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.

Sixth Sense, The

Synopsis

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.