family". Joe has a brother who is probably 30 years his junior and and an Aunt that isn't much older than his brother. Joe's father's fiancee (probably no older than Joe) hits on Joe and ends up running off with another woman, which is what his own father has done in his previous 2 or 3 relationships. These extreme relationships are exaggerated to emphasize the importance of a solid marriage between a man and a woman, the only union that can bring true happiness to the human family.
In addition to advocating marriage, the same message exists here as in it's two predecessors (Shop Around the Corner and In the Good Old Summer Time): you can't judge a book by it's cover. Judging too quickly can prevent good relationships from forming, and is ultimately breaking a commandment; Jesus commanded that we judge not unrighteous judgment.
Dr. Malcolm Crowe feels obligated to help Cole Sears, a young boy, who has serious problems (very similar to a previous patient of his who Crowe failed to cure). As Cole gradually begins trusting Dr. Crowe and opening up, we see both Dr.'s and patient's lives change for the better while each is able to help the other overcome their challenges.
Entertainment Value - A
Very good, suspenseful movie; perfect for a cold Halloween night (especially when the lights go out!). Though probably mild by most people's standards of a scary movie, it was still a little disturbing thinking back on it, but overall I enjoyed it.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4
The Sixth Sense did a great job showing the importance of communication and how it helps us overcome our fears, show love, and strengthen relationships.
[Spoiler Alert] When Malcolm helped Cole realize he needed to confront the dead people and find out what it was they wanted with him, Cole's fear disappeared and he was actually able to help the ghosts find rest. Fears need to be faced; sometimes in the process of confronting our fears we find that they were not really all worth being scared about.
There are many ways that our failure to communicate causes problems. Too many people gossip and complain about things they dislike others doing, but they do nothing to communicate these frustrations to the people that are causing the annoyances; they would rather live in their misery than muster up a little courage to help others come to terms with them.
Cole's mom had a very difficult time knowing how to love and help her son. She was able to help a lot, but it wasn't enough. Not until Cole opened up could she really help him. We can't ever give up on trying to communicate with those we love, no matter how obstinate they may be. Our trying shows that we do love them regardless of their unwillingness to reciprocate those emotions.
Communication strengthens marriages. This is a bit of a stretch, considering Malcolm was dead, but he was able to come to terms with the confusion he had been feeling since his death. He was able to tell his wife she was never number two and that he still loved her. This act brought the movie to a close and really made me feel good about the overall message of the movie.
The fight-club aspect of the movie is what made me interested in seeing it. I have some fond memories of the bare-knuckle fist-fights that happened at boys camps to resolve any angst or bad feelings between other kids (though never involved in any directly). But this movie was much more than just a couple of guys duking it out because they disagreed with each other or (as you're lead to believe in the beginning) because their lives were dull. The first half/two-thirds of the movie was rather disturbing until I started realizing what was going on (right along with the main character), and then my head started spinning.
Everyone, as far as I know, desires to do something other than what their current profession requires of them or to be somebody else or somewhere else. Case in point: I would love to be a professional movie critic and do nothing else but watch and review movies; but that's pretty unrealistic. How many people ever get to live out their dreams or are courageous enough to start their lives on a path towards what they want to be? It is quite evident from the story that unhappiness and mayhem result from a life where there is no direction, no end goal. Edward Norton never realized what he wanted to do/be and that made him unhappy. What could be considered his goal in life is possibly that he wanted to help others not end up like himself. He wanted to make sure that everyone else tried to achieve their goals, even if he had to force them to do it at gun point.
All in all, this was a very cool show, but not very moral (evident by the R-rating, so remember I'm reviewing an edited version of this). Not because there was more bad than good in the film, but that the bad wasn't shown receiving its natural consequences. [Spoiler Alert] For example, when Norton realized the chain of events he had set in place and tried to stop them from occurring, he found that everyone he could possibly think of turning himself in to was already in on his plan; they thought it a ruse that he was telling them to call it all off and even tried to impose on him some of his own consequences for trying to ruin the plan. And then to top it off, not only are all the possible good guys turned bad, but his plan to reset humanity is successful (though we don't see the actual impact of the destruction he caused). The ending scene had me in total disbelief and even caused me to laugh at the absurdness of it all.
I don't know if I could recommend this to anyone (even edited), but I can't deny the fact that there was a small amount of enjoyment found in watching it. For any of you who have seen Fight Club what's your take on it? I bet you'll think twice before buying any nice perfumed soap that costs $20 a bar.
Dick Tracy is a movie of vivid cinematic art that compares to the great visual talent by the creator's of Hero. Dick Tracy is a great example of moral character and is still human enough for us to relate to. Even in the face of diverse temptations he couldn't betray his character and what he stood for. His love for Tess was virtuous; he didn't have to live with her (or sleep with her) to show his love for her. Tracy showed love and respect towards the kid by trusting him and providing good fatherly judgment by making an effort to keep him out of danger, but at the same time he didn't hide his appreciation when the kid showed up with needed assistance.
Tracy seems a little flabbergasted at Ms. Mahoney's forwardness which causes some emotional interference between him and Tess. Eventually he's able to sort out his thoughts and feelings and realizes he loves Tess (though this happens after Tess leaves him). Tracy probably let Breathless get a little too close to him. Had he recognized the effects of this temptation on his and Tess's relationship earlier he wouldn't have put himself in the predicament that makes the rest of the movie happen (to our enjoyment).
As for the last scene, I think Tracy ultimately pitied Breathless - whether or not his move was appropriate is disputable. It (this is ambiguous on purpose) could have been more of a thank you, because she ultimately brought Tess back and helped get rid of Big Boy; or it could have displayed some true emotions he might have actually had for Ms. Mahoney.
