We Could Use More of Captain America

Film Grade: B+

Chris Evans in Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America is undoubtedly the best superhero film of the summer. And I might say the second best film of the summer, as Super 8 still beats everything in my book, in terms of quality film-making. 

But for those of you who don’t know the story, here’s a quick rundown. Captain America was originally the scrawny Steve Rogers whose dream of serving his country got him into a special sector of the armed forces. He is chosen, because of his determined and compassionate character, to undergo a cellular transformation and become a special kind of hero. He finds himself up against Red Skull, Hitler’s weaponry man, who plans to control the world with a glowing energy source. 

The story is pretty much like any other superhero's. What makes Captain America special is the way the film was done - the way it should be done. It was a wholesome tribute to the comics. 

It’s almost as if the whole film could be a comic, minus the “KA-POW” flying across the screen. I admit that Captain America is not as good as Spiderman or, say, the more recent Batman films, but it’s still good. There are some cheesy lines, but they're done tastefully. In short, the film is like a sophisticated comic book. 

And unlike a lot of hero films, the visual effects aren’t overbearing. It adds to the story, rather than suffocating it. There isn’t anything overtly sexual that threatens to distract the film and detract from the story. The acting isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely worthy.The 1940’s costumes give the film an air of sophistication, quality, and especially patriotism.

The patriotism itself, in the film, is a much-needed nod to our country and to the men and women who serve it by giving their lives. It’s refreshing and uplifting to see them celebrated rather than criticized. 

Also refreshing is the romance between Steve Rogers and Agent Peggy Carter. There is obvious attraction between them the entire film, but they don’t touch, so it builds both tension and suspense. The moment where they finally do kiss becomes a treat that adds heart to the story. Take note, Hollywood. This is how romances on film should be! 

Captain America is wonderfully done in its visual effects, costumes and especially its story. The story is what makes it both relatable and worthy of admiration. Steve Rogers is the kind of superhero kids should look up to, unlike Tony Stark. He’s sacrificial, compassionate, fearless and determined. 

We could use more people like Captain America. Fortunately, we will. Next summer. Make sure you stay until after the credits. You’ll get a little preview of a film coming out next summer that you will probably want to see.  

Soul Sufer Review

Film Grade: C+/B-

AnnaSophia Robb in Soul Sufer

I remember when I first heard about Bethany Hamilton's heroic story and being amazed at her resilience and fearlessness. Soul Surfer sounded promising about how honestly it would portray her story.

Honest it was. Although it’s not a gem in of itself as a film, it’s the heart of the story that makes it worthwhile. You have to get past obvious and sometimes cheesy screenplay that lacks a certain flow and has imperfect acting. Crying on queue, etc. You can tell they’re acting, rather than becoming their characters.

And while AnnaSophia Robb lacks the perfection of Elle Fanning in Super 8, she nevertheless has enough of the heart that Bethany Hamilton’s story requires. It certainly lives on in this film.

What impressed me most and left me pleasantly surprised was the courageous, unashamed display of Bethany’s faith. I’m sure she had some say in that, because it was clearly a huge part of her overcoming the accident and the aftermath that followed it. It was because of her faith in God that she got through that ordeal. Through it, she learned that she wasn’t alive to surf, but to love. And that surfing without her arm could play a role in that. 

Bethany’s faith in the film is huge reason it’s a courageous movie. Add to this Bethany’s unshakable will and desire to get back up after being smashed to the ground. Those two things together made this film worthwhile to watch, showing just one faucet of the beauty of the human will, and what it can do when merged with God’s. 

Not to mention that we could learn a thing or two by Bethany’s example when bad things happen to us. When it happens, we should take a step back, gain some perspective and see how blessed we really are.

No Strings Attached, Friends with Benefits...They've Lost Their Minds.

With No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits coming out this year, Hollywood has me partly outraged, partly shocked. Both movies are about the same thing. (I don’t know if you’ve noticed their plots are becoming more and more original these days…). They’re about using another person for your own pleasure and benefit.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure most people don’t like to be used. Because no matter what Congress or Media tell us, deep down, we know we are people, not objects, who deserve respect. 

