Sleeping Beauty
Rating: A/4 – The overall love story between Phillip and Aurora is weak, just as in Cinderella and Snow White – after 5 minutes of dancing with a stranger they fall in love and know they must marry? Is the kiss really “true love’s first kiss”? This quick romance is depicted in more than just Disney films, so Disney isn’t the only one at fault. So are these fanciful depictions of love harmful to young children? This type of love is non-existent, and if anything is mostly just lustful desires that people choose not to harness. Maybe it just provides a good teaching moment for kids, because I really like this film and feel that the message of Good prevailing over Evil is the strongest and most important message.
Alice in Wonderland
Rating: B/3 – There weren’t any real strong messages presented. Alice supposedly realizes who she is and that instead of marrying into a wealthy family, she should become an apprentice to her father’s company. Is this saying that a woman’s potential cannot be fully met in the home as a wife? Or that education is important in a woman’s life?
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Rating: C/4 – This show was very interesting and very confusing. If it weren’t for Wikipedia’s candid explanation of why Terry Gilliam put this together and what he was thinking, I would have thought a lot less of this film (not understanding it’s purpose of existence). Because the story was so confusing, it was hard to enjoy; and as my wife stated, “if you want to see what it feels like to be high, you’ll get it by watching this show” (not that she would know what to compare it to). –For more on the moral content of the film, come visit the site and vote on the poll.
Inception
Rating: A/5 – This movie was amazing. This is what all directors should aspire to. Occasionally it is nice to be able to sit back and not have to think, but this is more than just a thinking movie; you get totally immersed in the film as if you were dreaming it yourself! Nolan has created a totally unique story so complex and deep that it begs for multiple views. Hans Zimmer does a wonderful job with the score as well. You have to see this in the theater.
Bedtime Stories
Rating: B/4 – This was a great family film with original humor and a pretty good story line (the end was as ridiculous as Paul Blart’s ending, you’d be better off cutting it off beforehand). Surprisingly a quality Adam Sandler show that you can watch without any editing. **For the rest of the review visit the website**
Where the Wild Things Are
Rating: C/3 – This was an OK show, with potential to be really good. For a kids show, the tone was rather depressing throughout, even the music did nothing to brighten up the film. The colors through out were a drab gray and brown, maybe a little too artsy for its good. The 5 year old behavior in an older kid was a little annoying. The Wild Things were not as wild as I thought they should be, no gnashing teeth or too terrible roars. I guess it is a children’s story and can’t afford to get too out of hand. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this one. Save your self 96 minutes and read the book again.
Coraline
Rating: C/3 – If anything could be gleaned from this, it might be that no matter how dull and busy your family may seem, they really are (should be) the main source for happiness in your life. We all need to be patient and not expect the world to revolve around us. Parents make a lot of sacrifices for us each day; we should try to do our part in supporting them in their endeavors.
Twilight: New Moon
Synopsis This is the sequel to the movie/book Twilight. Edward is convinced that he is no good for Bella and leaves her in hopes of giving her a normal life to live. His absence causes Bella to enter into a deep depression. Her only way out is Jacob, who seems to be just what she [...]
Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
If the movie is going to keep the name “the Half-blood Prince” they could have done a much better job at including more that dealt with the mystery behind the title. Snape’s confession to owning the title at the end was rather corny. Dumbledore’s character was unimpressive as well, too many forced lines. Otherwise I [...]
Water Horse, The: Legend of the Deep
Luke Rating: 4 This is a movie you could find yourself smiling at when it’s over; not because of the message the movie presented, but just because it was a good story and almost got away with you not feeling like this was a movie for kids. There was no overarching message presented to the [...]