MOVIE MONDAY -- MR PEABODY AND SHERMAN

Mr Peabody & Sherman 92 min  Rated PG Release date: 7 March 2014 (USA)     Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell), the most accomplished canine in the world, and his boy, Sherman (Max Charles), use a time machine called the Wabac  (pronounced Way Back) to embark on outrageous adventures. However, when Sherman takes the Wabac without permission to impress his friend Penny (Ariel Winter), he accidentally rips a hole in the universe and causes havoc with world history. It's up to Mr. Peabody to mount a rescue and prevent the past, present and future from being permanently altered.

Joe and I loved this movie.  It held our interest throughout the entire movie.  Even though it was probably aimed at children (and there was some questionable stuff for children in there), adults could enjoy it too.  Especially adults who grew up with the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show" and remember the original Mr Peabody and Sherman cartoons.

Christianity Today had a group of children view it and they reviewed it this way:

The movie is creative, funny, and entertaining. The historical characters were hilarious. They travel to the French Revolution, ancient Egypt, the Trojan War, and the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci, King Tut, Marie Antoinette and the Trojan soldiers were quirky, silly, and fun to watch.

The film's plot was imaginative and surprising at times. Mr. Peabody was full of unexpected ideas, and acts unpredictably when faced with losing Sherman. The historical scenes were exciting and even a bit educational.

There were very few things we didn't like about this movie. It was hard to watch Penny as she bullied Sherman and disrespected Mr. Peabody. However, she changed and eventually becomes a good friend to Sherman. The storyline was a bit predictable at some points, but overall still very entertaining.

Through the movie, Sherman learns to trust, listen to, and obey his father. Mr. Peabody learns to believe in Sherman and give him more responsibility. Penny changes the most. She becomes gentle and caring as she and Sherman work together. The movie teaches lessons not to judge by looks, as Mr. Peabody is judged as an unfit parent because he is a dog. The characters come to know that Mr. Peabody should be judged on his actions and character, not his outward appearance.

If you are an animation fan as I am, you will like this movie.

Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- GOD'S NOT DEAD

I thought this was a fantastic movie.  I waited so long to see it and was afraid I would be disappointed.  I wasn't.

The story is of Josh Wheaton (played by Shane Harper).  He is a college freshman who seems to have it all.  He has a girlfriend of six years and a promising career with his major in pre-law.  He needs one philosophy course to fulfill a requirement, and that class is with Professor Radisson (played by Kevin Sorbo).  Radisson is a passionate atheist, so much so that he requires all his students to write "God Is Dead" on a piece of paper or defend the existence of a God.  Josh, who is a Christian, cannot write "God Is Dead".  This not only brings about Radisson's anger, but makes this generally quiet young man take a stand for this faith.  His girlfriend is dead set against this, and she dumps him over this.  Josh, however, dives deeper into defending the existence of God.

We have some other subplots that tie into this.  There is Ayisha (Hadeel Situ), a Muslim girl who covers up her face to please her father, but whom we discover is actually a Christian convert.  Once her father finds out, he promptly (though not without some remorse) throws her out of the house.  There is Martin Yip (Paul Kwo), another of Radisson's students, who is from a well-connected Chinese family and finds Josh's defense of a god (let alone God made Flesh in Christ Jesus) fascinating.  There is Amy Ryan (Tricia LaFache), a humanist reporter who holds believers in contempt.  Of particular disdain is Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame, whom she ambushes as they are about to attend Worship Services.

Their lives all interconnect in various ways.  Amy's boyfriend, Mark (Dean Cain) dumps her when he finds out she has cancer.  Mark's mother is suffering from dementia, and he'd rather not deal with anything connected to human emotion.  His sister Mina (Cory Oliver) happens to be Radisson's girlfriend and a Christian too (much to Radisson's displeasure).  Both Josh and Mina have as their pastor one Pastor Dave (David A.R. White), who keeps trying to get away for a holiday with his missionary friend but every vehicle he encounters keeps stalling on him.

Divine intervention, perhaps?