So what’s the sense in showing characters who enjoy being used, plots that glorify using, and how “fun” it is? Think this through, people. No one likes it. So why make movies about people liking it? (Not to mention, unapologetically flaunting how obsessed Hollywood is with sex. Forget that film-making is an art form).

I certainly won’t see these movies. But I plead other people not to, so Hollywood gets the message that people won’t take just any movie they shove down our throats. 

We imitate what we see. And if we go see a movie where people enjoy being treated as objects, we will begin to feel that we are objects and expect to be treated that way. We’ll stop demanding respect. 

In addition, we tell Hollywood that we like trash films like these. I most certainly don’t. The movies I enjoy most show people as they truly are, what they’re capable of doing – in other words, films that reflect true humanity. Even if they’re fantasy, they still reflect the essence of humanity.

But seriously, Hollywood. These two films deserve a palm to the forehead. 

  

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon Review

Film Grade: C-

I didn’t think the last Transformers movie was too bad, other than being similar to the first one (except for the story line, they changed that slightly). By the looks of the trailers for Dark of the Moon, I was hoping that it would be as epic as it looked. 

Well, it definitely looked epic. The special effects were action eye candy, which was non-stop. It was metal carnage for the whole 2 and a 1/2 hours running time. 

Yeah, it’s that long. For what this film is, it should be 2 hours max. The action was cool to watch, don't get me wrong…except that it’s seeing the exact same thing we saw in the previous two films. 

The special effects, unfortunately, is about the only thing I can complement in this film. I love Shia Labeouf, but he's the only actor worth his paycheck. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Sam’s girlfriend, wasn’t as disgusting as Megan Fox, but she plays the exact same character: the objectified hot girl. The first shot of the movie is of her butt. Michael Bay feeds the male viewers what he (apparently) thinks the perfect girl should be – impossibly hot, with no heart or depth. Sam and Carly's whole relationship is superficial.

There is little continuity in the storyline where Sam's relationship is involved. What’s the deal with Mikaela dumping him? She goes through Hell and back with him in the first two movies and then leaves? It was all for nothing.

Speaking of storyline...well, there isn't really one to speak of – it’s basically the same. The Decepticons are back and want to take over the world. Sam has girlfriend troubles and annoying parents. Oh, and Patrick Depmsey is a horrible bad guy, he should just stick to RomComs. 

To conclude, it's an overly long film that bashes your brain with mindless, mindnumbing action with no real plot, script or acting to speak of. Morally, it’s bad. Sam and Carly live together, and Carly is totally objectified for her looks by the director. There is a lot of unnecessary language.There’s references to homosexuality and other innuendos. The parents look dumb. 

The film reflects Sam and Carly's relationship: pretty, but superficial. Heartless. If you want to watch a movie that is pure eye candy, no brain involved, have fun.

Super 8 Review

Film Grade : A-

I don’t know why Super 8 hasn’t received too much buzz this summer. Maybe people are tired of Speilberg aliens. Whatever the reason, the preconceptions about this movie – totally wrong. 

The title doesn’t exactly give you a hint of the plot, so let me give you a rundown: a group of middle school-aged kids, who are into shooting super 8 films, happen to be in the wrong place when a train derails before their eyes, releasing an alien into their town. There's also suspenseful subplots about the alien research, why it was in a train, and why it crashed. 

The plot itself was overall good. I was thanking God in heaven that it wasn’t your typical alien movie. The kind where they invade, obliterate everything that lives, and then leave. There was a point to it. It’s great, classic story-telling, where it could have easily been all about the action. The real heart of the story holding everything together was the relationship between the father, Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler), and son, Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney). You care about their relationship and what happens to them because it's relatable.

Other actors in the film include Elle Fanning, who was breathtaking as Alice Dainard, Joe's love interest/friend. She showed all the heart necessary for her character, while still acting her age in the innocent romance. She definitely has the same acting chops Dakota has. Joe’s friends were also well cast, as their dialogue easily bounced off each other like they were siblings. Chemistry - believable. 

The monster wasn’t overdone, as it well could have been. It looked CGI for sure, but it didn’t look ridiculous, as in Battle LA. It was similar to Signs in how it waited for a long time to show itself, to build suspense. It worked.

