The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Entertainment Rating: 5 of 5

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while. It was every bit as good as Minority Report and quite a bit better than Blade Runner (all three based on stories by science fiction writer Phillip K. Dick). I was told this was more of a romance than a thriller/action movie, and so I was expecting a slower paced film that possibly wasn’t great. I was pleasantly surprised that it was much more than a romance, but a look at the value of our ability to choose our own destinies and exercise our free will.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

[Spoiler Alert]

In contrast to Mao’s Last Dancer, the two main characters here actually decide to sacrifice their career goals because they really love the other person more than their careers. This love is what allows them to become more free and ultimately use their free will to the fullest.

Mao’s Last Dancer (2009)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This was a great movie. I haven’t been to any ballet’s that I’ve particularly liked, but this film made me want to find one that I can enjoy. The last on-stage ballet was a little weird, and is probably the reason why I have a bad view of the art, so I should stick to the classics. Back to the movie, it told an intriguing story of a young boy who was fortunate enough to be brought in to a prestigious ballet academy that eventually led to his “escape” from China and refuge in America, though at great personal costs. This is a good historical-drama, with very few subtitles.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

[Spoiler Alert] While it’s sad that Li was put in a situation that pressured him into getting married, it’s even sadder that that marriage didn’t last. Both Li and Liz were able to find the happiness they were looking for, not realizing that. ultimately, the highest level of happiness can only be achieved in a family - not pursuing personal dreams (a contrasting message to the Adjustment Bureau - review forthcoming). While you wish they could have worked things out between them, the marriage was formed wrongly in the first place, so is it O.K. to let it fizzle and die? Or should they (in an ideal world) have stuck it out, no matter the impact on their personal dreams?

Regarding idealism, the following quote presents an worthwhile parable. From a message from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “We are bound to be in trouble if a shirt is made from a shirt that was made from a shirt. A mistake or two in the first product—inevitable without a pattern—gets repeated and exaggerated, intensified, more awkward, the more repetitions we make, until finally this thing we’re to wear to school just doesn’t fit. One sleeve’s too long. The other’s too short. One shoulder seam runs down [our] chest. The other runs down [our] back. And the front collar button fastens behind [our] neck.” Even though idealism may sound like something never worth going after, since we are incapable of making perfect decisions all the time, if we don’t attempt to align our lives to a perfect pattern we will always fall short.

While we can’t and shouldn’t judge Li (or anyone) for their choices (not completely understanding their rationale), but was it right for him to put his family in danger to pursue his dream and enjoy freedom here in the US? It all ended O.K., but how much should we worry about what repercussions our actions might have on those we love?

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This and X-Men have been two of the best movies I’ve seen this year. I was a little concerned with how much I’d enjoy Captain America since I had a hard time getting into one of the graphic novels I picked up from the library (Winter Soldier) - I was, however, pleasantly surprised. The story was perfectly told with exception to some missing background on the Red Skull. How did he actually get a red skull face? We get bits of his history and position within the Third Reich, but not enough to really get pulled into his character. X-Men did a great job with getting us acquainted with the villain/s and I think that greatly increased the enjoyment of that film.

The music sequences were also great. It was nice to hear a little big band music come through the big screen.

[***Spoiler alert***]
I almost whooped when Steve Rogers doesn’t tell Peggy that he loves her right before he goes down. The film did a great job of depicting their relationship.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

Through Steve Rogers, we are shown the value of and need for good character. Though that may not be what most people look for in a hero (e.g., Col. Chester Phillips - played by Tommy Lee Jones), it is a strong moral foundation that truly gives us power beyond what we think we are capable. Not that it is a power in and of itself, but it allows for God’s power to play a stronger positive role in our lives and the lives of those we touch.

Be sure to stick around until after the end of the credits for an extra scene from the movie and the first trailer for The Avengers, coming out next year!

Forever Strong (2008)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This was a lot better than your typical movie about an underdog team that rises to the top and ends up winning some championship. Even though this didn’t get great reviews from the critics, we really enjoyed it and learned something from the experiences of Rick, Rick’s dad, and the coach. Definitely a show worth watching with your family of older children. The action scenes were great, they used college-level rugby players to represent the team, which made it that much more fun to watch.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

The great thing about this movie was that the triumphs presented were more focused on the individuals instead of the dominant rugby team; we really didn’t care who won the championship in the end. While maybe the storyline was a bit predictable, what wasn’t predictable was the way the characters changed to create the expected end result. The changes in Rick and his dad may have been somewhat expected, but seeing how the film portrayed those changes really touched us.