In any case, Josh is able to successfully argue his case, we learn where Radisson's hatred towards God comes from, Martin comes to accept Christ, Mina learns that the love of Christ is enough to validate her and leaves Radisson, Amy comes to terms to both her cancer and her own anger at God, culminating in a Newsboys concert where all these stories come together.

So that's it in a nutshell.  I ended up crying through the last third of the movie.  It has a surprise (to me) ending.

Please watch it if you can.  You won't regret it.  If you already have watched it, what did you think?

Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

 

My sister and I watched this movie while on vacation.  She has a big screen TV (well, big to me) and so it was more like watching it in the theater.  We had both read the book so sort of knew what to expect.  By the way, if you have the chance, please read the book.  As in most cases it is 100 times better than the movie.  It is able to go more in depth with the relationships between the characters and the actual events in the hospital.

The one thing I didn't like in the movie was the father's and the congregation's attitude toward this experience the son had had.  It wasn't like that at all.  And the father (pastor) seemed to be preaching a feel good gospel which is not how I read it in the book.  Maybe I'm wrong?

In any case, it was a wonderful movie.  Very close to the story.  I like it when the story isn't changed into something totally unrecognizable.  The message is good.  Heaven IS for real.  I don't know how anyone can doubt it.  After reading the book and watching the movie I'm more anxious than ever to go there.  I know -- all in God's good timing.

I am so glad that I saw it.  Joe has not seen it yet, so I will probably get it out of the library again and watch it with him.  I highly recommend it for everyone.  If nothing else, it will get you thinking.

P.S.  Be sure to have those tissues handy.

Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- SON OF GOD

Son of God is a 2014 American Christian movie feature, produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. It was released in the United States on February 28, 2014.

Director:  Christopher Spencer
Rated PG-13 for intense and bloody depiction of the crucifixion and for some sequences of violence

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I wanted to see this movie when it was in the theater but never got there.  So I was excited when it showed up in the library this week.  I took it out right away and have been bugging Joe to watch it with me for several days.  Saturday night was the night to sit back and relax with this on the TV.

It began really good.  I was so impressed with how the Magi actually bowed to the ground in front of the baby Jesus.  OK, that was a little off since Jesus was about 2 years old when they showed up.  But a lot of people make that mistake.  After all, the Magi are in the manger scene at Christmas. 

But as the movie went on, Joe and I kept saying, "Wait a minute.  That didn't happen in quite that way."  Or, "Didn't that happen way before the last scene we just saw?"  And, "Well, that's just wrong.  That didn't happen."  And then we'd quote the scripture to each other to back up what we were saying was off.  The dialog was taken straight from the Bible and was great, but the whole movie was off chronologically.  And the end when Jesus doesn't ascend to heaven but suddenly disappears from sight was rather disturbing to me.  Especially when the Bible says we will see Him come back in the same way He went and we will be caught up to Him in the air.  I sort of felt as if I was watching "Star Trek" and the Father had "beamed Jesus up".

Here is a link to "Movie Mom" on belief.net.  I agree with her review of the movie.  Read it here. One thing she mentioned is that the devil is not in the movie at all so there is no reference to the temptation of Christ in the wilderness or to the Garden of Gethsemane.  It makes it sort of disjointed and leaves you feeling this is more of a political execution than a way of salvation.

Joe's rating of the movie was a thumbs down.

Mine is not so harsh.  If you know the Scriptures, you can watch it and understand what is going on.  So I am halfway between a thumbs up and a thumbs down.  A thumbs sideways?

Am I glad I watched it?  Yes.  Would I watch it again?  Probably not.

Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- PHILOMENA

Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, PHILOMENA focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee, mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock - something her Irish-Catholic community didn't have the highest opinion of - and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn't allow for any sort of inquiry into the son's whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith, a BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son.

Release Date:  November 22, 2013 (USA)

Cast:
Judy Dench ........................ Philomena Lee
Steve Coogan ..................... Martin Sixsmith
Sophie Kennedy Clark ......... Philomena Lee
Anna Maxwell Martin .......... Jane
Mare Winningham .............. Mary
Michelle Fairley .................. Sally Mitchell
Simone Lahbib .................... Kate Sixsmith
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 Have you seen this movie?  If not, please do.  It is positively the best movie ever.  It was so good that I watched it twice before I returned it to the library -- something I NEVER do.