Some critics said this movie is the one to beat for the summer – and so far, none of the blockbusters I’ve seen have beat it. It’s got everything – a pure, generally wholesome, heart-filled storyline; great acting, suspense, jumps, tear-jerking moments, an innocent romance, relatable family issues, everyday friendship issues, and an awesome script. And morally, there isn’t a whole lot of questionable things in this movie, other than the kids’ language. 

Don't let the alien genre scare you away, Super 8 is worth your watching. Great, pure storytelling, for a change.

Please Entertain Responsibly

Reese Witherspoon told Fox News, "I had my first baby when I was 23, so I've always been choosing roles knowing that…I have a responsibility to her and to the world to be representing women of strength…I think it's a natural extension of parenthood for you to feel like you're responsible for the worlds you create, whether they be silly or serious. I think you are responsible for the art you put in the world."

How true. Sadly, I think this concept is lost in the entertainment industry; probably due to lack of any sense of responsibility, as a whole, in our society. (The worst example: shying away from the responsibility that follows from intercourse – the care of a baby).

It continues to shock me how songs we hear or movies we see are like billboards saying, “DO WHAT YOU WANT! WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT! GO AHEAD! IT’S OKAY! WHO CARES ABOUT CONSEQUENCES!” Go ahead, use a person for your benefit. It’s not that selfish. Go ahead. Listen to this song or see this movie. It’s not really that bad.

Oh, yes it is. The things we see or hear – we imitate them. Perhaps not directly in our actions, but we accept it into our minds. It affects our conscious, subconscious, and especially our souls, whether we like it or not.

If you make a song or movie that glorifies immorality – something you would, in your right mind, never want to happen to you – people will reenact that. Sure, there are plenty who know it’s wrong and won’t do it, but they’re seeing it. And if they see it in a positive light, they subconsciously think, “It’s okay. This is funny.”

Steven Speilberg, when talking about his 1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a movie about a man who leaves his family to pursue aliens, "I would not have written it that way today. Now that I have seven children. Never."

You’ve all heard the Spiderman quote, “With great power comes great responsibility”. Artists in the industry have a massive power: to project a picture of reality that will echo into eternity. It can never be erased. It will touch millions’ of peoples’ lives.

They may never read this, but I beg artists to think before they act, pardon the pun. And if you, as a viewer, have to reassure yourself that what you’re listening to or seeing is “okay” or “not that bad”, I’m afraid it is.

You can't control what movie makers or singers create. But you can control what you see or hear.

Please entertain yourself responsibly.

A Few Reasons I Love Old Movies

If you haven’t ever stumbled upon an old movie channel, check it out next time you do. Old movies are a gold mine. Of course, it depends on the movie, but in general, the movies back then were filled with beautiful rarities. I’ll give you a list of just a few things I love about them.

1.       Men in suits and women in dresses. There’s just something about a sharp-dressed man in a suit. And a woman in a pretty, feminine dress. Both genders fulfill their proper roles and look pretty darn good doing it.

2.       Men and women respect each other. You don't see a whole lot of, "DANG, SHE FINE!" with some oggling. No sir.

3.       Actors can ACT. Even if they don’t look flawless in front of the camera. But they can sure act. The Golden Age of Hollywood was named thus for a reason. Everyone in the industry had talent.

4.       There’s tons of dialogue. Which means more storytelling. Movies these days have less of it, and the storylines are far less original and creative.

5.       Background actors stay in character and they’re memorable! Everyone in the movies had talent, not just the leading roles!

6.       People didn’t just act with their words and actions – they acted with their faces, too. The expressions in their faces (and even their tone of voice) portrayed the character they were playing.

7.       People had relationships with one another. No one had their noses buried in cell phones. They talked to one another, went to visit each other’s houses.

8.       There was real romance. It doesn’t take talent to take your clothes off. These actors sometimes never so much as touched each other in a scene, but it was still incredibly romantic. Take the telephone scene in It’s a Wonderful Life, for example. (See below for video!)

9.       There was little obscenity or vulgarity. Just pure, good, wholesome entertainment.

10.   Jimmy Stewart. Yep. Nuff said.

We could certainly use a good dose of the magic from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Maybe we can bring it back, but probably not to the same degree of greatness. But, every so often, I think a person should sit with a hot cup of tea, sit back and enjoy the sheer goodness of older films.