I think I’d put this up as one of my favorite sports flicks.

Megamind (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

Great humor; Will Ferrel did a great job. The story was a lot better than I had anticipated. I thought it would mimic the stale plot of bad guy versus good guy, bad guy never wins, good guy gets girl in the end, with occasional humorous moments. It was not stale at all, and the originality of it (as far as I can think right now, it’s original) was refreshing and engaging; and the humor was great. The music throughout the film rocked, pure classic rock.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

Great message on the fallacy of fate. Our future is not already written for us. We don’t have to fit the mold people put us in. We need to become whatever it is that will allow us to reach our full potential as children of God. Megamind struggled with this idea of trying to fulfill his destiny, constantly going through the motions because that’s what he thought he was supposed to do. It wasn’t until he realized his potential for good that he actually became free from the bonds of fate.

I couldn't decide which clip to include, so here are a few more:

Unstoppable (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This was a great movie. An added bonus was that it was about an hour and a half long - short and sweet. We found ourselves on the edge of our seats for pretty much the entire show. Definitely check this one out. My one small, minor nit-pick is the believability of the news reports when they showed the at-fault employee’s picture and name on the TV and mention that “he will answer for his irresponsible behavior” was a little too much of a stretch; the news reports in general could have been better done.

Gotta love the Black Keys song used at the beginning of the trailer.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

This movie is based on true events, and for the most part it follows the events pretty close. We see how one stupid mistake (which at the time didn’t seem that big of a deal) escalated into a lives-threatening situation. Some may think this lesson applies only in big-impact situations where mistakes can lead inescapably to death (e.g., train yards, airplanes, battle front, etc.), but we need to remember that people making stupid mistakes in cars (an everyday experience for most people) - texting, cell phone usage, drinking, etc - can just as easily have serious repercussions.

Family relationships are another nice touch to the story here. We have one engineer (Denzel Washington) show his love for his daughters and his effort to reach out to them for forgiveness, when it might be easier to stand off. The other engineer (Chris Pine) is in a rough position with his wife, but is encouraged by his wise partner (Washington) that he needs to reach out and not let her go.

Green Lantern (2011)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

I really enjoyed seeing this in the theater. I was hoping that the critics negative reviews of the movie would not be true, and I was very glad they weren’t. We get a good introduction to the Green Lantern mythos and are well entertained at the same time. Part of why I enjoyed this may have been because I read Green Lantern: Rebirth a few months ago, and while I was a little overwhelmed by the numerous characters and strange setting, I really enjoyed the message of will power and overcoming fear. I also haven’t been spoiled by watching any of the not-so-good Ryan Reynolds comedies, and actually thought he did a good job here - not too much goofiness and no crassness, but enough humor to balance out the rest of the story.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

I honestly thought Hal Jordan was going to be a really strong moral character at the start, and that that was his reason for being selected to join the Green Lantern Corps; but that wasn’t the case. It was nice to see his humanity - weakness - but also his resolve and will power to realize his full potential that others saw in him and become the person/hero that he needed to be. I really enjoy movies that allow me to relate to a character that I admire, it sparks hope and helps me remember that I have great potential and need to figure out what I need to do, where I can exercise my will power and resolve to overcome fear and self-pity.

We see that Hal Jordan isn’t the most moral character at first (apparently sleeping around with quite a few women), but we aren’t bombarded with inappropriate, awkward scenes that have to spell out every type of immorality Hal’s involved with. Vulgar language is also kept to a minimum. The main reason for the PG-13 rating is for the fighting scenes.

This one is worth your time to check out.

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This is probably the best of the five X-Men movies made, with Wolverine coming in a close second. I didn’t really get into the trilogy, though maybe watching it again I might enjoy it better. The story of X-Men has always intrigued me, a story about fitting in with humanity. The story depicted in this film was thoroughly interesting and exciting, giving good insight (though I’m not sure how true to the original) on a lot of the characters’ origins. This is worth catching in the theater.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

I loved how well they tied in this piece of fiction with actual historical events. The movie spliced in speeches by John F. Kennedy and footage of the Cuban Missile Crisis and fused these factual pieces with the mutant storyline fairly well. There’s a constant moré through the film urging the young mutants to learn to be happy with who they are and not try to conform to societal norms for other people’s comfort.