I am a huge Judy Dench fan.  Is there anything she has done that isn't good?  But she exceeded all of my expectations in this film.  And Sophie Kennedy Clark is equally as good.

This is set in a different time and place.  If I didn't know it was a true story, I wouldn't have believed it had happened.  The idea of punishment for sin and no forgiveness is haunting.  I felt so sorry for Philomena.  But that was the mindset in this time.

The cover of the DVD has a quote from Rex Reed who says it is the most powerful movie of the year.  I agree.  Do yourself a favor and see this film.

Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

2013 Film

The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama's commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips, and the Somali pirate captain, Muse, who takes him hostage. Phillips and Muse are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips' unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, 145 miles off the Somali coast, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

Release date: October 11, 2013 (USA)

Director: Paul Greengrass

Initial DVD release: January 21, 2014 (USA)
Awards: BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Story by: Richard Phillips, Stephan Talty

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Another good movie.  Joe and I are leaning towards true stories lately and here is another one.  I remembered when this event happened, but didn't remember the outcome.  Duh....  So it was thrilling for me to watch this.

So exciting.  I was trying to figure out what I would have done under those circumstances.  So clever those people were.

I thought the acting was excellent; Joe not so much.  I felt the characters were totally believable.  Even though I knew who Tom Hanks was, he got so into the character that I forgot it was him entirely and thought he was Captain Phillips.  Joe says it was Tom Hanks all the way through for him.  See, two people watch the same movie at the same time and still don't agree.  We do agree, however, that Barkhad Abdi was absolutely stunning as Muse.  It was his first acting job and he was up for an award.  He deserved to be too.

This is another must see movie if you haven't already.  If you have seen it, what did you think?


Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- FROZEN

2013 Film

Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey -- teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven -- to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

Release date: November 27, 2013 (USA)

Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Running time: 108 minutes

Initial DVD release: March 18, 2014 (USA)

 

MPAA rating: PG, G

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This movie was much better than I expected it to be.  I love animation.  I always have.  And I love Disney movies.  So this was a real treat for me.  I am amazed at the computer generated animation that is out there today as opposed to the line drawings that I saw growing up.  They are so real that sometimes it's hard to believe that you aren't watching real live people.

The music was just wonderful.  I understand why the one song was up for an Oscar.  To me this movie was reminiscent of an old Broadway musical.  The parts where people burst into song was worthy of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

There are always some amusing characters in a Disney movie and the snowman Olaf and reindeer Sven did not disappoint me.  They were the comic relief in an otherwise rather suspenseful story.

If you want to see a fun movie, this is the one for you. 


Kathy

MOVIE MONDAY -- 12 YEARS A SLAVE

2013 Film

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty at the hands of a malevolent slave owner, as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelf… Moreth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

Release date: October 18, 2013 (USA)

Director: Steve McQueen 
Running time: 134 minutes 
MPAA rating: R 
Initial DVD release: March 4, 2014 (USA)

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This was a hard movie to watch.  My heart was pounding through most of it.  It is hard for me to understand how someone can look at another human being and not see them for who they are.

I was impressed by the dignity and bravery of Solomon Northup.  It would have been easy to be like all the others, but he never forgot that he was not "Platt the slave" but "Mr. Solomon Northup of Saratoga Springs, NY".  A gentleman.  With a wife and two children whom he adored.

The acting was superb.  Even though 12 years was eclipsed into 2 hours, you could feel the passing of time.  The movie was based on a true story and I would love to know more about him.  So if you know me, you know what that means.  I am getting internet and hard copy books about him and reading to my heart's content.

There is some nudity and bad language in this movie, so that is why it is rated R.  I would not allow children to see it.  Too cruel.  But for everyone else, I highly recommend it.

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This is a new series I am starting called Movie Monday.  I have been seeing such good ones that I will occasionally be sharing them with you.

Kathy