Either way, this is a classic show with a good message. By today's standards probably should be thrown in the PG-13 category as some elements are not appropriate for a younger crowd.
William Wallace is a great example of what one needs to do to stand up against evil. Through his character we learn that we can never afford to compromise with evil. If Wallace were to have permitted the Scottish leaders to negotiate with England, the Scots would have still been subject to England and all the wrongs England had imposed on them would have no doubt continued. This situation is very similar to Gandhi's, in the movie of the same name, where he too knew that by giving in you give up. If we don't stand up for what is right, we will always fall short of understanding what true freedom is. Even when it seemed that the Scots' plight was futile, they were more free on the battle field than they would have been sitting at home, enduring their enemies.
An excellent illustration of how subtly evil can work is shown in the conflict between the Bruce and his son. The father's evil influence clouded the son's desire and ability to do what was right. The son was naïve too long before he realized the damage he caused by maintaining his allegiance to his father. This poses a complicated moral dilemma, to what extent should one honor their father? What if the father is abusive, or constantly drunk, or leaves the family?
It was inspiring to see how much Wallace loved his wife (not just before their marriage, but even after her death). He showed his love to her with the desire to start their relationship off right by getting married (though this could be seen as careless or selfish by putting their lives in more danger).
[Spoiler alert] Some of the more questionable elements of the film are the intense and graphic violence (somewhat filtered in the TV version) and that, though resolute in avenging his murdered love, Wallace's character weakens in his committing adultery with the princess. I do understand that this was based on a true story and certain aspects of the story couldn't be changed. This being the case, the story is inevitably not entirely moral, but there are still many great moral truths displayed.
This was a fun story. As far as I know, it seemed to be pretty unique compared to some other romantic comedies ("chick flicks"). Fairly early in the movie it's pretty clear who's going to end up with who in the end, but it's not so predictable each step of the way. The film also had an all right message that streamed throughout the whole movie.
Ike Graham really finds out who the real Maggie Carpenter is, and helps her realize her true identity. For so long Maggie had tried to please everyone else and never really ended up in a situation that she felt she could enjoy for the duration of marriage. Ike helped her find out who she really was and the importance of living one version of yourself. It's when she really does find out (which eggs she likes) that she can really say that it was her choice to get married to Ike.
Our Stake Young Men's presidency has emphasized the importance of living one version of yourself. You shouldn't be a different person at church, at school, at work, or anywhere else or with anyone else. By trying to be so many people or trying to please so many different people, you'll lose your own identity and not be able to stand up for what matters, you will have no standards or identity to fall back on when you find yourself in potentially compromising situations.
I started reading the book and ended up getting about three-fourths of the way through it. I can't remember why, I just felt like it was taking an eternity to finish it, so I set it down. After watching the movie again, I think I have enough desire to pick the book up again and if nothing else, at least finish the last quarter of it.
This story has tons of lessons through it. Most of them are political, as that was Jonathan Swift's purpose in writing it (as far as we know), but I think the comparison's he made to humanity several hundred years ago are still quite applicable today. Human nature doesn't seem to change much, just the circumstances in which it exists.
After watching this I have a greater desire to be involved with what is going on in the political world, since that's the group that tends to run things in our lives. The movie accurately portrays the type of resistance that we can expect from trying to discover errors in current processes and that it really takes the faith of a child to penetrate the clouded intellect of grown men.
Edward was a hermit and wouldn't dare come into the town until he was shown genuine love by someone who took him in and treated him as her own son. There was no evil at all in him, even though by the looks of him you'd assume him to be a psychopath/serial killer, while paradoxically the town was painted a rainbow of pastel hues symbolizing happiness and goodness, when all that it harbored was inebriated, lustful, and evil people. The townspeople couldn't handle someone as good and innocent as Edward, they immediately started to try and bring him down to their level.
Sometimes we mistake the innocent or naive as a lower standard or less intelligent than the experienced. While to some extent the innocent doesn't know as much as the experienced, if the experienced has learned the difference between good and evil and the importance of accepting the good, but chooses to follow evil anyways, their knowledge is for naught. The ill-experienced recogonize their state of sinfulness and can't stand being around others that are "better" than them (even if naive), they try to bring them down. This is why it is so important for parents to prepare their kids to face the battles of evil they encounter as soon as they start experiencing the world.
Another illustration of the town's contempt for innocence was to use Edward as a scapegoat. He soon became the reason why the whole town was corrupt, and they really believed it. We need to focus on ourselves and, as the Savior's apostles, ask "Is it I?"
First off, I must explain that some of our reviews may be a little skewed by the fact that we watch some movies (like this one) with a filtering system, some may even be recorded off of T.V., but I still think that the overall message from a movie can not be taken out of it. We've watched a couple of edited movies that were originally rated R and felt that even though they were edited down, the R-rated themes of the movies were so embedded in the screen play that no amount of it could be taken out without making the movie completely incoherent. We'll be posting a deeper analysis on this topic later on. It would help if you would place your vote in the meantime so we have something else to go off of.
On that note, I love Mevin Udall's character in this movie. I enjoyed watching Melvin change from being completely self absorbed with no desire to become a part of anyone's life (and being severly limited by his disorder) to becoming a person who began reaching out and understanding what love really is and how wonderful it is to be loved. Carol also exhibited a great amount of patience and kindness by looking past Melvin's hard outer shell and helping to "expose [his] soft little underbelly."
I think that there was a bit too much sexual content, swearing (in the original), and nudity. I don't think we need to have a scene of Simon sketching Carol nude (though it's not her we see but the sketchings) in order to get the idea of what inspires him. Maybe one's acceptance of that depends on whether or not you accept nudes as art, but I have a hard time understanding the genuine appeal. I'd definitely recommend watching this filtered, and if you can, it's well worth it.