Erik’s moral struggle with his own conscience and the guidance of his close friend Charles Xavier is also very powerful. Erik shows us that it is much easier to give in to rage and anger than to learn how to calmly control yourself like Charles. However, the film doesn’t paint Erik as a complete bad guy; we know that his observation of humans’ new-found hatred for mutants will not be easy (if not impossible) to quell, and might even be somewhat justified. Erik tends to choose the easy battle of not working to establish peace at all and forces himself and others to choose sides and create enemies of the humans. While Xavier knows there is some truth to Erik’s belief (that the humans want to kill the mutants because they feel threatened), Charles feels that peace is worth pursuing, even if it is an uphill battle.

Besides the good, thought provoking story, there is a small amount of language (not totally out of place, fitting right in with Logan’s character) and several scenes with scantily clad women.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This musical had a fun story and great music. The two main actors did a great job, and you can’t go wrong with a classic.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

It’s rather ridiculous for a man to go down from the country into town one day, get married, and move back out to the country, not expecting much to change except getting some home cooked meals and laundry done. It’s also a bit of a stretch that a girl thinks that a man can just whisk her away from all her troubles and that married life will be loads better than what she was dealing with.

This exaggeration makes it fun to see the compromises that come with being married. The selfishness we experience while being single (though not bad selfishness, but we don’t have to worry about others) needs to give in to selflessness in order for happiness to exist at home. Husband and wife have to learn to communicate their needs and expectations and at the same time have to be willing to listen to the others needs and concerns.

Even though one of our kids mentioned that it was a long movie only 20 minutes into it, I think the whole family enjoyed it.

Source Code (2011)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

Our intention was to see Limitless, but when that showing magically disappeared, this was my next choice (if not my first to begin with) - and I’d be surprised if it wasn’t the best choice. I really enjoyed this movie. I recently finished a college course on Science Fiction literature and really got into it. Source Code wasn’t a totally-out-there SF film, but it had some of the elements (e.g., explaining how certain technological advancements can affect society and individual people). It also had a light touch of romance and an overall good feeling throughout it. This is definitely a show worth a watch - a nice, expensive one - not a cheap digital one.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

The film discusses the morality of taking advantage of someone for research purposes when they don’t have any power to decline. Is one man’s freedom to die in peace worth sacrificing for the supposed good of the world?

In only a few short moments we get to see the love this man had for his father and everyone he comes in contact with. He may only exist in these people’s minds for 8 minutes, but he gets to know them with an intensity that is admirable, if not a little unreal to someone not as willing to be as outwardly engaging as myself.

There’s a bit of strong language due to the stressful circumstances the characters are put in, but the words aren’t terribly out of place.

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This was a great recommendation from a movie buff friend of mine (whether he’s a movie-buff or buff friend, I’ll leave that to your imagination). Coincidentally, the rec came just before Netflix removed the film from its streaming library. While not a laugh-out-loud flick, it was fun and very well written and acted. The PG rating is accurate, some of the themes may be for a more mature audience. When you find yourself thinking that this is the type of movie you would want to see again before the movie is even over, that’s a good sign. Definitely check this one out, you can’t be disappointed.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

[Spoiler Alert]

I was a little worried at first where the movie was going with the broken marriage relationship and how far they would show the couple violating their marriage vows. It was a little uncomfortable to see Cecilia pursue another man, but only because she is portrayed as a victim of a bad marriage relationship; while the fact that her husband was a cheat was easily accepted because her husband, Monk, was a jerk. This brings up an interesting thought: With Cecilia’s and Monk’s relationship as bad as it was (possibly unworkable), is it OK to leave the marriage?

The scene in the brothel was one of the best in the movie. Woody Allen (writer and director) did a great job humanizing the prostitutes through Tom’s perspective. This is particularly moving in the discussion between Tom and the prostitutes on the topic of giving birth and the important role women play in life. The prostitutes are flattered and offer him a free pass with them. This act could be dismissed as awful and immoral, but in reality these women are presenting something to Tom that is the only thing of worth that they think they have. In this scene Tom is first perceived to be totally naive with respect to the purpose of a brothel, but in the end we discover the prostitutes exhibit a deeper naivete than Tom’s because they didn’t understand what love really was - something that should be special between two committed (married) people.

More could be said in praise of this movie, but I’ll let you check it out take from it what you will.

Salt (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This was a great movie! When the end comes (and it comes rather quickly) and you really don’t expect it to come but expect it to continue and want it to continue, that is a good sign. Angelina Jolie is great. The movie was originally written for a male lead and Tom Cruise was approached; when he backed out, the script was re-written for a female and Jolie filled it well.

Moral Rating: 3 of 5

[Spoiler Alert]

Salt takes a moral stand as she realizes what she’s been trained to do is wrong and does everything in her power to set things right. As talented and skilled as she is, she constantly risks her life to try and protect what those close to her try to destroy.

Pay It Forward (2000)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This was more of a tear-jerker than I remembered, but still held a really good message with it (not just emotion-manipulating scenes and scores). Nothing was Romanticized or made to appear larger-than-life, which made it a really down-to-earth movie, easily enjoyed and we recommend it.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

Trevor’s plan to change the world was set up perfectly. He was discouraged at first by apparent failure in each of his endeavors to “do something big” for someone else. Even though he was discouraged he never lost hope in the people he loved (and ultimately found it more worthwhile to focus on those close to him, rather than someone he happened to on the street).

Another important aspect of the film was the fact that most of the good deeds weren't made public and a lot of the time immediate results weren't seen.  We need to learn to do good for the sake of doing good and trust that the seeds are planted even if we don't get to see the outcome of our kindness.

We see Trevor’s mom in a typical abusive relationship, where she’s easily led to believe that her husband has “really changed.” Too many people return back to broken relationships in hopes that it can be repaired, choosing to fall back into an already existing (albeit dangerous) relationship. It seems to require too much courage and “putting one-self on the line” to make the needed change and redirection of one’s life toward progression. The scene where Mr. Simonet explains to Trevor’s mom where he got his burns is a perfect example of this battle many people face.

While this is a movie about a kid, the themes in the film are for a more mature audience.

The movie is based on a fictional novel from which the author started the Pay It Forward Foundation in hopes of spurring a movement similar to what was depicted in the story.

Flipped (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

The trailer really sold me on this show. It had great music and what seemed to be a pretty promising story. The story was a little long, but told in a really cool way. We’re shown half of the movie from the point of view of a young boy and the other half of the movie is the same as the first (it’s broken up into more than just two halves), but told by a young girl who has a crush on the young boy and happens to live across the street from him. It was our Valentine’s day show, not terribly romantic, but a little lower key than what Scott Pilgrim might have been.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

This was an easy going film, but at the same time presented some very deep issues. Beyond the awkward boy/girl relationships we get a good look at prejudices and heartaches from two different sides. A lot of times we only get the one perspective in a film (or in life), not multiple. We see that we can’t always lie or hide behind a lie; who we are will show through no matter what we try to do to cover things up. Bryce takes the whole movie to realize who he is and to be comfortable with it. He spends too much time trying to make other people happy (except Juli) and as a result he’s never really happy. Juli helps him (inadvertently) become the good guy he is in the end.

Juli was a very good girl, who had a strong character and really knew what she wanted in life and got it (at least as far as her influence reached, Bryce was a little harder to “get”). Bryce on the other hand was a lot weaker and struggled with knowing when to stand up for something that was right. A lot of the differences between the two could be seen in their families’ lives and how they treated each other and how they spent time together at home. While the mothers of Bryce and Juli shared something in common, the two fathers were quite opposite and had a lot of influence on how their families behaved.

The overarching symbol of the Sycamore tree added a nice touch to the overall flow of the show. We can choose to see life and the world from a broad, reaching perspective or be content to live our own lives in our own little world and never try to learn about or love others.

There was a little more language than in most PG movies, probably similar to the Sandlot and some dialog that contributed to the rating, but overall we enjoyed it.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Flint's Inventions
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at MOVIECLIPS.com

Entertainment Rating: 5/5

This is one of the best animated comedies I’ve seen in a while. Pixar movies are great, but seldom have you laughing so hard you fall out of your seat (whether or not that’s a good thing is a topic for further discussion - see Doctrine and Covenants 88:69). The comedy is on par with Emperor’s New Groove: constant, intelligent wit. If you’re looking for something kids and adults can fully enjoy, this is it.

Moral Rating: 3/5

Two relationships are portrayed, from which we can learn something of value. The first is the father-son relationship. There is an obvious communication barrier between Flint and his dad. Flint doesn’t understand his dad’s fishing metaphors and his Dad doesn’t understand anything about technology. This communication breakdown causes quite a bit of strain in their familial relationship. By the end we see them both make efforts to communicate with each other out of a need to express their love.

Flint’s relationship with Sam isn’t terribly deep, though Flint does help her understand that it’s important to be who you are and there’s no reason to be ashamed of your intelligence. Otherwise it’s a rather standard, awkward boy/girl relationship that gets better once they each are able to express their feelings.

In addition to better understanding the importance of parent-child communication, kids may learn that eating too much of anything can make you sick.

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 4/5

It’s hard not to compare any Batman movie to Christopher Nolan’s masterpieces, even if they are animated. This one had a good amount of action and a pretty cool storyline with it, providing just the right twists to it to keep you guessing.

Moral Rating: 4/5

[Spoiler Alert]

The last scene really sold the movie for me. Robin has the Joker at gun point, furious that Batman didn’t go after the Joker and kill him after he had killed Robin. Batman sagaciously responds that if he were to have killed the Joker, he would have become just like him. Robin then gives Batman the ultimatum that he (Robin) is going to kill the Joker, and that Batman will have to shoot him (Robin) if he doesn’t the Joker dead. Batman drops his weapon and walks away. What a cool scene. The resolve and conviction to do what is right, even in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances, is what we need in order to win the fight against evil. While Batman’s methods for enforcing justice are often questionable, his position against evil is not.

African Queen (1951)

Entertainment Rating: A

Great romance movie with no sex (explicit or implied). A little slow at first, but seeing Charlie and Rosie's relationship grow is very rewarding. My wife particularly liked the film because Rosie wasn't your typical damsel in distress that Charlie came to save. She's the one who came up with the plan to blow up the Louiza, worked side by side with Charlie even though she knew nothing about boats or metallurgy or explosives.

Moral Rating: 4

This was a fun story with depictions of virtue and integrity. Rosie’s prayer when they got stuck in the reeds was particularly inspiring when she told the Lord that they had done everything they possibly could and now left everything up to Him. Her prayer of faith was answered and their mission miraculously gets accomplished.

V for Vendetta

Entertainment Value

Rating: A

This was a great semi-political thriller. Why is it that deep political thrillers are R? I don't think ratings mean a whole lot anymore, other than to try to market the movie to a particular audience. If you're an adult you want to see more violence and sex and hear more profanity than a 13 year old would want to see. Makes sense, right? WRONG! That is a rather odd perspective if you ask me.

I had read the graphic novel of the same name (which the movie was fairly closely based on) and was very much impressed and excited to see the movie. This movie was a better adaptation than Watchmen was. Not because it was a closer adaptation, but because the director made it a bit more his own, he made the movie more powerful and moving than Watchmen (which could have to do with the general themes of each of the original stories - V was less "graphic" and more inspirational, while Watchmen was more nihilistic).

Moral Value – Failure to Communicate?

Rating: 4

There was a strong message that an idea is more important than a hero. Once a person gets outside him or herself and realizes that living life is more than just making sure we get through everyday or are ahead of everyone else, that person is truly free.

Watchmen

Entertainment Value

Rating: B

I've really come to enjoy this story. I read the graphic novel and was quite impressed by it, even though it does present very mature themes. I don't know that I'd recommend the movie to anyone, if you're interested in the story go for the graphic novel first. The movie doesn't integrate the sub-story "Tale of the Black Freighter" which adds a lot to the meaning of the main story; for this reason it's not as good as it could be.  If you were to watch the edited version of the film (like we did) you will miss out on a lot of information.  The novel is less explicit than the movie (as far as I can tell by reading the reasons why this is R) - the swearing is not as heavy, there isn't any explicit sex, but it is still rather violent/disturbing.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate?

Rating: 4

Overall message: Don't leave the saving of society to the "heroes." We may not have super heroes in our society today, but we do have politicians who believe they are super heroes. If we leave the correcting of society to those in power and do nothing ourselves, our society will end up like that in the Watchmen, quite terrifying. The saying came up quite frequently in the movie, and even more so in the graphic novel, if the Watchmen are keeping society in check, then who watches the Watchmen?

Sleeping Beauty

Synopsis

Two kingdoms plan to unite when a daughter (Aurora) is born that can wed the son (Phillip) of the other kingdom. The plans are at risk when the evil Maleficent prophesies that on the girl's 16th birthday she will die. The girls father, in an attempt to foil Maleficent's plan, sends her to live with the fairies deep in the woods. Aurora is found and Phillip must fight the powers of Hell to save her.

Entertainment Value

Rating: A

This is probably one of my favorite Disney princess movies (right up there with Beauty and the Beast). Maleficent's character particularly intrigues me (probably one of Disney's most evil villains) and the prince's fight against her at the end is pretty intense. The whole falling in love after dancing together isn't much of a story, it's kind of a side story to the battle between good and evil in the film.  The musical score is excellent!

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate?

Rating: 4

Love really is the thing that Satan cannot understand (in the movie Maleficent = Satan), particularly the love God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ have for us. Just as Maleficent tried to ruin the life of the princess, Satan tried to ruin God's plan, but Jesus Christ stepped in and put enmity between Satan and man (just as the fairies stepped in and blessed the child that she would not die, but sleep).